Narkomanki, pogon, peribory: the model glossary
The world of handmade worry beads speaks its own language. “Pass me the peribory,” “got any pogon?”, “is that narkomanki or strict classic?” — to a newcomer these phrases sound like code. In fact this is the settled slang of makers and collectors, in which the shape of the bead, the manner of telling, and the character of the piece are all encoded. Below is a glossary of the main models, as they are understood and named within the community.
It helps to separate two layers: the shape of the bead (its geometry) and its purpose or manner of telling. Some names describe the cut; others describe how the beads sit and sound in the hand. Many pieces combine several traits at once, which is why a single item in our catalogue can carry more than one model tag.
Peribory and narkomanki: beads for the hands
Peribory is a collective name for beads built specifically for telling in the fingers rather than counting prayers. They are chosen for their tactile rhythm, soft sound, and ability to occupy the hands. Here the geometry serves comfort of grip and smoothness of run along the cord.
Narkomanki are light, flowing telling-beads that literally pour through the fingers. The origin of the name is explained in various ways within the community, and we have no reliable etymology; they are called this for the absorbing, almost endless character of the telling — the hands simply do not want to stop. We describe this as usage, without inventing a backstory. In essence narkomanki are a subtype of peribory taken to maximum lightness and mobility.
Pogon and the hexagonal pogon
Pogon is one of the most recognisable cuts: a bead with flat longitudinal facets that let the strand sit confidently in the hand and catch the light handsomely along its ridges. The name is current in the community; why exactly “pogon” there is no single account, so we speak of the form rather than a legend of origin.
Hexagonal pogon is a six-faceted variant. It is a stricter, more engineered version that looks especially striking on dense materials such as ebonite, titanium, or Aramith phenolic resin, where the facets come out sharp and crisp.
Mosaic, mini-mosaic, and carpet
Mosaic is not a bead shape but a principle of assembly: the strand is built from contrasting materials that form a pattern. The play of mammoth ivory against dark horn, or pale bone against coloured German ebonite, turns the cord into a small work of art. Mini-mosaic is the same device at a reduced scale, with a fine, jewel-like pattern.
Carpet is a dense, saturated weave or set in which the elements lie so closely that the surface recalls a woven rug. Mini-carpet is a miniature version of the same effect. These models are valued for their visual complexity and the labour invested in the selection.
Strict classic, cushions, gorbushki
Strict classic is a restrained, timeless form without decorative excess: even beads, clean geometry, noble simplicity. Narrow classic belongs here too. It is the baseline many people start from.
Cushions are beads shaped like soft pillows that settle pleasantly into the palm. Gorbushki are beads with a characteristic “humped” bead that gives the whole model its name for its recognisable silhouette.
Regional and named models
Azerbaijani beads (colloquially “azerki”) follow the Azerbaijani style, with their own tradition of proportion and grip. Snake is a pattern or set laid out in a wave, like a snake’s body. Leather flip is a distinct class of flip beads built on a leather base.
There are also named models, such as Johnny Hammerschmidt, and finishing techniques: carved (hand carving into the material) and numbered ends (engraved figures on the ends of the beads).
How to use the glossary
The key rule: one piece can be a mosaic, a pogon, and a narkomanki all at once — models do not exclude one another but combine. In the Rosary Corporation catalogue you can filter pieces by any of these traits and build your own sense of what suits you in form, material, and character of telling. And where the origin of the slang is murky, we say honestly “called this for…” — because for us accuracy matters more than a pretty legend.