A few scabby old hanshee lambendha style kukri...

S

spiraltwista

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Nov 29, 2002
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Here we go then. Heres a few oldies, I thought you guys might like to see.... Probably mostly early 19th century, one or possibly 2 might be late 18th...so possiblybring backs from the Anglo-Nepali war... C.1815, Id guess the dia chirra is nearer Indian mutineer era... late.. 1850s. All just in my humble opinion of course....

The silver work is fretted out... Such work was regarded as typically Nepalese at that early era according to arms historians writing over a 100 years ago... {most pouches & small knives are not original... possibly all.}

spiral

















 
Sweet Mary and Joseph, ain't those sweet! I'm surprised at the length of the handles, very slim as expected but very long.

Many almost Hanshee curved, I love that. Beautiful art work on the sheaths too.

Thanks for posting those, never get tired of looking at this sort of thing. Wish I was knowledgable about all of it instead of just blindly feeling my way around.
 
Loveliest silver lace i have seen in a very long time....perhaps ever.....and i love the old blade styles, just adore them....given the trouble enough of dating one US maker's knives made only since just before WWII until today, i can surely see trying to place and date things from an entire sub-continent and covering 200yrs to be filled with difficulties....

If that is a wire rope/cable pattern, the stuff was invented no earlier than 1830-1840 and used in mining at first, required refinement for years before export i would think...if a pool/birds-eye pattern, that is a BUNCH of drilling on the wootz....
 
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A very pleasing way to finish the day--looking a scabby old khuks. I admire them very much, but am glad you have therm to share. Thanks, spiraltwista.
 
Very nice!!.. I love that silver work and appreciate you taking the time to post some history along with these amazing pictures
 
Bawanna said:
Sweet Mary and Joseph, ain't those sweet! I'm surprised at the length of the handles, very slim as expected but very long.

Many almost Hanshee curved, I love that. Beautiful art work on the sheaths too.

Thanks for posting those, never get tired of looking at this sort of thing. Wish I was knowledgable about all of it instead of just blindly feeling my way around.
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Cheers Bawanna! Sweets a good word!.

With kukri were all just students really, some English {& American.}museum's & old collections have kukris of reliable provenance that help with dating to a degree, {Although late copies can be made.But often show differences.}


Here's some old art work from the Anglo-Nepal war era. {c.1815.}Showing similar styles..






And a Indian mutiny era pic. {C.1857.} showing some Gurkhas with these old type kukri.







Dobe_1 said:
Thanks for sharing
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Thank you!

conan11 said:
Stunning! :thumbup::cool::):D:)
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Cheers!

mtngunr said:
Loveliest silver lace i have seen in a very long time....perhaps ever.....and i love the old blade styles, just adore them....given the trouble enough of dating one US maker's knives made only since just before WWII until today, i can surely see trying to place and date things from an entire sub-continent and covering 200yrs to be filled with difficulties....

If that is a wire rope/cable pattern, the stuff was invented no earlier than 1830-1840 and used in mining at first, required refinement for years before export i would think...if a pool/birds-eye pattern, that is a BUNCH of drilling on the wootz....
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Thank you, yes the time taken to pierce, chisel & file the fretted lace must have been incredible. Its coin silver so harder than sterling as well.

To my mind Its not cable Damascus as at spine & bevel some of the pattern is purely linear in a layered fashion. it seems to be made in the raindrop pattern but following a lined pattern rather than random.


Bookie said:
A very pleasing way to finish the day--looking a scabby old khuks. I admire them very much, but am glad you have therm to share. Thanks, spiraltwista.
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Glad you liked them! in truth most of them looked a bit scabby when they turned up, surface rust & years of dirt, the silver so black you could hardly see it.



Fenris_Wolf said:
Very nice!!.. I love that silver work and appreciate you taking the time to post some history along with these amazing pictures
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Thank you, apparently in the late 18th early 19th century Nepal was famous for such silver work.

Karda said:
Beautiful Pieces, Spiral!
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Thank you, I do see them as works of art in all there materials. I find it amazing that there still as fully functioning as the day they were made. I wonder how many people
have enjoyed looking after them down through the generations?

Spiral
 
Even as a child i was acutely aware of how most things did not last, but wore out, broke, died, whatever.....firearms and knives including great grandma's butcher knife still in service even as i type seemed a whole other class to me then and now........what other machines and artifacts last through generations even when used constantly as intended?.....furniture fits, but must be left at home....we are not owners but only renters....and should be stewards rather than "it's MINE and i can do anything i want to it!".....we have a cultural self-destructive problem in the west of that attitude about every single thing and aspect of existence....thank goodness those old knives have been isolated from the masses of the west....and thank you for being a good steward...

If that is a pool/raindrop/bird'-eye type pattern, i believe it would have taken a flat bottom twist drill hole for every one of the round marks and then entire wootz billet hammered flat, which would have been near as involved as the silverwork.....a wealthy man's khukuri......
 
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The Hanshee style has always been my favorite kukri. I loved seeing older ones that are hard to come by. I wish I could get my hands on a couple of those. Thanks for posting... you made my mouth water looking at those fine blades.
 
Cheers Gurkha, glad you like them..

Interesting Mtngunr, I wonder if in those days it was done by hammering a rod or punch into the metal rather than a drill?

spiral
 
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