Follow your passions… Mine was to collect knives!!
This collection has knives from over 40 countries and 6 continents of the world!
Note: Many categories of knives including swords and bayonets are restricted under the Arms laws of India and may require a license for possession. This knife collection is a public record and is duly licensed.
So what is a KNIFE ?
The Oxford Dictionary says – An instrument composed of a blade fixed into a handle, used for cutting or as a weapon; a cutting blade forming part of a machine. According to Dictionary.com – An instrument for cutting, consisting essentially of a thin, sharp-edged, metal blade fitted with a handle; A knifelike weapon; dagger or short sword; any blade for cutting, as in a tool or machine. And finally, in the words of Merriam Webster’s – A usually sharp blade attached to a handle that is used for cutting or as a weapon.
Knives are one of the earliest tools of mankind, appearing at least two-and-a-half million years ago. Originally made of wood, bone, and stone, improvements over the centuries in both metallurgy and manufacturing saw the use of copper, bronze, iron, steel, ceramic, and titanium. Differing in blade styles and patterns, they serve various purposes – hunters use hunting knives, soldiers use combat knives, while scouts, campers, and hikers carry pocket knives; there are kitchen knives for preparing foods (the chef’s knife, the paring knife, bread knife, cleaver), table knives (butter knives and steak knives), weapons (daggers or switchblades), knives for throwing or juggling, and knives for religious purposes, like the kirpan of the Sikhs. [Source: Wikipedia]
As a Machirologist (collector of knives), collecting knives had been a hobby and a passion since early childhood. I distinctly recall that when I was five or six years old, my mother called me ‘disturbed’ because whichever shop, fair, or exhibition I went to, knives on display would fascinate me and I wanted her to buy them even if it meant throwing kiddish tantrums! Clinging on to this fascinating passion led me to build this small collection. Although it is India’s largest collection, holding the National Record in the Limca Book of Records, it is still a far reach from the Guinness World Record. Slowly, but surely, I intend to touch that milestone as well.
Perfection is a difficult proposition and in the words of Leo Tolstoy, “If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.” Well, content I am, but still, I would love to hear about any mistakes and readers might discover, as also any related additional information that can be shared.
The classification and nomenclature of many knives remains ambiguous; for some, it may vary from general information available on the internet. This website is completely non-commercial and I fully respect the copyrights of the various sources and have no intention to infringe upon their sources or intellectual property rights. At certain places I have provided additional information about some knives, including pictures, that could be looked up, to make it an interesting read. I hereby acknowledge the rights of the respective authors.
The intention of this collection is to showcase knives as utility tools, engineering marvels and highlight them as artifacts that depict history, culture and religion. I feel that it will motivate our younger generations to identify their hobbies and passions and strive to keep them alive as they progress through the various stages of life; making our society dynamic, varied and fascinating!
My intention is described in an interesting essay written by my son Arvind Kamal:
Confessions of a Machirologist: The Cultural Connection
Tucked into a secluded corner at the India International Trade Fair art and craft stall was an old dagger with silver carving and wire-work on the hilt. Consumed by curiosity, I showed it to my father, who told me it was Tibetan Thees dagger. And lo, the Buddhist culture, monks with maroon robes and His Holiness the Dalai Lama flashed in my mind. Fascinated, I paid for the dagger, as Marcus Garvey’s words danced in my mind: “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
At first, I was unable to identify clearly my role in passing on a piece of culture to future generations. Seeing my bewilderment, my father showed me some old knives that he had collected, a few of them from an era long bygone. I was astonished to observe that the names and places – Mughals, Persia, Arabia, Britain, Germany, World Wars, Rajas and Maharajas – linked directly to my geography and history lessons at school. It seemed as if his knives had come to life, each piece telling a story of its time and its people’s culture, traditions and craftsmanship. As my fingers stroked the fine gold filigree embroidery on a Pesh Kabz dagger, a glimpse of the 18th-century Mughal culture played out in my mind. Almost immediately, I was disheartened to realize that this three-century-old object would eventually vanish into extinction, just as the chain armour of the horse-clad soldiers it was designed to pierce. I gradually began to see the broader picture: the significance of these knives and the importance of their preservation. I decided to chalk out my role to keep that past from going into history. I embarked on a journey to collect both heritage knives, through which I could conserve the culture of past lifetimes, and modern ones that would turn into heritage artifacts by the next generation.
During my interview for selection for an Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) project, I spoke of making a unique contribution by bringing a fresh perspective that would awe many. Sensing an opportunity to spread the message of cultural preservation, a week later, I showcased the history of artifacts and of different cultures through a documentary film on the religious ‘Kirpans’ of the Sikhs, ‘Khukris’ of the Gurkhas and ‘Jambiyas’ of Yemen along with a German Mauser ‘Butcher Blade’ bayonet of WW-1 era and the OSS / SOE Sleeve Dagger of WW-2 used by the British SOE. Each ‘time travel’ object was irreplaceable, priceless and invaluable to the coming generations.
Examining each knife’s hilt, handle, spine and grind significantly has enhanced my appreciation of the engineering behind its unique shape, construction and metallurgy. I can evaluate the efficiency of the ‘tool’, relating it to the physics principles of force and friction, and mentally reconstruct a piece to improve its utility. As I see these objets d’art at craft shops, markets or trade fairs in nooks and corners of the world, a sense of responsibility engulfs me, beckoning me to intervene in preserving the oldest ‘tools’ made by man.
Today, as hundreds of these multi-ethnic, ancient-to-modern beauties lie peacefully in the confines of my drawers, I am delighted to see my family collection listed in India’s Limca Book of Records. Besides providing motivation to juvenile collectors, I also hope to spread the importance of preserving our collective culture and heritage through recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records. Only then will I be able to uphold UNESCO’s message: “It is our responsibility to collect and conserve culture and heritage of the past, for the benefit of future generations.” — ARVIND KAMAL
