Info on Old Military kukri

Emanuel · 15th December 2005, 06:21 PM

Hello, can the chirra on the blade serve as an indication of date or the user it was made for? I've noticed that many "Made in India" khukuri on ebay lack these depressions while traditional examples seem to have one or even three to lighten the blade. I imagine forging chirra into the blade would also take longer time...Would it perhaps be the difference between a user and a collector/presentation piece?
Manolo

spiral · 15th December 2005, 06:39 PM

Any photos Rick? Always nice to see another kukri!
Brass, steel or silver fittings?

Manolo, They dont realy help with dating, They can still do the broad fullers today.

Sometimes they forge them sometimes they grind them, often both.

This one is Dia Chirra.

It shows the kukri cost more to make, & was more likley to be an officers or senior NCOs piece. {Or Diplomat, or owner of Tea plantation etc.} or as you say a gift or perhaps presentation piece.

They were definatly carried into combat though. Thats well recorded.

I have seen pictures of inlisted men in Burma in ww2 carrying Dia chirras. {not quite such dressy versians though.}

Officers always bought there own kukri {certaly untill at least ww2.}, so often carried quite fancy ones, if that was to there taste.

Spiral

Rick · 15th December 2005, 06:56 PM

Hmmm , I thought I'd already posted a picture but a search fails to reveal it , so here :

I'd love to get a pair of knives and pouch for it and to have the scabbard re-covered (cut along the edge) .

spiral · 15th December 2005, 08:24 PM

Nice one Rick, Thanks!

These ones with inlay are rather attractive I think, is it possible to tell what the inlay is, or are the fragments to small for positive id?

It reminds me of one I saw about 4 years ago, that had been bought out of Singapore in the 1930s. It could even be the same one? Last time I saw it was on ebay heading to a well known American collector.

Most serious kukri collectors try & pick up one of these models. I was lucky to find this pair together & both obviosly made by the same hand.

You do get various qualitys of them, ranging from good to exceptional, I would say. As with most hand made kukri. Some dont like the brass so much,because of the dating but the other versians of them were still bieng made into the 1920s as well. So it makes no odds I think. Silver is always nice of course!

But A good kukri is a good kukri, afterall.

Although I Must admit I dont bother with many post 1950 ones.
Do you collect kukri? or is it just a "stray" you came across?

Spiral

Rick · 15th December 2005, 08:33 PM

Hi Spiral ,
I'm sort of a generalist in my collecting .

I like to have a decent example or two of any particular edged weapon I like .
This example came from Mark McMorrow IIRC .
The inserts could be either bone or ivory ; just not sure .

Do you know anywhere I could pick up the two missing knives and have the scabbard refurbished and a pouch made ?

spiral · 15th December 2005, 08:49 PM

Thats cool Rick! thats the one then!

Glad its gone to a good home! funny to see it again. Glad I still recognised it!

A Merchent Navy man bought it in Singapore in the 1930s.

I had it for a while.

It had to go to enable further purchases at the time.

No idea on the replacment scabbard, most new ones i see just dont look right. The originals had the leather shrunk onto them.

As for the small knives you can get rusty versians of Atlanta cutlerys Nepal hoard, but not the exact matching models, that go with these.

Sorry I cant help you on that one.

Most old kukri have losts there pockets & knives unfortuanatly.

Spiral

Rick · 15th December 2005, 09:40 PM

Ahh , funny how things go around .

What did you make out the inserts to be ; bone or ivory ; I lean toward bone .
Thanks for the bit of history !

15th December 2005, 06:56 PM	#3
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Hmmm , I thought I'd already posted a picture but a search fails to reveal it , so here : I'd love to get a pair of knives and pouch for it and to have the scabbard re-covered (cut along the edge) . Attached Images

15th December 2005, 06:21 PM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hello, can the chirra on the blade serve as an indication of date or the user it was made for? I've noticed that many "Made in India" khukuri on ebay lack these depressions while traditional examples seem to have one or even three to lighten the blade. I imagine forging chirra into the blade would also take longer time...Would it perhaps be the difference between a user and a collector/presentation piece? Manolo

15th December 2005, 06:39 PM	#2
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	Any photos Rick? Always nice to see another kukri! Brass, steel or silver fittings? Manolo, They dont realy help with dating, They can still do the broad fullers today. Sometimes they forge them sometimes they grind them, often both. This one is Dia Chirra. It shows the kukri cost more to make, & was more likley to be an officers or senior NCOs piece. {Or Diplomat, or owner of Tea plantation etc.} or as you say a gift or perhaps presentation piece. They were definatly carried into combat though. Thats well recorded. I have seen pictures of inlisted men in Burma in ww2 carrying Dia chirras. {not quite such dressy versians though.} Officers always bought there own kukri {certaly untill at least ww2.}, so often carried quite fancy ones, if that was to there taste. Spiral

15th December 2005, 08:24 PM	#4
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	Nice one Rick, Thanks! These ones with inlay are rather attractive I think, is it possible to tell what the inlay is, or are the fragments to small for positive id? It reminds me of one I saw about 4 years ago, that had been bought out of Singapore in the 1930s. It could even be the same one? Last time I saw it was on ebay heading to a well known American collector. Most serious kukri collectors try & pick up one of these models. I was lucky to find this pair together & both obviosly made by the same hand. You do get various qualitys of them, ranging from good to exceptional, I would say. As with most hand made kukri. Some dont like the brass so much,because of the dating but the other versians of them were still bieng made into the 1920s as well. So it makes no odds I think. Silver is always nice of course! But A good kukri is a good kukri, afterall. Although I Must admit I dont bother with many post 1950 ones. Do you collect kukri? or is it just a "stray" you came across? Spiral

15th December 2005, 08:33 PM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Hi Spiral , I'm sort of a generalist in my collecting . I like to have a decent example or two of any particular edged weapon I like . This example came from Mark McMorrow IIRC . The inserts could be either bone or ivory ; just not sure . Do you know anywhere I could pick up the two missing knives and have the scabbard refurbished and a pouch made ?

15th December 2005, 08:49 PM	#6
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	Thats cool Rick! thats the one then! Glad its gone to a good home! funny to see it again. Glad I still recognised it! A Merchent Navy man bought it in Singapore in the 1930s. I had it for a while. It had to go to enable further purchases at the time. No idea on the replacment scabbard, most new ones i see just dont look right. The originals had the leather shrunk onto them. As for the small knives you can get rusty versians of Atlanta cutlerys Nepal hoard, but not the exact matching models, that go with these. Sorry I cant help you on that one. Most old kukri have losts there pockets & knives unfortuanatly. Spiral

15th December 2005, 09:40 PM	#7
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Ahh , funny how things go around . What did you make out the inserts to be ; bone or ivory ; I lean toward bone . Thanks for the bit of history !