Knife Yakut sketches and drawings. Yakut knife from a file

The Yakut knife (Yakut. byһakh) is one of the main attributes of the Sakha people. In each region of the republic, one can find some of its own peculiarities in the manufacture of the Yakut knife, although the general traditions are preserved, and only its individual details differ.

Features of the Yakut knife are simplicity, ease of use and wide functionality. Yakut hunting knives can be useful for cutting fish, meat or, if necessary, repairing something. Archaeological excavations show that in ancient times the ancestors of modern Yakuts used knives of a similar design, so we can say that the secret of the Yakut knife is passed down from generation to generation.

Nowadays, the Yakut knife is not only the personification of culture and history - it is widely used for a variety of purposes. It is difficult to find a Yakut family that does not possess at least one traditional knife. A good knife for a Yakut hunter is the closest and most loyal friend. Hundreds of craftsmen throughout Yakutia are engaged in the manufacture of the Yakut knife. Therefore, there are many versions that imply a variety of its forms and features. Not everyone can make a Yakut knife with their own hands. Traditionally, they are not bought ready-made, but ordered individually. The master takes into account the wishes of the future owner - he will never want to be sold another, somewhat similar, instead of a national instrument. Thus, a synthesis of the traditional and the individual is formed. Each Yakut knife has its own unique features, but they do not go beyond historical standards.

Drawings and dimensions

The dimensions of the Yakut knife, due to its wide functionality, have a very large range - from the smallest to the very large. Drawings of a real Yakut knife are not so easy to find, because the secret of its proper manufacture is carefully kept. General sizing information is shown below.

According to the style of manufacture and application, they are divided into twelve varieties:

1. Oyuu bygychchata - used for drawing a pattern (patterns) on wooden products. Blade length is 3-5 cm.
2. Otohut bygychchata - used by a healer, healer, with a very thin and sharp end of the blade. Usually 3-7 cm.
3. Wal oҕo kychchanar bygychchata - a knife for a boy. Blade length 7-11 cm.
4. Die-wat byһaҕa - homemade knife. Length 9-14 cm.
5. Tabaһyt byһаҕа - used for cutting the carcass of a deer (knife of a reindeer breeder), the tip is very thin and beak-shaped. The blade is thin, one might say, "gentle". Length 9-12 cm.
6. Kyra bult byһaҕa - a small hunter's knife. The blade is 9-14 cm long. The hardening is soft.
7. Balyksyt byһaҕa - a fisherman's knife. The blade is wide, the butt is thin, the tip is slightly bent upwards. The handle is made from birch bark.
8. Bult byhaha - a hunting knife. 15-18 cm.
9. Mas uuhun bygychchata - used by a cabinetmaker. For cutting figured parts of furniture and other wooden products. Length up to 12 cm.
10. Mas uuhun byһaҕa - also for the cabinetmaker. For processing large parts, with a wide, thin blade. Hardened hard.
11. Badaayi is a large knife. Up to 25 cm.
12. Bolo byһakh - even larger and heavier, blade length up to 30 cm. These two types of knives are long, designed for heavy work. For example, for butchering large animals, for cutting through ice, for cutting willows, overgrowth, etc.

In general, the dimensions of the Yakut knife can be divided in the following order:

1. If the blade length is from 8 to 11 cm, then this is a small knife. He calls "bygychcha" and is made for children and women. However, there are a number of tasks that are easier to solve with a knife with a small blade size. Therefore, it can conditionally be classified as economic.
2. A knife with a blade length of 11 to 17 cm is the most common. It is called "byһakh" and is used for a variety of purposes.
3. The longer blade - above 17 cm makes it a combat weapon. It is called "khotonokh" and is made quite rarely.

There are also knives with a longer blade size, which already belong to the type of axes and spears. For example: Yakut batas or Yakut batyya, the length of their blade is 40-60 cm. This is a beautiful, light military weapon, once loved by the Yakuts. They could stab and cut.

In the classification of the Yakut knife, the width of the blade also plays a role. If it is narrow, then it is referred to as tundra. It’s easier to cut something or make holes in something, which is the first thing you need in tundra conditions. The taiga Yakut knife is designed for cutting hunting trophies or livestock, as well as for processing wood. Such work is easier to carry out with a knife with a wider blade.

Blade

The blade of the Yakut knife is asymmetrical. The butt is straight, even, and the blade is sharp. On the right side is the dollar. It can take a variety of forms. Some craftsmen prefer to make a notch almost the entire area of ​​the side of the blade, leaving only a small edge near the butt, and someone is limited to a groove that is shifted closer to the handle. In the same direction, the fuller can be wider, and narrower towards the "nose" of the blade. This notch is called "yosom".

Jos arose for several reasons. Firstly, with it, the Yakut knife resembled those that the ancestors made from bones. The notch is just a tribute to tradition, it represents a natural opening for the bone marrow. From the technological side, it once arose as a compensatory leash when connecting, in the process of forging and hardening, soft and hard iron. Secondly, jos simplifies sharpening and straightening a knife in the cold and, although for some reason it is rarely talked about, it plays the role of an ordinary blood drain, which is present on most combat knives.

The shape of the Yakut knife, the presence of an unsharpened, even side of the blade, which is called “byһakh haptaҕaya”, enhances the penetrating effect, which makes it possible to inflict stabbing blows on animals with thick skins, as well as to perform piercing or knife drilling of the skin.

Today, only true masters know the true secrets of making a Yakut knife. Those copies that are common in central cities are far from the original. Usually, forging a Yakut knife is carried out from mild steel grades. Such a blade is easier to sharpen on anything - any suitable stone. It cannot be said that modern options involving the use of damask or Damascus steel have any negative properties. They just do not correspond to historical realities, which have always put practicality in the first place.

Handle

The handle of the Yakut knife is made from a single piece of birch burl - inherently very strong wood, which is impregnated with oils. In cross section, the handle has the shape of an egg. This shape is chosen so that during some work the knife does not turn in the hand.

An interesting way to mount the blade in the handle. First, a wide central hole is made and a pointed shank is driven into the handle. Then softwood wedges are inserted on the sides of the blade. They are bursting, and they clamp the blade in the handle. In order to protect the wooden handle from moisture, it is impregnated with special oils.

The narrow side of the handle is directed towards the blade. The length of the handle is always greater than the length of the blade and the width of the male palm. Usually it is 130 - 150 mm.

Firstly, in this way even a knife with a blade length of less than 110 mm turns into a weapon. The long handle allows for a series of strikes that would otherwise be much more difficult to execute.

Secondly, with such a handle it is much more convenient to butcher the carcasses of hunted animals.

Thirdly, a knife with a long handle will not sink in water - it will play the role of a float. The Yakut knife does not have any additional elements - guards, stops, etc.

Sheath

The sheath of the Yakut knife is simple and functional. They are made from an oxtail taken off with a stocking and a wooden insert inserted into it. The Yakut knife is recessed into a leather sheath on 1/3 of the handle and is fixed there due to friction. The blade hangs freely in a wooden insert inside the scabbard.

This makes it possible to freely put in and take out a knife with a blade on which blood and fat freeze when cutting game in winter. By the way, a real Yakut knife can be removed with one hand, resting your thumb on the mouth of the scabbard. The scabbard is worn on a belt, freely suspended from a leather strap in an inclined or horizontal position.

In the old days and today it is permissible to use a sheath made of sewn pieces of leather. Once upon a time, birch bark was also used, very rarely only wood.

sharpening

The sharpening of the Yakut knife is done from the side of the valley (right for right-handers, left for left-handers). The block should be applied to the cutting edge at a slight angle (<5°) и точить лезвие сверху вниз (в направление от обуха до кромки) до того момента, пока не появится тонкая блестящая линия на режущей кромке. Эта линия по-якутски называется «кылаан» и является самой острой частью режущей кромки.

Some experts say that this is a burr and should be removed, but you should not listen to them, most likely they do not know how to sharpen a Yakut knife correctly. "Kylaan" should have a slight angle to the left side of the blade. It is strictly forbidden to sharpen the Yakut knife on the left - it has a one-sided sharpening. On the left, it is allowed only slightly (very carefully) to edit the “kylaan” when it bends.

Sharpening is done as the “kylaan” disappears. To do this, you need to have several bars with different grain sizes. Sharpen from large to small.

It is impossible to mix coals with a Yakut knife or overheat the blade. In this case, a vacation will occur - the blade will become soft. For the same reason, it is impossible to sharpen the blade on an electric sharpener.

Wearing and using

A leather strap or cord is threaded into the sheath. With it, the Yakut knife is attached to the belt, on the left side and the blade to the left. This makes it possible to quickly grab it with a right-hander. Of course, left-handers carry a knife on the right. The suspension is free so as not to interfere with movements.

It should be understood that "byһakh" with a notch and a forged blade length of 110 mm is a real weapon. And its production, distribution and wearing is a matter that is reflected in the Criminal Code. So it was in the days of the RSFSR, when "byһakh" was outlawed. True, the possession of a knife did not entail any serious consequences. In modern Yakutia, this is regulated by a separate act of the government of the Republic of Sakha.

The Yakut knife is recognized as part of the culture of the Sakha people, and its storage and use in everyday life, sale to tourists and demonstration during mass events are allowed on the territory of the republic. Yakut handmade knives become not only exhibits of folk art exhibitions, but are also widely used in everyday life, during hunting, fishing, various housework.

Where can I buy?

You can buy a real Yakut knife in specialized stores or directly from local craftsmen in. Each copy has its own documents and licenses. Prices range from 4,000 rubles to 20,000 rubles.

You can buy a Yakut knife not only in Yakutia, but also abroad. Knowledgeable people prefer factory samples in this matter. In factory production, the manufacturing process of the product is debugged, defects and deviations from forging traditions are minimized.

Samples of Yakut knives, made in a piece copy by local craftsmen, have a unique design, but for this the price of such knives is many times higher.

Video

If you are interested, you can watch a video about the Yakut knife, which describes in detail its actual work:

Photo

Below are photos of the Yakut knives of famous Yakut masters:

The real Yakut blade actually has a rather ancient history, this is confirmed by archaeological excavations. And, today, comparing the knives of modern options, and extracted from the ground, there is practically no difference.

The finished product impresses with its elegance.

So we can safely say that today's topic will concern the reproduction of the ancient Yakut knife with your own hands. Perhaps loudly said, but manual labor can also be dated to ancient methods of work. An interesting fact is that in the past, the Yakuts in some interesting way bypassed the stage of processing cast iron. And the products were forged immediately from an alloy of steel.

According to contemporaries, the quality of today's knives is in no way inferior to European manufacturers. And most importantly, the Yakuts do not lose the ancient methods of forging and manufacturing their products, but pass them on to their children.

Features of the Yakut knife

An important feature of the Yakut knife, which distinguishes it from other products, is its asymmetry. On the one hand there is a groove, of a rather large size, which runs along the entire blade. And the opposite side has a convex shape. There are several explanations for such interesting forms:

• in the old days, blacksmiths thus tried to save metal, gradually stretching the blade;
• Yakuts live in extreme conditions, at -50 ° C, -60 ° C, it is almost impossible to sharpen a solid product. And with such a fuller, the blade became thinner and more pliable;
• when skinning the carcass, especially when skinning, the recess in the blade prevented it from “sticking”. And due to the small area of ​​​​contact and airspace, the work became much easier;
• the scabbard was made of oxtail, taken off like a stocking. And wooden inserts were made inside so as not to break the knife. They were also made from birch bark or sewn together with animal skin.

Clearly prominent groove.

Another important point, the blade is sharpened on one side. But the handle was made and is being done now, from a birch rhizome.

It is quite reliable, and has a good grip on the shank.

Varieties of the Yakut knife "Sakha"

In different regions of Yakutia, there are different variations in the manufacture of a knife. But in general terms, it is a product with a length of 11 to 17 cm and a wooden handle, all from the same birch. It is called simply and briefly - "Sakha". There are twelve varieties. Their names will be presented in the purely Yakut language "Sakha rear", in brackets a literal translation and a small transcript:

1. "Oluy bygychcha" (small blunt knife) - a blade for drawing patterns on wooden products, its length is 3-5 cm.
2. "Otohut byһychcha" (very small) - a tool of a healer, healer, with a very thin and sharp end of the blade, the length of the blade is 3-7 cm.
3. “Uol oҕo kychchagar byһychcha” (knife for a boy) - a knife for a boy, length 7-11 cm.
4. "Die bygychcha" (home knife) - a home assistant with a length of 9-14 cm.
5. “Tabahyt bysaҕa” (for a reindeer breeder) - for cutting a deer carcass, the knife edge is very thin and beak-shaped, the blade is thin, “delicate”, its length is 9-12 cm.
6. "Kyra bult byhaha" (small for hunting) - a small hunter's knife, length 9-14 cm, soft hardening.
7. "Balyksyt byһaҕa" (fishing tool) - a tool for a fisherman, it is quite wide, the butt is thin, the tip is slightly bent upwards. The handle is made from birch bark.
8. "Bult byhaha" (for hunting) - a hunting wedge, its length is 15-18 cm.
9. "Mas үүһүn byһychcha" (knife for wood) - designed for woodworking, its length is 12 cm. Designed for cutting figured parts of furniture and other wooden products.
10. "Mas үүһүn byһаҕа" (large knife for wood) - a blade for working with wood, but larger than the previous one. Provides the processing of large parts, with a wide, thin blade. Hardened hard.
11. "Badaayi" (large heavy knife) - a large wedge, its length is up to 25 cm.
12. "Bolot byhah" (knife-sword) - even larger and heavier, blade length up to 30 cm.

Varieties. Small handmade blades. Small knife.
Medium blade. Original blade. Large knife.

The last two types of knives are long, designed for heavy work. For example, for butchering large animals, for cutting through ice, for cutting willows, overgrowth, etc. I had to use a translator, now you can brag to your friends about your new skills.

DIY instructions

For people living off reindeer herding and hunting, a knife is simply necessary. The blade is designed for both domestic work and more serious events. Depends, of course, on the length, as already described above.

In the Republic of Sakha since 1995, by decision of the government, the Yakut knife has been recognized as a cultural part of the people inhabiting it. And thanks to this decision, the blade can be carried without any permission. And use it for everyday life and household.

The manufacture of products is also not prosecuted by law, and many craftsmen are engaged in forging knives. As a rule, they are very similar to their ancestors, the only thing that distinguishes them is steel. Previously, it was used softer, so that it was possible to sharpen it in any conditions, but now they use anything for this business.

Springs, springs, bearings, files, parts from any technique, etc. The difference is only in this, but in the rest and in general, the process has not changed.

Blade dimensions drawing.

To start manufacturing, make a drawing for yourself, and always refer to it as you work. Small errors are allowed. But it is better to calculate everything in advance.

To make it, you can take any item from the above, but to have fewer problems, choose a more rectangular shape. It will be easier to work with a file, let's try to give step-by-step instructions for making a knife at home:

1. Cut off a piece of the desired size from the file and weld a rod to it, for the convenience of glowing in the forge.
2. The first heating is carried out slowly, when the color of heat (bright red) is reached, the temperature will be about 750 ° C. It is better to check with a magnet, professionals distinguish by color. If the workpiece is not magnetic, it's time to start forging it.
3. It is better to use two types of sledgehammers - heavy, 4 kilograms and 1.5 kilograms lighter. We forge with a heavy hammer, if the workpiece cools down - again into the forge, watch its color, otherwise you can just break it. It is necessary to forge along the entire length to a thickness of 2-3 mm.
4. Do not forget about the shank and the radius of the leading edge. You can immediately forge descents, to facilitate work on emery.
5. Large dol, we forge with the sharp side of the smaller hammer. We align the wedge and carry out normalization in oil. Don't forget to take a couple of hours off.
6. We remove all irregularities with emery, we bring the shape to a normal look. We correct the descents, if necessary, well, grinding and polishing - be patient.

File. Warm up and cook. Don't forget to warm up.
We continue to forge. We forge a gutter. Vacation.

Slowly, without haste, step on it with your foot and transfer all your weight to the blade. Should withstand a kilogram of 60-70, if your weight is more, ask someone.

If it does not change the geometry, then everything is done correctly, and you can continue with other steps.

Lever

With a handle, everything can be done simply, anyway, we cannot make a real Yakut blade, it will be a replica, and nothing else. Therefore, we select an unnecessary small block of wood and go ahead:

1. First of all, we drill a hole for the shank, insert the blade and select the caps for a tighter fastening. At this stage, it is better to wrap the wedge with masking tape.
2. We dilute the epoxy with sawdust, pour everything into the hole, put the shank in and drive in the prepared wood chips along the edges. We make sure that everything sits securely and leave it to dry for 24 hours.
3. The next step is to draw the center lines and begin to plan the future handle from all sides. And in all available ways.
4. Having reached a rounded shape and a normal diameter, we grind the handle, soak it with oils, you can dip it in boiling wax for 30 minutes. This is at the request of the owner of the blade.

Drilling. Epoxy. Markup. We plan.

Work must be carried out carefully, one wrong move and the handle is damaged. You will have to clean the shank of epoxy, which will already be like a stone, and do all the work from the beginning.

Sheath

The easiest way is to make wooden ones, for this, two blanks of wood are taken, the width is larger than the resulting knife itself. Then, putting a blade 2/3 long on them, we mark the grooves with a pencil. And we select them, with the help of a chisel, and carefully sand them with sandpaper.

The next step, carefully remove the excess from the outer sides with a planer. Then we check the fit of the knife in the sheath, if everything is fine, glue both halves with epoxy resin, sand the outside.

Apply the blade.

Pretty original wooden scabbard.

You can also sew a separate sheath of leather, the process is much more complicated, but aesthetically more pleasing to the eye. On our website there is an article: how to make a sheath at home from leather. We really hope it helps you.

Yakut knife. from Anton Khodzhimirzaev.

The distinctive and most important feature of this knife is the fuller. He is not a bleeder! It performs at least three functions

1. Actually geometry. From the side of the valley, the descent is straight, on the other side it is a lens, which makes it an excellent tool for planing wood.
2. metal savings. In the process of forging a fuller, the wedge is stretched in width and length, as a result we get a full-sized knife with a minimum steel consumption.
3. The forged fuller turns the blade into a channel, i.e., with low hardness, we obtain maximum bending strength.

So, an old Soviet file was chosen as the starting material.

We saw off a small piece and weld it well to the bar

Slowly heat up the workpiece in the furnace. The color reproduction is lame, and it’s light outside, so it’s difficult to determine the color of heat by eye, I use a magnet. At a temperature of 723 C (I don’t remember exactly), steel loses its magnetic properties and this means that somewhere in this range you can knock on it. For file steel (y10-...13), approximately the same temperature is hardening. Not everyone can be tested this way.

Pull out the iron. I use a 1500 sledgehammer

My rod fell off (((It was better to weld! Now we take pliers

I pulled it out into such a plate. Now I form the shank. Responsible place!

And the radius of the leading edge.

I forge descents, the wedge bends, this is fixable ...

already looks like a wedge!

I forge the dol with a sharp edge of 600 g of the hammer. The geometry we need has already been formed. Align in a common plane, carry out normalization ...

And kalim in oil. Thought it would be more effective.

I don’t see the leash after hardening

After hardening, the wedge did not scratch the glass, so the tempering took only 1 hour at 200 degrees.

We grind off the excess on emery. Raise your shoulders a little.

BREAKING SAFETY!!! But in another way it is very difficult to bring out a plane on emery

It's time to check the wedge for cracks and overall strength. I took several shots, but none of them show that I am completely standing on it. Take my word) 60 kg keeps calm

Nothing fell off

And now the sanding. Now a very long and dreary process ...

Sanding and polishing...

After 1200 sanding

Now on the felt circle. Better to do it with an assistant!

Good shot) Almost myself against the backdrop of the setting sun

Now the handle. Material apple tree

We drill under the shank. The drill diameter is selected according to the width of the shank in the middle of its length

We adjust the wedge using a saw for an electric jigsaw or needle file, or a thin knife, or all of the above. And we cut out the chopsticks

Pour epoxy glue mixed with sawdust

It turned out a little clumsy, so to speak. It can be better, it can’t be worse!

We remove all unnecessary

We draw the center line, and we dance from it.

I shoot the rest

After a rough removal of the material, it turns out like this

One satisfaction is to grind the handle for a Yakut knife)

Now, according to the old scheme: we wet-grind, reducing the grain of the sandpaper. I finish with a sponge.

And soaked in linseed oil. Later, in a water bath, I dilute wax, rosin and flaxseed and process it completely. Then there are scabbards...

A knife that is somewhat different from the usual one in our understanding - asymmetrical, with notches on one side of the blade - residents of Yakutia have long used such products. Today they are the hallmark of this region of Russia.

History of occurrence

The republic is known in the world as the main supplier of diamonds. The musical instrument khomus is recognizable even in the most remote corners of the earth. Another well-known invention is the Yakut knives. Since ancient times, the people of the Turkic language group have lived on such a vast territory. The ancestors of modern inhabitants came from Central Asia. The Yakuts call themselves "Sakha". Having mastered the harsh laws of living in the northern regions, this people not only adapted to them, but also learned to benefit from them.

Since ancient times, the Sakha have learned to extract and process iron ore. Blacksmith skills were not inferior to the products of blacksmiths in developed European countries. As early as the seventeenth century, Russian Cossacks, having begun to interact with Yakut hunters, noted the quality of their tools of labor and hunting. The Yakut blacksmiths knew how to smelt iron, bypassing the stage of cast iron.

Archaeological work on the territory of the settlement of this ancient people allows us to prove the centuries-old history of Yakut knives. In the studied burial grounds and sites, scientists find samples of knives that are very similar to Yakut knives. Through the millennia, they have retained their size, geometric parameters and appearance.

Varieties

The design of the knife has not changed over the many centuries of its existence, but the ratio of the blade and the handle may vary in each case. Different regions of Yakutia have their own standards for the manufacture of this product. The classic Yakut working knife is a blade of 110-170 millimeters mounted on a wooden handle.

Among the variety, three main types can be distinguished. The first is distinguished by its small size. Blade length is from 80 to 110 mm. It is made for children and women. Used for various operations in the household. The second type is the traditional and most common knife. Blade length - no more than seventeen centimeters. It is used by hunters and fishermen. No man can do without it. The third type is rarely made, because it is large and looks like a military weapon. Blade length - from eighteen to thirty centimeters. They call him respectfully "hotohon".

The hunters themselves distinguish tundra and taiga knives. The difference between them is in the width of the blade. With a narrow blade, the tundra knife is more often used for drilling and rivers. with a wider blade, they are used for cutting prey and livestock or working with wood.

Main distinguishing feature

The most important difference is that the blade of the Yakut knife is asymmetrical. The knife itself has a blunt and straight back with a sharp end. It is sharpened only on one (left) side. If you look at the knife from the handle, the side edges will be completely different. The left side is convex, completely smooth.

All knives with an asymmetrical profile are sharpened from the working (right) side, but the Yakut knife is sharpened only on the left. This approach has its own explanation: the master most often processes the tree. Having a left-handed knife, a person precisely regulates the depth of planing. The same feature gives the accuracy of the multifunctional planer.

Cutting frozen meat or fish is much easier, the knife goes like clockwork. Skinning an animal, dressing it with such a knife is a joy, because everything happens quickly and without delay. Another definite plus: you can sharpen such a knife even in the field. For this, a stone or, for example, the edge of a metal bucket is suitable.

On this basis, the Yakuts distinguish between knives for right-handers and left-handers. For a right-hander, you need a standard knife sharpened on the left side. For a left-hander, you will have to make a special mirrored knife.

Second feature

The right side of the blade is usually absolutely straight, in the center there is a longitudinal groove. The presence of a fuller on one side of the blade is another feature of the Yakut. Craftsmen make knives with a short and thin fuller or a wide full-length blade. The Yakuts call him Jos. The appearance of such a feature is explained in different ways. The first version of the appearance of such a detail is associated with the original material for making a knife from a bone cut along the length. And the gutter is nothing more than a hole from the bone marrow.

Another option: Yakut knives were made of two components. The base is soft iron, the hard part is for the blade. This was done to save solid steel. The groove in this case was like a compensatory leash, which appeared in the process of hardening the two components of the blade.

The flat right side plays an important role. It brings the blade section closer to a quadrangular shape. To work with wood or sew clothes from leather, you need to apply force. The penetrating effect is enhanced by such a special form of the Yakut knife.

What is the gutter for?

There are several reasons for the relevance of the valley. In addition to saving iron, there are practical indicators. In Yakutia, frosts below 30-40 degrees Celsius are not uncommon. A knife without a fuller is difficult to sharpen and edit. The blade with a fuller is thinner, very sharp, holds the edge well. You can sharpen it quickly and easily.

A wide chute when cutting a carcass allows the knife to come into contact with the meat only with the back side. The chute remains free, the skin is removed from the animal more easily due to the reduction of the contact area. Blood flows freely through the recess in the blade.

The presence of a chute allows you to lighten the weight of the product. The master, when forging a Yakut knife, tries to make it light so that it does not sink in water. The fisherman, having dropped the knife from his hands, is sure that he will not drown, or at least not immediately go to the bottom. A specific handle helps to stay afloat.

Handle

The handle of the knife at first glance does not have anything special. It is made from a birch burl - this is a kind of growth on a tree trunk. Impregnate the finished pen with special oil. The length of the handle is thirteen to fifteen centimeters. With an individual order, the width of the palm is measured, the handle should be slightly wider, without any guards or stops. The shape of the handle resembles an egg, the narrow part of which is directed towards the blade. Taking such a knife in hand, the hunter feels comfortable and reliable.

Sometimes the handle is made of birch bark. Fishermen have a special requirement for such products: the master must make the Yakut knife so that the handle can keep it afloat. Products with handles made of plastic or mammoth ivory play the role of souvenirs. They are not used in everyday life.

Scabbard for "Yakut"

A kind of sheath is needed for the Yakut knife. Initially, for this they took an oxtail. It was turned inside out with a stocking, a wooden insert was inserted inside. The dimensions of the liner should have been larger than the knife itself. His task was not to hold the knife, but to protect it from breakage.

The knife goes into the sheath for two thirds of the length of the handle. In this position, the sheath firmly held the product by the handle, and the blade remained free. Could build a scabbard of birch bark or wood. A cord was attached to the body for fastening.

Traditional wearing

The Yakut knife is worn on the left side or in front. Free hanging does not interfere with human movements. The hunter quickly pulls out the knife with his right hand, while resting his thumb on the base of the scabbard.

The blade of the knife looks to the left, directed at the person when being removed from the sheath. It's always been that way, it's a tradition.

Significance of the invention

Modern craftsmen, in compliance with all traditional requirements, make a Yakut knife, the drawing of which is passed down from generation to generation. The hope that the invention will not become obsolete, and the fire of masters' love will be passed on to descendants, is very high. Modern edged weapons experts distinguish this knife with a versatile and unique design.

The philosophical basis of the knife is to use it only for creativity and work. The master creates his product as an assistant, and not for war or harm.

In Yakut families, a child from the age of five received a knife. Mothers were not afraid that the boy would get hurt. First blood and a small cut taught the baby to be careful, neat, and therefore rational. The first knife was made specifically for a child's hand.

A man should have several knives: for household purposes, for woodworking and for hunting. In solemn occasions, they put on an elegant knife, which emphasized the status of its owner. On ordinary days, he hung over the bed. None of the household members had the right to touch him. passed down to the eldest of the sons.

historical phenomenon

The Yakut knife is an exceptional historical phenomenon. He is put on a par with the famous "Finnish". A few decades ago, it was classified as a melee weapon and banned. Today, it is written about in the legislative acts of the Russian Federation. Since 1995, the “Regulations on the procedure for manufacturing, marketing, acquiring, carrying and transporting a Yakut knife on the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)” have been adopted.

This knife is suitable for repelling enemy attacks, it is an indispensable friend for hunting and fishing. The Yakuts themselves often call it their third hand. They think it's better to lose a gun than to be left without a knife.