What are the different kinds of pichak knives?

The variance in pichak knives depends on which purpose were they created for. Whether that is for cutting meat, dough, fruits or for decorative purposes, the main differences will be found in the blades.

The main blade types

Kaiki – the blade turns up slightly at the tip
Tugri – a straight, arrow like blade
Tolbargi – the blade resembles a thin willow leaf
Hisori, Kozoki and Bodomga – almond-shaped blades
Soyly and Komalyk – single groove along the upper edge of the blade
Kushkamalak – double grooved blade
Norin – designed for cutting through dough, hence the name “Norin”, which is an Uzbek variant of beshbarmak
Kassob – literally a butcher’s knife with an super sharp blade
Bola pichok – a decorative knife
Chol-pichok – a pocket knife

The main handle types

Dasta Bag – a handle made of hardwood or animal bone embedded with stones, mother- of-pearl or silver
Herma Dasta – a handle that is a composite of different elements
Nakshinor Dasta – a handle decorated with floral patterns
Chilmichgulli Dasta – a handle inlaid with spots of colored tin studs

The sheath

All pichak knives come with their own sheath and there are many different kinds, such as metallic or wood based ones, but the most common are embossed black leather sheaths.

Tamga

Every respected artisan puts a stamp on his product, the so-called “tamga”. Common motifs include Islamic symbols, such as the crescent moon and stars.

In many cases, the “tamga” is representative of the town or region where the artisan comes from. The craftsman’s initials can also feature on the blade, usually on the opposite side of the “tamga”.