Kevin,
I have been collecting kukries for over ten years now. The best traditional samples (cold steel and other 1st world products excluded) have been produced by local indian artisans. Unfortunately, virtually all of these are unsigned, hence it is virtually imposible to identify the maker of any particular piece. Given this limitation we need to determine value and quality based on the workmanship, materials, and detail exhibited by the knife.
The design itself, makes a good defensive and utility knife. we know this because we have evidence of similar designs going back to the bronze age (a truely poor product doesn't spread like this).
There are many older kukries of good working quality available at reasonable prices. Unfortunately there is also alot of junk, produced either for the inexperienced knife collector or for the turist trade. Use caution when buying one of these knives trust your eyes (forget the sales pitch - remember it is usually imposible to determine the pedegree of any of these knives).
About the only other warning I could give you is to avoid nickle plated knives marked "india". These are truely wall hangers made and imported for the turist trade - read as pure junk.
Good luck and have fun!
