Old Kukri

[Rick]

I found this at a barn sale today and after derusting the blade found what I think is a pretty old Kuk . See pictures .
The blade is beautifully forged !
Steel butt plate secured by square cut nail .
Blade is 13 inches, 2 1/8" wide at the belly .
Overall length 16 3/4 "

Age ?
Comments ?

[scratch]

G'day Rick
A nice find. American barns seem packed to the rafters with odd finds?
I would guess a good quality WW1 era military orientated kukri, possibly as late as 1930's. I may of course be mistaken.
Thank you for sharing a nice example of this type.

Best regards,

Dan

[Rick]

Thanks Dan .
A sirupate ?
I love the way the cheeks of the blade go concave and then thicken again right at the edge . It has a nicely dished feel .
Nepali perhaps ?

A shame the edge is beat and rolled, but I guess it is a user not a play pretty .

[scratch]

G,day Rick
To me not a sirupati/slender grass style. I will post what I believe to be a sirupati type blade. To me it seems terms such as sirupati, lambendh, budhume are used in a descriptive sense rather than rigid application.
I have attached a similiar, to me, type/era kukri that also exhibits the lovely hollow forge and beveled edge that you mention Rick.
I believe both kukris would be consider Nepalese. Hopefully the knowledgeable collecters will comment with research rather than my speculation.
Thanks again for sharing, These old kukri seem well made to me.

Kind regards,

Daniel

[Rick]

Yes, in a way the entire blade is forged into one wide fuller .

I think my example has a bit different shape than what you show .

Wonder if this one is shear steel .
How to tell ?

It's all good though .

Thanks Dan

[sirupate]

A very nice kukri Rick, I would say a post WWI and a pre-WWII military kukri, although hollow forged military issue kukri were definately in use in WWII, but the decoration grooves look pre-WWII.
I would certainley agree with scratch that it is not a sirupate style, I will post what a lot of collectors would consider a WWII sirupate style a bit later.
I also doubt it is made of Shear steel, and it was probably made somewhere in pre-partition India, either by an IA contractor, or in some cases by the Regimental kami themselves.

Another nice kukri Scratch

WWII style sirupate (although slightly to angled and broad to be a true sirupate shape)

[Rick]

Thanks for helping nail this one down a bit Gents !
Interesting input .

[Pukka Bundook]

Nice kukri Rick.

Do you have a pic. of the butt-cap, square on?

If you lay the blade edge on a vise, or anvil, you may be able to tap the rolled parts back with a very light ball-peen hammer. If you do it right it shouldn't show that you had to "operate" on it!

Thanks for showing it Rick.

Richard.

[Rick]

Thank you Richard .
I have a small chasing hammer that I will try on the rolled edge parts .

A picture of the butt .
The handle seems quite diminuitive .
I have small hands and it feels a bit small when gripped .