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Are Some Kukhris Made For Tourists?
- Thread starter redsquid2
- Start date
Having been to Nepal, in a word, yes!
The story goes that in recent years they have been made from leaf springs. Not a problem in my book, all for a bit of recycling. I have one "made for tourists" and I've used it for bush clearance/fire prep, it worked very well. I personally prefer a softer steel for that application, more forgiving of the odd 'miss'!
The only thing I'd change about mine is the handle, it's not terribly comfortable in prolonged use.
There are a few dealers on here I believe, do a bit of homework on their rep and I'm sure you'll be fine.
Sam
The story goes that in recent years they have been made from leaf springs. Not a problem in my book, all for a bit of recycling. I have one "made for tourists" and I've used it for bush clearance/fire prep, it worked very well. I personally prefer a softer steel for that application, more forgiving of the odd 'miss'!
The only thing I'd change about mine is the handle, it's not terribly comfortable in prolonged use.
There are a few dealers on here I believe, do a bit of homework on their rep and I'm sure you'll be fine.
Sam
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2011
- Messages
- 3,116
I am thinking that a kukhri is a traditional fixed blade.
I meant, are there kukhri's that are made to sell to tourists who visit that part of the world?
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- Jun 21, 2008
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Yes and there is also a Kukhri forum here somewhere. And I believe that all Kukhris being made now are for tourist/export except for the military contract blades.
You'd struggle to source them.... Could come from China!
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I know that they have some vendors that work directly with the kami that make them the old way. They are again made for the export market but they are the real deal for all intents and purposes. I could kick myself for having an opportunity at a whole bunch of "found" antique Kukhris some 15 years ago and not buying every one!
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- Mar 4, 2013
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I was in Nepal December 2012. Visited a few different towns, and in the short time i was there it was almost impossible for me, as a tourist to find a proper khukri that one would see local villagers using. the markets were flooded with khukris that to me seemed to be made for tourists. they seemed like just made to look nice...
some of the local guys did show me theirs that were used by themselves or family....
I was suggested by a few people to look for Bhojpuri khukris, from the area of Bhojpur, in eastern Nepal, they were / are famous for theirs. however i was unable to find one in the places i was in...
here is a great resource page from Himaliyan Imports (who also have a sub-forum here): http://www.himalayan-imports.com/khukuri-history.html
Lastly, Pakistan may have some khukri production, but not much, India has significantly more.
But honestly, as far as i am concerned, the only ones that matter are from Nepal!
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As a tourist, careful with how much you pay for what
True!
It's a comedy scenario though, mine was a gift from a friend who visited Nepal a few years before me. He grew up in a completely sustainable lifestyle on a small farm so he wasn't going to buy a piece of rubbish. The Kukhri he bought me is absolutely fine, solid, well balanced, even grinds etc. Chances are if you saw what most people are using now in the sticks it'll be a rough looking thing you wouldn't look twice at anyway. People make do. I traveled with a guy in the Amazon in Peru for a few weeks, man could he make a Chinese machete sing!!
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They have been made for the customer for centuries. In that, they are like many or most knives. Quality varies as with other knives.
A village smith who sells to neighbors (It is still the rural tool-of-all-work.) or for a young man of the village going off to soldier doubtless does his best to turn out tools that function well. He wants his business to prosper. He has pride in his reputation in the village and surrounding area.
Items made for a tourist market are about appearance and cost of production. The makers from some sweat shop could not care less about the buyer - just about keeping their jobs. The "Lion Butt" tourist khukuri, almost always dead soft and made of mystery metal, has been made in India for generations. In a tourist area you naturally find mostly tourist items. ("The stranger asked, 'Where do I find a good _______ ?'")
Military issue items are supplied by the low bidder. Officers may - may - have something better to carry.
Leaf spring steel - 5160 - is the traditional quality steel for real working khukuri ever since leaf springs showed up on wagons. Springs from Mercedes Benz trucks are said to be especially favored. Railroad rails were and are also used - thought to make tougher blades that, however, do not hold an edge as well.
A trove of old military khukuri was put on the market a few years ago, deflating the value of such items. They are still being sold by retailers for what would have been unbelievably little fifteen years ago.
They like the traditional handles.
A village smith who sells to neighbors (It is still the rural tool-of-all-work.) or for a young man of the village going off to soldier doubtless does his best to turn out tools that function well. He wants his business to prosper. He has pride in his reputation in the village and surrounding area.
Items made for a tourist market are about appearance and cost of production. The makers from some sweat shop could not care less about the buyer - just about keeping their jobs. The "Lion Butt" tourist khukuri, almost always dead soft and made of mystery metal, has been made in India for generations. In a tourist area you naturally find mostly tourist items. ("The stranger asked, 'Where do I find a good _______ ?'")
Military issue items are supplied by the low bidder. Officers may - may - have something better to carry.
Leaf spring steel - 5160 - is the traditional quality steel for real working khukuri ever since leaf springs showed up on wagons. Springs from Mercedes Benz trucks are said to be especially favored. Railroad rails were and are also used - thought to make tougher blades that, however, do not hold an edge as well.
A trove of old military khukuri was put on the market a few years ago, deflating the value of such items. They are still being sold by retailers for what would have been unbelievably little fifteen years ago.
They like the traditional handles.
kamagong
Gold Member
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- Jan 13, 2001
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- 10,969
Exactly right.
You are mistaken. Himalayan Imports has their own subforum, meant for their products, the same way Buck does. There is no all-encompassing forum for khukuris of different makes and manufacture. This place is as appropriate as any to ask about khukuris.
With regards to the OP, most khukuris these days are made for the tourist market. Some are perfectly serviceable tools, a lot of it is nothing more than gaudy junk. That is actually how Himalayan Imports got its start -- one man wanted to bring this iconic knife to the Western market. 25 years ago it was very difficult to get an authentic Nepalese khukuri unless you went straight to the source. Bill Martino entered into a partnership with his father-in-law to sell khukuris. The father-in-law employed the kamis (smiths) who made the knives; Bill was in charge of marketing and selling directly to the customer here stateside. It was difficult at first and there were numerous quality control issues. The original khukuris were crudely finished. Sometimes they weren't tempered properly. Scabbards were poorly made, if they came at all. Bill was able to make it work because he had a man on site to crack the whip and held the kamis to a higher standard.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that you need to find a source you can trust. Find someone who has good QC and backs up his product with a good warranty.
- Christian
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Thanks for the correction. I will have to share my Japanese papered Ko-Goto Kodzuka sometime. Totally traditional!
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This post was placed in Traditional and, while an unusual topic for us, it is not outside the scope of this forum. It could have been placed in the General Forum and it would have been OK there, also.
It is always appropriate to hit the <report post> icon if one questions whether a thread belongs here or not.
This eliminates side conversations which detract from the discussion.
The <report post> icon is located at the bottom left of every post and looks like a triangle with an exclamation point within it.
It is always appropriate to hit the <report post> icon if one questions whether a thread belongs here or not.
This eliminates side conversations which detract from the discussion.
The <report post> icon is located at the bottom left of every post and looks like a triangle with an exclamation point within it.