not2sharp
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 1999
- Messages
- 20,448
(see below for link)
The following day I managed to wangle a trip to Calcutta.
I soon found the Kukri Wallah in the market but try as I might he would only produce the 'souvenir' type of Kukri. All bright metal, dangling silk tassels etc: My unavailing efforts to get what I wanted had attracted a passing R.A.F. officer and we fell into conversation. It was no use. My poor Urdu had convinced the man that I was looking for a trinket. There was no doubt that this was the stall that I was told to find and I was sure that if he could not help me that I would never get my Kukri this side of Nepal.
It so happened that the next stand in the market sold nothing but hookahs, so I waved the Kukri Wallah away and explained the whole process to my new found friend and in doing so bought a small bag of the pellets and a ceramic disc, all of which cost me a few annas. The man sold hookahs of every shape and size from huge devices with more than one mouthpiece snaking away from them to the common simple coconut with hole instead of a mouthpiece. My new friend was impressed no end but needless to say I did not reveal that my apparent vast knowledge of hookahs had been gained in the last day or so.
As we made to walk away the kukri wallah approached me and said "You want kukri sahib?" I said "Kukri?" scornfully. He lowered his head, raised his hands and said "No Sahib, pukkha kukri". He then produced exactly what I had been trying to buy. A plain, fully forged, perfectly balanced kukri. I swung it a few times and it felt good so I asked him for the bar. He had been expecting it and produced a mild steel bar just over half an inch square and a foot long with sharp cuts all over it. I swung and brought the blade down on it with all my strength. There was just one more cut and the edge of the blade was unmarked. I had my kukri and it had cost no more than I had been asked for the imitations.
Smiles all round. As we walked away my companion asked the inevitable. What was the cut out near the hilt, he had heard that it was a sight! It is no more or less than a drip to prevent blood from making the handle slippery and the two "skinning knives"? They are, in fact, primitive sharpeners.They are held at an angle and the blade drawn through to remove any nicks, in the same manner as some domestic knives are drawn through the sharpener.
This is the site:
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/sparkes/kukri.htm
The following day I managed to wangle a trip to Calcutta.
I soon found the Kukri Wallah in the market but try as I might he would only produce the 'souvenir' type of Kukri. All bright metal, dangling silk tassels etc: My unavailing efforts to get what I wanted had attracted a passing R.A.F. officer and we fell into conversation. It was no use. My poor Urdu had convinced the man that I was looking for a trinket. There was no doubt that this was the stall that I was told to find and I was sure that if he could not help me that I would never get my Kukri this side of Nepal.
It so happened that the next stand in the market sold nothing but hookahs, so I waved the Kukri Wallah away and explained the whole process to my new found friend and in doing so bought a small bag of the pellets and a ceramic disc, all of which cost me a few annas. The man sold hookahs of every shape and size from huge devices with more than one mouthpiece snaking away from them to the common simple coconut with hole instead of a mouthpiece. My new friend was impressed no end but needless to say I did not reveal that my apparent vast knowledge of hookahs had been gained in the last day or so.
As we made to walk away the kukri wallah approached me and said "You want kukri sahib?" I said "Kukri?" scornfully. He lowered his head, raised his hands and said "No Sahib, pukkha kukri". He then produced exactly what I had been trying to buy. A plain, fully forged, perfectly balanced kukri. I swung it a few times and it felt good so I asked him for the bar. He had been expecting it and produced a mild steel bar just over half an inch square and a foot long with sharp cuts all over it. I swung and brought the blade down on it with all my strength. There was just one more cut and the edge of the blade was unmarked. I had my kukri and it had cost no more than I had been asked for the imitations.
Smiles all round. As we walked away my companion asked the inevitable. What was the cut out near the hilt, he had heard that it was a sight! It is no more or less than a drip to prevent blood from making the handle slippery and the two "skinning knives"? They are, in fact, primitive sharpeners.They are held at an angle and the blade drawn through to remove any nicks, in the same manner as some domestic knives are drawn through the sharpener.
This is the site:
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/sparkes/kukri.htm
