The Yakut knife is a national treasure of the Sakha people along with mammoths, diamonds and khomuses. The traditional Yakut knife bykhah, the design of which has not changed much over the centuries, is widely used to this day in all spheres of economic activity of the people. It is focused in everything on the convenience of long and painstaking work and is simply created to separate meat from bone, plan frozen fish, and repair broken sleds.

Blacksmiths Alexander Danilov and Alexander Protopopov agreed to show and tell how this legendary item is made.

I met the masters at the exhibition of achievements of professional skills of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) "Profi Expo-2015" in Yakutsk

After a few hours, we have already begun the manufacturing process.

Alexander Danilov has been interested in knives since childhood. At first he began to carve on wood, then he became interested in jewelry, which later turned into work. I began to try to make knives just like that, for myself. I bought blades for planers and gave them the shape of a knife. Then he began to forge.

Alexander has been making the Yakut knife for twenty years, eight of which he devoted to the revival of traditional cheese smelting.

Blacksmith Alexander Danilov demonstrates a blade made in the traditional way from iron ore from which Yakut knives are made in his workshop.

Since ancient times, the Yakuts had developed mining and processing of iron ore, as well as the art of blacksmithing. Moreover, according to the testimony of Russian Cossacks, who in the 17th century came into conflict with the Yakuts, the quality of iron obtained from ore by Yakut blacksmiths was not inferior to the best foreign samples.

For the manufacture of the Yakut knife, blacksmiths use alloyed tool steel of various grades.

Exclusive knives are made from ore.

Even in ancient times, people collected valuable ore along the rivers and made weapons from it.

The preparation of such ore takes a very long time. It needs to be burned, enriched, crushed, and then only smelted metal. From 20 kg. ore usually comes out 10-11 of the required metal.

Coal also needs to be harvested independently. It is much cheaper for blacksmiths.

Usually, it takes 2-3 days to make one knife.

Knives can be gift and working. Mostly workers take them - they are used in the kitchen, hunting, fishing and at home. Gift items are made to order, usually decorated with engravings and other decorative elements. A gift set in the form of a custom-made knife with engraving and a lighter decorated with the same image looks very stylish.

Alexander continues to level the blade. The first feature is the asymmetry of the blade profile. It is sharpened only on the left side (if you hold the handle towards you), which is different from other knives with an asymmetrical profile, in which, as a rule, sharpening is done from the side of the working hand, that is, on the right side of the blade. The sharpened side of the blade of the Yakut knife is slightly convex.

These features have their own explanation. For the Yakut, the main material for processing is wood. The bulge on the blade facilitates the removal of chips, giving the right force, the master accurately and easily adjusts the depth of planing. In this case, the knife turns into a kind of high-precision multifunctional planer. In addition, cutting meat or fish (including frozen), as well as butchering animal carcasses, skinning and dressing animals is simplified. This greatly simplifies the process of sharpening the tool.

He grinds and sharpens workpieces.

On this machine, the workpiece is already taking the form of a traditional knife. The Yakut is sharpened on the one hand, on the other, the burr is only removed. It is easy to sharpen it with improvised materials, for example, on river pebbles.

The right, unsharpened side of the blade is equipped with a fuller, which the Yakuts call yos. This is another feature of the Yakut knife. According to one of the exotic versions, this detail has been present since the time when the knife was entirely made from sawn along the bone, and yos is nothing more than a canal from the bone marrow.

The flat, unsharpened side of the blade on the right side is called byhah haptahaya. This edge plays a special role: it makes the cross section of the blade close to a quadrangular shape. This enhances the piercing effect, for example, for piercing thick leather (for example, when sewing clothes) or drilling shallow holes.

Workpiece hardening

Alexander Protopopov worked as an excavator for 30 years, retired at 45 and has since started making knives. First it was a hobby, then a job.
- "I still have a teacher - Vinokurov Semyon Vasilievich. I show him my work. It seems to me that a person should study all his life," the blacksmith shares.

Masters also make knives from Damascus steel. This process is so complicated that it will not be possible to convey it in a couple of sentences.

- "It is cooled in oil, and quenched in a furnace. Oil can be heated to be quenched in it. Okay, carbon steel is quenched at 780-1000 degrees, the oil will ignite at this temperature. Cooled in oil, it provides fast and uniform cooling, which is very it is important for carbon steel that it does not crack when cooled abruptly." - says beegg technologist

The handle of the Yakut working knife is traditionally cut from a single piece of birch burl - a very strong wood with a rich texture. It is smooth, devoid of any stops and quite long. With a long handle, it is more convenient to work in the cold in mittens, and due to the elongated lever, the knife's roughness increases. In cross section, the handle resembles 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 sheath of real Yakut knives is simple and functional. They are made from an oxtail taken off with a stocking and a wooden insert inserted into it. The 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, the Yakut knife can be removed with one hand, resting your thumb on the mouth of the scabbard. The scabbard is worn on a belt, on a free suspension from a leather strap in a position from inclined to horizontal.

On the blade of Alexander Danilov's knives there is a stamp depicting an ancient drawing of an eagle.

Scabbard grinding

Decorative elements on the master's table.

The scabbard is sheathed in leather

The skin is made in the neighboring ulus

Now the skin needs to be properly glued and stitched

As long as you can sharpen the knife itself

Sheath stitching

Unlike the Russians, the Yakuts believe that spicy food can be given even without a ritual with the payment of a penny. You just need to remember that if you present a knife, then with it you trust the person with your fate and even life.

Among the many peoples inhabiting Siberia, the Yakuts are one of the most mysterious. This is the northernmost people of the Turkic group: the nearest<языковые>relatives live two thousand kilometers to the southwest - in the Sayans and Altai.

What made the Yakuts-Sakha hundreds of years ago change their distant homeland to the harsh northern region, where, as the legends say, the grass never turned yellow and the birds did not fly anywhere, we will never know. Scientists have established that approximately in the 15th - 16th centuries, the Yakut people formed from heterogeneous groups of alien cattle breeders and aborigines - Tungus hunters and reindeer herders.

Blacksmiths and shamans

The main part of the people settled on the relatively spacious and grassy floodplains of the Middle Lena, Aldan, Amga and Vilyui. This people remained cattle-breeding: horses and cows perfectly adapted to the new conditions. But there were few places suitable for grazing, and they were the property of the clan (aga uusa). Both cattle and plots had to be protected: legends bring to us bloody legends about<веке войн> - <кыргыс юйэтэ>when the right to life and property had to be defended with the help of steel.

The Yakuts have long had a developed iron-working and blacksmithing craft, so edged weapons were in abundance.
The blacksmiths who produced it were revered by the Yakuts along with the shamans.<Кузнецы и шаманы - из одного гнезда>, - says the Yakut proverb. It was believed that, like professional intermediaries between people and the other world, the masters had the gift of healing and prediction, but were constantly under threat from evil spirits.

After all, the blacksmith received his craft not from anyone, but from the sinister deity Kydaai Maksin, the leader-blacksmith of the underworld. That is why the blacksmith must work all the time and keep the fire going - in this way he scares away evil spirits. This craft has been passed down from generation to generation. It was believed that in the ninth generation, the blacksmith reached such heights of skill that he could even make magical objects, such as a shaman's robe and details of a tambourine. Such a master has unusual tools - they themselves, like talismans, are able to scare away evil spirits and make sounds. And the knives of this master are amazing: if a person touches a bear or another animal with such a blade, they immediately fall dead. These knives, known as byhah, are no less mysterious than the origin of the Yakut people.
amazing shape

The asymmetric blade profile is widespread in Southeast Asia, from the chef's knives of the Japanese chef to the jungle knife of the Dayaks from Kalimantan. The descent on such models, as a rule, is formed from the side of the working hand: for right-handers it is on the right side, for left-handers - on the left. But regarding byhah, everything is done exactly the opposite: the right-hander has slopes on the left side, and for left-handers - on the right. However, on long chopping knives everything falls into place: descents<переезжают>on the side corresponding to the working hand.

The reason for this arrangement is the peculiarities of using the knife by the Yakut. The main structural material is wood. Therefore, this shape provides additional advantages in chip removal, and also greatly simplifies the sharpening process. This knife is sharpened mainly from the side of the descent: only the burr is removed from the flat side edge. This form is suitable for both skinning and fish plating. In general, a tool for all trades. The blade has a short length - up to 170 mm. However, much more often it varies from 100 to 120 mm: such a blade suits the owner quite well. Mounting the blade - rider, in a straight handle with an ovoid profile. Handle material - birch suvel, strong and reliable. Moreover, quite often the blade is set as if obliquely: a flat edge is inclined at a slight angle to the longitudinal plane of the handle. Some researchers argue that this is a later layering: an attempt to give the knife more versatility by bringing the profile closer to symmetrical.

One of the most controversial and unusual details is the fuller on the flat edge of the blade. What kind of hypotheses about his appointment you will not hear! Archaeologists believe that this element has been preserved since prehistoric times, when the knife was made entirely of bone. The bone was cut lengthwise and obliquely, and the internal canal from the bone marrow formed the notorious dol. The hypothesis is interesting, but remember that the Russian Cossacks who came to Yakutia for a long time used the services of not only Yakut blacksmiths, but also local iron producers. To think that the dol was preserved solely out of devotion to prehistoric traditions is not to respect the professionalism of the Yakut masters.

A more interesting point of view connects the presence of a fuller with the technological features of the manufacture of the blade. The fact is that the blade part of the knife has a convex<брюшко>: while forging a similar fuller, the blacksmith simultaneously expanded the blade in the place he needed. Be that as it may, today this technique is rarely used: both the blade and the fuller are torn out with an abrasive tool.

The last hypothesis relates the presence of a fuller to a change in the technology of making a knife. The famous ethnographer V. L. Seroshevsky noted the genesis of the blade shape that actually happened before his eyes at the end of the 19th century: the right side<слегка вогнутая: в последнее время с этой стороны стали делать якутские мастера желобок>. The flat edge concavity is well known on Japanese chef's knives. This technological technique is necessary to compensate for the leash associated with the hardening of knives of an asymmetric profile, which has a composite structure: a hard blade part and a soft lining. Surely the Yakut blacksmiths also mastered this technique, used to save high-quality steel, as well as to give the blade strength. After the transition to all-steel knives, the need for concavity disappeared, and the dol began to be made in order to give the blade additional rigidity.
However, over time, the true meaning of this technique was lost due to the decline in the production culture of blacksmithing during the years of Soviet power: the valleys began to be made from the opposite side of the blade, or even on both sides at once.

From an oxtail

The scabbard deserves special mention. As a rule, they are made from a single piece of wood. The inner part of the workpiece is hollowed out in such a way that the handle is fixed by the mouth, being placed in it by about a third. The suspension is a flexible loop attached to the upper part of the mouth.

Often the scabbard is covered with leather. Of particular interest is the design of the solid leather scabbard. For them, thick skin is used from the base of the bull's tail. They say that a cow's tail can also be used, but true connoisseurs insist: only a bull! The skin removed in the manner of a stocking from the tail is processed in a special way and dried right on the knife. The result is a tough, durable and comfortable sheath. Unfortunately, the art of making them has practically been lost: if a real Yakut knife can still be found, albeit with great difficulty, then the correct sheath can only be found in very remote uluses.

The years of Soviet power significantly crippled the once flourishing craft: the Yakut knife is becoming a rarity. Until recently, it was ranked as a cold weapon, which also did not contribute to the expansion of its turnover. Perhaps this is one of the few knives awarded a special state legislative act. So<Положение о порядке изготовления, сбыта, приобретения, ношения и перевозки якутского ножа на территории Республики Саха (Якутия)>was awarded a special resolution No. 409 of the Government of the Republic of Sakha dated September 12, 1995.

Only on May 13, 2003, the technical specifications for AFHP were approved by the State Standard of Russia<Сардана>for the production of household cutting knives<Якутский>. Let's hope that through the efforts of such masters as A. Kuznetsov, N. Potapov, S. Bilyukin and many others, the Yakut knife will be able to return to its rightful place.

Tell about the Yakut knife<быхах>(byhax) we asked Anatoly Kuznetsov, a famous master from South Yakutia - Neryungri, for more details.

From the very word that defines the name of the people - Sakha - blows with hoary antiquity. Saks in the ancient Turkic world were called nomadic conquerors - Kypchaks. The Yakut received a special hardening of character thanks to the harsh, homeless northern nature.
The art of blacksmithing was preserved by the Yakuts from their ancestors and was developed already in the 10th-12th centuries. Of the metals, Yakut craftsmen knew iron, copper, bronze, silver, tin, lead, and gold. It was in this sequence that metals were valued. Iron was the most widespread. Conversely, the Yakuts did not like gold, considering it copper with less good mechanical properties. Russian Cossacks in the 17th century met the resistance of the Yakuts, who fought on horseback and protected by iron armor. The warrior was armed with a bow with many varieties of tips, an iron sword<болот-палаш>, melee spear -<эну>YнYY, darts -<кустук>, <батас>- the kind of knife about half a meter long and<батыйа>- short type<батаса>. The longest multifunctional weapon was<кылыс>.
The quality of iron obtained from ore by Yakut blacksmiths was highly valued. Voivode Vasily Pushkin in 1647, reporting to the Siberian order on the verification of Yakut iron by Russian blacksmiths, noted that it was recognized<то железо против лутшего немецкаго>. Later, the craftsmen themselves were much less likely to be engaged in the extraction and processing of ore, since in the 18th century state factories began to open in Siberia and metal could be bought or exchanged for furs.
Of all the Yakut metal tools, the Yakut knife deserves the most attention, in my opinion. Knives are often found in materials from archaeological excavations. And this gives grounds to assert that their design has not changed much over the centuries. Bykhah - small, 12-18 cm, shank 5-7 cm, mounted in a handle made of birch root. On the edge (byhax haptahaya - the flat side of the knife on the right side), a dol is knocked out<йос>(yoc). The knife is sharpened on the left side (if you hold the handle towards you). Almond-shaped - round on top and almost pointed downwards, the handle always provides a secure grip.
Manifold<обязанностей>Yakut knife strikes. Yakuts say:<Нож - моя третья рука>. With its help, the master can carve out a huge choron (cup for koumiss) from a solid birch churak and decorate it with openwork carving; with a knife, he skins animals, butchers carcasses, tans leather, sews clothes, and makes furniture. The knife perfectly replaces the planer, creating dense chips, and by giving the necessary force, the master adjusts the depth of the blade immersion in the material. With the same knife they fish, hunt and even carve children's toys.

I made my first knife at the age of 15 and gave it to a friend. Since then it has become one of my favorite hobbies. In the future, I very often traveled to different parts of our republic. Almost all the men in the villages always carry a knife with them, and this does not come as a surprise to anyone. Yakut, putting on clothes with a dangling knife in the morning, does not part with him until late in the evening. With the help of a knife, not only all household kitchen work is carried out - it also replaces all the cutlery familiar to us while eating, because the basis of the diet is mainly meat and fish.
On my trips, I tried to get acquainted with the work of local craftsmen engaged in the production of Yakut knives, noting for myself certain manufacturing features. I use this experience, but my work is based on the classic Yakut knife of my grandfather.
There are many craftsmen in Yakutia who preserve the glory of the Yakut knife - this wonderful cultural phenomenon. There are centers where traditions are passed on to students. I hope my story will help the Yakut knife to take its rightful place among ethnic knives, as well as in the arsenals of hunters and fishermen.

The Yakut knife is a traditional type of edged weapon of the indigenous people of Yakutia. It belongs to the most famous items associated with the Republic of Sakha, along with khomus and diamonds.

History of appearance

The need for a hunting knife for the Yakuts is dictated by the conditions of their habitat. A knife, along with other types of weapons, is an indispensable tool for any hunter. Since ancient times, the local population hunted, thus obtaining food and warm skins for themselves.

Archaeological excavations give an indication of the centuries-old history of edged weapons in Yakutia. Moreover, modern products differ little in size and geometry from ancient samples.

Iron ore has been mined in Yakutia since ancient times. Steel was smelted without the cast iron stage. The resulting metal was processed by local blacksmiths. Yakut masters have learned how to make hunting knives with their own hands. Moreover, the knives they made were in no way inferior in quality to the work of blacksmiths in European countries.

Design

Structurally, the Yakut knife has not changed much over the centuries of existence. However, the dimensions of the blade and handle often differ - depending on the will of the master and regional preferences. In different regions of Yakutia, they use their own ratio of the length of the blade and handle.

Blade

The peculiarity of the blade is its asymmetrical shape. The butt is always straight and even, and the blade is very sharp. The blade is sharpened only on the left side. If you look at it from the side of the handle, the side faces appear completely different: the left one is convex, the right one is flat.

The right side of the blade is completely flat. Due to this, the cross section of the blade approaches the shape of a quadrangle.

On the right side of the blade is a dol (yos), which can be of different shapes - depending on the model. Some gunsmiths make a notch almost the entire area of ​​​​the blade, leaving only a small border next to the butt. Other craftsmen make a small groove shifted to the handle. From the side of the handle, the fuller is wider, tapering closer to the tip.

The need for ios arose for several reasons:

1. The appearance of the valley is due to the appearance of a compensatory leash upon contact of different types of metals. The fact is that steel for Yakut knives is selected both hard and soft.
2. The presence of a fuller facilitates the process of sharpening and straightening the blade at low temperatures.
3. Jos serves as a channel for the descent of the prey's blood.
4. The presence of a groove facilitates the design.

The blade of a real knife from Yakutia has an unsharpened, flat side, which enhances the penetrating effect of the weapon. Thanks to this design feature, the piercing power of the weapon increases, and it becomes possible to work with thick skins.

There is an extensive classification of Yakut knives by size. Of the variety of edged weapons, three large groups can be distinguished:

1. Small. The length of the blade is 8–11 cm. It is used not only for hunting, but also for domestic purposes.
2. Average. Blade length 11–17 cm. This type of hunting weapon is the most common.
3. Long. The length of the blade varies between 17 and 30 cm. It is the least common. Hunter reviews indicate that this class of knives is a powerful military weapon.

There are also knives with even larger blades. However, they are more likely to be referred to as axes and spears. An example is batas with batuya. The length of their blades reaches 40–60 cm.

Blade width is important. Narrow blades belong to the tundra class. With their help, it is convenient to cut or make holes in any material. Wider blades belong to the taiga class. Such blades are used for butchering carcasses and processing wood.

Lever

The classic Yakut working knife is a handmade wooden handle. The handle is made from birch burl. This material is a stem build-up and is particularly durable. It is also possible to use birch bark. The finished handle is impregnated with special oil, due to which it acquires moisture-resistant characteristics.

The handle is egg-shaped. This design makes it possible to avoid turning the knife in the hand during operation.

The narrow part of the handle is directed towards the blade. Stops are not used. The handle is quite long, which makes it comfortable to work with a knife in mittens. In addition, the longer the handle length, the higher the cut of the knife.

Installing the blade in the handle is of particular interest. First, make a wide hole in the center of the handle. Next, the sharp shank is inserted into the handle. After that, wedges made of soft wood are mounted on the sides. As a result, the blade is fixed in the handle of the knife.

Sheath

For the Yakut knife, the simplest and most functional sheath is used. They are made from the tail of a bull. The skin is removed from the tail with a stocking, after which it is put on a wooden blank. As a result, the skin acquires the desired shape.

Also, birch bark or wood is used as a material for the manufacture of scabbards.

The knife is recessed into the sheath by two-thirds of the handle. The blade hangs freely in a wooden sheath.

Carrying a knife

The Yakut knife is placed on the left side of the body (for right-handers) or in front. The hunter must be able to quickly draw the weapon from its scabbard with the right hand. In this case, the thumb rests on the base of the scabbard. The blade has a sharp side to the left.

The scabbard is equipped with a leather belt or cord. With their help, the weapon is fixed on the belt.

sharpening

The Yakut knife is sharpened from the side of the valley, that is, to the right of the right-hander and to the left of the left-hander. The bar is applied to the cutting edge at an angle of 5-7 degrees and the blade is sharpened upwards. Sharpening is carried out until a thin shiny line is formed on the cutting edge, which is the sharpest part of the blade.

When sharpening Yakut knives, stones of different grain sizes are used. Rough sharpening is done with a coarse-grained stone, and the final one is made with a stone with fine grains.

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...

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 grace.

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.