☰ Contents · Technology

Knife-making: history and types

Lessons 7 · 1 lessons · O. A. Qo‘ysinov, O‘. O. Tohirov, D. N. Mamatov, D. F. Aripova. Labour education (Mehnat ta’limi), Grade 9: methodical guide for teachers. Delta-Print, Tashkent, 2017. Note: this is a teacher’s guide, not a student textbook (lesson plans for the “Technology and design”, “Service” and “Basics of agriculture” directions). The course is built from the lesson-plan topics of the “Technology and design” direction; the “Iroqi” skullcap lesson comes from the “Service” direction, and lesson 25 (joining parts) is written from the topic listed in the guide’s calendar plan.
7

The craft of knife-making: history, kinds and structure

Teacher’s guide: pp. 22–25
GoalKnow the history of knife-making, the kinds and structure of knives, and the rules for handling a knife safely.
New words
knife-making · pichoqchilikblade · tig‘handle · dastasheath · qin
Explanation

The knife is one of the most used cutting tools both in daily life and in production. Making knives has been known since the Stone Age; the discovery of iron was a big turning point in knife-making, while knives of copper and bronze were widespread in the Bronze Age. Knife specimens dating to the second millennium BC have been found in Central Asia. A knife has three parts: the blade (cutting part), the handle and the sheath. By structure knives are straight, qaychi (the tip bent slightly back) and bodomcha (the back edge dips inward near the tip). By size there are medium-span knives, the kezlik (child’s knife), chalabuzar and mardona knives; by decoration plain, floral, chilmix-flower and rufta knives are distinguished. The handle is suqma (the blade’s tang is pushed into it) or yorma (pieces of wood, bone or horn are fitted to both faces of a metal grip). A knife is a sharp tool: it is used only under adult supervision and by the rules.

Worked examples
A plain kitchen knife: straight blade, wooden handle, no pattern. By structure it is a straight knife, by decoration a plain one.
Safety: when handing over a knife, pass the handle first, keep the blade pointing away from yourself and others, and store it in its sheath or a closed place when not in use.
Class activity

Classification cards: cards with pictures of knives (straight, qaychi, bodomcha) are handed out. Groups identify the type from the blade shape. Real knives are not brought to class; only pictures and models.

Practice
1
What parts does a knife consist of?
2
Into what types are knives divided by structure?
3
Explain the difference between suqma and yorma handles.
4
Why should you hold out the handle first when passing a knife?