Unusual kukri with mother of pearl handle ?

[chiefheadknocker]

This I picked up recently , im not an expert but I think its unusual to see a kukri like this, though I could be totally wrong , its been very nicely made , the blade is still very shiny which makes me wonder how old it is , any info is very welcome
overall length in scabbard 38cm

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by chiefheadknocker

This I picked up recently , im not an expert but I think its unusual to see a kukri like this, though I could be totally wrong , its been very nicely made , the blade is still very shiny which makes me wonder how old it is , any info is very welcome
overall length in scabbard 38cm

Nice piece
if you look at this thread you will have your responses

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=pesh+kabz

Best,
Kubur

[mross]

I have never seen anything like it. Is the handle jade? It is very well done. Looks like silver work on it as well. Nice.

[ariel]

There were Nepalese units in Afghanistan, sent there by the British, of course.
I have seen a couple of Kukris stamped with the " Mazar-i- Sharif" mark on the blade.
This one is likely to be from the same opera:-)

[chiefheadknocker]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Nice piece
if you look at this thread you will have your responses

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=pesh+kabz

Best,
Kubur

Thanks for the link Kuber , I gues we can put mine into the tourist category by looking at the other examples,
cheers
chief

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

I enjoyed looking back through the reference on these weapons and would note that these are being turned out in Afghanistan today for the market e.g. Chicken Street, Kabul. They are surprisingly well made and judging by the amount of time I spent in a nearby workshop watching the processes I can vouch for their high quality. These are now items brought home to the west and will no doubt continue to surface down the decades ..They are sometimes quite surprisingly excellent and difficult to ignore...I wish I had collected a few as dinner table bread knives on a central cutting board...Much of the work is done cross legged on the floor with not even a light bulb overhead... Some are apprentice pieces and others for the remains of a once busy tourist market..Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by ariel

There were Nepalese units in Afghanistan, sent there by the British, of course.
I have seen a couple of Kukris stamped with the " Mazar-i- Sharif" mark on the blade.
This one is likely to be from the same opera:-)

While Gurkha units were surely present in Afghanistan (as they have been even now) it does not seem likely these state stamped examples were made for those forces.The kukri was surely well known with the contact between Afghan regions and Nepal.
The Mashin Khana (Kaar Khana e Jangalak) state arsenal in Kabul was initiated in 1887, and subsidized by the British in their nominal control after the Treaty of Gandamak and end of 2nd Afghan War.

While the primary concern was the production of firearms for Afghan forces, it does seem there was some degree of production of sidearms such as the military sabre (some with Khyber knife blades) in the 1890s. It seems these were produced likely for military levies and tribal forces in these regions.
As there are some examples of the kukri with this state stamp (of Mashin Khana) it has been suggested these were probably test examples for issue to these forces. It is unclear how many were made or issued, but most interesting to see these produced for issue outside Gurkha context.

The character of the stamped marking suggests this one in the illustration to have been produced 1898-1901 as it has the square rather than arched roof over the mihrab.

[mariusgmioc]

Indian Kukri for tourist market.

My two cents...