Kukri Knife - the Gurkha one

[T Abell]

I have a very old Gurka Kukri that I got somewhere when I was a kid - probably 25-30 years ago at least. I can post a picture later but it is the Kukri design (near as I can tell - the general shape is a Kukri anyway) and is about 12" long. The handle is wood and riveted to the blade along with a "pommel plate" we'll call it.

The sheath is a wooden sheath with a thin leather covering that also holds two accessory knives. These look like they were made by a 5 year old and IIRC at least one has the handle about to come off. The sheath also has a metal device at the tip, and it slips into a belt loop that is a separate piece (and falls off a lot). I've considered making a Kydex sheath for it if I determine it is worth it.

I know Kukris are kind of a hand-made thing and there is no real standard for them. That said, this thing is a beast of a knife. The blade is probably 1/4" thick at it's thickest point.

I have a few questions about the design in general:

1) Is there a standard Kukri design? I took a peek on Amazon and there are several different vendors and all look like they are handmade in a hut somewhere. I know truck leaf springs are a desired material for the blades (could do worse) but from there.......

2) Does anyone make a modern equivalent of this thing, using more modern materials and more consistent manufacturing techniques? I've seen a few but I don't know if they are any good. I think Gerber and Smith and Wesson have versions out there. Are they better than the originals?

3) What is the general consensus of the design? I know the Gurkhas are some fierce fighters but how useful are they in general field/camping use? It looks like it would make a hell of a light-duty ax and small critter (including the 2-legged kind) repellant.

Any info would be appreciated. I'll see if I can post a picture later.

Thanks,

 

[stonproject]

I have a very old Gurka Kukri that I got somewhere when I was a kid - probably 25-30 years ago at least. I can post a picture later but it is the Kukri design (near as I can tell - the general shape is a Kukri anyway) and is about 12" long. The handle is wood and riveted to the blade along with a "pommel plate" we'll call it.

The sheath is a wooden sheath with a thin leather covering that also holds two accessory knives. These look like they were made by a 5 year old and IIRC at least one has the handle about to come off. The sheath also has a metal device at the tip, and it slips into a belt loop that is a separate piece (and falls off a lot). I've considered making a Kydex sheath for it if I determine it is worth it.

I know Kukris are kind of a hand-made thing and there is no real standard for them. That said, this thing is a beast of a knife. The blade is probably 1/4" thick at it's thickest point.

I have a few questions about the design in general:

1) Is there a standard Kukri design? I took a peek on Amazon and there are several different vendors and all look like they are handmade in a hut somewhere. I know truck leaf springs are a desired material for the blades (could do worse) but from there.......

2) Does anyone make a modern equivalent of this thing, using more modern materials and more consistent manufacturing techniques? I've seen a few but I don't know if they are any good. I think Gerber and Smith and Wesson have versions out there. Are they better than the originals?

3) What is the general consensus of the design? I know the Gurkhas are some fierce fighters but how useful are they in general field/camping use? It looks like it would make a hell of a light-duty ax and small critter (including the 2-legged kind) repellant.

Any info would be appreciated. I'll see if I can post a picture later.

Thanks,

I would say the 10-12" range is usually the standard. The wood handle, thick blade, brass collar and handle plate, along with the wood scabbard wrapped in leather is pretty much the standard khukri today. They do come in sizes far larger or smaller. The two little knives it comes with, one is a utility tool, the other is a field sharpener, but if I'm remembering correctly they had some significant meaning to the Nepalese people, but don't quote me on that part...

There are definitely modern counterparts. The RMJ tactical khukri is pretty bad ass and I couldn't say whether its more effective than a Nepalese khukri but it looks effective enough. Theres also cheaper counterparts from brands like cold steel and ka bar. The Original khukri design has been around a long time, sometimes its best to stick with the traditional made knives.

General consensus? I guess that they're extremely effective choppers, formidable weapons, and capable of all mundane tasks around the camp or village. Theres a famous photo of a Gurka giving a British soldier a haircut with a khukri in WW2 I believe, that photo always stuck with me, ill try to dig it up later.

 

[Billy889]

I would say the 10-12" range is usually the standard. The wood handle, thick blade, brass collar and handle plate, along with the wood scabbard wrapped in leather is pretty much the standard khukri today. They do come in sizes far larger or smaller. The two little knives it comes with, one is a utility tool, the other is a field sharpener, but if I'm remembering correctly they had some significant meaning to the Nepalese people, but don't quote me on that part...

There are definitely modern counterparts. The RMJ tactical khukri is pretty bad ass and I couldn't say whether its more effective than a Nepalese khukri but it looks effective enough. Theres also cheaper counterparts from brands like cold steel and ka bar. The Original khukri design has been around a long time, sometimes its best to stick with the traditional made knives.

General consensus? I guess that they're extremely effective choppers, formidable weapons, and capable of all mundane tasks around the camp or village. Theres a famous photo of a Gurka giving a British soldier a haircut with a khukri in WW2 I believe, that photo always stuck with me, ill try to dig it up later.

+1

 

[T Abell]

I would say the 10-12" range is usually the standard. The wood handle, thick blade, brass collar and handle plate, along with the wood scabbard wrapped in leather is pretty much the standard khukri today. They do come in sizes far larger or smaller. The two little knives it comes with, one is a utility tool, the other is a field sharpener, but if I'm remembering correctly they had some significant meaning to the Nepalese people, but don't quote me on that part...

There are definitely modern counterparts. The RMJ tactical khukri is pretty bad ass and I couldn't say whether its more effective than a Nepalese khukri but it looks effective enough. Theres also cheaper counterparts from brands like cold steel and ka bar. The Original khukri design has been around a long time, sometimes its best to stick with the traditional made knives.

General consensus? I guess that they're extremely effective choppers, formidable weapons, and capable of all mundane tasks around the camp or village. Theres a famous photo of a Gurka giving a British soldier a haircut with a khukri in WW2 I believe, that photo always stuck with me, ill try to dig it up later.

Thanks for the info. Reading up on it, it seems that mine was made similar to the design made by contractors for the Indian army. It has a full-tang blade with the handle riveted to it. It may be a cheap imitation. IIRC I didn't pay very much for it.

The one I have is pretty good I think, though I have no idea what it's made of. My concern would be if I were to want to purchase one as a utility knife would be the consistency of manufacture. Could I get another one that is good, or would it be crap? The design seems like a good design for a camping/'survival' knife.

 

[stonproject]

Thanks for the info. Reading up on it, it seems that mine was made similar to the design made by contractors for the Indian army. It has a full-tang blade with the handle riveted to it. It may be a cheap imitation. IIRC I didn't pay very much for it.

The one I have is pretty good I think, though I have no idea what it's made of. My concern would be if I were to want to purchase one as a utility knife would be the consistency of manufacture. Could I get another one that is good, or would it be crap? The design seems like a good design for a camping/'survival' knife.

Ive had excellent experiences with Khukri House. They make fine cutting tools at reasonable prices.

 

[danbot]

Thanks for the info. Reading up on it, it seems that mine was made similar to the design made by contractors for the Indian army. It has a full-tang blade with the handle riveted to it. It may be a cheap imitation. IIRC I didn't pay very much for it.

The one I have is pretty good I think, though I have no idea what it's made of. My concern would be if I were to want to purchase one as a utility knife would be the consistency of manufacture. Could I get another one that is good, or would it be crap? The design seems like a good design for a camping/'survival' knife.

Have you checked out the Himalayan Imports forum here? They make their modern Khukris in Nepal.
https://bladeforums.com/forums/himalayan-imports.739/

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Greetings!

My guess is that you have a dead-soft mystery metal flea market khuk. Don't worry. Everyone has had one at one point. These are generally worse than the tourist stuff the push on the streets of Nepal, because at least those are gussied up to look pretty.

That said, you owe yourself a traditional khuk. I'm biased toward Himalayan Imports, obviously. However, it really is a night and day difference between what you have now and what you can get from Mrs. Yangdu Martino. Just about the thinnest model easily found through HI is 5/16" thick. Most of them are 3/8" or thicker.

Check out the HI forum and feel free to ask any questions you might have. We love having fresh faces stop by

 

[T Abell]

Have you checked out the Himalayan Imports forum here? They make their modern Khukris in Nepal.
https://bladeforums.com/forums/himalayan-imports.739/

I'll check that out. Thanks!

Greetings!

My guess is that you have a dead-soft mystery metal flea market khuk. Don't worry. Everyone has had one at one point. These are generally worse than the tourist stuff the push on the streets of Nepal, because at least those are gussied up to look pretty.

That said, you owe yourself a traditional khuk. I'm biased toward Himalayan Imports, obviously. However, it really is a night and day difference between what you have now and what you can get from Mrs. Yangdu Martino. Just about the thinnest model easily found through HI is 5/16" thick. Most of them are 3/8" or thicker.

Check out the HI forum and feel free to ask any questions you might have. We love having fresh faces stop by

Mine may well be. I think I paid $9 for it or something. And this was years ago. If it's crap, it's crap. I've had a hell of a time sharpening it because it is so darn big and I didn't have a stone big enough. It's been in the "knife box" for decades.

I'd like to have a real one because let's face facts - Kukri's are awesome! Something about a big, thick blade that can either a) cut it or b) beat it in half is great!

I think a Kukri is one of those rare cases where the best ones are actually Asian imports!

Are the Himilayan Imports ones "working grade" or are they more ornate?

ETA - nevermind. Perused the website and got my answer.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I'll check that out. Thanks!



Mine may well be. I think I paid $9 for it or something. And this was years ago. If it's crap, it's crap. I've had a hell of a time sharpening it because it is so darn big and I didn't have a stone big enough. It's been in the "knife box" for decades.

I'd like to have a real one because let's face facts - Kukri's are awesome! Something about a big, thick blade that can either a) cut it or b) beat it in half is great!

I think a Kukri is one of those rare cases where the best ones are actually Asian imports!

Are the Himilayan Imports ones "working grade" or are they more ornate?

ETA - nevermind. Perused the website and got my answer.

Working pieces of art for sure...just depends on how fancy you like your art

At 9 bucks, I'm sure that it's a junker. Most likely made in India (not that khuks from India are all bad, just that a lot of the lowest end ones come from there).

My suggestion is that if you want to get into khuks, there are two ways I would go:

For cost effective, poke around the forum and look up the KLVUK. It's not on the website store. It's very tough yet traditional. It's a thinner stock, left rough on purpose and will probably sharpen easier.

If you want the real deal bombproof khuk, look for a chiruwa AK in the 16-18" overall length.

Now, if I were going to pick one or the other for drop-me-in-the-woods duty, I would actually take the KLVUK. It's nice and thin and quite a bit lighter. If you're looking to obliterate kindling, the CAK will do that for sure. It'll be tougher too.

When it comes to sharpening a khuk, learning to convex is your friend. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy peasy.

 

[mushka]

I have had my kukri 20 some years and it has a 12" blade and is 1/8" width with the standard looking wood handle with steel rivets, front and back, with a steel flat pommel. There is a ground area on the blade in front of the handle about an inch from it. I looks like the british army ordinance arrow stamped with a number or something ground off under the shaft of the arrow. Scabbard is wood with leather with a belt loop sewn to it, a piece sewn at the top that contains the two small knives. I read sometime in the past that the small knives were for skinning animals, that's just what I read a long time ago.

 

[Andy the Aussie]

There are also some quality modern takes on them as well....love the Kukri !!!

 

[T Abell]

Here are some pictures of the one I have. As I said earlier - I suspect it is a cheapie:

With the two accessory knives/tools and the scabbard (yes that is electrical tape where I had to repair it) - the accessory tools are in pretty sad shape:

Length measurement - 17 inches:

Only blade marking:

Credit where credit's due - it's been in the knife box for probably 10-20 years and no new rust has formed. I don't think my wife had ever seen it, and we've been married over 12 years!

 

[jceckrosh]

Yeah, lot's of modern/current makers make Kukris/Khukris. As said, RMJ makes one, and if the axe I have from them is any indication, it should be outstanding. Ryan Weeks makes them, I have one and it's fantastic. Obviously Jason Knight. And many others.

I think the traditional ones are fun, but the construction and materials on a lot of them give me pause.

 

[Sonnydaze]

Just to note that the contestant with the kukri did great in a recent "Knife or Death" competition, based on
the "Forged in Fire" tv series.

 

[T Abell]

Yeah, lot's of modern/current makers make Kukris/Khukris. As said, RMJ makes one, and if the axe I have from them is any indication, it should be outstanding. Ryan Weeks makes them, I have one and it's fantastic. Obviously Jason Knight. And many others.

I think the traditional ones are fun, but the construction and materials on a lot of them give me pause.

Your last line is part of my concern with the Kukri. Yes, the design is an awesome, eating a-bacon-cheeseburger-while-riding-a-T-Rex manly, bad-ass knife. But how do you know you are getting one made of good stuff? And can it be improved by modern manufacturing and materials? Answer to the last question is almost always yes.

I have no doubt our resident vendor (Himalayan Imports) sells good stuff though.

 

[jceckrosh]

This is mine, by Ryan Weeks.

 

[ShannonSteelLabs]

Here are 2 similar modern kukris. The narrower one is 0.187 thick the wide one on the saw horse is 0.220 thick
Both are CPM 3V. Made by myself.

 

[shortwinger]

Question 1. Saying I want a kukri is much like saying I want a knife. There are many different Kukri models made for different tasks. There are farm tools made for heavy chopping or lighter longer faster models for vegetation, military models, utility, etc. But even something that should be typical like a military model isn't necessarily a fixed pattern or design. The military models have shrunk with time and a change in their primary usage. Back centuries ago the kukri might have been the primary backup weapon to a sword, and so it was a serious weapon. Just take a look at the MkI or old trational bhojpure (19"+) and you will see that they were frightful weapons. As firearms came on the scene their roll began to change and the kukri shrunk to the MkII size, 18" overall with a 12" blade. The current issue is about a 16" overall with a 10-10.5 inch blade. So to answer question 1, no there is no standard design for a "kukri" however, there are general standards for particular models, especially when you talk about correctly made military models.

Question 2. Yes several companies and a few talented individuals make a kukri with modern materials that are worth your time. There are also some companies such as HI and Tora that make kukri the traditional way but with much higher quality control than most of the "mega marts." Many will not want to hear the answer but in my opinion there is no real competition in the modern made market for the CS Gurkha Kukri. It is made with modern materials and its design and measurements are based on the MkII, which was the longest running issued kukri, from the end of WWI to the end of WWII in 1944.

I have never had a high end custom kukri and would love to have a Jason Knight kukri to use as hard as I use my CS and HI Bonecutter and see how it holds up. But that isn't currently in the budget.

Question 3. As far as the design, it is a fantastic blade. I love them and use mine all the time. Around the yard, in the woods, in the kitchen, and lots of places in between. There is a learning curve and once you get used to it, you will either love them or hate them. They are not for everybody, but in the wildly fictional "if I only had one blade" scenario, mine would be a a kukri.

Just be aware of the newer fad market from Nepal and with some of the custom guys. Just because people call their blade a kukri doesn't mean it is one. The kukri has a certain combination of length, width, weight, weight distribution, balance, feel, edge and bevel that make it work like and behave like a kukri. Many of these fad guys just make a blade that has similar lines of the the kukri but once in hand they do not behave or perform like a kukri. In my personal experience, once you get below the size of the Service No 1 (also called the BSI or Jungle) it stops performing like a kukri and just becomes and ackwardly shaped knife. I learned that lesson the hard way looking for a more compact model, they just don't work. For me, 16.5-18 inch overall blade with a roughly 700 gram weight is ideal.

Good luck on your search.

 

[mushka]

Update on my kukri mentioned earlier in this thread. I did some looking and reading and the kukri is a M44 model. Unknown what the actual manufacture date is. It is all original as to the knife, scabbard and two small knives. Interesting piece, it is now a wall hanger.