How many kukris do you have?

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
Messages
4,453

I have long been interested in kukris. When I was a little boy, gurkhas used to be a common sight in my country, Malaysia.

Durng those days, the British army had their own Gurkha regiment. Some gurkhas came to my country, not as part of the British army, but as traders who sold trinklets and other hand-made objects from Nepal.

Among their goods for sale were always the ubiquitous kukris. I used to see these tough-looking people on the streets but I was more interested in the strange looking knives they were selling. That was a long time ago.

These days, the Gurkhas or Nepalese as we call them are still around but they sell other stuff, mostly handicrafts, or semi-precious stones. Those kukris are no longer around. They don't sell them anymore.

Anyway, I digress. I noticed there are quite a number of serious kukri collectors in this forum.

So I am curious. Who has more than 50 kukris in his house? We are talking about collectors.

I have just one. This belonged to a relative who bought it about 25 years ago from one of those travelling Gurkhas who came to my country.

After so many years, it is still nice to look at and always a pleasure to hold.

I aim to increase my kukri collection eventually to a respectable 10. I wonder if that is a nice number. I guess if one likes kukris there is no limit.

Okay, back to my original question: Who has the most kukris?

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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">So I am curious. Who has more than 50 kukris in his house? </font>
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Not me - only have 49 (I think-anyone remember the chapter from Huckleberry Finn where Tom Sawyer drives his aunt crazy trying to count the spoons by hiding one, then putting it back? - just counted four times, got 49, 46,48, and 49, so I think 49 is right). 'Course there's one on the way from England, but that still won't put me over fifty - so, no problem here, not a serious addiction thing yet
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Hello, Golok. I'm doing my best to AVOID becoming a collector! Even though I'm never on the hunt for another, Craig seems keep finding khukuris that really suit me. Hmmmm, my sons will ask the same question occasionally, and I tell them I (successfully) try not to count. If those 4 given to friends and family don't count, then the total is under 12...if so, then I may be over a baker's dozen.

Maybe if the "problem" is of of sight, it will stay out of mind. Actually, there are lots of advantages to not really knowing. I figure that if I never become a collector, then I don't have a problem. How many khukuris does it take to make a collection? The answer will always be more than I have. (the rationales never, ever end)

Golok, did you ever see the Gurkhas practicing with their khukuris??

Welcome to the forum....Dan

 
Hi Berkley of 49 Kukris, that's a nice number. They should have a statue of you somewhere in Kathmandu.

And Lt. Dan, I have not seen Gurkha training with kukris. There's a popular saying that Gurkhas almost never draw their kukris. If they do, the kukris must draw blood, otherwise it stays sheathed.

I wonder if that rumour is to frighten the wits out of their opponents.

My dad who lived through the horror times of World War II told me this story of a Gurkha soldier who was fighting against the Japanese soldiers and was badly shot in the right arm.

In fact, his arm was rendered useless. The Gurkha just took out his kukri, sliced off his right arm and continued to fight with his left.

What a story to tell a little boy. I heard that tale when I was about 6 six years. I have not forgotten it for 40 years!

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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
What John neglected to mention is that the caption of that photo is something like "southwall.jpg". There are other walls and at least one door covered with khukuris that aren't shown.
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