Kukri...

Flavio · 18th April 2007, 10:38 PM

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

mross · 19th April 2007, 03:28 PM

Quote:

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 · 19th April 2007, 05:51 PM

Quote:

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 · 20th April 2007, 11:47 AM

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 · 27th April 2007, 05:14 PM

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 · 27th April 2007, 05:50 PM

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 · 27th April 2007, 05:56 PM

Quote:

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 · 27th April 2007, 09:28 PM

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

27th April 2007, 05:14 PM	#5
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	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 Attached Images

18th April 2007, 10:38 PM	#1
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Thank you mross. Since this is made for the army, it's still correct to call it an "ethnographic" weapon?

20th April 2007, 11:47 AM	#4
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,224	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 )

27th April 2007, 05:50 PM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,224	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.

27th April 2007, 09:28 PM	#8
derek Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 215	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