Nepali museam weapons.{photos.} kukri etc.

[spiral]

Hello Guys & Gals,

Well Simon {AKA sirupate} of Tora kukris & myself {Jonathan {AKA Spiral.}}have just got back from our kukri info research trip to Nepal.

We spoke to many antique arms dealers, modern kukri kamis, ex. British & Indian Gurkha officers, Nepali kukri collectors & of course the relevant museam staff.

In the near futre we will post a joint information post that will provide many truths about the kukri, that are dilligent cross questioning & checking have reaveled.

Both Historical facts & a true Nepali glossary.

For both of us it was an enjoyable visit & we were very well looked after as guests by many Nepalis, who exhibited great patience & even enjoyment at our wishing to learn the true facts from them. Apparently something they hadnt expierienced before from western collectors.

Anyway thats enough chat for this Time, Ive got several hundred photos from Katmando National museam , not to mention the step by step process of kukris bieng made, & some of the many authentic kukris & people who use them.

So heres a few pix to start,

1,Weapons of Kalu Pandey {died 1757}

2,siezed at Kirtipur.{1757}

3,siezed from Mirkasms army.

4. kukri bayonet property of Bahudur Shah {1757- 1795.}

5, fretting of Chautariya Bom Shahs {1796} kora

6, kukri beloning to prime minister Jung Bahuder Rana.

7, shield belonging to prime minister Jung Bahuder Rana.

8.weapons captured by Gen.Amar Singh Thapa from palpa war 1806.

9.kukri bayonet of Bala Bhadra Kunwar 1814

10. kukri of Sarder Ram Krishna kunwar.

more pix & info to follow on other posts when relevant. sorry about the glass glare, couldnt prevent it.

all photos are my personal copyrighted property, taken with the permision of the museam but feel free to copy & use them as long as providing acknowledgment to

Spiral {JRS}2005.

cheers all, hope you like them,
Spiral

[Tim Simmons]

Amazing,I like the bayonets.Tim

[Ian]

Spiral:

Thanks so much for posting these pictures. Look forward to reading the report.

Ian.

[Ferguson]

Very nice pics Spiral. Thank you.

Steve

[Mark]

Dang, those are some big-@ssed kurkri in pictures 2 & 8!

(Hey, I can swear now! Who's going to bust me, anyway now? <runs and hides from Lee, Rick, Andrew and Ian>)

[tom hyle]

Thanks

[JPSF]

What a trip...congratulations and look forward to seeing more pictures and reading your report. So many of those pieces are spectacular. What kind of shape is the museum in and are the items free of rust and dust?

[Berkley]

Great pictures - looking forward to seeing more. The fretwork on that kora in #5 is quite amazing.

[Andrew]

Thanks for pointing that out, Berkley.

What about that one, guys? Is that as uncommon as I imagine? JP?

How about the cho treatment on the kukri immediately below it?

[Federico]

Wonderful pictures, simply wonderful. Thanks Spiral.

[Radu Transylvanicus]

Very nice pics, so after all what do we say khukri is more of a Nepali more of a Hindustani or a ,,Himalayan region,, creation ?

[derek]

Fantastic stuff, guys. Looking forward to hearing more.

Sirupate, you recently won a very nice kukri on ebay (outbid me for it!). Please post a few pics of it when you can.

Back to "kora #5". Would it have been used by swinging the inside curve forward, like a kukri? Or is this one 100% ceremonial?

-d

[Battara]

Thank you for the "perdy" pictures. Wish I could own half of them.

[derek]

The guard on the example in the top middle pic may have answered my question.
That looks extremely awkward. I would be interested in seeing how this was used as a fighting weapon. I imagine it was a unique style, like fighting with a shotel.
-d

[sirupate]

Hello Everyone,

I just like to re-iterate what Spiral had to say, we learned an awfull lot about the Nepali kukri (the main item we concentrated on), Khuda, Khadya, Talwar etc. The importance of each one in battle and so on.

The Nepalese we spoke to showed immense patience with our cross questioning and openness of their knowledge, and they supplied us with a tremendous amout of food Most people when they go to Nepal loose weight, we set a new record of putting weight on

We are in the process of putting our two heads together to present the findings to you all. I would like to say it would not have been possible to get the information we did, without this fact finding mission being done in Nepal.

I hope you like our report when it is done.

Cheers Simon

[sirupate]

Some more pics for you all;







This one is Prithwi Narian Shah's personnel kukri, and this type of kukri was used by both Goorkhas and Gurkhas up until 1930's



Whilst I was in Nepal I had this one made for myself and the Tora range, its the Goorkha army version of Prithwi's kukri.







Cheers Simon

[Rick]

Originally Posted by sirupate

Hello Everyone,

I just like to re-iterate what Spiral had to say, we learned an awfull lot about the Nepali kukri (the main item we concentrated on), Khuda, Khadya, Talwar etc. The importance of each one in battle and so on.

The Nepalese we spoke to showed immense patience with our cross questioning and openness of their knowledge, and they supplied us with a tremendous amout of food Most people when they go to Nepal loose weight, we set a new record of putting weight on

We are in the process of putting our two heads together to present the findings to you all. I would like to say it would not have been possible to get the information we did, without this fact finding mission being done in Nepal.

I hope you like our report when it is done.

Cheers Simon

I'm looking forward to a masterpiece .

[spiral]

Hi Folks, Thanks for all the kind words! Glad you like them.

Mark those big fat A** kukri are about 2ft blades! Main battle pieces for sure.

JP The condition is not to bad, no dust & some occasional surface rust, they have a light wiping of cosmoline on them that makes them look worse/dirtier than they realy are.

But Considering ther age most of them are excelent! You or I would be very happy to grace our collections with them.

I prefer them to the over buffed kukris that the Winchester Gurkha museam has myself. { but realise others tastes may differ.}

The cases are nailed & screwed shut so I guess, they arnt planning on cleaning them very often. I Guess security is paramount.

The Nepalis seem to regard rust & dust as a natural part of life & are not carrying the same concepts about that, that many westerners do. Some of the old kora & military kukri in the villages would make you cry.

Andrew, We saw hundreds of kora & kukri in Nepal but I think only 2 kora had that type of fretwork.

Radu, Good questian ,the answear according to our Nepalese/Indian sources will be part of our report. The kukri is more of a development than a creation though.

Derek, Kora no.5 is probably for beheading, maybe at Dasien it is rather a heavy beast, most of the kora in the museam are definate light weight fighters though.

Rick, It may not be a masterpiece of epic proportions but hopefully it will provide many interesting facts, previously unobtainable in the west.

cheers,
Spiral

P.S.

I will pick out a few more pix later to post, hard to do though as I have 400 pix though of mainly kukri ,kora, kukri making, etc. from our trip.

would any of you guys like me to sort out a CD of pix if I can? or perhaps I can post them on my webspace? Ill have to look into it.

[Kohei]

Originally Posted by derek

Fantastic stuff, guys. Looking forward to hearing more.

Sirupate, you recently won a very nice kukri on ebay (outbid me for it!). Please post a few pics of it when you can.


-d

Hi Derek,

Actually, i'm afraid I was to blame for outbidding you on that kuk!! I spotted it whilst Simon was away and knew i'd be in trouble if I didn't atleast have a crack at getting it for him, especially for the money it went for!!

Its not in great condition and will need a lot of work..... will get Simon to post pics of it for you later.

Cheers,
Leanne

[Ian]

Welcome to the forum Leanne.

[Kohei]

Thanks Ian!

[sirupate]

Dereck I'm not actualy sure which kukri you mean, let me know and I will post some pics etc.

Cheers Simon

[Conogre]

Spiral, I, for one, would love a CD and would be more than happy to compensate you for costs, effort and such (short of paying for the trip, of course **grin**)
I've often thought that a compilation of photos from this site on a CD/CD's would be worth it's weight in gold, and remember back when the idea of assembling a "Stone-like" bladed weapon index on a CD was discussed by many.
Well, I sort of remember it, sometimes. **sigh**
Mike

[BluErf]

I love the arrangement in pic no. 8. Its so symmetrical, and the pieces look "darkly deadly". Actually, how do these 2ft kukris handle? Are they on the "chopper-hefty" side, or are they balanced and swift?

[spiral]

Conogre, Thats great , Thankyou for your interest.

What price would you be like to pay? {air tickets not withstanding! } unfortuanatly it will have to be posted from the UK as I live in sunny England.

If you email me we can discuss details. spiraltwistanospam@aol.com {losing the nospam of course! }

Bluerf as the cabinets are nailed shut, what I am going to say must be pure speculation based on thier appearance, the majority of spines appeared to my eye to be around 10mm or slighty less & with distal taper so they would seem fast enough for the Gurkha approach to battle.

Several had spines of up to about 14mm & one looked nearer 20mm & presumably was just used for fairly stationary targets! Or was used by a Arnold Scwarznegger look alike perhaps?

Spiral