How about those khukuris sold in the streets of Nepal?

golok

golok

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Oct 20, 2000
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Everybody knows the khukuri is synonymous with Nepal. Friends who have been to Kathmandu and other places in Nepal informed me that khukuris abound.

The trouble is a lot of these blades are of suspect quality. Some if not most come from India and a sizeable portion probably are made without much thought for quality.

Tourists normally prefer the "shiny" ones.

So how can you tell the real McCoy from the khukuris you see being sold on the streets of Nepal?
 
Most tourists don't know the difference and don't care and that's why they sell the junk. Cheap to make and good profit margin. Those who know what they are buying can find some very decent khukuris on the street. Rough rule of thumb: The older, nastier it looks the better it is.
 
I read an article in Tactical Knives about khukuris bought in Nepal. The author asked around, bought a Jeep leaf spring, took it to the kami and watched him forge it right there. The kami attached the handle my melting a plastic bag over the tang, then slipping on the handle. It was a really nice article, I may still have that issue sitting around at home in PA. I thought it was cool that khuks were being introduced to a wider audience, I don't think they mentioned any other importers of khuks here though.
 
Roadrunner, if it's the article I remember it was in the state of Sikkim, a little part of India. Sikkim pushes up between Nepal and Bhutan and deeper into the north and forms a tongue sticking up into China which surrounds it on three sides. kind of Florida turned upside down.

The article mentioned that the one in the party who carried a khukuri was the yak boy, and thus he carried a khuk, or vice versa. It also mentioned buying the steel for it as some place that carried parts for autos. He was asked what kind of vehicle and the party leader said it was for a khukuri, and the guy went oh, and then came back out with a spring. Then they went through two villages till they got to the smithy.

Is that the article you were thinking of?
 
Roadrunner, if it's the article I remember it was in the state of Sikkim, a little part of India. Sikkim pushes up between Nepal and Bhutan and deeper into the north and forms a tongue sticking up into China which surrounds it on three sides. kind of Florida turned upside down.

The article mentioned that the one in the party who carried a khukuri was the yak boy, and thus he carried a khuk, or vice versa. It also mentioned buying the steel for it as some place that carried parts for autos. He was asked what kind of vehicle and the party leader said it was for a khukuri, and the guy went oh, and then came back out with a spring. Then they went through two villages till they got to the smithy.

Is that the article you were thinking of?

If it is, I think Yangdu's mom came from Sikkim, as did the mother of the son of a gurkha officer living in New York. Can remember his name offhand it's been so long.
 
I've still got my cheap and nasty Kukri, brought from a street seller in Kathmandu in 1990, before I knew much about knives. I used it as a chopper in the garden for years, although never took it on any adventures with me. The handle is kaput now and I've wrapped it with some grip tape. Still works well but sits idle in the back of my knife drawer.
 
Rusty, it could have been. It's been a while since I read it, I've probably got my facts confused. I thought the 'laha' used was pretty interesting.
 
Sonam is the fellow's name, Rusty. I've not heard from him for some time. And the old Sikkim grandmother visited in Kathmandu not so long ago -- might still be there. She's 108 and has outlived 9 of her 10 children.
 
Over here in the East, some people tend to live longer than their counterparts elsewhere around the globe.

Once I was at an old folks home, I saw an old spritely woman walking down the staircase. The nun who was nearby told me: "She's 103!"

For a person aged 103, she looked pretty good.

:)
 
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