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#1 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Posts: 155
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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of the Northern Alliance, told us that during his fighting days he saw very few older weapons carried, they being superseded by modern bayonets or bowie type affairs.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.
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#2 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Wirral
Posts: 1,204
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Here is my only one ...
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#3 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
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Here is one I picked up at a show about 5 years ago. Good quality throughout and a crystalline wootz blade.
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#4 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,284
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Aren't these daggers called Pesh Kabz ?
![]() I don't want to Karud this thread up, but this is as close as I have to a Choora . ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 227
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Here is mine:
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#6 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
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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. |
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#7 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 227
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#8 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: switzerland
Posts: 298
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Hello all together
my Choora. greeting Chregu |
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#9 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 731
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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 |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,167
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mine: (top)
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#11 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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Stan, Can you show close up pic of the chape? I am interested in it's decorative motives. Thanks. |
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#12 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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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.... |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, Texas USA
Posts: 257
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My semi-relic doesn't look very imposing in such distinguished company, although it still retains the classic elements of the type.
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#14 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,284
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None of the examples shown look very household or utilitarian, except in the line of killing or wounding that is ...
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#15 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Posts: 155
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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!!
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#16 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Wirral
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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 ! |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Posts: 155
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Ah! Kipling....fine poetry and exceedingly good cakes
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#18 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
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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.
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#19 | |
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Location: Wirral
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#20 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kuwait
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These are mine.. Nothing fancy, but authentic I think.
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#21 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
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I forgot this one which was forged from a file.
Last edited by Lew; 17th January 2012 at 10:49 PM. |
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#22 | |
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Location: Wirral
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#23 |
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Location: East Coast USA
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Sorry type O
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#24 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 227
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#25 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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Aren't they so-called Kerala knives? Long way to Afghanistan :-) |
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#26 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Posts: 155
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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. ![]() |
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#27 | |
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#28 |
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Location: East Coast USA
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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. |
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#29 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Wirral
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#30 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Wootz
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