Hi all.
Thanks to Sakimori, this is really an interesting thread, reminding me the old days I danced and taught
When considering "dancing daggers", I think we are dealing with two different types: The ones for throwing, and the ones for the "costume". I agree with Ariel: Before the exile, and soon after that (before the Caucasian dances became a "show"), people were dancing with real kindjals, there is (or was) especially an old dance among the Circassians: The male was making figures, and then suddenly, was throwing his kindjal before the girl he wanted to dance with. In this occasion, a real kindjal would not have any difficulties to go through soil, or wood, where ever they are dancing (or the girl's foot
)
Back to the real subject: In the dancing groups, (here is an example among many:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA89TKpDlCk ) especially after WW2, specific kindjals were produced for the dancers. These are about 45 cm, without a scabbard, light, thin, not sharp at all, but pointed daggers suitable for the dances, to stick on a wooden surface. The key is the weight, and the thickness, for I remember us ordering 16 kindjals to a blacksmith, but suffering real pain in my mouth, because they were too heavy
. So, these have nothing to do with real or souvenir ones.
The second type for the folk dance costumes is rather variable: After the "Georgian type kindjals" spread out, most people thought these could have been used in folk dances, but this is not the case. These ones have weak welding points, and low quality material that can unfasten quickly, not suitable for fast and flippy Caucasian dances. It is the same for "throwing", since you need many during the dance, you do not have a scabbard, but the weakest point, the handle needs to have stamina, so it has to be riveted wood or horn, rather than a piece of gummed metal welded loosely. Instead of real or Georgian imitation kindjals, dance groups were using light, short (about 40 cms) and solid molded "toy" kindjals for decoration (below I add the images of mine, and a picture with a real one, to compare the size). Nowadays, the assemblages carry more genuine looking kindjals on their belts. As the dances became more authentic, the groups left the "whole-silver looking" kindjals and began using realistic kindjals, with two metal pieces on the scabbard (of course this depends on the character on the scene).
To be honest, and unfortunately, I have never - ever seen a serious Caucasian dancing assemblage, neither in the Caucasus, nor in diaspora, carrying the shiny and stony Georgian souvenir kindjals for any purpose, either for decoration, or to throw.
I hope it was not long (as I told, old days
)
Best,
Kamachate