A harmonious combination - a man and a knife - causes admiration and delight. A man with a blade appears to be a defender, next to him calmly and serenely. A true warrior will never use his ability to use a knife as a weapon to harm another. The historically arisen combination - a man and a Plastun knife - was originally a symbol of the fearless warrior, the defender of the Motherland.
The dispute over the originality of the knife
The question "Is there really an original plastunsky knife?" today leads to disputes between experts. Some are sure that such a knife was not and could not be. Allegedly, the first reports of such artifacts appeared in the 2000s. The famous "Collection 13" described this kind of Cossack weapon. Others are convinced that the historicism of the Plastunsky knife is beyond doubt. The opinions of the latter are divided only by the principles of its occurrence.
Occurrence versions
Version one: the southern borders of the Russian Empire were defended by Cossack units. The Don and Kuban Cossacks were famous not only for their effective cavalry, but also for their equally fighting units on foot. To carry out secret sorties to the rear of the enemy, special forces were created that were engaged in reconnaissance and sabotage activities. To get into the special forces was possible only on the recommendation of the commander. There was no place for young and burning youths. Calmness, patience, lack of fear of death were considered the best indicators. Along with military prowess, this created almost invincible soldiers. They were called plastunas. The name came from the constant demand "to lay down" and "crawl in a plastubanski". Plastuns always carried a Plastun Cossack knife with them .
The second version: the knife was never an obligatory accessory of the Cossack warrior. It had to be earned, which was not such an easy task. They awarded a man with a plastun knife who showed courage and successfully completed seven or more tasks. Premium weapons of the elite of the reconnaissance units were produced in limited quantities.
Which of the versions of the appearance of the Plastunsky knife is more true - does not matter much now. The history of Plastun’s knife deserves respect. Modern analogues of historical knives are not inferior to their illustrious ancestors in the qualitative fulfillment of their mission.
Plastunsky knife characteristic
The main characteristics of the Plastun knife are similar to the blades of the peoples of the Caucasus. They were probably originally trophies. Plastuns used captured Caucasian daggers. Cossacks also used broken checkers, giving them a second life, for making combat knives. A convenient, lightweight, multifunctional plastunsky knife is distinguished by such criteria:
- The narrow, sharpened blade is forged from hardened steel.
- The handle makes with the blade a solid forged structure passing through the entire length of the handle. Outside is bolted.
- The sheath is made of a combination of leather and wood, equipped with straps for fastening.
- It can be mounted on the shin and on the belt.
Knife features
Distinctive features of the Plastunsky knife are:
- The form. The wave-shaped blade is the hallmark of a Plastun knife. The edge of the blade is sharp, the end is pointed. A groove is usually highlighted in the center of the blade.
- The design of the knife. Elongated body, narrow long blade, anatomically shaped handle. The knife is stored in the scabbard, and does not stack.
- The material of manufacture. For the knife, only hard, well-sharpening steel is suitable. They also make blades from Damascus.
Damascus knife
Blades of Plastun knives are made of steel and Damascus. Damascus steel is obtained by forging welding strips of steel with different carbon contents. The strips are first cut, pressed into a briquette, forged. The action is repeated several dozen times. The result of prolonged intensive forging is Damascus (Damascus steel).
Damascus steel plastunsky knife can consist of five hundred layers of steel with different carbon content. The incoming pattern confirms the individuality of the blade. Damascus gives the knife viscosity and toughness, elasticity and cutting ability. Mechanical impact on the blade cannot lead to its breakage.
The legendary Cossack knife
Carrying a knife-plastun was an indicator of the status of the Cossack. Plastunsky knife was smaller than the Cossack saber in length. This criterion is more a plus than a minus. Plastuns needed to be able to fight in a limited space, for example, in a close peasant hut. If necessary, remove the enemy patrol by throwing a knife at him. Lightweight, with a strong blade and convenient fastening, the Plastun Cossack knife became indispensable in the everyday combat everyday life of a Cossack saboteur.
Legends are transmitted through generations. A small episode in the Kuban, when forty plastuns in a military confrontation with three thousand highlanders forced them to retreat. The Crimean War of 1853-1856 gave new names to the heroes. Under Balaklava, Cossack scouts destroyed the service staff of the guns, brought “tongues” and brought mortars. For military valor, two Plastun battalions (second and eighth) received the St. George banners.
In groups of plastuns, they preferred to take people who had nothing to lose. Their reckless courage led the enemy into a panic, and the fellow soldiers aroused pride and admiration. The Russo-Japanese war of 1905 showed that the plastunas were not inferior in their fearlessness to the death of a Japanese ninja.
The First World War changed the purpose of the plastuns, they began to be used as rifle battalions (a total of twenty-four). In World War II, the Krasnodar Rifle Division, separate regiments and reconnaissance battalions retained the title of Plastun.
Modern Plastun Knives
Modern Cossacks, hunters, fishers and lovers of extreme recreation would not mind buying a Plastun Cossack knife . Zlatoust (a city in the Chelyabinsk region) is famous for its craftsmen. The appearance of the knives of one master may differ from similar products of another. The Zlatoust weapons factory (ZOF) has been producing the Cossack Plastunsky knife (steel 95x18 or steel 50X15MF) so far. Steel 95X18 is used for the production of camping, kitchen, universal and other types of knives.
In the XXI century, the place where you can buy a Plastun Cossack knife, Zlatoust is, along with other famous centers of metallurgy. Such knives as the Don Arms Factory (Volgograd), the Barinov factory from the city of Vorsma, Nizhny Novgorod Region, became famous for their knives.
Today, Plastun knives have become souvenirs. They will please the connoisseur of weapons. It is also important that the knife can be taken on a hike, used in everyday life. Thanks to perfect balancing, the knife is used for throwing. Another significant criterion: according to the law of the Russian Federation, Plastun knives are not cold steel.