A big butcher knife

ham · 21st March 2006, 07:29 PM

Flavio,

"Khyber" is what collectors call these weapons, it derives from the area the British encountered them, i.e. the Khyber Pass.
The majority clan of E. Afghanistan, at least during the Afghan Wars of the 19th century, was Pathan. Anthropologically speaking, they are distinguished by their language, Pashto, and are generally Sunni Muslims.

I have never known any Afghan who called these weapons Khyber knives, though there is a vast span of opinion regarding what the proper term actually is. Generally knowledgeable individuals there usually call it a "Salawar" after the region where it originated, was most commonly made, or perhaps was most used. I suspect this term is the oldest for it as Egerton refers to it as a "Salawar yatagan" in his mid-19th century research as well.

Ham

21st March 2006, 07:29 PM	#2
ham Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 190	Flavio, "Khyber" is what collectors call these weapons, it derives from the area the British encountered them, i.e. the Khyber Pass. The majority clan of E. Afghanistan, at least during the Afghan Wars of the 19th century, was Pathan. Anthropologically speaking, they are distinguished by their language, Pashto, and are generally Sunni Muslims. I have never known any Afghan who called these weapons Khyber knives, though there is a vast span of opinion regarding what the proper term actually is. Generally knowledgeable individuals there usually call it a "Salawar" after the region where it originated, was most commonly made, or perhaps was most used. I suspect this term is the oldest for it as Egerton refers to it as a "Salawar yatagan" in his mid-19th century research as well. Ham