Kukri...

[Flavio]

Hi all, this is just finished. It's the first time for me (I mean for a kukri ) what are your comments even if the pictures are no good enough? thanks

http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...DME:L:AAQ:IT:1

[mross]

Looks good. I think the description is accurate.

[Flavio]

Thank you mross. Since this is made for the army, it's still correct to call it an "ethnographic" weapon?

[Flavio]

double post - sorry

[mross]

Originally Posted by Flavio

Thank you mross. Since this is made for the army, it's still correct to call it an "ethnographic" weapon?

I don't see why not, a khuk is ethnographic, and it appears to be handmade.

[Flavio]

Originally Posted by mross

I don't see why not, a khuk is ethnographic, and it appears to be handmade.

Sorry for my ignorance, I have thought (clearly being wrong ) that the ones made for the army were mass produced something like bayonets...
Anyway I hope to post soon better pictures. Thank you

[kronckew]

except for the indian tourist models, which are mass produced for the unsuspecting, most nepali kukhris are made by kamis by hand out of locally sourced steel, frequently car springs, the army ones are usually the better quality ones. the quality does vary. nepali armoury marked ones are usually a good buy from what i gather about mine. see www.ikrhs.com (The International Kukri Research & Historical Society) for more info. (we could do with a bit more activity there )

[Flavio]

Well it's arrived . As I already said it's my first kukri: to be honest before I bought this, I didn't like the kukri very much, but when I see it immediately I love the general shape of the blade and the feeling in the handle. The total length is 46 cm. What's the bigger you have seen? So now I like them and I hope to find a brother for this one

[kronckew]

hi flavio, nice one. they (the real ones) come in all sizes from about 6" blades on up to about 30", 15-18 inches is the most useful range. bigger ones get a bit tiring to use, and are mostly for sacrificing goats or bullocks in religious ceremony. the south africans were/are fond of the smaller ones for cutting off chunks of their biltong (spiced, salted and dried game meat, like beef jerky) and general kitchen hacking duty. not terribly good for slicing tomatoes. but fun if you do.

the old tale about the gurkha having to draw blood every time he unsheaths his kukhri is nonsense, as they'd bleed to death from a thousand cuts, they use kukhris for general cutlery purposes, cooking, firewood gathering, clearing trails, digging, forestry, general farm work, anything needing a knife/axe/machete/adze/sword/shovel. the blood story was made up to keep having to show their knives to inquisitive and pesty westerners all the time. they also are their last-ditch weapon of choice when the fit hits the shan. (sometimes not even their last ditch choice )

they of course are still being made today in a variety of patterns and prices, watch out for the cheap stamped out indian ones, especially if they have a lions head brass pommel

himalayan imports in the us (run by a very nice & ethical nepali lady), kukhri house in nepal (high shipping costs) and tora kukhri supplies in the UK (simon knows a LOT about kukhris and their history and teaches martial arts) are reputable dealers with modern and historical replicas, made to exacting standards and definite users as well as display pieces. atlanta cutlery in the us bought a whole nepali armoury with hundreds of them in various states and ages, mostly old, they still have a few.

the armoury marked ones like yours (and mine) were mostly intended as weapons.

[Emanuel]

Originally Posted by Flavio

So now I like them and I hope to find a brother for this one

...and a sister, and a cousin, and many more cousins and extended relations after that
Nice khukri Flavio! I also fell in love with my first one, then a second and a third. They are very addictive!

Spiral posted some pictures from a National museum in Nepal, and some of the very old khukris were quite huge and beefy looking. I have seen some that get sword-sized, but as Kronckew says, I think they get difficult to wield.

Best regards,
Emanuel

[derek]

That is a VERY nice first kukri. There are so many poorly-made kukris with un-tempered, chromed blades out there that it's sometimes hard to weed through them to find the good ones.

They are definitely a unique feel. A kukri is one of the few large knives/ swords that not only breaks the general rule of "don't use that on a tree", but most can even make for a reasonable chopper. It's a great camp-knife or work knife. I like the beauty and detail of piha kaettas, but the functional sensibility of a good kukri is a beautiful thing in its own way

Congrats, good find.
-d

[Flavio]

Hi Kronckew, Emanuel and Dereck, thank you for your kind comments and for the informations on these beautiful weapons Could you tell me more about the kukris with tulwar handles? are they nepali weapons or indian? for real use or for ceremonial? thanks again guys

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by Flavio

Hi Kronckew, Emanuel and Dereck, thank you for your kind comments and for the informations on these beautiful weapons Could you tell me more about the kukris with tulwar handles? are they nepali weapons or indian? for real use or for ceremonial? thanks again guys

i believe there is a picture of the nepali museum here somewhere possibly posted by spiral (or sirupate) with one of the early kings favourite weapons, including a couple of kukhri with tulwar style handgrips. i've seen a number of indian weapons with recurved blades and tulwar handles, but believe those are larger and called something else (susson pattah?).

the mix of small principalities, tribal areas, the breakdown of the moghul empire, trade, religion, etc. really resulted in a mix of weapons being traded, captured, repaired, re-handled and reused, etc. around the area, including some rather strange ones to western eyes (like the ribbon sword). that's why afghan/nepali/indian arms are so diverse and interesting.

i have hands too big to comfortably use a traditional tulwar handle, so i have only the knowledge that my two tulwars will never be used by me. my more normal kukhri have (and will be) used, most likely as tools, but possible for other uses.

the british, having conquered, stolen, bought, bribed or inherited ownership of most of india were singularly unsuccessful in nepal, the thin red line being fought to a standstill by the short green one, the little smiling men with the bent knives forced them into a treaty based on mutual respect that still exists today resulting in the gurkha regiments of the british army which remain amongst the finest soldiers in the world - and they still carry their kukhris. issue ones for parade, but they have been known to carry their family heirloom ones when they really mean business.

anyhow, here is a link to a few tulwar hilted kukhri from the ikrs forum

Tulwar hilted kukhri

and a more general historical link, 1st picture is of 3 kora hilted kukhri from the nepal national museum

Historical link

[Flavio]

Kronckew, thank you soooo much, your help is very appreciated!!!!
The kukris with kora and tulwar handles are marvelous
I suppose that they are very rare... I try too look around if I will be able to find one (keeps on dreaming Flavio, keeps on dreaming )

[BBJW]

Originally Posted by kronckew

i believe there is a picture of the nepali museum here somewhere possibly posted by spiral (or sirupate) with one of the early kings favourite weapons, including a couple of kukhri with tulwar style handgrips. i've seen a number of indian weapons with recurved blades and tulwar handles, but believe those are larger and called something else (susson pattah?).

the mix of small principalities, tribal areas, the breakdown of the moghul empire, trade, religion, etc. really resulted in a mix of weapons being traded, captured, repaired, re-handled and reused, etc. around the area, including some rather strange ones to western eyes (like the ribbon sword). that's why afghan/nepali/indian arms are so diverse and interesting.

i have hands too big to comfortably use a traditional tulwar handle, so i have only the knowledge that my two tulwars will never be used by me. my more normal kukhri have (and will be) used, most likely as tools, but possible for other uses.

the british, having conquered, stolen, bought, bribed or inherited ownership of most of india were singularly unsuccessful in nepal, the thin red line being fought to a standstill by the short green one, the little smiling men with the bent knives forced them into a treaty based on mutual respect that still exists today resulting in the gurkha regiments of the british army which remain amongst the finest soldiers in the world - and they still carry their kukhris. issue ones for parade, but they have been known to carry their family heirloom ones when they really mean business.

anyhow, here is a link to a few tulwar hilted kukhri from the ikrs forum

Tulwar hilted kukhri

and a more general historical link, 1st picture is of 3 kora hilted kukhri from the nepal national museum

Historical link

Here is a photo of my tulwar gripped kukri. It is circa 1800. For scale I put in an officers kukri from around 1950 and one with a similar arsenal mark to the one posted. I caught "kukri fever" years ago.

Cheers
bbjw

[Flavio]

Hi all, I found this interesting picture of a kukri with some kind of tulwar re-worked handle (brass pommel).

[spiral]

Nice kukri Flavio! well made blade, good fullers, could definatly be of ww1 or slightly earlier. Nice price as well, sometimes they go a fair bit more than that.

The kora handled ones are from Nepal the genuine tulwar handled ones from the Punjab , but there are many are fakes & or composites of the tulwar handle ones with kukri blades, made in India & Nepal & by unscrupulos western dealers, this has probaby been occuring throughout the 20th century.

Here one of my smaller wall displays. The top one of these is a typical high quality Punjabi Sikh Sossun Patta {Liilly leaf.} style bladed kukri with tulwar handle from C.1850 or earlier.




Fantastic quality blade you show with the composite brass handle! never spotted that photo that on the net, where is it from? {If its ok to say?}

Spiral

[Flavio]

Thank you Spiral !! The picture is from a catalogue of well known Italian house of auctions specialized on old weapons.

[spiral]

Cheers Flavio!

Spiral