Purchasing Knives in Kabul

[benjaminpendleton]

Hi Folks,

Hoping to get back to Kabul in the near future.

Looking to buy high quality, locally made knives.

They are called choora in Afghanistan, pesh kabz farther east in India. Apparently they are still in use in Pashtun areas of Afghanistan.

In Uzbekistan and East Turkistan traditional knives are called pchak.

Any leads on where I might find them in Kabul?

Tashakor!

[benjaminpendleton]

Uighur pchak:

https://mygoodknife.com/wp-content/uplo ... 00x532.jpg

[benjaminpendleton]

Uzbek pchak:

http://www.ljplus.ru/img4/m/h/mhasman/pchack2_6.jpg

[benjaminpendleton]

Afghan choora / pesh kabz (antique):

http://www.fieldserviceantiquearms.co.u ... 1295-p.jpg

[steven]

You can buy Uzbek ones in Chust https://caravanistan.com/uzbekistan/chust/

Here is me with a rather large one: https://caravanistan.com/wp-content/upl ... 138363.jpg

[benjaminpendleton]

Thanks Steven! Love the knife. That must have been really hard to fit into your backpack! : )

[afgBerliner]

If you travel around 50 km north of Kabul on the main road toward the Salang Pass, you will reach the town of Charikar. In the past, they were famed for making knives and daggers, with the handles made of wood and the horns of rams. In Pashtu they are called 'Chaku' (or Chaqu, where the sound of the 'q' comes from deeper in the throat). This tradition is dying out, but if you walk around the main bazaar you are bound to find one. I had bought a few back in 2007. The quality is not what they used to be, but they make excellent gifts or as a decorative piece.