Actually, they CAN be sharpened (want to see the scars? **grin**) by using a fine file to carefully remove the nickel plating and the substance applied to the steel beneath it to make the nickel adhere, leaving a steel edge that hones nicely.
This is/was often done on other styles besides kukris, often with the nickle plating heavy enough that it still gleamed 40 -50 years later (I suspect that yours may be circa 1950-1960 and leather that old often looks exactly as does yours)
These were seen in shops all over S. Vietnam in that time period, as a vast majority of shopkeepers were of Indian lineage.
If you REALLY take some time, I've occasionally found some very nice blades underneath all of that plating, some even with hardened edges......most that I spent time "investigating" were the ones with the recurved blades and brass D-guards with similar horn hilts.
Is that a solid brass/bronze (or at least very thick) hilt, by the way?
If so, that IS somewhat unusual, even for these, and likewise the accompanying side knife is different than most as well.
Mike
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