Universal diving knife. NVU.Warehouse with spare parts

In the fall of 2009, during military exercises in the Baltic, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was presented with a domestic combat swimmer's knife "Katran". For some reason, this event greatly excited the media, and soon publications appeared in the press talking about this weapon. The name of its author also surfaced - Igor Skrylev. But the information about this blade in the press, to put it mildly, is not entirely true. The creation of some types of weapons often has a rather interesting history.

You can write adventure novels about almost any product adopted for service. And often real story mixed with fiction and various legends. Over time, legends can successfully supplant what actually happened. This is exactly what happened during the development of a new knife for combat swimmers. The theme was called “Needle”, and the knife itself was unofficially called “ Sea Devil"(this name was given to him themselves combat swimmers on his tests).

Probably, like most similar developments, it would have remained known only to a narrow circle of its users, but history decreed differently. During the exercises that took place in the Baltic in the fall of 2009, this knife was presented to the President of the Russian Federation. For some reason unknown to me, this aroused considerable interest in the weapon from the media. At the same time, in the best traditions of our country, everything was mixed up.

So to the correspondent " Komsomolskaya Pravda“from the headquarters of the Navy they reported that the knife was called “Katran”, and with a little tension they even remembered the name of the developer - a certain Skrylev. This is very surprising, because, as a rule, no one knows the authors of such developments. I myself learned that my product came to the President, first from the news, when they presented a knife, and then from the newspaper, where I was surprised to see my own name. However, despite the inaccuracies, some of this story was true. Both the Katran knife and I have new development the most direct relationship.

It all started in the 90s. Then the Navy became concerned about replacing the NVU knife, which was in service with combat swimmers. NVU stands for “Universal diving knife”. Indeed, this model was universal and was intended not only for combat swimmers, but also for Navy divers. But these specialists have completely different tasks. So for a diver, a knife is, first of all, a tool, but for a combat swimmer it is both a tool and a weapon.. Therefore, it is not always possible to successfully take into account the ability to perform such different tasks in one model. In addition, the NVU is simply outdated.

There were also purely design errors and problems with the choice of material. So the blade, 180 mm long and 4 mm thick, had a double sharpening - regular and sawtooth, which was located on the butt. In its root part, a transverse groove was made for bending and breaking the wire, but the place for it was chosen very poorly, because this is where the largest bending moments occur, and the gap itself serves as an excellent stress concentrator, which means it significantly weakens the blade. The complete impression is that the developers of this knife have not even heard of such a boring science as strength of resistance.

The knife handle is made of plastic, which does not have the necessary strength and slips in the hand. The situation is somewhat saved by the shape of the handle and knurling. At the same time, the handle suspiciously resembles the handle of the Promyslovy No. 1 knife, produced as a hunting knife.

The sheath is also made of plastic, in them the knife is fixed in two ways - the main fixation is by snapping in the guard area, the role of the second fixing element was played by a rubber ring. Such attention to fixing the knife is not accidental; it should ensure maximum reliability, since remaining under water without a knife is at least unsafe. After all, for a diver, a knife is one of the means of self-insurance.

The NVU blade was made of corrosion-resistant steel 40X13 and polished. This solution is correct from the point of view of corrosion resistance, but is very unfortunate for a combat knife, since the shine of a polished blade is a strong unmasking factor. In addition, 40X13 steel itself is not the best option, as it does not hold an edge well. As you can see, the NVU really has many disadvantages.

There was another sample used by submariners - this scout knife NR-2. Although it was designed for land operations, it was also used by combat swimmers. The NR-2 is an excellent combat knife, but its use as an underwater knife was still a necessary measure. In addition, he lacked the length of the blade. The main underwater knife remained the NVU. They offered to develop me a new knife to replace it.

This is how the theme “Cortege” appeared, according to the technical specifications, for which a promising model of a combat knife was supposed to be a symbiosis between a combat knife, a diver’s knife and a survival knife. Such universality is largely a forced measure, since naval special forces operate in different environments, both on land and at sea. At the same time, the knife is his only bladed weapon and tool rolled into one.

During development, a requirement was placed on the knife, according to which it had to cut wire-reinforced diving hoses. This is how a saw of a specific shape appeared on the knife. It seems to consist of two types of saws. One with a large pitch, similar to a wave-shaped sharpening, the other has small teeth located on these waves. This saw can handle both soft fibrous materials and metal (a patent was received for this saw design).

Another feature of the knife is the presence of a durable and sealed case for the NAZ (wearable emergency supply), closed with a sealed lid that can act as a hammer. The pencil case is made of steel, as it must maintain tightness at depth. It also served as the power basis of the handle. Therefore, you can painlessly change the handle on a knife and make it from different materials.

The blade has a hole for docking with the sheath, after which the knife is converted into wire cutters. This design was borrowed from the bayonet knife. The blade is made of corrosion-resistant steel and has an additional anti-reflective and protective coating of black chrome. The knife handle should have been made of rubber. It had a developed metal guard; on the handle itself there were sub-finger protrusions and transverse corrugation. All this helped to securely hold the knife, both in a bare hand and in a hand wearing a thick diving glove.

This model was developed but never released. Only prototypes were made, and the handle on them was made of plastic. On the experimental model, the lid of the pencil case was changed; it was made in the form of a truncated cone for delivering shocking blows to the enemy.

By the time the prototype appeared in metal, the fleet had lost interest in this development, or rather, it had big problems with financing, and there was simply no time for the knife, which probably would have remained in the form of prototypes if the Tula FSB had not become interested in it . Thanks to Major Sergei Velmezev, an order for a small number of such knives was placed at an arms factory produced by the ASVA-TOZ company. Wherein the sample was converted into a land model.

The rubber handle was replaced with a wood handle. This was justified by the requirements of new customers who wanted a “warm” handle and the capabilities of the plant. They didn’t want to use it to make a mold for producing a small series and used waste from the main weapons production for production. That's why most knives have a handle made of seasoned walnut. Although there were other design options, fortunately the design allowed this without problems.

The NAZ cover has also undergone changes.. It became flat again, as in the original version. The hole for connecting to the wire cutters was removed from the blade, as they were abandoned. The sheath was made of leather with a steel liner, which was made of thin steel and held the blade well due to its own elasticity. Upon request, the scabbard was supplied with an additional cover made of camouflage fabric. This model entered service in small quantities with some FSB units. Actually, this sample was called “Katran”. Real recognition came to him with the beginning of the first Chechen war.

As it turned out, when conducting local hostilities, the role of personal equipment, including edged weapons, increases. Combat properties Katran knives turned out to be at their best. The wavy saw played the role of a shock tooth, which made it possible to inflict a terrible wound, and did not cling to the uniform, that is, it did not have the main disadvantage of shock teeth, the difficulty of extraction. Doctors who saw the wounds inflicted by this knife even expressed the idea that it should be banned as an inhumane weapon, as if a weapon could be humane.

The Katran knife in this version was officially adopted by the special unit of the Ministry of Emergency Situations “Leader”. It was also used in some units of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to some sources, about 3,000 knives were produced in total. Whether this is true or not is now difficult to verify, but in general, it seems to me that the figure is close to reality. However, the fate of the knife did not work out in the best way. Immediately after the end of hostilities, its production ceased, since potential customers simply did not have the money. Afterwards it was not resumed for a number of reasons.

The Katran knife of the first series was produced in different modifications. For example, there is a version of the knife that replaces the wave-shaped saw with a regular-type double-row saw. In fact, this modification has become an ordinary survival knife, as it has all its features (the presence of a saw and a container for the NAZ). There were other modifications as well. However, now such knives are already a rarity, having serious collection value. Connoisseurs of edged weapons call them “Katran-1”, although there was no such name officially.

The demand for Katran forced the production of its simplified modification to begin.. The development of new models was carried out by my company “NOKS”. The design was simplified taking into account the actual combat use of the knife. The pencil case under the NAZ disappeared from the knife, the shape of the blade changed (it became more massive), the guard was simplified, and the rider-type handle began to be made from different materials. The most common were wood, leather and kraton.

Despite the presence of a kraton handle, the knife was not considered as an underwater knife and was equipped with a leather sheath. In addition, the blade did not have a black coating, but a matte finish, which makes it less resistant to corrosion, especially in a marine climate. In fact, all that remained from the first model was the wave-shaped saw. This model was called “Katran-2” (it was advertised in the press as a new combat knife developed within the framework of the “Needle” theme, which was a mistake).

In addition to this modification, another was released, in which the saw on the butt was replaced with a second sharpened edge. This sharpened edge had a larger angle and was designed for chopping. This model was called "Katran-3". This replacement of a saw with a chopping surface is quite reasonable, since the knife is planned to be used in land conditions. The third modification of this knife was released at the request of the 45th Airborne Regiment. It has a modified saw, it is made in the style of a bayonet saw. Why such a replacement is needed is a complex question, but that was the customer’s desire.

A household version of the knife was also produced on the basis of combat models.. It differed from combat knives only in the sawn-off tip. Later it began to be designed as a flat-head screwdriver. It must be said that this modification differed little in its combat potential from the combat version, since the screwdriver made it possible to deliver an effective stabbing blow without any modification. This modification was very popular among bladed weapon lovers. Some people bought it for subsequent alteration, at least I have seen such knives.

As you can see, based on one successful model, a whole brood various modifications that have gone quite far in evolution from their ancestor. Unlike the Katran-1, these models were never officially accepted into service and were produced mainly on orders from individual units.

The Katran knife was almost connected Detective story . It was purchased by Latvia to arm one of its police units. Moreover, his competitor in this tender was the American “Ka-bar”. This version differed from the serial "Katrans" only in the presence of the unit's emblem and the complete absence of other identification marks. They especially asked that there be no inscriptions anywhere that would allow the knife to be identified as a weapon made in Russia. However, the manufacturing plant, Melita-K, did not care how to make money, and the order was completed.

Meanwhile, the need for a knife to equip combat swimmers became acute again, and this time it was solved in a comprehensive manner, since the development of a set of weapons was underway, which was supposed to include a new knife. It is quite natural that the Navy offered to carry out this development to the NOX company, since we already had experience in such work.

The theme was called "Needle". The problems began with the approval of the technical specifications; it contained criteria that were simply impossible to combine. The desire of the military, who finally received money for new developments, to have the best of everything possible was understandable, but sometimes it was more like a whim.

However, soon all points of the technical specifications were agreed upon, and work on the project began. In many ways, this design was reminiscent of the Katran, but in a simplified version. At the request of the customer, the knife should have had wire cutters, so we returned to the original idea of ​​combining functions. But this time the reciprocal part of the wire cutters was made not in the form of a sheath, but in the form of a separate lever. This approach was used on the naval reconnaissance knife designed by Todorov, and then served as the basis for cutting bayonet knives. And this idea was remembered again.

In addition to the functions of wire cutters, the additional lever could also play the role of another tool. The drawings were completed, the customer gave the go-ahead for the production of prototypes, but tests of the prototypes showed that the idea with the lever was not entirely correct. In addition, we had to abandon the universal saw, which was borrowed from Katran. The symmetrical contours of the handle were also removed, since under water it was difficult to determine by touch how the knife was positioned. And the idea of ​​removing the metal guard and making it part of the handle, on the contrary, turned out to be in demand, since there should be no elements on the handle of the knife that could damage the wetsuit.

In general, the tests revealed that... a completely different design is needed! However, this is precisely why the tests are carried out. The new knife was fundamentally different from the experimental sample. The blade took on a spear shape. This blade shape has increased penetrating ability.

A blade with a beveled spine, used on bayonet knives, turned out to be not the most successful solution in a real war. Yes, they can deliver an effective blow if the bayonet is attached to a machine gun, but this blow involves the energy of the legs, body rotation, two arms, the weight of the fighter and the weight of the weapon itself. But if you use it as a knife, then a blade with a beveled spine does not always show the required effectiveness when piercing winter clothing and personal protective equipment. That is why the new combat swimmer’s knife also received a spear-shaped blade.

The blade is quite long. Since, according to technical requirements, it must serve as a bladed weapon not only against people, but also against sea animals, which are used to protect important objects. These are primarily dolphins and fur seals. In addition, when using a knife as a survival tool to perform a number of jobs, its dimensions and weight may also be in demand. But a compromise is important here, since the excessive dimensions and weight of such a knife are strictly limited.

The knife is developed as an element of a set of combat equipment, and its parameters are tied to the weight of the entire set. And if the mass-dimensional parameters of a knife can be minimized, this needs to be done, because due to the freed grams it is possible, albeit not by much, to increase the fighter’s ammunition. Therefore, the approach to the weight culture of knife development here is almost like in aviation. In this case, the knife must have greater strength, since anything can happen in a combat situation, it can be used as a lever when entering a room, as a fulcrum in mountainous areas, and you never know what situations a reconnaissance saboteur may encounter. That's why when bending when firmly fastened, the blade must withstand a weight of 100 kg.

As we see, there is little room for maneuver and constructive compromises. That is why a knife for combat swimmers is not a primitive sharpened piece of iron, but the result of design calculations and real technological capabilities. For example, there was no sampling on the experimental sample, since its constructive usefulness is in in this case is minimal, but in the final version the selection appeared in order to reduce the weight of the blade by several tens of grams, without loss of strength.

It was these grams that were not enough to fit into the requirements of the technical specifications. There were other issues that could only be resolved by testing various options in conditions as close as possible to combat ones. Suffice it to say that the knife was tested in three fleets: the Black Sea, Northern and Baltic. As you know, it is the little things that determine the real quality of development and manufacturing. So, in order to choose the type of serrator, several knives with different types of this element were made and the optimal option was found experimentally.

Similar story was also coated. The fact is that, according to technical specifications, the knife must have an anti-reflective coating, but matting the blade with glass beads disrupts the surface structure of the metal and, as a result, the steel becomes aggressive marine environment begins to actively encode. To protect the blade and meet the requirements for massaging, the blade must have an anti-reflective coating with great resistance to both corrosion itself and mechanical abrasion. In addition to searching for coating options, the prototypes were used to change the material of the handle, the technology of attaching the handle to the shank of the blade, and the shape and fastening of the pommel of the knife.

But the most difficult element was the sheath. However, this is not surprising, since the sheath on survival knives has long become more complex than the knife itself. For example, you can take the “Basurmanin” knife. On its sheath there are wire cutters, a universal saw mount and a place to place it when carrying it, an auxiliary knife and an awl. In order to use, for example, a saw, you need to remove the knife and sheath from the belt, remove the knife from the sheath, remove the saw and secure it in the sheath. As you can see, it is a rather long and inconvenient procedure.

At the Sea Devil they decided to simplify this process. The cutters are also located on the sheath, and in the front part of the sheath, in addition to the cutters, there is also a flat screwdriver. The handle of the pliers contains a wood saw and a metal saw. In a special recess there is a removable tool that combines an awl and a can opener. The kit should include a diamond stone for straightening the blade. The saw is fixed on an axis, and when the handle is folded back, it can be locked in the working position. But if it becomes dull or broken, the saw can be replaced.

During testing, it turned out that it is desirable to have one combination saw on one side of the blade with teeth for wood, and on the other for metal. The removable awl was also secured to the sheath, and the can opener was removed as unnecessary. The design of the awl has become more universal. Now it has a diamond coating and at the same time plays the role of a finishing stone. At the same time, the plane of the awl itself is designed for finishing the main cutting edge, and its back has a shape corresponding to the shape of the serrator and is designed for sharpening it.

The sheath itself is made of plastic. But it has some disadvantages - it is too noisy. This is unacceptable for a saboteur's knife. Therefore, the knife and sheath are carried in a special auxiliary case, on which the elements for fastening the knife to the equipment are located. This case is made of avisent and has noise-absorbing pads. The knife is fixed in two ways: it is fixed due to the elasticity of the sheath and a special rubber cap ring.. The knife is supplied with spare parts, which includes a spare saw, two rubber rings, a passport with instructions for use and a packaging box.

Another problem that we encountered during our work on the “Needle” topic was competing companies that proactively submitted their models for testing. So the company "SARO" offered its underwater knife "Moray". An interesting and even in many ways unusual design.

The Moray knife uses a very tricky saw. On the butt of the knife itself there is a wave-shaped sharpening, designed in theory for cutting cables; on the wave-shaped sharpening there is a longitudinal groove into which an additional metal saw is inserted. It is made from a regular hacksaw blade. This would be a very good solution: if the saw breaks or becomes dull, it can be easily and cheaply replaced with a piece of hacksaw blade.

However, in reality everything is not so smooth. Contact of corrosion-resistant steel (from which the blade is made) with carbon steel (from which the hacksaw blade is made) in sea ​​water leads to intense corrosion of carbon steel. During testing, the saw became so rusty to the knife that it was simply impossible to remove it.

The second problem with the Moray knife is the sheath.. They are made of plastic and have a retainer in the form of a recess into which the saw latch pin fits, and the fixation occurs only due to the elasticity of the sheath. The fixation is reliable, but to remove the knife from the sheath, you need to stick your finger into it and push the walls apart, and while this “trick” can still be done on land, it won’t work underwater with thick diving gloves. In general, “Moray eel” was an order of magnitude inferior to “Sea Devil” both in terms of design quality and manufacturing quality.

There were other competitors. Thus, the KEMPO company from Orekhovo-Zuev, which develops underwater equipment, including in the interests of the Navy, developed its own model of a knife for divers, but this knife was focused mainly on instrumental use. For combat swimmers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (there are such), the Southern Cross company also developed its own version of an underwater knife. These models were not direct competitors of the Sea Devil; moreover, the Southern Cross had simply disappeared from the market by that time, but the developments and customers remained.

Our knife for combat swimmers served as the basis for knives for other purposes. So, a simplified version was proposed for Navy military units. The knife itself was taken unchanged, and the design of the sheath was simplified - there were no cutters and saws in them. They are simply not needed. The Killer Whale knife was also developed on the basis of the “Sea Devil”. It is designed for UPASRA (Navy Salvage Directorate) and features a modified tanto blade tip. This made it possible to strengthen the knife blade and use it for heavy work. A simplified version of such a knife is also considered as a diving knife.

It is easy to see that on one design basis it is easy to obtain several models for different purposes. On the basis of combat models, a universal model of the “Moray” was developed, produced in the version of a diving knife and a survival knife (not to be confused with the “Moray” from the SARO company). Our “Moray eel” has the front part of the blade changed, as a result the knife is not considered a bladed weapon. In the version of the survival knife, instead of a serrated blade, there is a double-row saw along the blade.

Strange as it may seem, but it was the underwater knife that served as the basis for the knife developed by NOKS on the theme “Peregrine Falcon”(survival knife for Russian Air Force pilots). The reason is the versatility of the basic design and its flexibility. “Sapsan” has the same type of blade, shortened to 130 mm and a slightly shortened handle, but the type of blade and even the type of serator remained unchanged. Only the harpoon ledge was added.

The reduction in the dimensions of the Sapsan sample was forced, as it was dictated by the conditions of placement on the flight gear and weight reduction. The sheath is made of plastic, and the knife has two wearing options. The first is used during parachute jumps and should ensure a safe landing. After landing, the knife hangs on the belt. These features are reflected in the design of the suspension.

Have one knife for all situations and everyone climatic zones not rational, it’s not for nothing that there are so many varieties of knives, which reflect local conditions and habits, everyday life and the development of technology; this is also true for combat knives. Thus, the “Sea Devil” turned out to be very convenient for the conditions of the North and the Middle Zone, but for the mountains this knife is too heavy and cumbersome. Therefore, the NOKS company has developed a version of a combat knife for mountain conditions. The Irbis knife was used as a basis; the blade length of this model is 130 mm, the blade thickness is 6 mm. The sharpening of the knife is one and a half, in the root part there is a serrated for working with rope. Double-sided guard and rider handle made of kraton.

The requirements for this design are minimal dimensions and weight while maintaining combat and operational properties. Combat properties are determined by the ability to deliver a piercing blow through warm clothing. A scabbard made of avisent with the possibility of fastening in different places combat equipment. The sheath has a pocket in which a mini-tool is placed. The mini-tool is made on the basis of the “Biker” tool developed by NOKS. The only difference between the military version is the presence of a detonator crimp on the pliers; the “Biker” was chosen for its small size and, most importantly, for its flat dimensions, which allow it to be conveniently placed in a pocket.

Thus, based on one combat model of the “Sea Devil” knife, a whole range of knives for a wide variety of purposes has been developed. In addition, according to the drawings of the “Sea Devil”, which were transferred by the company “NOKS”, the Zlatoust company “AiR” released a gift version of this knife. Demand for the “Sea Devil” as a gift appeared just after it was presented to the President of Russia.

A scuba diving knife is a necessary element of a scuba diver’s equipment. Depending on who uses the accessory - a diver, a hunter or a diver - it will have individual characteristics.

The main requirements for diver knives are accessibility and reliability. It is necessary that they are well fixed in the sheath and, if necessary, quickly removed with one hand.

The accessory is designed to perform many tasks. It may be needed in a situation where it is necessary to cut fishing lines or nets; they often have to replace other tools and devices or be used as a weapon. That is why the knife must have a good margin of safety in order to withstand rough work with a blade or lever if necessary.

For ease of use, the knife requires an ergonomic non-slip handle. It is much more difficult to control the instrument underwater, so these parameters should not be neglected. You can accidentally drop a knife and lose it forever. True, today there are models on the market with neutral buoyancy that simply hover in the water column.

Underwater knives come in several varieties. A diving knife is used as a tool when working with equipment, as a means of protection, or in cases of entanglement under water. Today there are many design solutions for these accessories. They come in various sizes, handle and blade shapes. As a rule, their blades have a sawtooth sharpening.

Often, diving and spearfishing knives are perceived as one and the same. However, it is not. Knives for spearfishing are a mandatory element of hunting equipment, since they have to be used in cases big catch. They have a number of distinctive features. In appearance, hunting knives resemble stilettos and daggers. These accessories are much heavier and more massive, which allows you to deliver a strong and accurate blow underwater.

The price of knives for spearfishing depends on the comfort of the handle, size, and is determined by the configuration. Some models are sold immediately with covers. As for the quality of the products, these accessories are made of stainless steel or titanium. Materials are resistant to impact aquatic environment. Proper handling of knives will extend their service life. After each dive, they should be rinsed with fresh water and wiped dry. It is not recommended to use the accessories at home, otherwise the sharpening may be damaged.

Our online diving equipment store presents a large assortment of underwater knives. From us you can buy a universal diving knife, diving or hunting, produced by world-famous companies. If you are in doubt about your choice, you can always contact our managers for detailed advice. We will be happy to help you with your purchase.

In the 1960s - 1970s, hose scuba tanks of the ShAP-40, ShAP-62 and ShAP-77 series were developed to replace three-bolts at shallow and medium depths. They made it possible to make the diver's equipment much lighter and included reserve cylinders with compressed air for autonomous breathing in emergency mode, or, in the event of a short-term disconnection of the hose, for working in cramped conditions.
New conditions for the use of ventilated equipment also required changes in the design of the knife: in the late 70s, a new diver's knife NVU (NVU - universal diving knife) began to arrive in the armed forces. It became the standard knife of divers of the USSR Navy and combat swimmers of underwater special forces.

This knife is widely used by both Russian divers and combat swimmers. It is considered as a tool for performing minor work (cutting cables and nets), a means for removing obstacles that hinder the diver under water, as well as a weapon for protecting against sea ​​predators and enemy combat swimmers.
The NVU knife has a relatively narrow single-edged blade with a length of 164 mm. The blade is given a spear-like shape, ensuring high efficiency of piercing blows. The penetrating ability of the blade is increased thanks to additional sharpening in the front part of the butt. The butt has a serrated sharpening for sawing ropes, cables and nets.

Corrosion-resistant steel is used to make the blade. A non-magnetic version of the “NVU-AM” knife (NVU-AM - universal diving knife - antimagnetic) with a blade made of a non-magnetic alloy is also produced.
To protect the hand during hard work, a small symmetrical cross is provided.
The handle is mounted, made of plastic. It has a spindle-shaped shape; for greater grip reliability, ring-shaped protrusions are made on its surface. The massive steel pommel allows the knife to be used as a hammer.

The NVU knife has negative buoyancy, in other words, it sinks. But, having drowned and reached the bottom, it stands in a vertical position on the ground with the handle up, which makes it easier to search for it under water in case of loss.
The sheath is plastic, with the possibility of two-point attachment to the shin or forearm. The NVU is attached to the sheath using a rubber pad on the handle. This fastening method reduces the time it takes to remove the knife, but also virtually eliminates the possibility of losing it.

Components of a universal diving knife (NVU):
1. Blade (with serrated). stainless steel.
2. brass bolster.
3. plastic handle.
4. Nut-top for fixing the blade in the handle (brass).
5. Plastic sheath.
6. Waist belt.
7. Fixation belt.
8. Spare rubber retainer.
9. Safety lanyard

Technical characteristics of the NVU knife:
Knife length, mm: 320;
Blade length, mm: 164;
Blade thickness, mm: 5;

For a long time, divers of the Soviet Navy, when performing underwater work, used a massive knife made according to the 1U-170 drawing, which was part of the UVS-50 complex (Advanced three-bolt ventilated diving equipment). Knives of this type were produced by the 28th military plant for the Navy and civilian enterprises that performed work under water.
The knife is made in a design that is classic for diving knives of the early 20th century. It is equipped with a long massive blade, since in water, when carrying out various works, slashing attacks are usually used. The tip of the blade is on the middle line, with a semicircular butt in the Bowie style.

The method of fixing a knife in a sheath using a threaded connection was widely used in the armies of various countries, including Germany, Italy and the USA. This type of blade fixation was also used in the USSR in a standard Navy diving knife.
In the 1980s, the 21st Expeditionary Unit of the Podvodrechstroy of the Ministry of River Fleet of the RSFSR produced the NV diving knife (diving knife), which was widely used by industrial divers.

An experimental knife for reconnaissance and sabotage units of the Navy was developed by a participant in the defense of Leningrad in the Great Patriotic War, Lieutenant Colonel of the Naval Service R. M. Todorov in 1956 and was offered to the USSR Navy Department. The knife allowed the scout to saw and bite through metal rods and wire. After approval, in limited quantities, it was adopted by the naval reconnaissance unit of the USSR Black Sea Fleet.

In the 1960s - 1970s, hose scuba tanks of the ShAP-40, ShAP-62 and ShAP-77 series were developed to replace three-bolts at shallow and medium depths. They made it possible to make the diver's equipment much lighter and included reserve cylinders with compressed air for autonomous breathing in emergency mode, or, in the event of a short-term disconnection of the hose, for working in cramped conditions.
New conditions for the use of ventilated equipment also required changes in the design of the knife: in the late 70s, a new diver's knife NVU (NVU - universal diving knife) began to arrive in the armed forces.

The NV diving knife developed by the KAMPO enterprise has been accepted for supply to the Russian Navy and is part of the SVU-5 diving equipment in service with the navy.
The knife has a blade 164 mm long, the tip of which is made in the form of a chisel. The blade is single-edged, the spine has a saw-tooth cut, and a ruler is engraved on one side of the blade.

The creation of universal knives has always attracted designers developing new models of edged weapons, but solving a wide range of problems with the help of one tool is almost impossible. Therefore, any design carries within itself the features of a certain specificity, which determines performance characteristics knife
The massive Storm knife was developed by the SARO company (Vorsma) for use as a tactical marine knife. It can be part of the equipment of PDSS combat swimmers or marines.

By order of the Military - Navy Russia Plant SN "CAPO" has developed and supplied several types of modern special knives. First of all, the task was set to produce knives for PDSS units (anti-sabotage forces and means) and divers protecting Russian military bays from underwater penetration by enemy swimmers.
The technical specifications for this knife were extremely complex. It was proposed to make a knife capable of sawing a metal rod of underwater barriers up to 15 mm thick, while it naturally should cut rope, rope, seaweed, and hoses.

The “Igla” combat knife was developed by the famous Russian design engineer Igor Skrylev in accordance with the tactical and technical specifications of the “Igla” development work theme. The knife received the unofficial name “Sea Devil”.
The combat knife “Igla” has been adopted by combat swimmers of the Anti-sabotage forces and means (PDSS) of the Russian Navy and is manufactured at the Kazan enterprise “Melita-K”.

I no longer see the power of my strong one,

rich, multi-war brother Yaroslav,

With his Chernigov tribes,

With Monguts, Tatrines and Shelbirs,

With treadmills, revuts and olbers.

They are without shields, with boot daggers,

The regiments won with a click,

Ringing with the glory of our forefathers.

(The Lay of Igor's Campaign, trans. V.A. Zhukovsky)

There is an opinion among collectors that the term “Russian combat knife” has no right to exist. Like, there was a boot knife, there was a baguette, there was a bayonet, but there was no Russian combat knife. Although both “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” and the chronicles tell us the opposite - the Russian tradition of knife fighting is much more powerful than similar traditions of any other state. It was with a knife attack, and later with a bayonet attack, that the Russians terrified the enemy.

Working with the chronicles while writing “The Evil City,” a novel about the defense of Kozelsk from Batu’s horde, I drew attention to the following text: “The Tatars fought near the city. Wanting to capture it, they smashed the city wall and climbed the rampart. The residents fought with them with knives and, after consulting, decided to go out to the Tatar shelves. And, leaving the city, they cut out the slings (Siege engines. - Note author) them, and, attacking their regiments, killed four thousand Tatars” (author’s translation from Old Church Slavonic, Ipatiev Chronicle, Galicia-Volyn vault, “Batyevo Massacre”).

Repelling the attack of the Horde, our warriors launched a knife (!) attack, driving the enemy away from the walls of the city. Is it possible after this to talk about the absence of traditions of the Russian combat knife? The knife was always with our ancestor. On the hunt, in everyday life, in war. The waist one is placed on the belt, the boot one is tucked behind the top of the boot, the underside one is placed under the saadak, a special case for the bow. The knife was a familiar tool that turned into a weapon with which the hand of a Russian man, accustomed to a knife, accurately and effectively struck the enemy when the arrows ran out and the swords of the defenders of our Motherland dulled on the enemy’s armor.

Unfortunately, history has not conveyed to us exactly what the fighting knives of the Russian knights were. What can we say, even about the baguinet, the ancestors of the bayonet, which were in service with the pre-Petrine Russian army, we know almost nothing, except that until the beginning of the 18th century it was a long butting knife with a handle inserted into the barrel of a smooth-bore fusee before a bayonet attack. Thus, the firearm turned into a spear without the possibility of firing a shot. By the way, here it is necessary to explain what the difference is knife from dagger. The knife is always single-edged, the dagger blade is sharpened on both sides. Modifications with one and a half sharpening, having the upper edge sharpened to half the length, tilt the decision in favor of the knife.

The Northern War with Sweden revealed the need to modernize small arms towards universality. Moreover, Russia's ally Prussia has already introduced a new product into its army - a bayonet attached to a musket. In the period from 1702 to 1709, the transition from baguette to bayonet was completely completed in the Russian army.

Analyzing the history of Russia precisely from the point of view of the development of edged weapons, you inevitably come to understand where the Russian people have such a love for the knife. Apparently, this is ours, national, dear. From those times when, throwing away their shields, the Russian knights went into a knife attack.

By the way, an interesting historical fact - in the armies Western Europe the bayonet was a “weapon of last chance.” The concept of a “bayonet attack” practically did not exist there, and the deadly attachment to the barrel of a musket served only for defense.

The Russian deadly offensive bayonet charge has become a legend. The great Russian commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov generally introduced it into the cult, relegating to the background the importance of bullet shooting from firearms. His popular saying“The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good fellow” is known to every Russian who is interested in the history of his homeland. However, the most famous was and remains the bayonet for the rifle of the remarkable Russian designer and organizer of rifle production, Sergei Ivanovich Mosin.

3. Bayonet for S.I.’s rifle Mosin model 1891/1930

Developed on the basis of the Berdan rifle bayonet of the 1870 model, the tetrahedral bayonet entered service with the Russian army along with the Mosin rifle in 1891.

It was terrible weapon close combat. The half-meter tetrahedral needle blade inflicted deep penetrating wounds, accompanied by severe damage to internal organs. In addition, the small entrance hole did not allow one to assess on the spot the depth of penetration of the bayonet into the body and the severity of the wound, which could result in internal bleeding and introduced infections leading to peritonitis and, as a consequence, death.

Almost unchanged, the bayonet for the Mosin rifle existed for half a century, surviving its peak during the revolution and the Civil War. In the Great Patriotic War, he became the cause of the death of a considerable number of Nazis and a symbol of the people's liberation war against Nazi invaders, which is reflected in many posters of the time.

At the same time, one cannot fail to note the influence of other nations’ edged weapons on the evolution of the Russian combat knife. In this light, I consider it necessary to cite an excerpt from an article by a famous Russian researcher and specialist on this issue, Andrei Arturovich Mak, “Introduction to the history of Russian army knife", published with permission of the author:

“Even in the first half of the 19th century, as a result of long-term Caucasian wars and campaigns in Central Asia, checkers and daggers became widespread among the Cossack troops of the Russian Empire - borrowed weapons from the Caucasian and Asian peoples. Particularly popular were “kamas” - Caucasian daggers with a wide straight blade that gradually tapered at the tip. Along with the fashion for everything mountainous, which spread among Russian officers and the aristocracy, the dagger was also widely used for combat purposes by detachments of Cossack plastuns - a kind of hybrid of rangers and special forces, who acted secretly and autonomously in separate combat groups on enemy territory.

The Plastun Cossacks widely borrowed clothing, equipment and weapons from the Circassians, including daggers. The first authorized samples of daggers were adopted for service in 1840 - for officers and lower ranks of the Black Sea Cossack Army, cavalry and artillery units.

The Plastuns were famous for their ability to effectively use a dagger, were true masters of ambushes and counter combat, and were distinguished by accuracy in shooting and dexterity in hand-to-hand combat. In vanguard battles, reconnaissance and raids behind enemy lines, they masterfully operated with cold steel, silently removing military outposts and slaughtering entire units in complete silence. Plastun infantry battalions, which had a special status, with their own combat traditions and rules, were widely used during the Crimean War of 1853–1856 and on the Caucasian Front during the First World War. The heir to the Iranian throne, Ammanula Mirza, who commanded one of the plastun battalions, considered the management of such a unit an honor.

The authorized dagger of the Kuban Cossack Army was approved by order of the Military Department No. 133 of March 13, 1904, and at about the same time the Terek Cossack Army received its dagger. However, the approval of the statutory samples of daggers turned out to be, in fact, a formal act. The Cossack army did not burden itself with descriptions and drawings, continuing to order and finish blades at its own discretion. In addition, the Cossacks were allowed to go to service with sabers and daggers inherited from their fathers and grandfathers, the so-called. “grandfather’s” weapon, as long as the weapon was suitable for combat. Although the blades of the Zlatoust arms factory retained their main design features unchanged, since military craft schools, military workshops and numerous artisans were engaged in finishing checkers and daggers, Cossack daggers were distinguished by great diversity.

The appearance of bebuts - daggers with curved blades - is already associated with campaigns in Central Asia and the Russian protectorate over the northern territories of Iran. The main support of the Empire in this region was a separate Cossack brigade and Russians regular troops, who popularized this form of dagger.

The main purpose of adopting the bebut for service was to replace the artillery checker, which interfered with the firing of gun crews of the new rapid-fire guns that had been entering the army since 1902, as well as to ensure the possibility of conducting hand-to-hand combat in trenches and communication passages. The main argument against the dagger was the lack of experience in using it among the gun servants: except for the non-religious units from the Caucasus region and the Cossacks in the sovereign service, the Russians, mainly recruited into the artillery, had no such experience.

Due to these differences of opinion, the decision to rearm was made only after the Russo-Japanese War. In 1907, the bebut - “a curved soldier’s dagger of the 1907 model”, was adopted by the gendarmerie, in 1908 - by the lower ranks of machine gun teams, in 1909 - by all lower ranks of artillery troops, except horse and horse-mountain artillery, in 1910 year - the lower ranks of mounted reconnaissance infantry regiments. During the First World War, a simplified version of the dagger with a straight blade was made for the same units.

At the final stage of the First World War, the bebut was used in the shock units of the Russian army, the so-called. “legions of death” and “battalions of honor”, ​​which bore the main burden of the war, including regular reconnaissance and military outpost raids. Bebut, as a short-bladed weapon, turned out to be quite effective as a trench dagger.

More rare variety The standard army knife was the knives of the lower ranks of the heterodox Cossack troops of the 1840 model. These knives copied the national Mongolian forms and were used mainly by Cossack units stationed along the Chinese border and recruited from local nomadic peoples. The lower ranks of the aviation units also received their knife in 1914.”

4. Army knife (NA-40)

Just before the Great Patriotic War a weapon of Russian soldiers was born, no less legendary than the bayonet for the Mosin rifle - the famous NA-40 (“army knife”), or NR-40 (“scout knife”), adopted for service in 1940, immediately after the Soviet-Finnish war. The second, more popular, but historically less correct name is due to the fact that reconnaissance companies and submachine gunner units were armed with this knife.

The narrow – up to 22 mm – blade of the NA-40 made it possible to insert it between the enemy’s ribs with the least resistance and at the same time lightened the weight of the knife itself. The wooden handle and scabbard served the same purpose and at the same time reduced the cost of production.

5. Army knife of the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps

An interesting historical fact: in 1943, the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps was formed, fully equipped through above-plan labor and voluntary donations from the working people of the Urals. This was a gift to the front from people already working to the limit of human capabilities, an example of the mass labor heroism of workers.

At the Zlatoust Tool Plant, high-quality NA-40 knives were made for all tankmen of the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps, the handle and sheath of which were coated with black Kuzbass varnish. These knives were a kind of " business card"of the legendary tank corps, after the first battles on Kursk Bulge due to the heroism of the tank crews, they became guards. The Germans nicknamed the combat formation of Russian tankers “Schwarzmesser Division” - “division of black knives.” And compatriots, after the very first combat operation carried out by the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps, composed a song about the heroes, which I consider it my duty to present in this book:

"Song of Black Knives"

Words by R. Notik, music by N. Komm and I. Ovchinin

The fascists whisper to each other in fear,
Hiding in the darkness of the dugouts:
“Tankmen appeared from the Urals -
Black Knife Division.

Squads of selfless fighters,
Nothing can kill their courage.”
Oh, they don’t like fascist bastards

How machine gunners will jump from armor
You can't take them with any fire.
Volunteers will not crush the avalanche
After all, everyone has a black knife.

Huge masses of Ural tanks are rushing,
Making the enemy's power tremble,
Oh, they don’t like fascist bastards
Our Ural steel black knife!

We will write to the gray Ural:
"Be confident in your sons,
It was not for nothing that they gave us daggers,
So that the fascists would be afraid of them.”

We will write: “We fight as we should,
And the Ural gift is good!”
Oh, they don’t like fascist bastards
Our Ural steel black knife!

6. Reconnaissance Battalion

Currently, historical traditions are being reinterpreted. For example, the NA-40 was again released by the AiR company with some changes in two versions. First - hunting knife"Reconnaissance Battalion", certified as a bladed weapon.

“Reconnaissance Battalion” is a production model that appeared relatively recently, but is already popular with army units. Available in four types: “VDV”, “Marine Corps”, “ Border troops", "Spetsnaz VV". The stripes on the handles correspond to the colors of these branches of the military. In addition to the stripes, each type of knife has the emblem of the selected branch of the military located on the blade.

7. Penal battalion

The civilian version of the previous knife was called “Penal Battalion” and differs from it in the reduced thickness of the blade and a different shape of the handle. Available for free sale.

A small fuller has been added to the blades of both knives in this series to reduce the weight of the knife, the guard is turned in the opposite direction to that on the NA-40, the unsharpened heel of the blade has been reduced, and the materials have been replaced with more modern ones.

8. Finka NKBD

It was the Soviet-Finnish war that was an experience that revealed the shortcomings of the reconnaissance and sabotage activities of Soviet specialists behind enemy lines, including the lack of a multifunctional universal combat knife in their arsenal. With the help of which you can silently remove an enemy sentry, set up a temporary camp or cache in the forest, make snowshoes, and quickly build a drag for a wounded comrade from scrap material. Therefore, on the basis of a uniform bayonet-knife of the 1919 model and a Finnish scout knife, the legendary NA-40 was created.

However, I don’t think that it was the Soviet-Finnish war that opened the eyes of Russian gunsmiths to the advantages of combat knives of the recent enemy. “Finka” was known in Russia and was popular even before the revolution. And although the Finnish knife was legally prohibited in the USSR in the 30s, in those same years it, in a slightly modified form, became a special weapon of the NKVD.

The so-called “Finnish NKVD”, or “Norwegian-type knife”, shown in the photo, was produced at the Trud plant (before the revolution, the factory of the industrialist Kondratov) in the village of Vacha, Nizhny Novgorod region in the 40s. Although in reality this particular knife has nothing to do with Finland - the model was copied from a Swedish hunting knife made by the famous master Pontus Holmberg from Eskilstuna.

9. Hunting knife of Pontus Holmberg from Eskilstuna

The same knife, the prototype of the famous “NKVD Finnish knife”, or “Norwegian-type knife”, which is talked about so much and which few have seen even in photographs. A Swedish hunting knife made by Pontus Holmberg from Eskilstuna, a photograph of which was provided at my request specifically for the “Combat Knives” project by the author of several books on this topic, Andrei Arturovich Mak.

10. Finka NKVD, modern version

Currently, the “NKVD Finka” is produced from modern materials, its design has been significantly redesigned. The guard became almost straight, the top of the handle was “rounded”. The handle itself can be made entirely of wood, or covered with printed leather. The photo shows a version of a knife certified as a bladed weapon with a blade thickness of 4 mm. Variants are also produced that do not fall under the category of edged weapons, with a thinner blade or without a guard.

11. Finca NKBD, gift option

As mentioned above, souvenir and gift versions of the “NKVD Finks” are produced that do not fall under the category of edged weapons. The photo shows a gift version of the famous “Finnish” with a blade made of Swedish Damascus. The knife handle is made of Karelian birch with plexiglass inserts, the guard and the pommel of the handle are brass. Manufactured by the company "AiR" (Zlatoust).

12. Finka NKBD with a traumatic handle

It was previously mentioned that the company "AiR" (Zlatoust) produces a replica of the famous "NKVD Finnish weapon", which, according to its parameters, falls under the category of edged weapons.

In order for all lovers and connoisseurs of this knife to be able to purchase it for free sale, two modifications are produced, certified as household ones.

In the gift version of the finca described above, all geometric dimensions are preserved, with the exception of the thickness of the blade, which is reduced to the limits permitted by law.

A modification of the finka with a traumatic handle, shown in the photo opposite, has a blade 4 mm thick, but lacks a guard that secures the hand when delivering a stabbing blow.

These modifications allow you to choose any of the knives depending on the goals and objectives of the end user.

Like all knives produced by the AiR company (Zlatoust), finks are produced from various steels and with a wide variety of handle materials.

By the way, the NA-40 was very different from the “Finnish NKVD” precisely in the direction of its “narrow specialization”. The uncharacteristic “inverted” S-shaped guard was dictated by the combat specialization of the knife, which provides for the emphasis of the fingers when striking from bottom to top in the hypochondrium and abdomen and from top to bottom in the area of ​​the face and neck, dictated by the then traditions of knife fighting of the NKVD. By the way, in the same 40 year, a book by V.P. was published for the first time in the USSR as a teaching aid for NKVD schools. Volkova “Self-defense course without weapons “Sambo” with the chapter “Basic techniques of working with a short Finnish or Norwegian knife”, revealing the technique of delivering such blows (photos are shown from the book by V.P. Volkov “Self-defense course without weapons “Sambo”).

By the way, the thing was revolutionary for its time. Oznobishin’s book “The Art of Hand-to-Hand Combat”, published in 1930 by the NKVD publishing house, tells only about techniques against a knife, apparently implying that a security officer does not need to know how to work with a knife. It is possible that the NA-40 and Volkov’s practical manual were created in parallel and tailored to each other.

13. Army knife model 1943 “Cherry”

In 1943, the guard, handle and scabbard of the NA-40 underwent significant changes and Soviet intelligence officers received an even more successful design - an HP-43 knife with a straight guard, a leather sheath and a durable plastic handle topped with a metal pommel - if anything, you can hammer in a wedge and caress the enemy on the head. The knife was called “Cherry”. The design turned out to be so successful that it is still in service with a number of Russian special forces.

14. Special scout knife (SRS)

In the 60s, the USSR developed the NRS (special scout knife), designed to defeat the enemy in battle both with a blade and with the help of a firing mechanism located in the handle and consisting of a short barrel and trigger mechanism. The NRS fired a silent SP-3 cartridge with a 7.62 mm caliber bullet, model 1943.

15. Special scout knife - 2 (NRS-2)

In 1986, the NRS was upgraded to the NRS-2. The blade of the knife became spear-shaped, the saw on the butt was reduced by almost half, the SP-3 cartridge was replaced by the also silent SP-4 with an unusual cylindrical bullet, despite the “hemp-shaped” shape, piercing a standard helmet at a distance of twenty meters. Cocking is carried out by a special lever located on the handle, and release is carried out by another lever located on its end part. Reloading is carried out by removing the barrel, which takes an average of 1–2 minutes. Currently, the NRS-2 is in service with reconnaissance units of the Airborne Forces and Marine Corps, as well as special forces of internal affairs agencies and units of internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

16. Bayonet for a 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle, model 1949

However, the most famous Russian combat knife for every resident of our country is the bayonet for the Kalashnikov assault rifle. The first model of the Kalashnikov AK assault rifle, adopted by the Soviet army in 1949, did not have a bayonet at all. Only in 1953, together with the so-called lightweight AK assault rifle, the “bayonet-knife product “6X2” was adopted, which had the same blade as the bayonet for the SVT-40 self-loading rifle and differed only in the locking mechanism. According to experts, the “6X2 bayonet-knife” was an extremely successful design. There is information that some “surviving” copies of this bayonet were used in the first Chechen war, more than a quarter of a century after it was removed from service.

17. Experimental knife R.M. Todorov model 1956

The prototype of the bayonet for the AKM was the standard knife of the reconnaissance and sabotage units of the Navy, designed by Lieutenant Colonel R.M. Todorov model 1956. Judging by the suspension of Todorov’s knife, it simply hung on his belt like an ordinary HP.

Todorov’s experimental knife came to the attention of Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov’s employees, who were developing a promising bayonet knife, and was redesigned for the AKM with changes in a number of components, preserving the appearance of the blade practically unchanged. And since that time, it has been copied in one form or another by designers from almost every country in the world that produces weapons.

18. Bayonet for AKM model 1959

In 1959, during the modernization of the AK-47 assault rifle to the AKM, the bayonet-knife “product “6X2” was replaced with a lighter and more versatile one, developed on the basis of an experimental knife designed by Lieutenant Colonel R.M. Todorov, mentioned above.

But the new bayonet, “product 6X3,” was soon again modernized for the AK-74 assault rifle, which replaced the AKM.

19. Bayonet for AKM and AK74 model 1978

This bayonet-knife has become a kind of calling card Soviet Union along with an AK-74 assault rifle. I will not bend my soul if I say that the Kalashnikov assault rifle is the most famous and popular weapon of the last century, adopted for service in fifty-five countries of the world. On the flag and coat of arms of the Republic of Mozambique there is an image of a Kalashnikov assault rifle with an attached bayonet, which symbolizes the struggle for the country's independence. The Kalashnikov assault rifle can also be seen on the coats of arms of the Democratic Republic of East Timor and the Republic of Zimbabwe.

There have been many reviews about the AK bayonet since its creation, from enthusiastic to diametrically opposed. However, despite these contrary reviews, it remained popular among the military. Suffice it to say that such a respected company as Heckler & Koch, having developed the latest G-36 assault rifle for the Bundeswehr, did not consider it shameful to put a bayonet from an AK-74 made in the GDR on it. Although it is possible that the matter was in the huge reserves of bayonet knives left over from the time of the division of Germany into the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany, but, nevertheless, the fact took place - the Kalashnikov bayonet came under modern rifle well-known company.

From design features bayonet AKM/AK-74, it is worth noting the presence of a special part on the scabbard, when combined with which the holes on the blade, the bayonet-knife turned into wire cutters for cutting barbed wire, as well as a file on the butt, designed for sawing through metal parts.

This design successfully existed until 1989 and happily “retired”, giving way to the “product 6X5” bayonet for the AK-74 assault rifle.

20. Bayonet for AK-74 model 1989

Hand on heart, this is a completely different bayonet-knife, bearing little resemblance to its predecessor. Perhaps the only similarity remains in the shape of the sheath and the presence of a characteristic hole on the blade. The shape of the blade and handle, the material from which the handle and sheath are made, as well as the form of fastening have changed - now the Russian bayonet-knife is located in a horizontal plane to the right of the new Nikonov AN-94 assault rifle, adopted by the Russian army.

Engineers Izhevsk plant, who created the latest example of a standard bayonet-knife, believe that this method of fastening will help avoid the blade getting stuck between the enemy’s ribs. And perhaps there is a certain reason for this, because this position of the blade is typical for many schools of knife fighting. Although the previous one, in general, has not been canceled, the knife flies remarkably well into the enemy’s stomach and in a vertical plane. But here, as they say, the doctor knows best. Perhaps I’m just feeling some nostalgia for the knife with which I once served in the airborne forces.

Knives of the “Punisher” series were developed and manufactured for the security forces of the FSB of Russia by the company Melita-K, which has been producing high-quality knives since 1994, including a wide range of combat knives and daggers.

“Punisher” is produced in two modifications – “VZMAKH-1” and “Maestro”. In addition, there are modifications that differ in the material of the handle (stacked leather, rubber or kraton). “VZMAKH-1” differs in the root part of the serrated sharpening, and “Maestro” - in the serrated sharpening at the top, the type of sheath and the type of finishing of the blade (anti-reflective, black or camouflage). The guard is double-sided. The wide blade is convenient for digging and allows, if necessary, to use the knife as additional support on slopes with loose soil. The cutting part of the blade has a crescent-shaped cavity, which allows you to increase the length of the cutting edge while maintaining linear dimensions. The knife is equipped with a sheath made of high-quality leather or avisent, allowing it to be attached to the arm, leg, belt and elements of combat or hiking equipment. The “VZMAKH-1” knife has been officially adopted for service.

38. Knight NSN

Knives “Vityaz NSN”, “Vityaz NM”, “Vityaz” were developed by order of the President of the Vityaz BKB, Hero of Russia S.I. Lysyuk to equip special forces.

A distinctive feature of the design is a large, heavy blade with a narrow blade, which makes it possible to maintain the inertia of movement upon impact, reduce weight and increase penetrating ability, and an anatomically comfortable guard that allows you to hold the knife in your hand while working.

On the basis of these knives, a civilian version of the Vityaz survival knife was made.

39. Knight

The “Vityaz” knife is a modification of the “Vityaz NSN” officer’s knife with a rubber, more ergonomic handle that allows you to use the knife with the so-called “reverse grip”. The cutting part of the blade has a crescent-shaped cavity, which allows you to increase the length of the cutting edge while maintaining linear dimensions.

40. Experimental Knight

An experimental model of a knife from the “Vityaz” series, produced by the company “Melita, K”.

A distinctive feature of the design is a large, heavy blade with a narrow blade, which makes it possible to maintain the inertia of movement upon impact, reduce weight and increase penetrating abilities, as well as an anatomically comfortable guard, which allows you to confidently use the “Vityaz” in any knife fighting situations.

41. Anti-terror

The Anti-Terror knife was designed and manufactured for the security forces of the Russian FSB. The knife blade has a petal shape, which allows maximum use of the working area of ​​the blade and increases its cutting properties. The blade configuration has high penetrating abilities, cutting part has a crescent-shaped cavity, which allows you to increase the length of the cutting edge while maintaining linear dimensions. The back of the blade has been strengthened. The standard ergonomic guard does not allow the hand to slip at the moment of striking.

42. Katran

Combat knives of the Katran series differ in the type of blade and handle material. Knives of the "Katran" series, depending on the modification, are used as an underwater knife, a combat knife or a survival knife. The knife handle has a double-sided guard and a metal pommel. Handle material: leather, rubber or kraton, depending on the modification.

"Katran-1" is an underwater combat knife. Blade with one and a half sharpening. The sharpening on the butt is made in the form of a wave-shaped saw. The root part has a hook for cutting nets and serrated sharpening. Rubber handle. Plastic sheath with straps for hanging on the leg. The coating of metal parts is black chrome.

"Katran-1-S" is a land version of this knife. Differs in blade material: steel 50Х14 MF. Anti-glare treatment of metal parts. The handle is made of leather. Leather sheath with plastic insert.

"Katran-2" is a hunting knife with one and a half sharpening. The sharpening point on the butt has an angle designed for chopping. Anti-glare treatment. The handle is made of leather. The sheath is leather.

"Katran-45" is a combat knife. An exclusive model, developed by order of the 45th Airborne Regiment. It is distinguished by the presence of a metal saw blade on the butt and an anti-reflective coating. The handle is made of leather. Leather scabbard. There is an option with camouflage coating of metal parts.

43. Katran, civilian version

The civilian versions of Katran combat knives, which go on sale for free, differ from their combat prototypes by the chopped off tip of the blade, sharpened “for a screwdriver,” which removes this knife from the category of edged weapons.

44. Shaitan

The combat dagger “Shaitan” was developed in 2001 by order and together with employees of the law enforcement unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan. The combat dagger “Shaitan” is available in two modifications: the handle is inlaid leather and the skeletal type (“Shaitan-M”). The knife has a narrow leaf-shaped blade with double-sided sharpening. In the root part the sharpening is serrated. The serrator is designed for use as a sling cutter and easily cuts 10-12 mm climbing rope. The shape of the blade is designed for inflicting deep cut wounds, as well as for maximum use of the working part of the blade. The guard and handle are made symmetrical. Also, “Shaitan-M” can be used as a throwing knife that can withstand up to 3000 throws. The handle is made of stacked leather, subjected to special treatment. All metal parts have anti-reflective treatment.

The Akela knife was developed by order of SOBR as a “police” knife. A distinctive feature is its small size, which allows you to work in cramped urban environments, crowded places, where the use of firearms is impossible. The sheath, which provides fastenings for both civilian and military equipment, allows you to attach the knife in any place and position. The knife is a dagger type, double-edged, the blade has an anti-reflective coating (black chrome). The handle is made of MBS rubber and fits comfortably in the hand. The pommel is metal and has a hole for a lanyard.

46. ​​Smersh-5

The Smersh-5 knife is a classic combat knife. The prototype of this knife was used during the Second World War (HP-43). The knife blade has high penetrating ability. The ergonomic guard does not allow the hand to slip during a strike. The upper butt part of the guard is designed for additional pressure when cutting hard objects. A civilian version of this knife is available.

47. Smersh-5, civil version, aviation steel EP853

It is a rare case when the civilian version of a knife differs little from the combat prototype. In this case, the manufacturer did not cut off the guard, turning a combat knife into an extremely dangerous weapon for an incompetent owner - if the owner does not have a “Finnish grip” with the handle resting on the palm, then with a powerful thrust with a knife with a sawed-off guard there is a risk that the hand will slip onto the blade , cutting fingers.

The civilian version of Smersh-5 only has the thickness of the butt reduced from 4 mm to 2.2 mm, which takes it out of the category of edged weapons. Sharpening the bevel of the butt allows you to open canned food with this bevel without damaging the main cutting edge. The knurled rubber handle provides a comfortable grip.

The sheath has a plastic liner that protects the blade from direct contact with the skin of the sheath, which has a negative effect on both the sheath itself and the knife - the likelihood of pitting corrosion due to exposure to chemicals used in tanning leather is excluded, just as the skin of the sheath is protected from contact with dirty or wet blade.

The author’s personal opinion, which does not claim to be the ultimate truth, is that this knife today is, in my opinion, one of the most convenient and practical non-folding knives in mass production, which is not a bladed weapon and is at the same time optimally suitable for a poorly trained user as a knife for self-defense.

48. Smersh-5, civilian version, stainless steel

Smersh-5 stainless steel knives of the shape shown in the photo are available with three types of coatings - black chrome plating (shown in the photo), camouflage chrome plating and a knife with anti-reflective treatment, which in appearance is almost similar to its aviation counterpart steel, mentioned above. In addition to the steel grade, there are three differences from a knife made from EP853: “Smershi” made from stainless steel are cheaper, heavier and do not have the “EP853” mark on the blade.

To the above, we can add that all Smersh knives have an unsharpened semicircular heel, thanks to which you can throw your finger over the guard and pull out the knife stuck in the bone. Also in the butt of the blade near the handle there is a slot, thanks to which you can bend and break ordinary wire, as well as move barbed wire up and down, overcoming the fence.

49. Smersh-6

Classic combat knife. The prototype of this knife was used during the Second World War (HP-43), however, the Smersh-6, produced by the Melita K company, is larger, made of more modern materials, the descents do not come from the middle, but from the butt of the blade. The knife blade has high penetrating ability. The ergonomic guard does not allow the hand to slip during a strike. The upper butt part of the guard is designed for additional pressure when cutting hard objects.

The sample shown in the photo was adopted by special units of the FSB.

The Gyurza knife consists of two modifications and has a narrow blade with a one-and-a-half sharpening. On the butt part of the sharpening is made with a serrator. The serrator increases the combat capabilities of the knife, and is also used for cutting ropes and cables and, to a limited extent, as a substitute for a saw.

There is a civilian modification of the “Gyurza” that does not have a guard. The metal pommel is designed to deliver shocking blows. The blade and metal parts have two types of surface treatment: matte anti-reflective gray coating, black or three-color camouflage chrome coating.

The combat knife “Cobra” was developed by order of the SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. This is a small dagger with a narrow blade and a double-sided, anatomically comfortable guard. "Cobra" is a serious weapon that allows you to solve combat missions in crowded places where the use of firearms is excluded. This dagger is designed not only for thrusting; the shape of its blade allows the use of cutting and chopping techniques, both with a direct and reverse grip. In this case, the heavy pommel of the handle can be used to deliver crushing blows.

A household version of this combat knife, devoid of a guard and having a one-sided sharpening of the blade, is available for free sale. However, the same applies to many other combat knives, in which, before going on sale for free, the guard is either ground off so that the handle of the knife becomes traumatic and the knife goes into the “household” category, or for the same purpose the tip of the blade is sharpened is sharpened to fit a “chisel” (for example, see “Katran, civilian version”).

52. Explosive Engineer

This large and powerful knife with a blade 180 mm long was developed by order of the FSB sapper units. “Vzryvotekhnik” was created as a universal knife designed to perform the functions of a combat weapon, a survival knife and an engineering tool. Currently officially accepted for supply. The blade is symmetrical, with differentiated sharpening - on one side of the blade there is a regular sharpening, on the other there is a fine serrated blade. The wooden handle has a steel pommel, which can be used both in combat and as a hammer. Produced by the company "AiR" (Zlatoust).

53. Dagger of Russian Financial Intelligence

The combat knife shown in the photo, manufactured by the AiR company (Zlatoust), retains all the features of a classic dagger - a double-edged blade, symmetrical guard and handle. This dagger is interesting because it is, apparently, the only case in modern Russia of the revival of the tradition of departmental weapons, which, being a military model, at the same time indicates belonging to a strictly defined state structure.

A small and only batch of this combat knife was manufactured in 2008 by order of the Financial Monitoring Service specifically for its employees. The dagger is made of stainless steel, the handle is made of leather, the guard and butt are aluminum.

54. Corsair

A hunting knife with a developed guard, produced by the AiR company based on the first version of the Punisher combat knife. The narrower blade occupies a middle position in width between the blades of the Punisher and Anti-Terror knives. Unlike the Punisher, the pommel of which, like the guard, is made of steel and is intended for striking, in the Corsair both are made of light alloys. This model, in addition to our special services, who purchase it as award knives, is also very popular in the West. For example, the Böcker company has included it in its product line and sells it very successfully both in Germany and in many other regions. Below is a translation of information about this knife from the Boker website:

“It’s not so easy to bring such a knife with a total length of 28 cm from Russia to Germany. In Russia, "Korsar" means "this weapon." This can only be achieved with a special permit, with special papers and a special tax. The knife has an enlarged base of a hunting blade made of special steel 95x18 with a sharply defined heel on the back of the blade. For the first time, a guard made of aluminum is found here, which ensures a safe grip of the knife in all situations. The handle has wooden birch linings. Comes with an attractive leather sheath. Total length 28 cm, blade 16.5 cm, weight 260 grams” (translation by A. Lagutenkov).

Stalker is produced as a hunting knife, in Russia it is certified as a bladed weapon. However, the copy shown in the photo is from a limited batch, made by order of the Slovak police.

The knife is extremely reliable, the blade is made of corrosion-resistant steel, the handle is made of rubber-plastic, black is pressed onto a shank that runs along the entire length of the handle. Stalker's sheath is made of genuine leather or plastic with the ability to be attached to the leg. The combat version differs from the civilian version mainly only in the sharpening of the blade and the so-called “glass breaker” located on the top of the handle and clearly visible in the photograph. In the hunting version, the sharpening of the blade is concave one and a half, with sharpening of the butt on two-thirds of the blade, in the root part there is an additional serrated sharpening. In the combat version, the butt of the blade has a serrated sharpening along almost the entire length, which is absent only on the first third of the butt. Manufactured by Kizlyar, Dagestan.

56. Basurmanin

A versatile combat and survival knife. It is a design, according to the technical order, that combines the features of the Spanish survival knife “King of the Jungle 2” from Aitor and the sheath from HP-2. After almost 10 years of development and improvements, it was formally adopted for service and passed military tests. However, during development it managed to become obsolete, turning out to be too complex, expensive and heavy for a general-arms knife. As a result, a commercial model of the survival knife NV1-01 (“Survival Knife 1-01”) was created on the basis of “Basurmanin”.

57. Iceberg No. 16

Survival knife from the Moscow company "Iceberg" with a hollow handle for NAZ (wearable emergency reserve). Classic stainless steel dagger with a Bowie blade shape. Produced in the mid-90s of the last century. For a survival knife with a hollow handle, the knife is surprisingly durable due to a special technical solution - in tests, this knife was used to break through a door without any damage to the blade.

The abbreviation “OTs” stands for “Weapon TsKIB”. The OTs-04 knife was developed at the Tula Central Design Research Bureau (TsKIB) in the late 80s - early 90s and was intended for special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The knife has a very massive design, the thickness of the butt is 7 mm. The blade has a slight bevel in the front. There is a double-row saw on the butt of the blade, but due to the low height of the teeth, its efficiency is relatively low, especially when sawing raw wood. The handle is symmetrical, with a double-sided guard, made of plastic and has large corrugations for better grip.

The scabbard is iron, riveted from two halves. In them, the blade is held by a spring-loaded plate, similar to AK bayonet knives. The sheath has a leather loop for the classic placement of the knife on the belt. Also included are adjustable leather straps that allow you to position the knife on your body and gear in multiple ways.

59. Dagger-1

Skeletal type dagger made by the Russian knife studio "Kharalug".

Positioned as a combat and throwing weapon. In combat it can be used mainly for piercing techniques, which is what daggers are primarily designed for. As a throwing weapon, it can be effective even if the handle hits the enemy, since it is quite heavy. It has not been produced for quite a long time, it is a collector's rarity.

60. Arrow

A skeletal type knife with a symmetrical blade that tapers evenly towards the tip. One-and-a-half sharpening, blade thickness – 5 mm. The knife is perfectly balanced, which allows it to be used as a throwing knife with a very high degree of efficiency. In tests, this knife was successfully thrown from a distance of 15 meters for one turn with a grip on the handle, which indicates a close to ideal weight distribution and well-thought-out geometry of the “Strela”.

When using a knife as a tool or self-defense weapon, the handle is wrapped with a nylon cord, the free ends of which form a lanyard. Using this cord, the knife can be easily converted into the tip of an improvised spear. Small protrusions that replace the guard, in addition to their main function as a finger rest, additionally serve as clamps for the knife in the sheath.

The sheath is plastic, securely fixing the knife in any position. The suspension system allows you to place the sheath with the knife both vertically and at any other angle on the user’s body or equipment. Produced by the Kizlyar company (Dagestan).

Quite often there are cases when an effective plastic knife is the impetus for the production of its copy from metal. For example, the Titan knife is a copy of the Lansky the Knife knife (see chapter “Knives made of composite materials (plastic knives)”), made of titanium in the bowels of Russian institutes. Unlike its progenitor, the handle of this knife is wrapped with a cord to improve grip.

62. Bash-on-bash

All three knives below were made by the Russian Darts company by turning and are entirely turned from one piece of metal. The handles of the knives are covered with ring cuts and knurling, which prevents the hand from slipping onto the blade. The materials from which the products are made may vary. The methods of their use will depend on this. For example, knives made of 65G steel, when hardened to 43 units, can be used as throwing knives. However, if they are already hardened to 50 to 55 units, they can be used for cutting or piercing.

If knives are made of 95X18 steel, they can only be used for cutting or piercing. All three knives below are tactical knives, primarily intended for active hand-to-hand combat at short range. Moreover, all knives of this type, according to existing legislation, are not weapons due to the lack of a stop or guard.

The “Bash-on-bash” knife is made of 65G steel. It has a Finnish appearance and can be made from materials 65Х13, 65Г, 30ХГСА, 95Х18. The cutting can also be one-sided (chisel sharpening) or two-sided. The sheath can be made of leather or Kydex with a pendant at different angles.

63. Aso No. 6

The abbreviation "Aso" means "Active Self-Defense". The knife is made of steel 95X18. It looks like a dagger, but is not one, since the blade is sharpened only on one side. Can be made from materials 65Х13, 65Г,

30ХГСА, 95Х18. The cutting can be one-sided (chisel sharpening) or two-sided. The sheath can be made of leather and Kydex with a pendant at different angles.

64. Aso No. 7

The knife is made of steel 95Х18, has a blade shape in the form of an “American tanto”. Can be made from materials 65Х13, 65Г, 30ХГСА, 95Х18. The cutting can also be one-sided (chisel sharpening) or two-sided. The sheath can be made of leather and Kydex with a pendant at different angles.

65. Southern Cross "Expedition Tanto"

A knife from one of the best domestic knife companies, unfortunately, no longer exists. This model is distinguished by high-quality 95X18 steel, and also by the fact that very few of these knives were made. Extremely reliable in operation, the shape of the Japanese tanto combat knife provides excellent tactical and technical characteristics, proven over centuries. Used privately by Russian fighters in Chechnya and the Caucasus. Currently a collector's item.

66. Southern Cross "Expeditionary"

Another knife from the Expeditionary model range, which were produced by the Southern Cross company. The only difference from the “Expeditionary Tanto” is the blade with one-and-a-half sharpening. This knife could be considered as a Russian alternative to the famous American USMC knife, known since World War II. Unlike the USMC, the knife blade is thicker, has a deep one-sided fuller on the left side, is very well balanced, and can be easily controlled with both a bare and gloved hand. We can only regret that this knife is no longer produced due to the closure of the Southern Cross company. Like the previous knife, it is currently a collector's rarity.

With this, I would like to complete the topic of Russian combat knives, in conclusion by examining two knives that may not yet have gone down in history as unique masterpieces of their time, but will undoubtedly go down in history in the near future. This is the “NDK-17” knife by Andrei Kochergin, president of the International Combat Karate Union “Koi no Takinobori Ryu” (IUKKK) and the “Kondrat-2” knife, developed by the founder of the Zarechensk school of combat fencing, Vadim Kondratyev.

67. IDK-11, “Elephant”

A smaller model of the NDK-17 knife, produced in the Japanese style by the Elephant knife studio.

68. NDK-17, “Southern Cross”

A rare model NDK-17 from the now defunct knife company “Southern Cross”.

69. NDK-17, “RVS”

Model NDK-17 from the famous knife company "RVS".

One can (and should) talk a lot about the NDK-17 knife, at length and with admiration. But I believe that no one, except the author of the knife himself, has spoken better about it. A capacious and fairly complete description of the NDK-17 is given in Andrei Kochergin’s wonderful book “A Man with an Axe,” which I present here in full with the author’s permission:

“NDK-17, or Kochergin’s sabotage knife, was designed with a very specific target setting - a knife was needed that would meet all the requirements for weapons in the applied hand-to-hand combat system developed by the St. Petersburg “Center for Applied Research.”

The developers were looking for constructive ways to improve the cutting qualities of the knife and maximize the stopping effect when making an injection...

Now I will give a brief technical description of the NDK-17 knife.

This is a powerful cutting tool with a combined blade type. The guillotine part is created like a shoe knife and is designed to perform similar functions as a cutter and a cutter. The main part of the blade is made with an inclination to the center line of the handle, which allows you to create increased pressure when cutting with the upper angle. This part of the cutting edge has cuts designed to create additional frictional force as the blade moves across the target. The knife has a one-sided sharpening on both parts of the blade, which increases the accuracy of the cut when pulling the blade towards itself and increases the stability of the blade with a small sharpening angle during a frontal thrust.

In the factory version, the handle of the knife is made in a square section for a secure grip and is covered with printed leather... an excellent hygroscopic material. The final test when testing the handle was cuts of a pork carcass in conditions where the handle was doused with fresh egg, an analogue of sweat and blood. Due to this shape, the handle was clearly positioned in the grip, held well even when removed sharply, and did not slip out during injections and cuts, despite significant friction losses specifically caused by egg processing. The guard is practically absent and is rather of a technological nature associated with fastening the handle...

The cutting edge is the most main part blade, its main work zone. It is the design of the blade that allows you to determine the purpose and practical value of any knife. In this case, a chisel, that is, one-sided sharpening, was chosen, and here's why. It is this method that allows you to achieve a small sharpening angle with a fairly powerful blade. In our case, the blade has a thickness of 4 mm, a small angle is achieved by a straight blade with a width of 10 mm, which is quite comparable to such a serious cutting tool as a shoe knife. At the same time, one-sided sharpening makes it easy to edit and sharpen the knife even in the field and with “military qualification” of the user. Sharpening is done on one side, which gives exactly half the chance of covering the entire working edge. Editing is done both from the descent side and from the unsharpened side...

Cutting techniques are much more effective than injections. The tactical goal should be to achieve the stopping effect of using a knife, and not to guarantee and far from instantaneously kill the enemy, as in the case of using stiletto types of weapons.

It is deep cuts that best meet the tactical conditions of modern combat operations, when injection is extremely difficult due to the widespread use of body armor and unloading, leaving only the face, neck and arms exposed.

Moreover, the results of the injection are difficult to predict and evaluate, because most often they are simply not visible. But a neck cut as the main tactical task of using a knife is very simple for analyzing and predicting the enemy’s further combat effectiveness.”

70. Kondrat-2

As in the case of the NDK-17, I would like to give a description of the Kondrat-2 knife, with the permission of the author, taken from the book of its creator Vadim Kondratyev “Combat Craft”: “Without going into the details of the tests, I consider it more appropriate to talk about the knife itself, how it says from the original source.

So, the national Russian knife “Kondrat”. Why “national” and why “Russian”?

1. Developed by Russian people, for use by Russian people.

2. Created as a folk knife, for free everyday carrying, within the framework of the laws of the Russian Federation.

3. It has surpassed foreign analogues, which gives reason for justified pride in the fact that the Russians have once again created a product of unique quality without huge investments and pathos.

Goals and objectives of creation:

1. Effective cutting of a wide range of materials and their layer-by-layer combination.

2. Reliability and strength of the blade.

3. Convenience, ergonomics and compactness without loss of functionality.

4. Solving several different applied problems.

5. Elimination of the weaknesses and disadvantages of modern knives.

6. Ability to effectively perform self-defense tasks.

7. Clear identification in the household format.

Today we can confidently state that all the assigned tasks have been completed. Moreover, the first samples during testing revealed a number of unexpected qualities that we could not even dream of. In particular:

1. The ability of the blade to bypass certain obstacles.

2. An increase in some characteristics due to damage to the cutting edge (the serrations begin to act as a serrator).

3. Unique ability to cut flat.

4. High efficiency with minimal force.

5. No moment when the blade gets stuck in dense and hard materials, etc.

The logical conclusion of the development of the national Russian knife was the creation of a new type of compact sheath “Burd”, which allows you to fix and transport the knife in a dozen different options, depending on the size of the tool, time of year, type of clothing and habits of the owner...

The main properties that distinguish Kondrat-2 from other types of knives form their own unique technical arsenal. Its specificity is determined by the properties of the blade:

1. Absence of the usual piercing edge. It is replaced by a cutting element that works not like a needle, which pricks while force is applied to the tip, but like a razor, when the cutting edge simply falls apart the obstacle at any minimum pressure. Moreover, any lateral displacements only add penetrating power to the Kondrat tip. This does not happen with stiletto and awl-shaped points, which can be parried with a regular twist.

2. Significantly curved blades. Due to their geometry, they cut through an obstacle even when struck flat by the Kondrat. Any hit by the plane of the blade in dynamics, on any relatively soft surfaces, becomes dangerous. And, as you know, it is the work in the plane of the knife that various self-defense systems use in their arsenal. In addition, the geometry of the double-sided blade allows you to deliver effective reverse strikes without turning the hand.

3. The characteristic tilt of the handle relative to the axis of the blade. In this case, the knife is located in the hand most ergonomically when the direction of the blade practically coincides with the line of attack...

In the strange, unsightly at first glance form of “Kondrat-2” there is not a single random line. Each element is as functional as possible and perfectly performs its assigned function... Tests and discoveries of the original properties of the Kondrat are still ongoing, and each new surprise of this tool only adds reasons for pride in our national Russian knife.”

Tests of both NDK-17 and Kondrat are indeed ongoing and each time they reveal the advantages of these knives, which have no analogues abroad. I think it will be interesting for readers to read the interview I took with a famous expert in hand-to-hand and knife combat, the creator of the “S.P.A.S.” system, a master of sports in the Army hand-to-hand combat Konstantin Voyushin, who conducted such tests on veal and lamb carcasses, wrapped in a wide variety of clothes in order to determine the effectiveness of these knives:

“First, I want to dwell on why such tests are needed in general.

Knowledge of the functional features of a knife opens up a completely different side of understanding the issue of their use. Such tests force you to accept the harsh truth of life - a knife is dangerous, and knowledge of knife fighting is not for everyone! And at the same time, not all myths about knives have a practical basis - many are far-fetched. Therefore, the test is a real opportunity to see with your own eyes what the knife you hold in your hand is capable of.

The tests were carried out in conditions as close as possible to real ones, that is, in nature, under your feet - earth, sand, grass after rain, in your hand - a knife, in front of you - a freshly slaughtered animal carcass, “dressed” in a T-shirt, sweater, jacket or whatever immediately, as is the case mainly in Russia. The first test is NDK-17.

Cuts with this knife had to be made only by force, since the heavy knife itself did not allow it to be frivolously thrown at the carcass. The results are impressive: the length of the power cut is 20 cm. Machete-type cutting showed that NDK is very convenient to cut. Moreover, the effectiveness of this method of fighting only increases, since the breaking and cutting of the knife went to the entire depth of the blade, bones were completely cut off, ribs and even the neck of a calf were cut off with relatively little effort. It should be noted that during the tests, clothing was not a significant obstacle - the knife passed through it freely.

The injections also turned out to be quite deep, however, the shape of the handle requires some modification to suit the owner. Due to the weight of the knife, you have to hold the blade tightly, and when the NDK hit the bones and the hard part of the carcass, the handle severely injured the back of the armed hand.

It also turned out to be practical when working reverse side knife The blow with the butt of the knife on the bone broke the ribs and broke the bone of the leg of lamb.

The test - kukri (Nepalese combat knife) - turned out to be very interesting. Note author. For a description of the kukri, see the chapter “Foreign combat knives”) against NDK-17.

Having a blade length almost twice as long, this combat knife was in no way superior to the NDK-17, inferior to the latter in cuts without a swing and, of course, thrusts (since stabbing kukri is generally problematic).

To summarize, we can say that the NDK-17 is a completely new multifunctional type of knife that combines the properties of a knife and a machete. True, working with it requires some special training, since the knife is specific and quite heavy, which limits the possibility of its use by people who hold it in their hands for the first time.

Now a few words about the tests of Vadim Kondratyev’s invention - the Kondrat-2 knife, or, as it is sometimes called, simply “K-2”.

I’ll say right away – it’s a very scary and effective thing. Light wrist cuts cut through the meat to a depth quite sufficient to stop the attacker and at least make him wonder whether he had attacked. The cuts without a swing, as well as the cuts on the reverse side, were almost identical. When you grabbed the handle with two fingers, the knife, without applying any effort, entered the “carcass” by a third of the blade, without encountering any resistance. In case of a forceful cut with the insertion of the body, “K-2” cut through the ribs, disintegrated the carcass, going into a third of the blade in depth, causing long cuts of 15–20 cm, with a depth of 3–5 cm. When injecting into the bone, due to its shape or went along the bone, cutting off everything in its path, or pierced it right through, and when cutting only the bone part, it significantly cut the bone without damaging the cutting edge. When making a cut with the back of the knife, it easily cut clothing and parts of the carcass not protected by clothing; with thick autumn and winter clothing, it caused light cuts, which were quite effective in a knife fight and sufficient for active non-lethal self-defense. During all the manipulations, it sat very comfortably in the hand; there was not the slightest fear that the knife might fly out of the palm or that the fingers would slip onto the blade upon impact.

Summing up the tests of the Kondrat knife, we can draw the following conclusions:

– all types of injections, even with a weakly sharpened Kondrat knife, are extremely effective and do not require any effort on the part of the owner;

– cuts are the hallmark of the knife, because no clothing became an obstacle to the blade. Even with cuts without a swing, without investing force, the depth and length of the cuts were colossal. And the injections make you think about the meaning of life, because the knife behaves like a stiletto or an awl and there is simply no feeling of obstacle when the blade enters the meat;

– “Kondrat” cuts with any side, and the differences in the result are insignificant;

– grippy and light, this knife allows you to carry out any manipulation and gives the opportunity to a weak and unprepared person to work with almost one hundred percent results!..”

These are the modern combat knives, created and tested by truly Russian people. Simple, reliable and trouble-free, like a Kalashnikov assault rifle. And just as effective in their class in case a Russian person suddenly needs to free his path or his country from an enemy trying to encroach on the life or safety of Russian citizens.