"There was the fear of some Afghan striking an Afridi, and the latter
using in return his rifle or his long knife" Eighteen-years in the Khyber, Colonel Sir Robert Warburton, 1879-1898.
Khyber Knife
Country of origin: Afghanistan/Pakistan, Khyber Pass
Dating: 19th century
Materials: Steel, wood, leather, horn, iron
Total size: 72cm
Blade size: 46cm
Price: €600
Khyber knives, also called Churra or Salawar Yataghan, were carried by the Pashtun (پښتون) tribes living in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan and the eastern region of Afghanistan. Among these tribes, we can cite the Afridi (اپريدي) and the Shinwari (شينواري), among others. Although often tribal in nature, there are models made for Afghan soldiers. There are also examples, often more ornate and rich, probably made in northern India from Persian wootz steel. The Pashtuns were noted for their great loyalty to family and clan (more than to the homeland), as well as their hospitality (Melmastia, مېلمستیا) to those in need, whether friend or foe. They were also known for their fearsome honor and courage. However, their loyalty, honor and courage made them prone to resort to revenge and violence if anyone in their entourage or tribe was harmed.
Pashtun men carrying the iconic Khyber knife (left: Shinwari tribe, 1890, Bourne & Shepherd; right: Afridi tribe, 1878, John Burke)
Like the majority of ancient weapons, variations in style can be observed, both in the size of the blade itself (from the dagger to the short saber), the type of steel (wrought, homogeneous, wootz), the type trim (iron, silver or brass) and decoration (carving and geometric pattern, dasmasquinage/koftgari, embossed, etc.)
High end Khyber knife (lMetropolitan Museum of New York, no. 36.25.814a,b)
The example offered here is robust: with a strong blade 46cm long and 8mm thick, with gutters, "T" section and decorative engravings with geometric patterns. The ferrule is iron and the handle is horn. The blade is stamped with a mark (arsenal or blacksmith's mark) which appears to consist of a date and a name. This nevertheless remains a supposition, the wear of the mark making identification difficult. The blade appears to be made of wrought steel and on the back, several blade impacts are visible.
The scabbard, made of a wooden core covered with leather, has an iron chape, similar to those found on the Pulwar and an intermediate piece with a suspension ring. The other particularity of this piece is the undulating steel strip, running from the chape to the intermediate piece. This style of decoration can be observed on the scabbard of certain Persian and Ottoman weapons.
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