Buying khukri in nepal

S

sarg.signal

Joined
May 1, 2005
Messages
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Hi everybody.

I m going to india very soon, but i just decided to go earlier so I can visit nepal aswell. So I apologized for not searhcing good enough about this issue. Its just that i found out Iam very short of time and need to do other stuff aswell. Vacinations, searching very import info ...

Sence I was going to nepal I thought this is the best opportunity to buy a khukri of good quality. Anybody having any info on a specifik place in kathmandu where I could buy one? Does himalayan have a shop there. Or can you trust the normal shops around.

Any tip would be a help

regards
sarg
 
oh yeah, gotta get your W.H.O. card, especially if you're going to one of the less modernized nations.
(World Health Organization)
You may have to have vaccinations against typhoid, yellow fever, etc.. Plus you may have to take a prophylaxis (sp) against malaria.
Those are some big pills.

Remember: Dont drink water unless its from a modernized hotel and never eat fruits or vegetables you havent washed yourself unless its from a nice hotel.
 
Be careful, sarg. While this sounds really fun and I envy you completely, there are numerous travel advisories out about Nepal. This isn't to say you shouldn't go, but you should definately make sure you go carefully. The state department is warning against travel there because of the Maoist insurgency.

Just something you might want to check out more thoroughly. Also, you might want to check if you need Visas and stuff to enter, too. And ALWAYS remember to register with the Embassy or consulate upon entering the country. Then, you'll have people makin' sure you're Ok.

Good luck, and have fun! Like I said, I sure wish I could go!

Nam
 
Regarding khukuris in Nepal: Almost all of the street vendors are selling junk knives. You can find the occasional working khukuri in the bazaar if you look hard. Khukuri house in Thamel has some nice offerings. (it's an actual shop in the toursty hotel district--just ask for directions...I'll never explain i to you if you haven't been there!)

These are very pretty knives and are servicable. They actually have nice convex edges on them (usually). They do not rise to the standard of the HI khuks, but you can say you bought it in Kathmandu!

The last time I was in Kathmandu (a couple years ago) the services models at Khukuri House were going for 600 rupees ($12 give or take).

You should grab a Ghurka hat (and insignia) while you're there. I've never bought one, because I knew I didn't deserve to wear it...but when I get home I always wish I had it to display with my khukuris.
 
DannyinJapan, namaarie

thx for the tips guys. Im gonna buy a lonley.planet book on nepal today. Shame because everybody buys them aswell and you end up among other turists. Maybe not a bad thing concedering im traveling for myself at start, my friends arrive later in india.

Im being ajour with the news regarding maosist insurgency and strikes. But I wnt to find a well informed source on the net.

bismark,
Really thanks for the tip. I planned to buy one from the street shops if I didnt get any tip. Know that I know I wont do that! I will try to find khukurihouse, seems not to hard to find.

How do you differ the good ones and the bad ones in the bazaars? Cuz I dont think theyll give me the opportunity to try them out, bending them and cutting. Does the bad ones look more like an art piece you hang on the wall as an tourist and not intended for the use by locals?


once again thanks for the replys all
 
Well, most of the street Khukuris have very poor quality sheaths. They are usually fairly well polished, and have a ricasso stamp along the lines of "Nepal 2004" or "Gorkha Army." That's your tip-off that they are mass produced as souveneirs. If you were to take a small file to test the edge, you would quickly find that most of the tourist models are not properly hardened. You can also usually tell that the handle is of poor construction.

Many of the street vendor models look good, however, and there are a bewildering array of patterns and decorations. They are also uniformally nicer to heft and admire than the ugly stamped Indian khukuris that you often find here in the US. I just wouldn't trust any of them as users.

The occasional good find on the street is usually what we tend to call a "villager." If you see a khuk with tool marks on the blade and no extra decorations just sitting there hunmbly waiting to be found...that's the one I'd test with my file.

Now, the street vendors will see you picking among the knives and set a premium price on the one you like. In fact, they'll set a premium price just because your a Westerner. They'll offer you that nice blade for 2,600 ruppees. I think 500 is a much more realistic price. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not shy about giving my money away--but that doesn't mean I want to pay more than I hav eto for something! The Khukuri House is a fixed price shop, so you won't have to worry about haggling (conversely, you won't get to enjoy haggling). I think you could talk them into a volume discount if you're buying several, though.

Again, I should repeat that you will look long and hard for an excellent quality khukuri in the touristy areas. The Khukuri House is pretty good, and you can try to find the shop or two that make khuks for the regiments--or even try to find Birghorka if you're feeling adventurous--and it is possible to find real "villager" khuks in the villiages. Your best bet, though, is to buy a nice knife you like as a memory of your trip, and rely on Himalayan Imports to provide you with what is really the best khukuri available (although the prices look a lot higher after shopping in Nepal!)

That's the way I've done it, anyway. It's a toss-up whether my official favorite is a khukuri I paid $100 for or one I got for around $5--crazy, isn't it?

Sorry for the long-winded reply.
 
By the way, be prepared to fall in love with Nepal. There is something undeniably wonderful about that kingdom in the mountains and its people.
 
Dam you bismark you post are almosts as guides tha should be in every nepal travel book.

much much thanks
 
Sargesignal,

If you find a khuk on display you suspect might be a good one but are not sure, you could always savagely attack one of the structural beams of the Stall to see how the edge holds up. If the Stall collapses and the khuk is unscathed, it's probably a real tool.

I'm paranoid about places where they kidnap or kill westerners. I wish they'd allow me to visit with an AK slung over my shoulder and a khuk on my belt.

munk
 
munk said:
I wish they'd along me to visit with an AK slung over my shoulder and a khuk on my belt.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of places I want to visit this way...

Africa
the Middle East
Los Angeles
New York
Detroit

.
 
You're welcome Sarg. Hopefully you'll find I've given you a good stear.

It's hard to be afraid when you're in Nepal. It is easy to love and trust the Nepalese. The culture is so honest--not much is hidden. Certainly there is a lad of "badness" everywhere...but in places like the Mountain Kingdom it is easy to see and easy to scorn.

Then again, I am not the kind of guy to be afraid or intimidated. I probably take inexcitability to the point of being a character flaw. It's something I'm working on.
 
Um...the reason I want to visit those places that way is *not* because I am afraid or intimidated... :D

.
 
..but a recognition of local reality and possessing the tools to deal with any development.



munk
 
sarg.signal said:
Hi everybody.

I m going to india very soon, but i just decided to go earlier so I can visit nepal aswell. So I apologized for not searhcing good enough about this issue. Its just that i found out Iam very short of time and need to do other stuff aswell. Vacinations, searching very import info ...

Sence I was going to nepal I thought this is the best opportunity to buy a khukri of good quality. Anybody having any info on a specifik place in kathmandu where I could buy one? Does himalayan have a shop there. Or can you trust the normal shops around.

Any tip would be a help

regards
sarg
Click to expand...
Sarge,

It sounds as if you are in for a big adventure.

Sorry I don't have any concrete advice to give you. Last time I was in Nepal was 1980. I did buy a decent khukuri from a guy sitting on a streetcorner in Kathmandu then.

If I was going today I would just go and ask the locals. I think you will find them personable and will have a lot of fun searching that way rather than asking westerners. Khukuri house has turned out some very nice khukuris, so you probably won't go wrong picking through their stock, but it may not be as much of an adventure.

You probably will not find a khukuri of HI quality. HI produces for the export market, and economics dictate that much more labor and better materials can go into the knife than is generally justified for a blade to be sold locally. However, if you want to find a very good khukuri that you will remember for a lifetime, you are indeed quite likely to find it in the streets of Kathmandu, or perhaps in a smithy in a small village in the backcountry.

You may find something unique, that would seldom be exported.

It is a magical country.

Please check in when you come back, and tell us what you found.

Namaste.
 
Buying khukri in nepal

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi everybody.

I m going to india very soon, but i just decided to go earlier so I can visit nepal aswell. So I apologized for not searhcing good enough about this issue. Its just that i found out Iam very short of time and need to do other stuff aswell. Vacinations, searching very import info ...

Sence I was going to nepal I thought this is the best opportunity to buy a khukri of good quality. Anybody having any info on a specifik place in kathmandu where I could buy one? Does himalayan have a shop there. Or can you trust the normal shops around.

Any tip would be a help

regards
sarg


I am happy for you Sarg, someday I will try to make it there.
I know of a place in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Showroom:
NEPALESE KHUKURI HOUSE PVT. LTD
Thamel Marg, Near the Center Point Hotel
Or opposite to Ward Office, Thamel-29
Kathmandu, Nepal

Office:
Amrit Marg, Thamel-29
behind the Malla Hotel

[ Moderator Edit - Since Khukuri House is a direct competitor of HI in international markets I deleted the international contact information here. The street addresses will be sufficient to locate KH in Kathmandu. - Howard Wallace ]

Before I met Yangdu a few weeks ago when I ordered a Tawar, I bought a Ganjawal Special Khukuri from them.

Very nice, same quality as HI.

HI has different styles and variations and the Nepalese House of Khukuri has products from the other villages.
They supply the Nepal Police and Napalese Army.

Check them out.

Have Fun!!

Alfred
 
A good way to insure buying a khukuri of real quality either in India -Or- Nepal is to find a local junkyard and buy a chunk of leaf spring off of a quality vehicle such as a Mercedes Benz, Jeep, SAAB or the like and then ask around about a really excellent kami.

I think it was an article in Blade some time ago that brought up this very subject and why I said what I did above.
The fellow bought a piece of a Willys Jeep leaf spring, found a kami and had his khukuri made.
Instead of the laha for glueing the handle to the blade the kami took a new fangled plastic sack, we all know the kind, heated the tang, wrapped the plastic bag around it which melted it instantly and then shoved the handle in place.
No doubt a partial tanged khukuri that's not likely to ever have the handle fail because of the deterioration of the laha.:D :cool: :D

Rto Jim had a real hand made khukuri at the SWKK and it was lovely in only the way a real knife afficiando could love.:rolleyes:
It was a bare bones khukuri that will last a couple hundred years and then ask, "Was that it? :confused: :rolleyes: :p " <VBESEG> :D :cool: :D
 
When Yangdu gets back, you might ask her if you could visit the Bir Ghorka factory outside Kathmandu. It would be a memorable experience having a khukuri (or khukuris) custom made for you while you're there. Visits are supposedly not allowed, but being a forumite...

Sarg, another option would be to contact Lalit Kumar Lama, the owner of Khukuri House. The contact e-mail address is:

[ Moderator Edit - Since Khukuri House is a direct competitor of HI in international markets I deleted the international contact information here. The street addresses will be sufficient to locate KH in Kathmandu. - Yvsa]

Lalit is an ex Gurkha, and very knowledgeable about khukuris. He is willing to custom make you a khukuri, expecially if he knows you know what quality is, and want the very best.

I myself would go for the first option, but option #2 would be a great way to go also. You'll surely have a keeper of a khukuri. Have a great trip!
 
Wow everybody! I really thank for all the tips i got!

Im in kathmandu now and have to say that nepal is the most beatiful country ever!!!

I took the bus from india, had to pass through 8 checkpoints. Some of them just a couple of soilders with smg (sten gun) just inspecting the bus. Other places we had to go out, get searched. Didnt even look like an ordinary roadcheckpoint, sandbagged observation towers (several), machinegun nests etc etc I couldnt see exactly what it was but atleast 2 full size guarding companys.

I couldnt hold myself, just after I got to the guest house I went out, in my street there was a placed caled khukrihouse but when I went in I saw directly that it was all a scam. Walked a little bit more and found the real Khukuri house. So everybody, if youre travelling to kathmandu go in to kukurihouse website and se the exact adress. There are scams with the same name. After 5 minutes he took me to their warehouse and I bought one immedatly, I bought a khukuri before I bought food even thou I hadnt eaten for 10 hours.

But I am going also upp in the villages, totally I am aiming at three khukris, call me greedy:).

thx for all the tips, really. I will have interet acces tomorrow and a couple a few days more. After that I wont be reachable for atleast 3 weeks. If somebody wants me to check something out just send me an email or post it here.

Use this mail facit505@yahoo.se

regards
seargant signal
Hussein, sweden
 
Cool! I hope you will be able to share pictures of the khukuris you find, and keep us posted on your experiences.

Please stay safe and keep your awareness about you.
 
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