Afghan Khyber knife

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by kronckew

"Salawar Yataghan" may refer to the ones that have a slight 'S' curved spine, like mine below. Even tho the edge is essentially straight. I include another with a short steel grip that looks more yataghany, tho still T-spined. I have read that in spite of that nasty looking point, they were almost entirely used for slashing cuts, according to a British Military Doctor who treated the Brits kille or wounded by them.

Well noted Wayne! I spent years wondering what in the world 'salawar' meant until a while back when in was revealed that the word was actually 'selavah', the local term for these 'Khyber knives'. The British, in the Hobson-Jobson mode, took the word salevah, making it silliwar, then for some bizarre reason tacked on 'yataghan' to make it 'oriental-ish'.

In a more colloquial manner the term 'Khyber knives' applied to the entire spectrum of these 'pesh kabz' family which included the variants which collectors have embellished with the terms 'choora' (chhura) and karud.

As noted, slashing was the normal cut in tribal warfare, as far as use of the sword, and these sharp tips were most effective at doing so. These needle sharp points were effective in cases where penetrating the heavy quilted armor often worn, however as noted, thrusting was less likely as the user was left open without a weapon when it became embedded in the victim.