Urumqi-█ █ What is the sharpest knife in Xinjiang? Toughness is the best? ████

Yengisar is a remote small county, located between Kashgar, the largest city in southern Xinjiang, and shache, the largest county. The mountain is not high, and the fairy is named; The water is not deep, and the dragon is the spirit. Ingisha is famous for his knives.

[Transferred from Iron Blood Community/]

As the poet Nai wrote in the poem "Sword and Flower": Whoever comes to Xinjiang will not forge a sharp knife and cut snow in laughter; Cutting pythons in the desert.

Ingisha knives are generally eleven or twelve centimeters long. The largest is more than half a meter, and the smallest is only about two inches. There are only a few giants and dwarfs in the Knife clan. They have different shapes, such as crescent moon, fish belly, phoenix tail, eagle, red-billed Western jackdaw, lark head ... and some are indescribable. No matter what style, the workmanship is fine and the appearance is pleasing to the eye. Not to mention its extreme sharpness, which is possessed by many cutting tools. I have seen the live performance of the knife seller: the hair is blown off as soon as it touches, and the iron filings fall off one after another. Novelty and uniqueness are the characteristics of Ingisha knife. Especially on the hilt. Black is animal bone handle, bright is steel handle, bright is silver handle, and Huang Cancan is copper handle. Some hilts are carved with wonderful patterns and smooth patterns, and the inlaid pearls and artificial rubies are dazzling, even sporadic embellishments are just right, giving people a sense of artistic beauty.

There are many theories about the origin of Ingisha Dao. One is that it is said that the land in ancient Yengisar was barren and the people's lives were miserable. When God learned this, he decided to give it to a skillful craftsman to build a knife for the benefit of future generations. Since then, Yengisar has gradually become rich and become a new city. Yengisar means "new town" in Uygur language. The craftsmanship of knives has also been handed down.

The other is Calworthy, a small town south of Ingisha in ancient times. A craftsman named Muhammad has been building a knife all his life. He made a wooden handle knife engraved with red, green and black colors, which was sharp and beautiful, and farmers copied it one after another. Thus handed down from generation to generation, and then craftsmen made knives of various shapes, the handles of which were inlaid with brass, silver, horns and shells, and carved patterns with national characteristics. Ingisha's knife-making technique has flourished since then.

Legends may not be consistent with historical facts, but the appearance of Yengisar Knife is undoubtedly related to the living customs of local people. Historically, most ethnic minorities in China worshipped martial arts and knives. They are mostly nomadic people, and their non-staple food is mostly beef and mutton. Cattle and sheep must be slaughtered and skinned or cut into pieces with suitable knives. Uighurs like large pieces of beef and mutton, especially roast whole sheep. At the banquet where the guests were sitting around, when delicious beef and mutton were served, the guests showed all kinds of knives. Whoever has a beautiful knife, people will cast admiring eyes. Ingisha Dao is the most loved and favored! Uighur housewives use it as a kitchen knife, which is light and dexterous. In addition, southern Xinjiang is a famous hometown of melons and fruits, which is simply the special arrangement of the creator. Ingisha knife is the best tool for peeling, especially for cutting cantaloupe. I am surprised at the superb skill of the Uighurs in cutting melons. In addition to practice, I'm afraid the handy Ingisha knife is also a trick.

Knives are sold by Uighur men, mostly young people, middle-aged and elderly people, and little Balang, who is eleven or twelve years old. They spread out their knives for you to choose from. In addition to playing with them and showing them, some of them also do cutting demonstrations. They don't like the knives in their hands. They will take them out of their pockets, chests, cuffs and boots one by one. Only God knows how many knives they have! This one was just sent away, and that one followed. This is only a "guerrilla zone", and it takes a hundred steps to get to the street. This is the "position" of the knife. On carpets and felts, on huge wooden beds and stands, handfuls of knives are arranged in various formations, including squares, rectangles, triangles and trapezoid. Some are inlaid with colored scabbard. Ingisha's scabbard is also exquisite. The more advanced the knife, the more luxurious the sheath. It will be lively when we get to Bazaar! This road connects with the street. The crowd was crowded and bustling with shouts and knives. Under the sunlight, rows of knives sparkled. The left is also a knife, the right is also a knife, the front is also a knife, and the back is also a knife. For example, when the knight Don Quixote faced the windmill, I seemed to lose a lot of timidity and cowardice, and seemed to become brave and strong. Of course, this is only a temporary illusion, but being in this world of swords and shadows can really make people appreciate the unique flavor and interest of the western regions.

[Transferred from Iron Blood Community/]

There is no specific statistics on how many people make knives in Yengisar, and I am afraid it is difficult to make accurate statistics. Take Ganlan Village, Xin Mang Township, the birthplace of knives mentioned earlier, as an example. More than half of the more than 300 households are engaged in this business. The whole production process of knives is manual operation, so is the largest county knife factory. Simple swordsmen don't seem to long for liberation, they are more addicted to their own handiwork. Just as people prefer handmade Lamian Noodles to machine-rolled noodles, perhaps this is the charm of Yengisar Knife! A small clay stove, a small hammer and a small iron drill are the main props of the knife maker. If you didn't see it with your own eyes, it's hard to believe that this unparalleled knife was forged by these primitive and backward tools with dark and rough hands. Embroidered hats are the patent of Uygur women, and Yengisar knives are the masterpieces of Uighur men, who created these beautiful women with diligence and wisdom. It is most appropriate to end this article with the award-winning poem "Yengisar Knife" by poet Li Hong:

Every Uighur male

Proud of owning an Ingisha knife.

Yengisar knife, casting a vigorous temperament.

Light weight, but stable charm.

Gorgeous, traces of effort.

[Transferred from Iron Blood Community/]

The handle is a mountain.

The blade is the sky supported by mountains.

Ingisha knife is the embodiment of strength.

The Gobi in the sand sea is an anvil.

Salinity and ice are the water sources for quenching.

Yellow wind and heavy rain are 18-pound hammers.

[Transferred from Iron Blood Community/]

Forging the Steel and Soul of Ingisha Knife

Don't ask why you used a knife.

Don't try to touch the blade.

It shows you the essence of a country.