Indian Army Issue?

beoram

beoram

Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Messages
1,780
Does anyone know what the current Indian Army issue khukuri (if there is such a thing) looks like? Anything like this?:

KUKRI.JPG


thanks, B.
 
Good evening Ben,
These ones are easy to find in Italy too! Exactly same fashion of blade, choe and scabbards. I guess they come from India and they are not exactly HI standard. The ones that I've seen had their Karda and Chakma tucked in in between the scabbard and the frog.
I was going to buy one, in a moment of HIKV withdrawal, few months ago but after a second look at it I decided to let it go.
Fausto
 
Evening Fausto - are they marketed as Indian Army issue in Italy too?

Somewhere (I think in the FAQ) I remember reading that India continues to make khukuris in Dehra Dun and other places for their Gorkha regiments (whether the Gorkhas use them or not is another question)....if this is true, then presumably some must make it out of the country. Just wondering if anyone knew what the current issue looks like? The supposed Indian-issue one below isn't very pretty, but it'd be interesting to see what India issues to their Gorkhas....(also be interesting to know if any of the Indian Gorkha regiments are headed for the Punjab at the moment....)

cheers again, Ben.
 
"Does anyone know what the current Indian Army issue khukuri (if there is such a thing) looks like? Anything like this?"

Not even close. The thing pictured is produced in India by the zillions. It isn't a bad knife, but the k&c are pathetic and an insult. Atlanta Cutlery here pumps 'em out and there must be major outlets throughout Europe because I see a lot on eBay from Germany and Italy being sold as "authentic Gurkha knives". Well two words out of three ain't bad.

The Gurkha Regiments in the Indian Army are still getting their kukris from Nepal.
 
Finally, a Khukuri I feel confident identifying. I concur with JP. It does indeed look like an AC Khukuri. Retail price here in LasVegas $25-30 ...overpriced I feel :(
 
Originally posted by John Powell
"Does anyone know what the current Indian Army issue khukuri (if there is such a thing) looks like? Anything like this?"

Not even close. The thing pictured is produced in India by the zillions. It isn't a bad knife, but the k&c are pathetic and an insult. Atlanta Cutlery here pumps 'em out and there must be major outlets throughout Europe because I see a lot on eBay from Germany and Italy being sold as "authentic Gurkha knives". Well two words out of three ain't bad.

The Gurkha Regiments in the Indian Army are still getting their kukris from Nepal.
Click to expand...

I suspected that the one pictured above wasn't 'authentic'.

So is there any such thing as an Indian Army issue khukuri? And if so, is there anything which differentiates it from any other khukuri?

Ran across another seller (not the one who's selling the kukri pictured above) which he claims to be a genuine Indian Army kukri:

It was being issued as of 6 years ago when I purchased it from a military sales store. My friends uncle is a colonel in the Indian Army and verifies the authenticity; also the made in India label helps. I did not claim it was old, historic. It is recent issue and, as far as I know, there are dealers who sell these knives in North America. The blade has been sharpened. My charge hand where I am employed explained that when they produced the knives they would save on production time by letting the soldiers sharpen their own. Apparently the Nepalese who are in the Indian Army like to sharpen their own blades - makes sense to me.

i-1.JPG


But if all of the Indian Army kukris are being made in Nepal yet (did Dehra Dun just turn into a tourist-shop??), then this story doesn't ring true....

cheers again, B.
 
Ben: I 3rd John and Bill's opinions. What's worse is that I paid $18.50 to Atlanta Cutlery in 1986 for that Khuk ( term applied loosely). I especially like the ridge on the outside of the scabbard to keep the frog from slipping off. I couldn't get an edge on that thing to save my life. The K & C were androgynous ( couldn't tell which was which! )

That was my first and last Khuk until I was introduced to Uncle. Imagine basing your whole opinion of a genre of knife based on that sample:barf: Thankfully I lost track of where that adolescent treasure buggered off to.

-Craig
 
thanks for the replies all - this one look any better? (very hard to tell from the bad photo):

i-1.JPG


B.
 
The Indian Army has Gurkha Regiments. They are run by Indian and Nepalese Officers.

There is no official kukri made by the Indian government that I have ever heard of.

The knife pictured is also currently produced and is the model stamped with WW I markings and offered as an "authentic WW I" piece.
I think this model is a little larger that the first thing you posted and AC sells it as one of the 3 kukris in its line.
 
In Italy sellers don't advertise them with any catchy marketing line as "Indian Army Issue" or "Original Ghurka". When sitting in the shops windows they catch one's eye then, at closer range, disillusion sets quickly in.
Fausto
 
They have already landed in Brazil, too, both these and the pig faced, black handled variant. They are not being importaed by any knife-related company, though. Maybe some company bringing souvenirs. and, of course, those brass handled, cavalry sabers with nickel palted blades have to come, too.
 
I believe it was Yvsa who intuitively stated that ..."if you file a hook-notch into the back of the blade on one of these, they would be great for lifting hot coffee pots out of the campfire with." :D
 
Originally posted by John Powell
The Indian Army has Gurkha Regiments. They are run by Indian and Nepalese Officers.
Click to expand...
Yes, I wasn't sure what the seller meant here myself....

Originally posted by John Powell
There is no official kukri made by the Indian government that I have ever heard of.

The knife pictured is also currently produced and is the model stamped with WW I markings and offered as an "authentic WW I" piece.
I think this model is a little larger that the first thing you posted and AC sells it as one of the 3 kukris in its line.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for the info. cheers, B.
 
Thanks for good info. Last time I heard Gorkha Regiments of the Indian Army had their own kamis on site so many of the khukuris carried by the troops were, indeed, made in India right on the spot by Nepali kamis.
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino
Last time I heard Gorkha Regiments of the Indian Army had their own kamis on site so many of the khukuris carried by the troops were, indeed, made in India right on the spot by Nepali kamis.
Click to expand...

But would these be likely to be marked 'Made in India'??
 
The early post 1947 Indian Military Khukuri was marked "Tempered Steel/Made in India". These were good military production quality pieces, and should not be confused with any of the AC stuff.

The Atlanta Cutlery stuff can be made to work, but most of the examples I have seen seem to completely lack an edge bevel. If you have a grinder, or are willing to spend a few hours working it with a stone, you will end up with a crude but functional khukuri. They are a step above the lion pommel and chrome plated tourist pieces. Although, that is not saying much, YVSA's basa wood model can take and hold a better then some of this stuff. :)

n2s
 
I'm not sure how the Nepali Kamis marked the khukuris. I'm guessing if they could get away with it they would stay away from the India marking, however.
 
If that is the Atlanta Cutlery model, (and it looks like it is) then its not to bad of a knife in my opinion. You can pick them up in most knife shops for under $20, and they are pretty tough to break. I have had one for around 5 years and have beat the crap out of it but it has never let me down. The sheath is junk and you will have to put an edge on it, but for $20 what do you expect. They come no where near H.I. quality but as far as being a tough knife that you wont be afraid to abuse they cant be beat. I gave one to my brother to introduce him to the Khukuri design and he loves it.

randy
 
I also had an Atlanta Cutlery Kukri and it worked for me until I found the forum and Uncle Bill and H.I.:)
I also gave it to a brother so he could say he had a kukri. And he loves it as well. Just doesn't know the difference.

I bought what is called the regular army issue model and was disgusted at the edge it had when it got to me. Actually it was...What edge?
I bet it was 0.040" thick give or take a little. I do have to say it was adequately hardened and held an edge very satisfactorily under the description of the so called specs.;)
I gave up trying to sharpen it with a file as one is supposed to be able to do and took it to work where I was able to get a hair poppin edge on it with the belt sander.
The biggest thing I had against it was the full tang that vibrated way too much when one was chopping any wood that was decently hard.

One of these days I'm gonna buy one of their Assam Rifle's Models with the rat tail tang just to see what the quality is these days. Actually have been meaning too for quite some time and just been puttin' it off.
I have in mind to do some serious rework on the kukri when I get it to see if I can sort of duplicate some of the older models I've seen.
And if the blade is suitably decent I may even go so far as to make a new handle for it.
Should be interesting whatever the outcome ainnit?:)
 
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