FROM FORGE TO HOUSEHOLD: THE CONTEMPORARY ECONOMICS OF HANDMADE KNIVES IN UZBEKISTAN.

Abstract

This article maps and measures the value chain behind Uzbekistan’s handmade knives—pichoq/pchak—from input sourcing and shop-floor production to retail, tourism, and export. It proposes a mixed-methods framework combining time-and-motion costing inside workshops, a hedonic price model using visible product attributes (steel, handle material, ornamentation, provenance marks, maker reputation), and tractable input–output spillover estimates for linked sectors such as leather, woodworking, packaging, hospitality, and logistics. Beyond firm economics, the study positions knife craft as a high-visibility heritage good that can deepen cross-border ties: branding through geographical indications (GIs), joint exhibitions, and maker exchanges links buyers and institutions along historic corridors. The analysis yields three contributions: (1) a replicable micro-to-macro accounting of where value is created and captured; (2) evidence-ready indicators to evaluate policies (GI, skills/tooling, export promotion); and (3) a cooperation playbook that uses craft branding and city partnerships to tighten regional economic and cultural relationships.