Gorkha army kukri - is it real?

[samek]

A friend of mine is selling a kukri. Somehow i like it and maybe I will buy it, but I dont know if it is a quality product , a fake or tourist item.
Workmanship is pretty good. Handle is made of horn (?) with brass parts. There are many markings on the blade (which is probably nickel plated):
Left side: 7788 2 crossed kukris sign GORKHA ARMY
Right side: nothing
On the back: GURKHA ARMY NO. 7788 There are some brass and copper inlays.
Little knives are crude and useless. Also signed: 7788
Scabbard is pretty solid.
The pics are bad, but pherhaps you experts can say something bout it – producer, originality, quality, value.







Thank you,

Samek

[JayGoliath]

I hate to say this but it looks like a tourist item to me.
The issued one doesn't have the chakmak and karda.

Also if you will (get your sharpener ready), take your most trustworthy user and "slice" the edge off. My suspect is that you will see strips of metals as the HT is poor on these khukuris.I did that once to a forumite here and wished i didn't because he spent the last one hour trying to re-bevel it.

[spiraltwista]

Jays correct its a tourist or export item.

Theres no such thing as the "Gorkha Army" in The Nepalese,British or Indian armies.

They have Regiments,Battalions,Brigades & Companys.With various spellings, {Gorkha usualy for India.} But Not a "Gorkha army" anywhere!

Spiral

[John A. Larsen]

Not sure that Jay is correct about the issue khukri not having the two small knives. In 1987 I was at the British Army's Jungle Warfare School in Brunei, and bought a khukri out of Regimental Stores. It had the two small knives, just pulled it out to make sure. Later when we went into the Jungle I had a squad of Ghurkas from the 1st/7th Gurkha rifles assigned to me, and got to examine their khakis. Their khukris were identical to the one I bought. John

[scrteened porch]

Not sure that Jay is correct about the issue khukri not having the two small knives. In 1987 I was at the British Army's Jungle Warfare School in Brunei, and bought a khukri out of Regimental Stores. It had the two small knives, just pulled it out to make sure. Later when we went into the Jungle I had a squad of Ghurkas from the 1st/7th Gurkha rifles assigned to me, and got to examine their khakis. Their khukris were identical to the one I bought. John

Are your little knives crude and useless like Samek's and mine? Maybe they used to have a purpose and now they're included by force of dead tradition. Anybody ever ask a Ghurka?

[Nixelplix]

I think the little knives serve a purpose. One can be sharpened and used as a small blade, the other can be used as a steel, to realign the kukuri's edge.

[CWL]

Are your little knives crude and useless like Samek's and mine? Maybe they used to have a purpose and now they're included by force of dead tradition. Anybody ever ask a Ghurka?

Have you ever met a Ghurka before? I doubt you have, although it appears that John A. Larsen has not only met, but has been in command of some... (And yes, I've met a few Ghurkas myself.)

Those two "crude & useless" blades are to be used for exactly as Nixelpix described. You just don't know how to use them. They are as much of a "dead tradition" as the khukuri blade itself.

[scrteened porch]

Have you ever met a Ghurka before? I doubt you have, although it appears that John A. Larsen has not only met, but has been in command of some... (And yes, I've met a few Ghurkas myself.)

Those two "crude & useless" blades are to be used for exactly as Nixelpix described. You just don't know how to use them. They are as much of a "dead tradition" as the khukuri blade itself.

Of course I haven't met a Gurkha; if I had I would have asked him myself. And of course John Larsen has met Gurkhas; that's why I asked him if he had asked a Gurkha.
Thanks to Nixelpix for the info and yourself for the ratification.

[John A. Larsen]

SP. I have read the same as was posted, one blade used to burnish the edge the other sharpened and used as a small knife. Both of my small knives have an edge on them, one blade slightly longer than the other, neither look like they could be used to burnish an edge. To answer your question, No, I did not ask the Gurkhas if they used their small knives for anything, nor do I remember seeing them being used. As far as sharpening the khakis, I seem to remember a large, hand cranked sharpening stone, that went thru a container of water under neath the stone, but that was back in camp. I was impressed how in a few minutes, the Gurkhas could set up a very comfortable jungle camp. John

[Karda]

During wartime, such as WWII the khukuri often came without the accessory knives, somewhat to economise rescources, but usually because the order did not include them. In non wartime eras anything is possible. It all depends on who was making them and what the order specified.

[Berkley]

There is photographic evidence of both the use of sharpening wheels and burnishing with the chakmak.
Gurkhas sharpening their kukris.jpgGurkha sharpening kukri.jpg

[prsfx]

I picked up a traditional khukuri from Khukurihouse last year, the 3 Chirra, and there is nothing iffy about it. Traditional materials are rosewood and water buffalo horn for the handle, and the goat skin for the sheath cover due to boarderline worshiping the cow over there. Keep in mind, these guys bang the knives out of leaf springs in their bare feet, and although the craftsmanship is amazing, there not going to be perfect. Function over beauty. But, I'd ask those guys a khukurihouse, worth a shot.

[Thomas Linton]

I picked up a traditional khukuri from Khukurihouse last year, the 3 Chirra, and there is nothing iffy about it. Traditional materials are rosewood and water buffalo horn for the handle, and the goat skin for the sheath cover due to boarderline worshiping the cow over there. Keep in mind, these guys bang the knives out of leaf springs in their bare feet, and although the craftsmanship is amazing, there not going to be perfect. Function over beauty. But, I'd ask those guys a khukurihouse, worth a shot.

Ask what? Good information has been supplied by very knowledgeable persons.

Although not a military issue item, it might be functional and therefore worth what reputable retailers charge for comparable items. Trying it out would be useful as proper heat-treatment cannot be seen, only experienced.

I doubt that it is plated, although I have seen a few ghastly chrome-plated examples. It looks typical of a new khukuri - polished steel.

[Karda]

I picked up a traditional khukuri from Khukurihouse last year, the 3 Chirra, and there is nothing iffy about it. Traditional materials are rosewood and water buffalo horn for the handle, and the goat skin for the sheath cover due to boarderline worshiping the cow over there. Keep in mind, these guys bang the knives out of leaf springs in their bare feet, and although the craftsmanship is amazing, there not going to be perfect. Function over beauty. But, I'd ask those guys a khukurihouse, worth a shot.

You should probably ask a few questions yourself. AFAIK, they sell no khukuri with goatskin on the sheath. Traditionally it is Water Buffalo hide.

Awfully hard to tell from these pictures, but by the way that the insides of the stamped lettering on this are very shiny i'd be almost be willing to bet that this has indeed been hard chromed.

[JayGoliath]

Ah i learned something new today.
I'm sorry i've given the wrong data.

Thank you for the info.

[scrteened porch]

SP. I have read the same as was posted, one blade used to burnish the edge the other sharpened and used as a small knife. Both of my small knives have an edge on them, one blade slightly longer than the other, neither look like they could be used to burnish an edge. To answer your question, No, I did not ask the Gurkhas if they used their small knives for anything, nor do I remember seeing them being used. As far as sharpening the khakis, I seem to remember a large, hand cranked sharpening stone, that went thru a container of water under neath the stone, but that was back in camp. I was impressed how in a few minutes, the Gurkhas could set up a very comfortable jungle camp. John

Thanks.

[prsfx]

[QUOTE=Karda;11449298]You should probably ask a few questions yourself. AFAIK, they sell no khukuri with goatskin on the sheath. QUOTE]
My bad, did not know I was talking to a Nepalese knife maker with generations of experience sweat and toil under his belt.... This was a question not asked by you, to try and get some information, dont know why you even opened your mouth. If you want to bitch and moan go to a Jenny Craig convention.

[Nixelplix]

My bad, did not know I was talking to a Nepalese knife maker with generations of experience sweat and toil under his belt.... This was a question not asked by you, to try and get some information, dont know why you even opened your mouth. If you want to bitch and moan go to a Jenny Craig convention.

Karda's the moderator for the Himalayan Imports forum here. You should take the information he gives you seriously, and not be as crass.

[Cougar Allen]

[QUOTE=prsfx;11451891]

You should probably ask a few questions yourself. AFAIK, they sell no khukuri with goatskin on the sheath. QUOTE]
My bad, did not know I was talking to a Nepalese knife maker with generations of experience sweat and toil under his belt.... This was a question not asked by you, to try and get some information, dont know why you even opened your mouth. If you want to bitch and moan go to a Jenny Craig convention.

[prsfx]

Looks like we need a moderator, maybe one who is educated in what they are talking about. Thank you for the warning Karda.