Khyber knife?

Jim McDougall · 20th March 2021, 12:30 PM

Welcome to the forum! Excellent pen name, skean dubh!!!

Your weapon is of course the well known Afghan 'Khyber knife', which is an odd term as these are essentially deadly short swords and often quite large, far beyond the 'knife' description.

In the Afghan regions, these were used by various tribes throughout the Khyber Agency of the British Raj, which while including the Khyber Pass proper, also the surrounding regions. So it is difficult to assign a specific region or tribe to single weapons unless there is specific motif in decoration.

These were used throughout the 19th century and well into modern times, but remain indigenous to Afghanistan, where locally they are termed 'silliwar', hence the colloquial British term 'salawar yataghan'.

Yours is probably end of 19th c.into 20th and used tribally during the many Afghan wars and insurgences from 1879 onward. The use of these is most well known with the Afridi and Waziri tribes, and are mentioned as Khyber knives by Kipling in his well known prose.

David R · 20th March 2021, 04:29 PM

It's not a typical piece certainly.... but you do get a fair bit of variation with tribal weapons. The hilt makes me suspect that it was made closer to central Asia than those usually seen.

Saracen · 20th March 2021, 05:02 PM

On the blade there is a hole near the hilt.
Perhaps this means reusing the blade,
and explains the not a typical form blade for this Khyber knife
the hole is a trace from the langeta of the hilt of the Khanda or Firangi sword (?)

Ren Ren · 21st March 2021, 12:29 AM

Holes like this make me strongly associate with Soviet provincial museums. Through them, objects were attached to the wall so that they would not be stolen.

Saracen · 21st March 2021, 12:41 AM

Yes), and at the bottom right in the photo is the bolt with which this khyber knife was attached to the wall)

kronckew · 22nd March 2021, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saracen

Yes), and at the bottom right in the photo is the bolt with which this khyber knife was attached to the wall)

? - Bolt Looks a bit big for the hole

I'd go for the Russian museum theory. The lack of a T-spine is unusual, never seen one like that before. Grip looks a bit chunky & odd near the pommel end too. Museum replica from a picture? Looks more like a largish pesh kabz (which also usually had a T-Spine), also a 'khyber' area knife/sword.

More dimensions/weight would help, blade thickness at the grip and near the tip (ie. is it distal tapered), is it sharp? Full exposed tang or hidden tang, end peened? Shame there is no scabbard, it helps define it.

(I believe they were T-spined because the blades were fairly thin, and generally not the best steel. It added rigidity and allowed for a thinner, finer edge angle for slicing rather than stabbing.) See also What is a Khyber Knife

Mine for example. A more typical one. Note the very slight S recurve to the spine, one reason they are considered by some to be Salawar Yataghans. 22 in. blade, 5.5 in. grip:

Saracen · 22nd March 2021, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

? - Bolt Looks a bit big for the hole

This is not a problem for Soviet workers in provincial museums.

I like Ren Ren's idea too, but reusing old blades is not a rare thing.

20th March 2021, 05:02 PM	#3
Saracen Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 147	On the blade there is a hole near the hilt. Perhaps this means reusing the blade, and explains the not a typical form blade for this Khyber knife the hole is a trace from the langeta of the hilt of the Khanda or Firangi sword (?) Last edited by Saracen; 20th March 2021 at 08:11 PM.

20th March 2021, 12:30 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,190	Welcome to the forum! Excellent pen name, skean dubh!!! Your weapon is of course the well known Afghan 'Khyber knife', which is an odd term as these are essentially deadly short swords and often quite large, far beyond the 'knife' description. In the Afghan regions, these were used by various tribes throughout the Khyber Agency of the British Raj, which while including the Khyber Pass proper, also the surrounding regions. So it is difficult to assign a specific region or tribe to single weapons unless there is specific motif in decoration. These were used throughout the 19th century and well into modern times, but remain indigenous to Afghanistan, where locally they are termed 'silliwar', hence the colloquial British term 'salawar yataghan'. Yours is probably end of 19th c.into 20th and used tribally during the many Afghan wars and insurgences from 1879 onward. The use of these is most well known with the Afridi and Waziri tribes, and are mentioned as Khyber knives by Kipling in his well known prose.

20th March 2021, 04:29 PM	#2
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,116	It's not a typical piece certainly.... but you do get a fair bit of variation with tribal weapons. The hilt makes me suspect that it was made closer to central Asia than those usually seen.

21st March 2021, 12:29 AM	#4
Ren Ren Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Russia, Moscow Posts: 379	Holes like this make me strongly associate with Soviet provincial museums. Through them, objects were attached to the wall so that they would not be stolen.

21st March 2021, 12:41 AM	#5
Saracen Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 147	Yes), and at the bottom right in the photo is the bolt with which this khyber knife was attached to the wall)