What is "khanjali"

A Khanjali (, or Kinzhal when translating the Russian Кинжал) is a double-edged dagger often with a single off-set groove on each face of the blade, and a secondary weapon used in Georgia and the Caucasus since ancient times. The handle itself is crafted so that it has both a guard and pommel extending out of it as a part of the handle. The shape of the weapon is similar to the ancient Greek Xiphos and the Roman Gladius.

Georgian daggers and their scabbards (which features a ball point extension on the tip) are usually highly engraved in gold or silver designs and sometimes embedded with certain gems or stones, the handle is usually made of materials such as wood or ivory. The kindjal blade is similar in shape to that of the Scottish dirk. The Circassian Dagger is well known by its historical traditional name: adigha gkama.The Circassian sword is known by the name sashkoa. The Don Cossacks adopted this type of dagger as their own, recognizing its superior fighting ability and good handling. It was carried in their arsenal alongside shashkas. The Russian poets Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov addressed celebrated poems to this weapon. It is part of the National Georgian wear.

For the kinzhal as an item of dress see burka (Caucasus).