Knife "Cherry": description and a little history

In the galaxy of Russian military knives, the knife "Cherry" stands out among others with its controversial origin. There are several versions of his appearance. Some are plausible enough, some cause frank perplexity. Despite the dubious "genealogy," arms lovers and collectors are trying to get an unusual blade.

Description

Knife "HP-43 Cherry" has the following technical characteristics:

• The total length is 27 cm;
• Length of the blade - 15.8 cm;
• Width - 2.2 cm;
• Thickness - 0.26 cm;
• Weight (without sheath) - 150 grams;
• Sheath - there;
• The hilt is made of plastic.

The product is assembled from four parts - a blade, a guard, a handle and a nut. More detailed description:

• Blade. With one-sided sharpening, with a bevel of the butt "pike" - they occupy about half the width of the blade. Near the cross the sharpening leaves a small heel where the stigma is. The attachment provides a cylindrical-shaped protuberance with a thread on the shank.
• Garda. Straight, without bends, with triangular projections, the tops are rounded.
• Handle. Plastic, very durable with a metal pommel, it serves as a nut, fixing the blade with the handle when the mounting is through. Symmetrical, with a thickening in the middle, with five lateral grooves, with cut straight sides and three horizontal grooves, the handle provides a secure grip. Inside the notch for the shank. The color is usually green, but there are also black samples.
• Sheath. They are made of two pieces of leather, connected with bracers. There are holes for fixing the scabbards and small slots providing for the installation of a strap: it covers the handle, preventing the knife from falling out.

The knife received its unusual name because of the brand. The stylized letter "P" looked like a cherry. So there was an informal nickname, which later became a brand.

Versions

The main version of the appearance of the product called "the knife of the scout" Cherry "is the modernization of the army knife" NA-40 ". The model of the fortieth year was not too impressive for fighters during its use in the combat conditions of the Second World War. In its design made significant changes:

• The guard became straight;
• The blade changed the shank (to fix the handle);
• The hilt made of wood became plastic and symmetrical;
• The color of the handle has changed, the main one is green, as options - black, white, gray;
• The wooden sheath became leather.

It is believed that they produced knives at the Zlatoust Instrument-Mechanical Plant No. 391 and the Zlatoust Instrument Factory-Combine No. 259 of them. Lenin VI (ZiK).

The second version suggests that the knife "Cherry" appeared in the 70s of the twentieth century. The stamps of the 40s on the blade are explained by the fact that old blades were used for making knives for "NA-40". They have long been stored in the warehouses of the Zlatoust factory since the war. According to experts of the plant, this could not be, since the plant did not have such an arsenal with the stamp of military acceptance.

Some sources claim that the knife "Cherry" was made from blades of the Great Patriotic Period by special order in a limited amount. Production was established not at the factory, but on one of the "mailboxes". Another version suggests that the manufacture of this type of knives were occupied by small, little-known artels and organizations that have the right to do this (some kind of a society of fishermen and hunters).

History

Specialists of "ZiK" gave their opinion:

• Knife "Cherry" (as model HP-43) never existed in nature;
• It is assumed that a number of blades with technical characteristics of "Cherry" could be made from NA-40 blades;
• Production began not less than 30-40 years after the end of the war.

Most importantly, they did not manufacture such a blade at the Zlatoust factory. There are developments of the NA-44, but the order for their production was withdrawn in 1945.

Replicas

The lack of accurate data on the origin of the knife did not deter the producers from temptation to offer buyers replicas of the famous blade. They differ in form, detail, material, configuration, as well as producing countries.

Knife "Cherry" (Zlatoust offers its version) is made on the model of an army knife in 1940 with some modifications. It is as close as possible to the original, but at the same time it is not a cold weapon and belongs to the class of tourist knives. For the blade, steel 40X10S2M (EI-107) is used, the blade hardness is up to 58 HRC, the handle is made of elastollan, standard green or black. The material withstands very low temperatures, perfectly fits in the hand: it is elastic, flexible, wear-resistant. There is a sheath with a fastening for hanging on the waist belt.

The variety of modern replicas allows you to choose the model you like in accordance with your own idea about the "Cherry" model.