Intresting question Tim,
For me they are still ethnographic collectables, although military issue, the vast majority were still hand forged ground & fitted. Hence thier individuality.
Military mark kukris still have massive individual variations amongst even a particuler mark, made by the same "factory" {read big workshop} on the same contract in the same year, passed by the same inspector.
The kukri is also the native tool of the Garhwallis in India & there were /are very large Gurkha communities in Bengal/Assam & Burma as well as other parts of India.
Rawlpindi was a large gurkha base for heading for 100 years, so it seems natural to me that they would have got ther weapon of choice made localy.
Also On this theme Would you accept the inacuratly called {IMHO} "Indian machetes" illustrated by Ron Flook as collectable Ethnographics? {Surley they are military issue Dha?} Although they do have roller marks implying the were machine made rather than hand forged.
Regards,
Spiral
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