Today in the collections of many Nayfoman you can see the Buryat knife. Some simply bear such a name, although they are made according to completely different principles and technologies. But the craftsmen who made the others painstakingly recreated this tool, taking into account all the features and unique features. Anyway, these knives are widely known not only in Russia, but also in many countries of Asia: Mongolia, China and even Korea. Therefore, we will talk about them in more detail.
What was it for?
Before the Russians arrived in Siberia, the Buryats were mainly engaged in hunting - they did not know the agriculture. Accordingly, the knives were used primarily for cutting carcasses, the addition of a wounded beast. This left its mark on the shape and dimensions of the tool.
In general, the Buryats attitude to the knife, like many other nations, has always been extremely serious. It was forbidden to step over it, direct it at other people, poke them in a fire or even just get out of the scabbard idle.
Appearance
The shape of the knife is as simple as possible, but at the same time functional. Usually a large Buryat knife has a long and narrow blade. It is straight and rounded only at the very end. This form was not chosen by chance - it is impossible to finish off a wounded deer or moose with a short curved blade. A good hunter always tries to alleviate the suffering of the beast as much as possible, having done the selection quickly and as painlessly as possible. Against the background of a long blade, the handle seems rather short. Indeed, it is not made too long - exactly one that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.
But when cutting the carcass of an animal, a knife with a long straight blade is not too good. Therefore, along with large experienced hunters always carried a Buryat small knife. His shape is exactly the same: with a straight blade. But the length of the blade is very small, often less than the handle. Doing such a weapon is almost impossible. But skinning, butchering the carcass is very convenient.
Often they even made special sheaths with two pockets: for a long and short knife, so that both were at hand, they could be removed at any time.
What steel to use
In the manufacture of knives, relatively mild steel was usually used. There were several reasons for this. On the one hand, among the Buryats there were practically no good blacksmiths capable of high-quality processing of steel. Moreover, not a single iron deposit was developed on the territory of their residence - metal was mainly bought from the Mongols in exchange for valuable furs. Of course, without developed metallurgy and certain knowledge, it was impossible to properly temper steel in order to make the appropriate knives.
But there was another reason why the Buryats continued to make mild steel knives even after the arrival of the Russians, who generously shared their knowledge. A high hardness blade can serve the owner for a long time, without sharpening. But when it finally dulls, to sharpen it, you need to have a special whetstone on hand. But the mild steel knife, although it dulls quite quickly, can be quickly sharpened to the sharpness of the blade using almost any rough surface.
By the way, to improve the cutting properties, Buryat knives often had asymmetric sharpening.
What the handle is made of
In most cases, the handle was made of wood, usually of birch. Durable, but at the same time easy to process, it could serve the owner for many years, even with the most intensive use. In addition, wood practically does not absorb blood, which is very important if you use a knife for cutting carcasses. Often used a metal top, additionally reinforcing the handle that protects against accidental impacts.
There are also knives whose handle is made of horn. Of course, such a material is much more difficult to process. But he also has a significantly longer life - such a handle will not crack if you accidentally drop the knife on a stone or other hard surface. Yes, and the horn is not afraid of excess moisture, as it is not susceptible to decay, mold.
In any case, they tried to select material that was darker so that it contrasted with the background of a light blade. What do not say, but a certain aesthetics and pronounced taste were always present at the Buryats.
Sheath material
But the sheath of a Buryat knife, medium, as well as small and large, could have both wood and leather - it all depended on the preferences of a particular hunter.
Their arrangement was as simple as possible - the knife was fixed with the usual clamping of the handle. That is, it was slightly sunk into a tight scabbard, which almost completely eliminated accidental loss when properly carried.
Wealthy hunters made or ordered scabbard inlaid with metal plates, usually nickel silver or even silver. Quite often they were decorated with various Buddhist motifs. In old photographs, as well as authentic scabbards that have reached our times, you can see drawings: dragons, lotuses, lions and some others. However, it depended heavily on geography. In the south, in the lands adjacent to Mongolia, this was more common, but in the north - much less often.
So as not to lose
Studying handmade Buryat knives, you can see an additional buckle-pendant. The sheath was connected to it with a metal chain. In more budget options, they used a regular leather lace.
Why is this needed? For two reasons.
Firstly, from a practical point of view. During the hunt, the Buryats had to walk a lot in the forests, run along the windbreak and shrubs to catch the beast. Of course, losing the scabbard with the knife with this movement can be pretty quick. To prevent this, the buckle-pendant was attached to the belt. Even if the scabbard slipped out of the belt, they did not disappear.
Secondly, the observance of the ritual. It is connected with the fact that, when they came to visit, at the plague of neighbors or acquaintances, the Buryats pulled the scabbard from their belts, leaving them hanging on a chain. In this case, quickly grabbing the knife was simply impossible - it was approximately at the level of the knees. Thus, they demonstrated peacefulness, lack of treachery. The owner of the knife seemed to say: "You see, I am not ready for battle, which means that I am not plotting anything bad against you."
Modern knives
As mentioned above, today Buryat knives are known in many countries of the world. Of course, they are familiar to many domestic lovers and experts. It is not surprising that they are produced by a variety of large companies, not to mention private masters. Buryat knives are produced in Zlatoust, Bata, Baikal-Art and many others.
Of course, far from always new products correspond to the parameters that their analogues of past centuries had. Most often, only the shape is preserved: long, straight blades, rounded only near the tip itself.
But steel is used more modern, elastic and solid. Still, today many hunters who have to spend a lot of time in the forest, and then finish off and carve the beast, are not too lazy to carry a small whetstone in your pocket or backpack.
The changes also touched the handle. Of course, you can find a photo of the Buryat knife, in which it is made of wood, not only from birch, but also from other, more exotic species. There are leather handles, birch bark and many others.
The scabbard has changed a lot. Most often they are made of leather or leatherette. But the shape has changed a bit. The absence of a guard in a classic Buryat knife allows the manufacture of very comfortable and reliable sheaths in which the tool is deeply sunk and securely fixed. Even with long runs with obstacles, the risk of losing a knife is minimized.
But some manufacturers have preserved the tradition of fastening the knife to the belt with a special chain, and not so much for practical reasons, but as a tribute to traditions.
Conclusion
Now you know much more about Buryat knives: their structure, materials used in the manufacture. So, you can easily decide whether to purchase such a knife or give preference to other analogues, more modern.