Kindjal

The child scarf ( Kanjal, Kindjal, Kinschal ) is the traditional dagger of the Cossacks and some Caucasian equestrian tribes.

History

The child scarf was developed by mounted horsemen tribes of the Caucasus as a weapon. They were so embedded in the culture that they were also worn on military uniform. The child scarf has great similarity with the Georgian Quama and is, strictly speaking, the same weapon. The child scarf is worn to this day to dress the Cossacks.

Description

The child scarf has a straight, double-edged blade with a hollow path which runs from the grip up to the point at which the blade tapers to place ( top ) down. Other versions have a dual hollow path that only a few centimeters begins after the blade base and extends up to the tip. In some runs the hollow path is not in the middle, but displaced therefrom. The blade shape is also different. Most blades are straight, but there are also many whose blade is slightly curved. The child scarf has no parry. The handles are usually made of wood or horn. The sheaths are made of wood that is covered with leather or metal. The front is finely worked, as opposed to the back, which is often kept quite simple and practically blank. The length of the child scarf blade varies between about 8 cm and 45 cm.