A knife is a short weapon with a long blade on one side. The initial form of the sword is very close to the yue. By the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the shape of the knife had undergone tremendous changes. During the Han Dynasty, the knife gradually developed into one of the main battle weapons of the infantry. At the same time, many different forms of long-handled knives appeared.

Chinese knives

The earliest copper knives were derived from stone knives and were very small in shape. The earliest ancient bronze weapon discovered in China is the bronze knife. Bronze knives from the Shang Dynasty were wider in shape and often had an upward curved edge. They were made like stone knives. The knives at that time were mainly used for cutting utensils, slaughtering cattle and sheep, or for self-defense. They had not yet been officially used in war. The heavy swords of the Zhou Dynasty did not like to be worn with swords. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, bronze broadswords appeared, with short handles and long blades, thick spines and sharp blades. The first end of the handle was flat and circular, so it was also called "ring-handled knife". Two bronze knives were unearthed from the wooden coffin tomb of the Western Zhou Dynasty in Baifu, Changping County, Beijing. One blade is 41 centimeters long and has a slightly arched back; the other is 24 centimeters long and similar to an ice blade shape. The bronze knives at that time were brittle and lacked toughness, making them easy to break when cutting. Compared with the bronze swords of the same period, the workmanship of the sword was rough and the shape was awkward. It was far less exquisite and sharp than the bronze sword. Therefore, Dao has not joined the battlefield for a long time. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, after the advent of steel, the manufacturing technology of knives was improved, the blade lengthened in shape, and there were special fighting knives and sabers. Sabers pay attention to unique styles and beautiful inlays; battle knives pay attention to tough texture and fine workmanship. In the wars between various countries at that time, chariots had gradually withdrawn from the battlefield, and the cavalry instead became the main force in combat. Therefore, a simple stabbing weapon is not enough to be effective, and the production quality of steel knives that are good at slashing and killing is becoming increasingly demanding. According to historical records, during the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bei ordered craftsmen to make 5,000 knives; Sun Quan ordered 1,000 knives to be made; Sima Yan also ordered 8,000 man-made knives at one time. These knives were used to equip the army, and at that time the knife had become one of the main weapons. The most versatile knife is the "Huanshou knife". This kind of knife has a straight back and a straight blade. The back of the knife is thick, and the handle is in the shape of a flat ring. It is about one meter in length. It is convenient for slashing and slashing in mounted combat. It is a kind of knife. Short weapons with strong practicality. In battles on the battlefield, many generals often use spears and short knives at the same time. They can stab at long distances and chop at short distances, which is extremely powerful. Li Gan, the son of General Li Guang in the Western Han Dynasty, "held a long spear on his left and a short sword on his right, leaping on his horse and falling into battle." During the Three Kingdoms period, Mrs. Zhu Rong, the wife of Meng Huo, the leader of the Southern Barbarians, was good at using flying knives, and her shots were always on target. She once carried an eight-foot-long standard in her hand and inserted five throwing knives into her back, seriously injuring Zhang Ni and capturing Ma Zhong alive. Steel knives are not only used on the battlefield, but also have an honorable status in official circles. During the Han Dynasty, everyone from the emperor to all officials wore swords. The sword represents the status of the nobles. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were very strict regulations on the shape and decoration of the swords of the emperor and his officials, and no one was allowed to exceed them. This type of knife is required to be exquisite and beautiful in appearance. The entire blade of the knife is carved with staggered patterns, and the knife ring is cast into various forms of bird and animal patterns. For example, the sword worn by Liu Chang, King Mu of Zhongshan in the Eastern Han Dynasty, is 105 centimeters in length, and the blade is decorated with smooth gold swirl patterns and flowing cloud patterns. During the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, the kings and ministers of all the countries valued swords. Some of them were almost a hobby. They did not hesitate to spend a lot of money, hire famous teachers, and spend several or even more than ten years refining the swords. The famous knife maker at that time was Master Ruan. It is said that he made knives "accepted the method of Baoqing Xu... using the combination of water and fire, the pottery of the five essences, and the combination of yin and yang to obtain the balance of hardness and softness." The Ruan Jiada Dao made by the knife "cuts slightly and has no hair, but the cut is strong and strong without any change." There is also Pu Yuan of the Shu Kingdom. He used the advanced quenching technology at that time to make knives, which was unique. Zhuge Liang ordered him to make 3,000 steel knives in Xiegu. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the more advanced "steel pouring method" was used instead of the hundred-refining method, and the swords produced were stronger and sharper. There were three types of knives in the Tang Dynasty: Yi Dao, Zhang Dao and Heng Dao. The Yi Dao is a weapon used by the imperial guards; the Zhang Dao is a knife worn by ordinary officials; and the Heng Dao is a war knife specially equipped for the army. Knife-making in the Tang Dynasty not only paid attention to maintaining the traditional making skills of the Han nation, but also absorbed many foreign knife-making skills with the extensive economic and cultural exchanges between countries and ethnic groups, making the production of war knives more practical. The most commonly used weapon by the Ming Dynasty army was the "waist knife". The body of the waist sword is long and narrow, the blade is curved, and the blade is extended. It absorbs the advantages of the Japanese sword and increases the power of cutting and killing. Qi Jiguang, a famous general of the Ming Dynasty, attached great importance to the production of waist knives. He conducted detailed research and records on the production methods of waist knives in his military book "Records of Military Training".

In the Qing Dynasty, the types of knives were more complicated, including waist knives, rolling back double knives, spleen knives, double-handed knives, back knives, nest knives, mandarin duck knives, boat stern knives, cutting knives, wind-drenching knives and so on. Among them, waist knives and two-handed knives are widely used in combat. The upper part of the waist knife is straight, the lower part is slightly curved, and the blade is slightly narrow. The blade is three feet and two inches long, the handle is three inches long, and it weighs one catty and twelve taels (1 catty = 16 taels in ancient times). It is generally used in cavalry combat. The knife is carried in both hands. The handle is one foot and five inches long and can be grasped by both hands. The blade is long, wide and thick, and the upper part is flat linear. When infantrymen engage in close combat, they can cut off the enemy's head or limbs with one slash. The short sword was still one of the main weapons of the army during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Famous ancient Chinese swords

Er-dao: refers to two famous ancient swords, male and female. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords": "Murong Chui of Later Yan Dynasty made two swords seven feet long in the first year of Jianxing, one male and one female. If they are used elsewhere, they will sound." Five Colors: Famous swords in ancient times. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Ancient and Modern Swords and Swords" records: "Shao Di Yi Fu made a sword in the first year of Jingping, with the inscription "Five Colors." Zhongshan: Famous Ancient Swords. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" records: "Yao Chang of the Later Qin Dynasty made a sword in the first year of Jianchu, and named it Zhongshan." Yong'an: Famous swords in ancient times. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" records: "In the third year of Yong'an in Beijing, a hundred swords were made and inscribed with the name Yong'an." White Deer: A famous ancient sword. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" by Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty: "Emperor Xuanwu of the Later Wei Dynasty made a sword in Bailu Mountain in the first year of Jingming Dynasty, and the text called it White Deer." Youping: a famous sword in ancient times. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" by Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty: "Zhou Youping defeated Cao Gong and was victorious. He paid homage to General Pinglu. Because he made a sword, he named it Youping on his back." Sima: Famous sword in ancient times. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" by Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty: "In the first year of Xianning, Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, Sima Yan, made eight thousand swords, with the inscription: Sima." Xingguo: Famous swords in ancient times. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" by Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty: "In the first year of Xianhe, Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty made thirteen swords and inscribed them to rejuvenate the country." Yum Knife: A famous sword in ancient times. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Ancient and Modern Swords and Swords": "In the first year of Yongjian's reign, Li Yiyong made a Zhubi sword, named Bai Sheng." Anguo: a famous sword in ancient times. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Ancient and Modern Swords and Swords": "Huang Wuzhong served as the general of Anguo after many years of service. He made a sword and wrote it as Anguo." Chiye Dao: a famous sword in ancient times. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" by Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty: "In the first year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Emperor Zhaocheng of the Later Wei Dynasty cast ten bayonets in Chiye City, all of which were engraved on Chiye Song Dynasty." Determined industry: Famous swords in ancient times. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" by Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty: "Emperor Xiao Daocheng of Qi Gao made a sword in the second year of Jianyuan, and inscribed it on Dingye." Dingguo: a famous sword in ancient times. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" by Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty: "Liu Yu, Emperor Wu of the Song Dynasty, cast a sword in the first year of Yongchu, and inscribed on its back the name Dingguo." Magic: Famous swords in ancient times. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords": "Fu Jian of the former Qin Dynasty made a sword with nectar for four years, and used five thousand and two, and inscribed it with the name of magic." Jianyi: Famous swords in ancient times. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords": "Sinai begged Guoren to make a sword in the third year of Jianyi, and named it Jianyi." Jianping: a famous sword in ancient times. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords": "Later Zhao Shile made a sword in the first year of Jianping, with five hundred gold and ten thousand workers. It has a pointed head, three feet and six inches long, and the inscription is Jianping, in official script." Shansheng : Famous ancient sword. "Book of Liang·Biography of Tao Hongjing" records: "At the beginning of Datong, I ordered two swords to be presented to Emperor Gaozu. One of them was good at winning, and the other was formidable. They were passed down as treasures." Weisheng: Famous swords in ancient times, see the article "good at winning". Chaozhi: A famous ancient sword. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Ancient and Modern Swords and Swords" says: "Luan, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, made a sword in the second year of Jianwu and inscribed it on the dynasty." Tengma: a famous sword in ancient times. Liang Tao Hongjing's "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords": "Li Xiong of the Later Shu Dynasty made five hundred swords in the first year of Yanping, and the text called them Tengma." Linjia: Famous swords in ancient times. "Records of Ancient and Modern Swords" by Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty: "Lü Guang of Houliang made a sword in the first year of Linjia and named it Linjia." Seven Sacred Swords: Famous swords in ancient times. Daxia Longque: A famous ancient sword. "Jin Shu Helian Bobo Zai Ji": "He also made hundreds of steel-making knives, which were called Dragon Birds. They were named Daxia Dragon Birds. On their backs were inscriptions: Ancient sharp weapons, Wu Chu Zhan Lu, Da Xia Dragon Birds, famous crowns. The capital of the gods. It can be far-reaching and gentle; it is like the wind and grass, and it is the most precious sword in the world. "Book of Tang·Geographical List": "Zhongzhou Gongwen Sword." Giant Sword: A type of sword. "Xiangyan Lu": "Emperor Wen of Wei made a sword called Lu Mo...I may have an error in checking the original text, and it was called a giant sword." Ban Chui: A famous ancient sword. "Yi Di Chao Shu": "Dou Shizhong's posthumous boat was completely wrong, and there was only one half-hung sword." Dragon Sword: A famous sword in ancient times. "Emperor Jian Wen of Liang Dynasty": "The dragon sword is placed across the neck, and the ruler falls in front of everyone." Dragon Scale: ① Famous sword in ancient times. Emperor Wen of Wei Dynasty's "Dian Lun": "Pi made the Molu Dao, named Dragon Scales." "Xu Hanshu" records: "Dragon scales are also used to control swords." ② The ancient name of the dagger. "Dian Lun": "Prince Pi of Wei made three hundred daggers.

... Its three shapes resemble dragon characters and are called dragon scales. "Yuhuan Sword: A famous sword in ancient times. "The Biography of Liu Huaiwei in Southern History": "Emperor Gao of Qi named Huaiwei as the commandery of Qi. The eunuch issued an edict: "If there is a civil service, there must be military preparation. I will now give you a Yuhuan sword." "Jade-handled sword: a famous sword in ancient times. "History of the Song Dynasty: Biography of Khotan": "In the second year of Kaibao, the king's chief male officer paid tribute to the jade-handled sword." Bailian: an ancient sword. Jin Cui Bao's "Ancient and Modern Notes" on Yu Yu "Serving": "Emperor Wu has three precious swords... One is called Bai Lian,..." Baipi Dao: An ancient weapon made by Cao Cao, the emperor of Wei Dynasty. Five Baipi knives are made. First, use one to match the five senses general (Cao Pi), and the remaining four. Among my disciples who are not good at martial arts but good at literature, the generals will be the next. "Cao Zhi's "Ode to the Precious Sword": "During the construction period, my father, King Wei, ordered a supervisor to make five precious swords, with dragons, tigers, bears, birds, and sparrows as the symbols. The prince got one, Yu and his younger brother Rao Yangxiu each got one, and the father took care of the other two. "Anling: a famous sword of the ancients. Gao Qi's "Youxia Chapter": "The newly cut Anling sword dazzles everyone's eyes. "Guangdang: A famous sword in ancient times. "Ximan Congxiao" written by Song Dynasty Fu: "When you go in and out, sit or lie down, you must carry a knife with you. The small ones are especially sharp, so they are famous as Guangdang. "Master Ruan's Sword: A famous sword in ancient times. "The Theory of Physics" by Yang Quan of Jin Dynasty: "Master Ruan's sword existed in ancient times, and it is precious in the world. ...The sword has a flat back and a narrow blade, a square mouth and a protruding head, the cut is light and the hair is smooth, and the steel is strong without any change. It cannot be obtained without a lot of money. "Red Sword: A famous sword in ancient times. "Shangshu": "Chen Bao's Red Sword Great Training Hongbi Wanyan is in the Western Preface. "Zheng Xuan's note: "The red sword is the sword used by King Wu to punish Zhou. "Natural History": "The red sword is the treasure of the Zhou Dynasty." "Hanzhang: A famous sword in ancient times. "Dian Lun": "Pi made a hundred treasured swords... Its two colors are like Danxia, ??and it is called Hanzhang. "Lingbao: A famous sword in ancient times. "Dian Lun": "Pi made a hundred swords, one of which resembled a spirit turtle, and it was called Lingbao. "Zhang Fei Dao: a kind of famous sword. The waist knife worn by Zhang Fei during the Three Kingdoms period. Also known as "Xintinghou". "Swords and Swords Record": "Zhang Dao first paid homage to Xintinghou and appointed himself a craftsman to smelt Chizhu Mountain Iron into a sword. . The inscription reads: Marquis Xinting. "Baodian Dao: A famous sword in ancient times. "Tang History·Ashinashe'er Biography": "Taizong admired his integrity and gave Gaochang Baodian Dao. "Zheng Dao: A famous sword in ancient times. "Book of Zhou Li Kao Gong Ji": "The Dao of Zheng, the Jin of Song Dynasty, the Cutting of Lu Dynasty, and the sword of Wu and Yue have been moved to other places and cannot be good. "Qingdu: a famous sword in ancient times. "Ancient and Modern Notes·1·Yu Fu": "Emperor Wu has three precious swords,...the second one is Qingdu...". Minghong Dao: a famous sword in ancient times. "Dong Banquet": "Emperor Wu Xie Minghong's sword was given to Dongfang Shuo. The sword was three feet long. Shuo said: This sword was made by the Yellow Emperor who collected copper from Shou Mountain. The male one has flown away, but the female one is still there. The emperor was afraid that someone would get this sword, so he wanted to kill it, but the sword melted from his hand. As a magpie, red flies away into the clouds. "Kunwu Sword: A famous sword in ancient times. "History of the Song Dynasty: Biography of Li Gonglin": "The imperial court received the jade seal, and the courtesy officials and Confucian scholars discussed the differences between people. Gong Lin said: The seal of Qin is made of blue field jade. The color of the jade is now pure green, with dragons, earthworms, birds and fish as the inscriptions, and the talisman of the emperor's orders. The quality of the jade is very strong. It cannot be cured by a non-Kunwu knife. It is absolutely true in the law. There is no doubt about what Qin Li Si did, and the reason for the discussion is determined. "Meng Lao: A famous sword in ancient times. "Gu Liang Zhuan: The First Year of Lu Xi": "Young Master's friend said that Ju Buhui: We two are not happy with each other, what's the crime of the soldiers? The left and right sides of the screen fight each other. The young master's friends came back from left and right: Meng Lao? Meng Lao is the treasured sword of Lu. The prince's friends will kill him. "Magic Sword: A kind of sword. It is said that it was made by hundreds of refinements under the command of Zhuge Liang. "Pu Yuan Zhuan": "Yuan Xing was so curious that he forged three thousand knives for Zhuge Liang in Xie Valley. When the knife is made, the Han River is blunt and weak and is no longer quenched. Use Shujiang River's coolness and force, and use the essence of Dajin in Weiwei to divide your wildness. He ordered people to take river water from Chengdu and use it to quench the knife, saying that the mixed Fu water could not be used. The water collector defends his words without hesitation. Yuan used a knife to draw water, and the words were mixed for eight liters. The person who took the water kowtowed and said: "I covered it with water in Fujin, so I used eight liters of Fujin water to benefit it." When the bamboo tube is full of iron beads, Shen raises his knife to cut them off, but his hand falls down because of his divine power. Those who bow their eyes and ring today are his legacy. "Xiang Yu's Sword: It is said to be the sword worn by Xiang Yu. "Wanghou Mackerel": "Dong Zhuo was plowing a field for a while and got a sword with no writing. There were mountains and clouds hidden on all sides, and he cut the king like a tree. When he was noble, he looked at Cai Yong, and Yong said, "This is a feather sword." "Taishan Baohuan Sword: A famous sword in ancient times. "Lieyi Zhuan": "The Immortal Wang Fangping sent Chen Jiezhi with a knife, five feet and three inches long, named Taishan Baohuan... He said: This knife cannot be used for any further benefit. , The hexagram of lying alone can make you have no ghosts, and you will not be injured when you enter the army. Do not use it to go to the toilet. It is not suitable to drink water. After taking it for three years, if anyone asks for it from you, you can fight for it. The consequences are those who carry millions of dollars to clear their swords. "Quality: Famous swords in ancient times. "Beitang Shuchao" from Wei Wendi Cao Pi's "Dian Lun": "I made three hundred swords... The third one has a sharp edge like frost and a sword blade, which is called quality.

"Taiping Yulan·Bingbu·Dao": "(quality) is four feet and three inches long and weighs two kilograms and nine taels." "Guixi Knife: A famous sword in ancient times. Huang Tingjian: "I have Guixi Knife. Let's go with the east wind. "Su Iron Sword: A famous sword in ancient times. "Bei Ming·Qi Mu Huaiwen Biography": "Huaiwen made the Su Iron Sword by burning out the iron essence, using a heavy and soft collar, and it took several places to make it. " Luan Dao: A famous knife in ancient times. "Book of Rites": "The use of cutting knives, the value of Luan Dao, it is to go back to the original and repair the ancients without forgetting the original. "The Book of Songs": "Hold the Luan knife to open its hair and extract its blood and tendons." "Bronze-mouthed sword: a famous sword in ancient times. "Fu Chengzou Shi": "Shang Shu used to give 200 priests a large bronze-mouthed sword. "Silver-mounted sword: a famous sword in ancient times. "Southern History·Xi Chanwen Biography": "Emperor Wu of Liang raised an army and Chanwen persuaded him. He still sent a guest to report to the emperor privately, and presented a silver sword, and the emperor repaid his wish with gold. "Tou Guang: A famous sword in ancient times. "Tai Gong's Art of War": "The god of swords is named Tuo Guang. "Chaoyi Dao: "Sword Records": "In the second year of Emperor Luan Jianwu of the Ming Dynasty, he made a sword and named it Chaoyi Dao. Small seal script, four feet long. "Xintinghou: a famous sword in ancient times. See the article "Zhang Fei Dao". Luo Jing: a famous sword in ancient times. "Ancient and Modern Notes·1·Yu Fu": "The Great Emperor Wu has three precious swords:...the third one is called Luo Jing. "Police Evil Sword: A famous sword in ancient times. "Shantang Si Kao": "Yang Guifei Wen Xuanyan had a sword when she was a child. She wore it every time she went out and left the road. If there were evil beasts and thieves in front of her, the sword she wore would make a clanging sound. It seems to be a warning to others, so it is called a police knife. " Qianniu Dao: Another name for a sharp knife. "Zhuangzi: The Master of Health Preservation" records that the cook slaughtered thousands of cattle, and the knife used was still extremely sharp. Therefore, later generations called the sharp knife Qianniu Dao. "Jinlouzi·1" by Emperor Liang Yuan of the Southern Dynasties "Proverbs and Precepts": "At that time, Yang Yufu saw that Yu was drunk and didn't know anything about it, so he went into the trap with Yang Wannian and killed him with a thousand ox sword. "Hand Knife: The name of an ancient knife. Song Zeng Gongliang's "Wu Jing Zong Yao Qian Ji·Volume 13·Illustrations of Swords" has "Eight Colors of Knives". Hand Knife is one of them. "Sancai Tu Hui": "Hand Knife has one side blade and a handle. Short as a sword. " Later evolved into the current short sword. Warm copper sword: a famous sword in ancient times. "Two Autumn Rains Follow the Pen" written by King Liang Shao of the Qing Dynasty contains: "It is said to be a relic of Lu Gong Wanzi, the Minister of Rongzheng in the Ming Dynasty, and was given by Enling. "Hui Hui Dao: A famous sword in ancient times. "Yunyan Guoyan Lu": "The Hui Hui Dao hidden by Liu Hanqing, Xiaopin, is all purple and all wrong on the back. The Huihui knife was completely wrong, and it looked like a human with a beast's face, and it was very refined. Wen Hui Hui is the king's wearer. "Wu Dao: A famous sword in ancient times. In ancient times, the sword made from Wu was the sharpest, so Zhang Hua praised it in his poem: "Wu Dao Ming's hand is a sharp sword Yan Qiu Shuang. "Gedang Dao: a famous sword in ancient times. "Mengxi Bi Tan": "Wu Gou is also the name of the sword. Curved, it is used by the southern barbarians today and is called the Gedan knife. "Yu Dao: "Shui Jing·Wen Shui Zhu" Jin Fanwen "Yinnan Xijuan County Yi Normal Fan Zhinu also. When Wen was a slave, he was herding sheep in a mountain stream. He found two carp in the stream. He hid them and took them home. He wanted to eat them privately, but Lang Zhi checked them. Wen Da was frightened, so he held up his support and said, "I will sharpen the stone." Also, it’s not a fish. When the man came to the fish place, he saw two stones and left believing them. The text is different. There is iron in the stone. Wen went into the mountain and smelted the iron from the stone. He forged it into two swords. He raised the sword to the sword and said, "The carp changes, he smelts the stone into a sword, and he who cuts the stone to break it is a god. Wen should do this, and for The king of the country, if he cannot cut it, his sword has no spirit. "If you cut the stone and the sword, it will be like Long Yuan's general cutting the reeds, and the human feelings will gradually become attached to it." "The Seven-Star Sword: The famous sword that appears in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". According to legend, after the general Mo Xie made two swords from a piece of magical meteorite iron in the sky, the King of Wu Sword and the Sword of the King of Yue, he used the remaining meteorite iron to make the Seven-Star Sword. The sword is not impressive in appearance. , but it can easily penetrate armor and cut through iron like mud. When Cao Cao was about to kill Dong Zhuo, he was discovered by Dong Zhuo and escaped without a trace.