Austin Powers gets attacked by khukuri

tallwingedgoat

tallwingedgoat

Joined
Jan 13, 1999
Messages
1,422
In the new film, Austin Powers gets attacked by a fez wearing man with a khukuri. The man lets out a war cry which I didn't catch. Don't know if it's khukuri related.

I was also told CNN showed a British soldier sharpening his khukuri for the occupation of Kosovo.

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No, I was never lost. But I was mighty bewildered one time for three days.

--- Daniel Boone

 
Saw the news clip and reporter stated the "famed Nepalese Gurkas" were the point element of British Unit going into Kosovo and showed a short clip of a Gurka Trooper stoning his Khukri. He looked like he had seen the elephant before! It was so good I almost called Uncle Bill.



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Greg


 
I hear the clip was on CNN and with my limited cable subscription I don't get it. If anybody taped the segment please let us know. We have a lot of takers for the tape.
The khukuris shown almost have to be the British Army Service model.

Uncle Bill
 
The khukuri that British Gurkhas carry (or are, at least, issued) is the Service Number One. Of course, I didn't see the CNN clip, so the knife shown could have been something else. However, if it was the standard-issue khukuri, that would be the Service Number One.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
I saw and taped the segment of A Company/1st royal Gurkha Rifles in Kosovo. They were there to clear the hills of snipers and other nasties before the British vanguard roll in.

There was a khukuri shown. It looked light like a 15" BAS, but seemed to have a continously curved back, like an AK. The reporter asked if they were looking forward to combat. One guy said "Yes, I'm looking forward to it." Another guy smiled, his eyes bulged out, licked his lips and said "of course!"

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No, I was never lost. But I was mighty bewildered one time for three days.

--- Daniel Boone

 
Sure if you want it. But it's only about a minute of reporting.

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No, I was never lost. But I was mighty bewildered one time for three days.

--- Daniel Boone

 
Yes ! I saw the AP pix in our local sunday edition newspaper dated 13/6 ~ a member of 1st Gurkha Rifles of the British Army sharpening his khukuri with a some sort of a multi purpose gadget (a bit look like a TV remote control device) before entering Kosovo.

The khukuri shown in that pix has an angle & look exactly like a BAS.

One thing I keep on wondering ~ how come that khukuri looked so small in that Gurkha's hand ? The length of the blade is about the length fr the tip of his thumb to the tip of his middle fingger ! I don't know whether that is a 15" or 12" BAS ! or maybe that Ghurkha is a 6+1/2 or 7 footer as one of my friend jokingly commented ! After all is there any 12" BAS ?

Pakcik Bill or Sonam ~ any comment ?

 
Hi Mohd:

There is a chance the Gurkha you saw was an officer and could be carrying the smaller officer's model.

When in combat situations and not standing the rigid British inspection I think the Gurkhas are still allowed to carry a khukuri of their choice rather than a standard issue. I have not been in the company of Gurkhas for almost ten years now and I know things change so would appreciate any updates.

Uncle Bill
 
Looks like the Gurkhas are getting their share of the airtime! I didn't catch the "khukuri sharpening" piece, but this weekend there was regular mention & clips of "... Gurkha troops - Nepalese soldiers recruited by the British Army ... " words to that effect.

Also check out the BBC website www.bbc.co.uk - they have a section today "Gurkhas: a Force to be Reckoned With" which has a close-up of a khukuri in a Gurkha's hand. the address of this section is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_367000/367951.stm

There are some more Gurkhas-in-action pictures on the "Push into Kosovo in Pictures" picture gallery. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_367000/367540.stm

- Sonam

[This message has been edited by gtkguy (edited 14 June 1999).]
 
mohd,

I was checking out the BBC website some more, when I saw this picture which is probably the AP pix you mention. It shows a Gurkha sharpening his khukuri with what looks like the scabbard of the British SA80 rifle bayonet. Thought I read somewhere that this bayonet scabbard has a sharpening stone attached to the front, which is probably what the Gurkha in the picture is using.

Here's the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_364000/364553.stm

- Sonam
 
Alhamdu-li-(A)llah, thanks for the exact links, Sonam.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_364000/364553.stm

The third AP pix in the above link is the one I mentioned in my prev posting. I am totally out about military gadget ! ~ but I am very sure about the khukuri in the Gurkha’s hand.

Isn’t the khukuri looks small & light ? It maybe the smaller officer’s model as Pakcik Bill wrote. Is that means a 12 incher ?

Don’t tell me that they won’t bring karda & chakma in their operation ! I guess they just used whatever practical @ available tools @ gadgets to sharpen their khukuris.

How nice to have a peaceful world whereby we can use our khukuri as a tool to chop woods & cut grass ! Otherwise our khukuri will be hang on the wall as a beautiful piece work of ancient art ! Or the most we might use our khukuri in our martial art practices ! Inshaa-Allah.
 
Our logo khukuri, the Salyan style (if you look very closely you can see an inscription on the blade about where we mark ours -- it says simply, "Salyan"), was carried in Burma by a Gurkha officer. This khukuri was given to me by the officers' nephew when I left Nepal in 1985 I believe. It is 12 inches long and was hardly used. Officers do not use their khukuri much and it is actually cared for by enlisted men in their command.

Uncle Bill
 
I like the idea of sharpening with a remote control. Sounds like something I'd do after too many Heinekens.

Uncle Bill
 
I was browsing the military section of the local Borders bookstore yesterday when I came across a book on military blades. They had a section on the British SA80 Rifle bayonet, and a picture showed two scabbard variants, one with a sharpening stone attached to the front of the scabbard.

- Sonam
 
I think I remember an article in one of the knife rags about this british bayonet and scabbard and how the latter had a sharpening stone on it.

I like the idea of a remote with a sharpening stone on it. You could sharpen your knives while watching TV. Just be careful and don't break concentration and cut yourself when "Baywatch" comes on.

wink.gif


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Clay Fleischer
clay_fleischer@yahoo.com


 
The British Issue Bayonet scabbard has got a sharpening stone on it.

However in the Skill at Arms Manual for "The Rifle 5.56mm" (it is not a SA80 as my Sgt Mjr would say) tells you not to use it except in the field so as not to cause undue wear to the blade. sic.

I dont know what sort of steel they use for the bayonets but they are ****e.



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Harvey Wareham

Live Long & Prosper, so you can buy more knives :)


 
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