kuqa knife

The nomadic lifestyle of Kuqa Xiaodao grassland makes knives still widely used by Uighurs. There was a smelting industry in Kuqa more than 2000 years ago. The ancient experience of smelting copper and iron gave birth to the folk knife-making industry in Kuqa, and the scattered knife-making workshops made Kuqa knives famous at home and abroad. The typical style of Kuqa knife is that the tip of the blade is bent backward, and the handle is made of copper, silver, jade, bone, precious stones, horns and other mosaic rivets. Knife shapes can also be tailored according to people's preferences, such as curved knives used by Uighurs and crescent-shaped knives used by Han people. There are as many as 16 varieties. Kuqa knives and scissors have been famous since ancient times, and they were brought to Central Asia and West Asia by Silk Road merchants in the Han and Tang Dynasties. During the Xianfeng period of Qing Dynasty, it was worn by palaces, eunuchs and rich people as a symbol of noble status. The most famous is the "Peacock Knife" in Kuqa, which has a strong Uygur style. The handle of the knife is made of selected brass, yak horn and artificial products. The blade is extremely sharp, with bleeding grooves on both sides, and the blade is engraved with water. The scabbard is made by stamping cattle and sheepskin, which is a good gift or treasure. Recommended place of purchase: Kuqa Old Town Street Price: 20-200 yuan Differentiating methods of high-quality handmade knives: First, it depends on whether the workmanship of the knives is fine. Now there are mainlanders who copy them, which is difficult to see from the appearance, especially in the pictures. They generally bid lower online. Secondly, it depends on the shape of the knife. Uighurs like a curved knife with a bird's head as the handle, the tip of the knife body leaning backwards and the lower end of the handle leaning forward in an S shape. Third, it depends on the material used to decorate the handle of the knife. Generally, the silver handle is made of pure silver, and some sellers cheat customers with the white copper handle. The method of distinguishing is that the silver handle is usually beautifully inlaid with shells, while the white copper is rare. Silver will turn black after one or two months, and it will regain its original luster after being wiped with a dry cloth. Fourthly, it depends on the material of the blade. Generally speaking, it can be divided into Kurogane (tungsten steel), bearing steel is a good knife, and stainless steel knife is machine-generated, with low price, and its blade is produced in Shanghai and brought back to Xinjiang for assembly. It is a masterpiece made by the old swordsmen in Kuqa County. It is characterized by a sharp blade with exquisite inlaid copper badamu patterns. Fifth, it depends on whether the knife has a protective scabbard. The best scabbard is handmade, which looks rough and beautiful.
Reprinted with attribution： https://cnlocality.com/(Chinese Specialty Products)