NR-43 “Cherry” is a reconnaissance combat knife shrouded in secrets and riddles. The exact history of its appearance is still unknown. Nevertheless, the knife does not lose its attractiveness for connoisseurs of edged weapons, but because manufacturers release its new versions.
From the history
It is believed that the HP-43 "Cherry" appeared during the Great Patriotic War, presumably in 1943. He continues the traditions of the military knife NA-40 and knife for scouts NR-40. The practice of operating these types of weapons revealed several disadvantages that were taken into account when creating the HP-43. For example, the special shape of the HP-40 cross meant the use of a knife only in battle. Therefore, cutting the right objects with this tool was problematic. Designers took into account all the shortcomings and created a convenient knife HP-43.
The changes were as follows:
- instead of a wooden handle, a plastic handle was used, characterized by high strength;
- the curved shape of the handle was changed to symmetrical;
- instead of wooden scabbards, leather ones appeared;
- the curved overlap was replaced by a direct one.
Main characteristics
The blade of the knife HP-43 "Cherry" remained the same as that of its predecessors. It has the following dimensions:
- 150 mm in length;
- 22 mm wide;
- 2.6 mm thickness;
- 158 mm - the length of the blade.
Sharpening on the one hand, the tip refers to the variety "pike."
Previously, the manufacturer put a mark on the heel of the blade, one of them was made in the form of the letter “P” and looked like a cherry, hence the name of the product. At first it existed as an unofficial one, and then it became a habit and became a real brand. A cylindrical protrusion arose on the shank of the gun to secure the handle.
The knife handle is made of high-strength plastic material, is supplied with a nut, and has a bulge in the middle. For strong fixation in the hand in the handle, longitudinal and transverse grooves are made. The handle is painted green, there are samples of black and white. The knife guard is flat, straight.
The sheath is made of two leather parts, which are connected with rivets. It is possible to fasten on the belt, as well as a strap for insurance.
Knife HP-43 "Cherry" has a small weight - 150 grams (excluding sheath), despite its length of 270 mm. It holds perfectly in the hand, differs in strength and convenience. The design of the weapon is quite successful, which allows it to still be popular.
Historical riddles
The stigma on the blade of the knife allows you to determine its manufacturer: plant number 259 or factory number 391 in Zlatoust. However, historians cannot name the exact year of the start of production of these tools.
Some experts believe that the knife began to be released in 1943. Others are unanimous in the opinion that the materials and manufacturing technology do not correspond to wartime, and come to the conclusion that the “Cherry” was created in the post-war time, possibly even in the 70s.
The lack of photographs and documentary data of the war years reinforce this opinion. Specialists are confused by the year of production indicated on the blade, which cannot be considered genuine. For the manufacture of "Cherries" they could take blades from the NR-40 and NA-40 knives stored in warehouses. So there are still more questions than answers in the topic of the origin of the legendary knife.
Long life
Knife HP-43 has come an extremely long way. At first he entered the uniform of the Soviet military and served them until the 60s. Then the military began to use bayonets and other knives for scouts.
Nevertheless, “Cherry” continued to be used in some units. And today, experts prefer this weapon to newer options. For example, the reconnaissance knife -43 "Cherry" was actively used by soldiers in Afghanistan, as well as by special forces in the 90s.
Product copy
To find on sale the "same" knife HP-43 "Cherry" the original is not easy. For such a copy, any collector is ready to pay a considerable amount. The replica of the famous knife made in Zlatoust is a high-quality and affordable alternative.
Zlatoust product is a rather interesting instance. He accurately repeats the famous knife and differs only in material. HP-43 "Cherry" (Zlatoust) is made of alloyed heat-resistant steel having a hardness of 56-58 HRC. In addition, the design of the replica has some features that allow it to be acquired by civilians, since the gun is not classified as a cold weapon. The knife is a type of tourist and sports.
Mystery and popularity
Many knife-hunters set out to solve the mystery of the origin of the famous scout knife -43 "Cherry", but so far no one has been able to do it. The photographs of the Great Patriotic War do not meet the image of these weapons.
There is a photo in which “Cherry” has the stamp “ZiK 1943”. For this reason, weapons are associated with the year 1943 with the city of Zlatoust. However, later instances with the stigma “IMZ 1945” were discovered.
Weapons experts do not associate Cherry with the war years. At that time, plastic products were not produced. The plant in Zlatoust in the 40s simply could not produce such knives, because the NA-40 weapons had wooden handles. Plastic was used only in limited quantities in weapons for generals. Stamping of plastic materials at that time was not yet, the work was done manually.
In addition, during the war years at the Zlatoust plant there were significant shortages of labor. Therefore, the launch of the production of a new model was hardly possible. All these arguments speak of a later release of the product.
Whether it is true or not is unknown. But the popularity of "Cherries" is not lost over the years. This is evidenced by the huge number of issued copies these days. And the mysterious legend adds even more charm to this weapon, which is appreciated by true lovers of blades.