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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Gurkha Khukuri Makers ??
- Thread starter Brendan
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 8, 1999
- Messages
- 8,911
Khukuri House is, or used to be source for the British dress khukuris, and makes a reasonably good or better quality khuk. They were also source of the knives sold on the late, unlamented ( at least by me ) other khuk forum.
In the early days of shop #2 - pre Birghorka - HI's cosmetics initially took a tumble, but recovered quickly, and by the time it became Birghorka cosmetics were back up to snuff. But even through the times of bad cosmetic finish HI maintained it's usability and guarantee that they would hold together. From what I understand, Khukuri House quality control is good but it isn't near matching HI's level.
I imagine they ( Khukuri House ) also supply the British Ghurka's field khuks.
But as John Powell has ascertained, when in the field, they can carry what they want.
Sometimes, the field khuk is one handed down from father to son to grandson. Whether it was originally issued to today's Ghurka; made in India or Nepal, and passed down; or made by the lad's hometown kami as a going away gift when he left for the service, it's one that he trusts. Pre WW2, units had their own kami who made them where the unit was.
When the British went into Kosovo, there was a picture of one of their Ghurkas sharpening his khuk. Believe it looked to be a chainpuri with the enclosed "two eyes of the dove" cho.
One other thing to remember. Wilkinson Sword had been making swords for the British military for years, and bayonets predating the 19th century. When the Falkland War broke out, troops were issued the WW2 Commando knife from stockpiles. An extraordinary number had been "lost in the field" when troops came home. Of course it was suspected that 90+ percent were lost at the bottom of the troops duffel bag.
By contrast, the khuks have been made in India or Nepal except once. The British let a contract with Wilkinson for them. On going into the field, the Wilkinson's ended up lost or broken at an alarming rate ( a ghurka losing??? his khukuri? The Brits went back to buying them from Nepal, and end of problem.
Uncle can fill you in more if he wants, and John Powell is as always freely welcomed to correct any errors I've made due to premature onset senility.
In the early days of shop #2 - pre Birghorka - HI's cosmetics initially took a tumble, but recovered quickly, and by the time it became Birghorka cosmetics were back up to snuff. But even through the times of bad cosmetic finish HI maintained it's usability and guarantee that they would hold together. From what I understand, Khukuri House quality control is good but it isn't near matching HI's level.
I imagine they ( Khukuri House ) also supply the British Ghurka's field khuks.
But as John Powell has ascertained, when in the field, they can carry what they want.
Sometimes, the field khuk is one handed down from father to son to grandson. Whether it was originally issued to today's Ghurka; made in India or Nepal, and passed down; or made by the lad's hometown kami as a going away gift when he left for the service, it's one that he trusts. Pre WW2, units had their own kami who made them where the unit was.
When the British went into Kosovo, there was a picture of one of their Ghurkas sharpening his khuk. Believe it looked to be a chainpuri with the enclosed "two eyes of the dove" cho.
One other thing to remember. Wilkinson Sword had been making swords for the British military for years, and bayonets predating the 19th century. When the Falkland War broke out, troops were issued the WW2 Commando knife from stockpiles. An extraordinary number had been "lost in the field" when troops came home. Of course it was suspected that 90+ percent were lost at the bottom of the troops duffel bag.
By contrast, the khuks have been made in India or Nepal except once. The British let a contract with Wilkinson for them. On going into the field, the Wilkinson's ended up lost or broken at an alarming rate ( a ghurka losing??? his khukuri? The Brits went back to buying them from Nepal, and end of problem.
Uncle can fill you in more if he wants, and John Powell is as always freely welcomed to correct any errors I've made due to premature onset senility.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 1999
- Messages
- 34,096
Good help, Rusty, and thanks. I'd have to go back to Nepal and root around to find out who is the official khukuri supplier to the British Army now. With only 2 or 3 hundred new recruits each year it's not a big deal anymore.