Shashka
| Shashka | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Information | |
| Weapon type: | saber |
| Designations: | Cossack saber |
| Use: | military and civil weapon |
| Region of origin / author: |
North Caucasus ( Circassian ) |
| Distribution: | Russia |
| Overall length: | approx. 80 cm |
| Blade length: | approx. 68 cm |
| Handle: | Wood, horn, bone, metal, ivory , plastic |
| Particularities: | different versions |
| Lists on the subject | |
The shashka ( Russian Шашка ), or often simply called the Cossack saber , is originally a Caucasian saber that serves as a traditional weapon.
history
The shashka originated in the Caucasus and means "long knife" in the Circassian language . The Cossacks living there took over the shashka from the Kaukas in the 19th century as the standard weapon of their cavalry units. The shashka is still worn by the Cossacks and Caucasian peoples to this day.
features
The shashka differs from other sabers in that it has no handguard. The blade is about 86 cm long and only slightly curved. It has a fuller fillet almost all over the blade to reduce the weight of the blade. The blade tapers slightly to a point. The handle is usually made of horn or brass with a wooden handpiece. At the rear end, the handle ends in an eagle-head-like beak with a hole for a lanyard. The scabbard of older models is made of wood covered with leather; newer ones made of sheet steel. The outfit differs from other saber scabbards. The shashka can be worn in the usual way on a belt; there is also the option of choosing a shoulder strap.
In contrast to the usual sabers, the shashki are worn in the Caucasian fashion on a ring on the convex edge of the scabbard, with the supplied blade edge pointing backwards.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cossacks . In: Pierer's Universal Lexicon . tape 9 . Altenburg 1860, p. 737 ( Pierer Online - "The shashka is worn on a leather hanger, ...").
literature
- Georg Ortenburg: Weapons and use of weapons in the age of the wars of unification (= armies of the modern age. Department 4: The age of wars of unification. Vol. 1). Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1990, ISBN 3-7637-5809-7 .
- Georg Ortenburg: Weapons and use of weapons in the age of the armies of millions (= armies of the modern age. Department 5: The age of armies of millions. Vol. 1). Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 1992, ISBN 3-7637-5811-9 .
- Georg Ortenburg: Weapons and the use of weapons in the age of the revolutionary wars (= armies of the modern age. Department 3: The age of the revolutionary wars. Vol. 1). Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1988, ISBN 3-7637-5807-0 .
