Go on...show us your Choora!!
 

Hello all! We have a real love for the Afghan Choora and thought it would be interesting to have a thread specifically devoted to these often beatufully crafted weapons. It would be interesting to compare the styling and artistic elements encountered and try to pin point definite tribal affiliations. Does anybody know for instance where the pin studded hilts are manufactured? An afghan friend and former member of the Northern Alliance, told us that during his fighting days he saw very few older weapons carried, they being superseded by modern bayonets or bowie type affairs. In fact, our friend was genuinely interested in seeing some of our collected examples and was actually rather lacking in knowledge on such an historic element of his culture. So if you have a favourite old warrior, post a picture and give the spot light to these elegant and often overlooked weapons. We have started the ball rolling with a couple of our old blades, both we think date from the early 20thC.

choora
 

Here is my only one ...

Here is one I picked up at a show about 5 years ago. Good quality throughout and a crystalline wootz blade.

Aren't these daggers called Pesh Kabz ? :confused:

I don't want to Karud this thread up, but this is as close as I have to a Choora . :o ;) :D

Here is mine:

Yes, I think this would be considered the Afghan version of a karud, or straight blade pesh kabz. I am not even sure "choora" is an operable Afghan term.

There is a rather famous story about Stone being shown knives from that part of the world and he heard and used the term "choora" which was not the name of a knife, but simply meant "next", as in "next example please".

I cannot confirm the story, but interesting.

Actually, "choora" simply means a knife in Urdu or Punjabi (sorry, I don't remember which one). It is a pretty generic term and can be applied to a viriety of mid-sized cutting implements. There is also a "choori", which is a small(ish) knife and is a derivative of choora. A large knife (but smaller than a khyber or salawar yataghan, which is essentially a short sword) is called a "kard". I would venture a guess that any knife that is intended not only for fighting but also for various houeshold chores can be referred to as "choora".

Hello all together
my Choora.

greeting Chregu

Here are mines!! Bring back from Afghanistan by a friend. One with leather sheath, seems more older than other 2, from recent manufacture.
best regards
carlos

mine: (top)
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...hoora_pesh.jpg

more detail:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...ora/choora.jpg
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s.../choora004.jpg
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s.../choora003.jpg

Stan,
Can you show close up pic of the chape? I am interested in it's decorative motives.
Thanks.

Where did I read that the etymology of the word Karud is uncertain, to the point that it might just be an erroneous word, mis-heard by the europeans?
I checked Stone and Egerton, but could not find it. Dang! Alzheimer playing more games....

My semi-relic doesn't look very imposing in such distinguished company, although it still retains the classic elements of the type. :o

None of the examples shown look very household or utilitarian, except in the line of killing or wounding that is ...

Blimey!! There are a lot of fine example out there! Feel free to post Karuds or even the big brother Khyber knifes. Has anybody a modern resin hilted example? We've seen a couple on Ebay, a new take on an old idea, but still interesting. Keep em coming!! :)

Here is a rather basic workaday example . Bone hilt and 40 cm long . I feel that it was a knife like this that Kipling had in mind when he wrote the lines :

'When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains'

.. rather than the more elegant pieces we have shown here !

Ah! Kipling....fine poetry and exceedingly good cakes ;) ! The old work horses are very welcome, its worth comparing the subtle differences between older and more modern examples, especially in the quality and decoration of the scabbards, some of which are just works of art in themselves. We've attached below three images of North Indian knifes, very workman like with re-enforced spines and pesh like overall appearance. All comments welcome. The top example we originally described as a pesh/choora but now we would call a Karud!

Here is one that I picked up a couple of years ago. The blade is wootz but I have no good close ups of it. :shrug:

Very classy Lew , I like it.

These are mine.. Nothing fancy, but authentic I think.

I forgot this one which was forged from a file.

You made this Lew ?

Sorry type O :o. Nope picked it up on ebay many years ago. You can still see the teeth from the file on the blade's surface.

Where do you see the teeth? This thing has a mirror finish. Do you have any pictures showing thsi detail? I would love to see it :shrug:

Aren't they so-called Kerala knives? Long way to Afghanistan :-)

Hi Ariel,
Glad somebody mentioned the Kerala knife; the guy we got this example from had several and had sourced them locally in Rajasthan, we later saw them described as Kerala knifes in one of Tirri's fine books, so not sure as to what they actually are. They certainly share some of the characteristics of the Pesh family, heavy blade, thick spine and multi segment hilts. :shrug: Hmm, just don't know!

Not to push ahead with my theory on the meaning of "choora" (as covered earlier in thsi thread) but if it holds to be true, a typical "kerala knife" is also a "choora" :cool:

Stan

a choora is a specific style of knife associated with certain tribes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The kerala knife is associated with an area in the southwest coast of india. Even though they may look similar they really are two different animals and we need to differentiate between them.

And choora is also a set of bangles worn by Indian brides !

Uzbek Icepick
 

Wootz

True. I could never understand why. They don't resemble a knife (or using the other theory the word "next" for that matter) :shrug:

Rick I think this is a karud from Uzbekistan?

What's In A Name ?
 

Bokhara(sp?) yeh, Uzbekistan now .

Uzbek Icepick con Rhino . ;)

Variation on a theme . :D

My Choora / Pesh Kabz
 

Early 20th C. The blade is 8 3/4 inches long. Horn grips. Wooden scabbard leather covered but some now missing, otherwise good condition. Overall, 13 inches long.

Hi Dave,
Thanks for posting another great looking dagger. We've had a few with these painted hilts and have often wondered when this style of decoration became popular and why? As ever all comments welcome and a big thanks to all who have shown there babies.

Nice examples gents. Shall we have similar threads for Pesh etc?

Another Choora
 

Anyone who has seen one like this?
Best
Kurt

Hi Kurt,
Thats one very nice dagger, thanks for posting. Never seen one of that particular form, a real work of art. It seems that afghan weapons are rather popular!! A big thanks to all who have posted so far.

I recently acquired this lovely Choora. What strikes me is the ressemblance in decoration / built with some of the other daggers shown above. The workmanship on this knife is incredible. The carving of the blade, the embellishment on the spine of the blade, the intricate handle design... Let's say I am more than happy having recovered this beauty.

The handle is ivory (probably elephant), blade seems to be wootz. Sheath is wood covered with leather. The tip of the scabbard is reinforced with embellished brass / copper.

nice piece of wootz...
 

I made the rosewood scabbard.