I was looking through some old Blade mag's and..

[Yvsa]

:
:
ran across some references to the Khukuri.
The first one is just a small blurb about combat knives in the June '91 edition and written by David E. Steele.The picture of the Khukuri is what I found so interesting though.
I believe it is a Hanuman Blade!
It has a single spine running the full length of the blade back to where the curve starts downward.
The handle has a flat butt cap and what loos to be two pieces of metal above and below the raised part of the handle.Just below the raised ring is a carved area that looks like concentric ovals coming closer to make an eye.It is a most unusual and interesting Khukuri.Mr.Steele says it is "An authentic Nepalese Gurkha's Kukri.

The other article is in the 15th Anniversary Best of Blade 1989 mag'e.It is a four page article by Hank Reinhardt titled "Curved Death The Legendary Knife of the Gurka." I wrote it as spelled.

This is a very interesting article 4 page long with several pix of some older Khukuris.Some of them appear to be Sirupatis,one other looks to be a Hanuman style and one an Ang Khola and the others are obviously the WW II models.
However there looks to be 3 of them that are labeled WW I and get this.They Are Forward Curveing Khukuris!! Another thing that is most interesting that although they aren't the full wide tanged Khuks like Panna Buttas some of them are peened and rivited both.

The most curious one of them all is almost a forward curving model.It has the familiar WW II blade.It is sadi to be," A WW II Variant kukri,wartime production model,made in a hurry,and _Without_The_Usual_Notch.Blade length 13" X 2 1/4" riveted wooden grips. Emphasis mine.

An excerpt from the article reads thusly,
"There's something about that knife,the kukri,that houses part of the soul of the Gurkas.It's a knife worth it's salt."

I was looking for another knife and was even mistaken about what I was looking for,but I am glad I went back through my old magazines.I have kept these two out now and will put them with my other Khukuri items.
I hope you found this interesting.I wish I could post the pix.They are some beautiful blades portrayed there.

What is really nice is that although I still know nothing,I was able to recognize the individual Khukuris and appreciate them even more than I did when I first read the article,even though I had forgotten about them.
I have Uncle Bill and all of you here in this forum to thank for that.And I do Thank you all!

I am looking forward to continueing my education about the real Khukuri.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
Cornbread ain't s'possed ta be sweet!....Dagnabit gurl,whut did they teach you way up north in .... hehehe.

 

[JeffPaulsen]

It's interesting that Hank Reinhart's name would come up... I was talking about Viking-style broadsword fighting with a friend in my reenactment group last week, and he mentioned Mr Reinhart in connection with that. Mr Reinhart founded a group called the Historical Armored Combat Association, where they simulate armored swordfighting by using a relatively 'soft' sword and very little armor, while my friend uses rattan 'swords' and steel armor.

This post had nothing to do with khukuris. Sorry.

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Namaste,
Jeff Paulsen

"Oh, a magic khukuri. Why didn't you say so?"

 

[JAY H]

Yvsa --- The forward curve khukuri is a fierce fighter, thats one reason I like the 18th century style blade. I think it goes back a long way in time. I noticed this in the pictures in the museum uncle Bill posted in his web site.

 

[Rusty]

http://thehaca.com/

 

[JeffPaulsen]

Thank you Rusty!

I don't want to start any kind of a fight, but multiple people have told me privately of unsatisfactory dealings with Mr Reinhardt personally, and other people have told me of various shortcomings of the HACA. I will not repeat these publicly as I have no PERSONAL knowledge of any of this, but don't consider my mention of him or his organization an endorsement, either.

Namaste,
Jeff Paulsen

[This message has been edited by JeffPaulsen (edited 17 September 1999).]

 

[JeffPaulsen]

Getting back to Yvsa's original topic - I am also very pleased to be able to pick up a khukuri and think, oh, this is a pana butta - this is an 'eye of dove' cho - whatever. Before they were just those knives from Nepal. I am very pleased to have learned so much from everyone here.

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Namaste,
Jeff Paulsen

"Oh, a magic khukuri. Why didn't you say so?"

 

[John Johnson]

Hey gang,

Hank is indeed an interesting man! On a little side note, he did a khukuri design for Blackjack, back when they were still doing knives in Japan. It was called the "Reinhard Combat Khukuri", if I'm not mistaken. I just sold the one I had a few months ago.

It was a mutant, but a pretty fast mutant in the hand! I think the design blows away the Cold Steel designs of today. The BJ one had a more curved spine on the blade, kraton handle, and even had somewhat of a cho on it. The sheath was about a dismal job, however, but at the time that it was made, it was decent for what was available. I'd rather have my HI WWII, anyday.

Sometimes, older is better then "new and improved".

Take care,
John Johnson