home Magazine How to forge a Yakut knife. DIY Yakut knife at home

How to forge a Yakut knife. DIY Yakut knife at home

A real Yakut blade, in fact it has quite ancient history, this is confirmed by archaeological excavations. And, today, comparing knives of modern versions and those pulled out of the ground, there is practically no difference.

The finished product amazes with its elegance.

So we can safely say that today’s topic will concern the reproduction of an ancient Yakut knife with your own hands. It may be said loudly, but manual labor, can also be associated with ancient methods of work. Interesting fact, that in the past the Yakuts bypassed the stage of processing cast iron in some interesting way. And the products were forged directly from a steel alloy.

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 making 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 one side there is a groove, quite large in size, which runs along the entire blade. And the opposite side has a convex shape. There are several explanations for such interesting forms:

V old times, the blacksmiths thus tried to save metal, gradually drawing out the blade;
Since the 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 a carcass, especially when skinning, the recess in the blade prevented it from “sticking.” And due to the small contact area and air space, the work became much easier;
the sheath was made from oxtail, removed like a stocking. And wooden inserts were made inside so that the knife would not break. They were also made from birch bark or sewn together with animal skin.

Clearly visible gutter.

Another important point, the blade is sharpened on one side. But the handle was and is still being made from birch rhizomes.

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

Varieties of the Yakut knife "Sakha"

In different regions of Yakutia there are different variations in knife making. But in general terms, it is a product with a length of 11 to 17 cm and a wooden handle, all made of the same birch. They call him simply and briefly - “Sakha”. There are twelve varieties. Their names will be presented in purely Yakut language “Sakha Rear”, in brackets there is a literal translation and a small transcript:

“Oluy bygychcha” (small blunt knife) - a blade for applying patterns on wooden products, its length is 3-5 cm.
“Otohut bygychcha” (very small) is a tool of a doctor, a healer, with a very thin and sharp end of the blade, the length of the blade is 3-7 cm.
“Uol oko kychchahar bygychcha” (knife for a boy) - a knife for a boy, length 7-11 cm.
“Die bygychcha” (house knife) is a home helper with a length of 9-14 cm.
“Tabakhyt bysaka” (for a reindeer herder) - for cutting a deer carcass, the edge of the knife is very thin and beak-shaped, the blade is thin, “delicate”, its length is 9-12 cm.
“Kyra bult bykhaga” (small for hunting) - a small hunter’s knife, length 9-14 cm, soft hardening.
“Balyksyt bykhaga” (fishing tool) is an equipment for a fisherman; it is quite wide, the butt is thin, the tip is slightly bent upward. The handle is made of birch bark.
“Bult bykhaga” (for hunting) is a hunting wedge, its length is 15-18 cm.
“Mas үүһүн byһychcha” (wood knife) - designed for woodworking, its length is 12 cm. Designed for cutting shaped parts of furniture and other wooden products.
“Mas үүһүн byһаҕа” (large knife for wood) is a blade for working with wood, but larger in size than the previous one. Provides processing of large parts with a wide, thin blade. Strongly hardened.
“Badaai” (large heavy knife) is a large wedge, its length is up to 25 cm.
“Bolot byhakh” (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 I can show off my new skills to my friends.

DIY instructions

For people who live by reindeer herding and hunting, a knife is simply necessary. The blade is designed for household work, and for more serious events. Depends, of course, on the length, as already described above.

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

The manufacture of products is also not punishable 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 could be sharpened in any conditions, but now they use anything for this purpose.

Springs, springs, bearings, files, parts from any equipment, etc. The only difference is this, but otherwise the process has not changed.

Blade size drawing.

To start manufacturing, make a drawing for yourself, and always refer to it while working. Small errors are acceptable. But it’s better to calculate everything in advance.

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

Cut a piece the right size from the file and weld a rod to it for ease of heating in the forge.
Carry out the first heating slowly, when the color reaches incandescence (bright red), the temperature will be about 750 °C. It’s better to check with a magnet; professionals distinguish by color. If the workpiece is not magnetic, it's time to start forging it.
It is better to use two types of sledgehammers: a heavy one, 4 kilograms, and a lighter one, 1.5 kilograms. We forge with a heavy hammer, if the workpiece cools down, put it back into the forge, watch its color, otherwise you can simply break it. You need to forge along the entire length to a thickness of 2-3 mm.
Don't forget about the shank and the radius of the leading edge. You can immediately forge the slopes to make sanding easier.
Forge a large fuller with the sharp side of a smaller hammer. We align the wedge and carry out normalization in oil. Don't forget a vacation for a couple of hours.
We remove all irregularities with sandpaper and bring the shape to its normal form. We correct the descents, if necessary, and grinding and polishing - be patient.

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

Slowly, deliberately step on it with your foot and transfer all your weight to the blade. It should withstand 60-70 kilograms, 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 stages.

Lever

Everything can be done simply with the handle; anyway, we won’t be able to 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:

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

Let's drill. Epoxy. Marking. Planing.

The work must be carried out carefully, one wrong move and the handle is damaged. You will have to clean the shank from the epoxy resin, which will already be like stone, and do all the work all over again.

Sheath

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

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

We apply the blade.

Quite an original scabbard made of wood.

You can also sew separate sheaths from leather, the process is much more complicated, but aesthetically more pleasing to the eye. There is an article on our website: how to make a sheath at home from leather. We really hope that it will help you.

Hello everyone, I suggest you study the instructions on how to very simply make a knife in the Yakut style, having a minimal set of tools. Although of course the fact that it is Yakut, the point is controversial because forging is not used in the manufacture of the blade. In any case, the blade here is very strong and can be sharpened to a blade-like state, since it is made from a saw blade. As for the fuller, characteristic of a Yakut knife, it was made by etching, and it turned out no worse than a real forged Yakut knife. If the project interests you, I suggest you study it in more detail.

Materials and tools used

List of materials:
- mechanical saw blade;
- a block for making a handle;
- steel rod;
- sheet brass;
- oil for impregnating wood.

List of tools:
- grinder;
- orbital sander or other;
- drill;
- tap and die for thread cutting;
- sandpaper;
- ;
- a device for etching;
- nail polish;
- hammer, vice and other simple tools.

Knife making process:

Step one. Main profile
First, let's cut out the main profile from the saw; there will be very little work here. The author easily copes with this task on a sharpening machine. Just be careful about overheating the metal, since we will not be hardening it in the future. If the workpiece is too hot, dip it in water from time to time.

Step two. Grinding and bevels
We grind the planes; for this, the author has a Velcro disk with sandpaper installed on the sharpening machine. After polishing the planes, we also form the slopes; the author does all this by eye. It should be noted that a real Yakut knife has a trigger on only one side, and which one depends on whether you are right-handed or left-handed.

Step three. Etching
We will make the fuller on the blade by etching, it’s quick and simple. We take nail polish or any waterproof paint and paint over all those areas that will not participate in electrolysis. We leave only the abstract part in the center, from which, when etched, a valley will be formed.

For etching we need a jar, pour water with a lot of table salt into it. We will have a blade as one electrode, and a steel plate and the like can be used as the other. We apply voltage to the electrodes and observe the process; the longer the electrolysis goes on, the deeper the dol will burn out. The power supply can be used with a voltage of 6-24V or something like that, the current is more important here. Some craftsmen perform etching using welding machine, it happens quickly.
After etching, we lightly polish, remove the paint and get an excellent Yakut blade.

Step four. Garda
We make the guard from sheet brass; we will need to cut a slot hole. First, we drill a series of round holes with a drill, and then bore them with a needle file. You can also saw through the gap using a drill and an appropriate attachment.

Step five. Shank and butt
We need to lengthen the shank of the knife so that the handle can be secured. An interesting fact is that the handle is assembled on a threaded connection; no glue is used here. We will need a metal rod, hammer one end of it and make a slotted hole. If you use copper and aluminum, you can easily unforge the rod when cold. We drill holes and fix the rod with rivets.

The other end of the rod needs to be threaded. The backplate will be screwed into this, it is made of sheet brass, we drill a hole in it and also cut the thread.

Step six. Making a pen
Before installing the handle, be sure to wrap the blade with electrical tape or tape to avoid injury.

For the handle we need to find beautiful wood, we will need a small block, you can also use bones or animal horns. We drill a hole for the shank along the material and the handle can be assembled. The handle is pulled together by the back and there is no need to glue it together.
Next, we cut off the excess with a regular hacksaw and proceed to processing the handle on a sharpener, and then on a disc grinder. If desired, form desired profile handles can also be used with wood files.

Finally, we proceed to manual processing, for this we use sandpaper. We achieve such a result that the wood looks like bone and is perfectly smooth.

Step seven. Impregnation
We saturate the handle with oil, it will protect it from the harmful effects of moisture. Of course, the oil will reveal all the beauty of the wood. You can use flaxseed oil, it is widely available. Danish oil is also good; it is absorbed into the wood as deeply as possible.

Yakut knife - National treasure of the Sakha people along with mammoths, diamonds and khomuses. The traditional Yakut knife bykhakh, the design of which has remained virtually unchanged over the centuries, is widely used to this day in all areas economic activity people. In everything it is focused on the convenience of long and painstaking work and is simply designed to separate meat from bones, plane 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 professional excellence Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) "Profi Expo-2015" in Yakutsk

Within a few hours we had already begun the manufacturing process.

Alexander Danilov has been interested in knives since childhood. At first I started carving wood, then I became interested in jewelry, which later turned into work. I started trying to make knives just like that, for myself. I bought blades for planes and shaped them into a knife. Then he began to forge.

Alexander has been making Yakut knives for twenty years, eight of which he devoted to reviving traditional cheese ore smelting.

Blacksmith Alexander Danilov demonstrates a kritsa 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 art blacksmith craft. Moreover, according to the testimony of Russian Cossacks, who came into conflict with the Yakuts in the 17th century, the quality of the iron obtained from ore by Yakut blacksmiths was not inferior to the best foreign samples.

To make a Yakut knife, blacksmiths use alloyed tool steel various brands.

Exclusive knives are made from ore.

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

Preparing such ore takes a very long time. It needs to be burned, enriched, crushed, and then the metal must be smelted. From 20 kg. ore usually yields 10-11 of the required metal.

Coal also needs to be prepared independently. This costs blacksmiths much less.

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

Knives can be gift or work. They are mainly used by workers - they are used in the kitchen, hunting, fishing and at home. Gift cards 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, which, as a rule, are sharpened from the side of the working hand, i.e. on the right side of the blade. The sharpened side of the blade of a Yakut knife is slightly convex.

There is an explanation for these features. For Yakuts, the main material for processing is wood. The convexity on the blade makes it easier to remove chips, giving the necessary force, the master accurately and easily adjusts the depth of planing. In this case, the knife turns into something like a high-precision multifunctional plane. In addition, it simplifies cutting meat or fish (including frozen fish), as well as cutting up animal carcasses, removing skins from animals and dressing them. At the same time, the process of sharpening the tool is significantly simplified.

He grinds and sharpens workpieces.

On this machine, the workpiece already takes the shape of a traditional knife. The Yakut one is sharpened on one side, on the other the burr is only removed. It can be easily sharpened using available materials, such as 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 times when the knife was made entirely from bone sawn lengthwise, and the yos was nothing more than a channel from the bone marrow.

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

Hardening of blanks

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

Craftsmen also make knives from Damascus steel. This process is so complicated that it cannot be conveyed in a couple of sentences.

- "They cool in oil, and quench in a furnace. Oil can be heated to quench in it. Okay, carbon steel is quenched at 780-1000 degrees, the oil will ignite at this temperature. It is cooled in oil, it ensures rapid and uniform cooling, which is very It’s important for carbon steel that it doesn’t crack when it cools suddenly.” - says beegg technologist

The handle of a Yakut working knife is traditionally carved 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 with gloves on, and the elongated lever increases the chopping ability of the knife. The cross-section of the handle resembles an egg. This shape was chosen so that during some work the knife does not rotate in the hand. The method of mounting the blade into the handle is interesting. First, a wide central hole is made and the pointed shank is driven into the handle. Then wedges made of soft wood 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, removed with a stocking, and a wooden insert inserted into it. The knife is recessed into the leather sheath 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 insert and remove 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 the thumb on the mouth of the sheath. The sheath is worn on the 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 with an image of an ancient drawing of an eagle.

Polishing the scabbard

Decorative elements on the master's table.

The scabbard is covered with leather

Leather is made in a neighboring ulus

Now the skin needs to be properly glued and stitched

While you can sharpen the knife itself

Scabbard firmware

The Yakut knife (Yakut. byһakh) is one of the main attributes of the Sakha people. In each region of the republic you can find some of its own peculiarities of making a Yakut knife, although the general traditions are preserved, and only some of its 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 have at least one traditional knife. A good knife for a Yakut hunter is the closest and most faithful friend. Hundreds of craftsmen throughout Yakutia are engaged in the production of Yakut knives. 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 purchased ready-made, but are ordered individually. The master takes into account the wishes of the future owner - he will never want to be sold another one that is 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 sizes of the Yakut knife, due to its wide functionality, have a very wide 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 correct manufacture is carefully kept. General sizing information is given below.

According to manufacturing style and application, they are divided into twelve varieties:

Oyuu bychchata - used for applying drawings (patterns) on wooden products. The length of the blade is 3-5 cm.
Otohut bychchata - used by a doctor, healer, with a very thin and sharp end of the blade. Usually 3-7 cm.
Wal o kychchanar bygychchata - a knife for a boy. Blade length 7-11 cm.
Die-wat bykha - a homemade knife. Length 9-14 cm.
Tabagyt bygaqa - used for cutting a deer carcass (reindeer herder's knife), the tip is very thin and beak-shaped. The blade is thin, one might say “delicate”. Length 9-12 cm.
Kyra bult bykha - a small hunter's knife. The blade is 9-14 cm long. Soft hardening.
Balyksyt bykha - fisherman's knife. The blade is wide, the spine is thin, the tip is slightly curved upward. The handle is made of birch bark.
Bullt bull is a hunting knife. 15-18 cm.
Mas uuhun bygychchata - used by cabinet makers. For cutting shaped parts of furniture and other wooden products. Length up to 12 cm.
Mas uuhun bygakha - also for the cabinetmaker. For processing large parts, with a wide, thin blade. Strongly hardened.
Badaai is a large knife. Up to 25 cm.
Bolo bykhakh - 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 view The dimensions of a Yakut knife can be divided in the following order:

If the blade length is from 8 to 11 cm, then it is a small knife. It is called “bykychcha” and is made for children and women. However, there are a number of problems that are easier to solve with a knife with a small blade. Therefore, it can conditionally be classified as economic.
A knife with a blade length from 11 to 17 cm is the most common. It is called “bykhakh” and is used for a variety of purposes.
A 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: the Yakut batas or the 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 both stab and chop.

In the classification of the Yakut knife, the width of the blade also plays a role. If it is narrow, then it is classified as tundra. This makes it easier to cut something or make holes in something, which is what is primarily needed in tundra conditions. The taiga Yakut knife is intended for cutting hunting trophies or livestock, as well as for processing wood. It is easier to carry out such work 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 there is a dol. It can have a variety of shapes. Some craftsmen prefer to make a notch almost over the entire area of the side of the blade, leaving only a small edge near the butt, while others limit themselves to a groove that is shifted closer to the handle. In the same direction, the fuller can be wider, and towards the “nose” of the blade it narrows. This notch is called "yosom".

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

The shape of the Yakut knife, the presence of an unsharpened, smooth side of the blade, which is called “bykhakh haptagaya,” enhances the piercing effect, which makes it possible to deliver piercing blows to animals with thick skin, as well as to pierce or drill the skin with a knife.

Today, only real masters know the true secrets of making a Yakut knife. Those copies that are distributed in central cities are far from the original. Typically, a Yakut knife is forged from soft steel. It is easier to sharpen such a blade 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 first.

Handle

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

The method of mounting the blade into the handle is interesting. First, a wide central hole is made and the pointed shank is driven into the handle. Then wedges made of soft wood 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 a man's 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 you to deliver a range of strikes that would otherwise be much more difficult to execute.

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

Thirdly, a knife with a long handle will not sink in water - it will act as 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, removed with a stocking, and a wooden insert inserted into it. The Yakut knife is recessed into a leather sheath 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 insert and remove 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 sheath. The sheath is worn on the belt, on a free suspension from a leather strap in an inclined or horizontal position.

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

Sharpening

Sharpening of a Yakut knife is done from the fuller side (on the right for a right-handed person, on the left for a left-handed person). 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 claim 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 a Yakut knife on the left - it has a one-sided sharpening. On the left, it is only allowed to slightly (extremely carefully) adjust the “kylaan” when it bends.

Sharpening is carried out as the “kylaan” disappears. To do this, you need to have several bars with different grain sizes. Grind from coarse to fine.

Do not stir the coals with a Yakut knife or heat the blade excessively. In this case, a release will occur - the blade will become soft. For the same reason, you cannot sharpen a blade on an electric sharpener.

Wearing and using

A leather strap or cord is threaded into the sheath. With its help, the Yakut knife is attached to the belt, on the left side and with the blade to the left. This makes it possible for a right-hander to grab it quickly. 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 the “bykhakh” with a notch and a forged blade length of 110 mm is a real weapon. And its production, distribution and carrying is a matter that is reflected in the Criminal Code. This was the case during the times of the RSFSR, when “bykhakh” was outlawed. True, possessing 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 public events are allowed on the territory of the republic. Handmade Yakut knives not only become exhibits at folk art exhibitions, but are also widely used in everyday life, during hunting, fishing, and 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 vary from 4,000 rubles to 20,000 rubles.

You can buy a Yakut knife not only in Yakutia, but also beyond its borders. Knowledgeable people give preference to factory samples in this matter. In factory production, the product manufacturing process is streamlined, rejects and deviations from forging traditions are minimized.

Samples of Yakut knives, made individually by local craftsmen, have a unique design, but for this the price of such knives is several times higher.

Video

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

Photo

Below are photographs of Yakut knives by famous Yakut masters:

Yakut knife. from Anton Khodzhimirzaev.

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

Actually geometry. On the side of the valley the descent is straight, on the other there is a lens, which makes it an excellent tool for planing wood.
Metal saving. During the forging process, the wedge is stretched in width and length, resulting in a full-size knife with minimal steel consumption.
A 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 source material.

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

Slowly heat the workpiece in the forge. The color rendering is poor, and it’s light outside, so it’s difficult to determine the heat colors 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 (у10-...13), approximately the same temperature is the quenching temperature. Not everyone can be checked this way.

We pull out the piece of iron. I use a 1500 g sledgehammer

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

I pulled it out into a plate like this. Now I’m forming the shank. Responsible place!

And the radius of the leading edge.

I forge the slopes, the wedge bends, this can be fixed...

already looks like a wedge!

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

And simmer it in oil. I thought it would be more effective

I don’t notice the leash after hardening

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

Grind off the excess using sandpaper. Raise your shoulders a little.

I'M VIOLATING SAFETY!!! But it’s very difficult to create a flat surface on sandpaper any other way.

Now is the time to check the wedge for cracks and overall strength. I took several shots, but none of them showed that I was completely standing on it. Take my word for it) holds 60 kg calmly