From Uzbekistan
 

Hi
during spring period, we crossed Uzbekistan, and in Bukhara I saw this blacksmith (pic)
honestly, I didn't been too much impressed by his production,
but frustrated to don't have found antic's I bought
(expensive, on my point of view, I hardly negotiated, but till yet expensive ... 250 box) :o

the first picture show 2 knifes;
one is really for tourist (present from a friend)
the other, it's a traditional knife with a "wootz steel" blade,
- hilt made with an horn, and a piece of mother of pearl at extremity
- scabbard is less than average, I imagined to see for a new one,
but to respect the "ethnography" I kept it as it is ...
all that is not to much "glorious", but it's at the level (presently) of the country :shrug:

à +

Dom

Dom

Very nice but the second knife is pattern welded not wootz still a great knife to have in your collection. The smith used a random pattern billet and filed vertical grooves in the bar then he hammered the face of the billet flat and that is how he created the ladder effect.