Kukri photo

Heres an 18 inch blade villager, In WW1 average Gurkha height was 5ft 2 in.

Those blokes were about 50 years earlier, & out in the sticks I would guess 5ft was more likley. {You get Tall Nepalis in Kathmando vally but not in the wilds usualy.]

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This one is not as old as the ones in the photo, the blades an old villager, the handle is a post ww2 kami replacment & the bevel was re forged to give it new life & shape in my opinion then re-tempered.

But I think it is similar length & spirit as the ones in the photo.

The pouch contains a Silk coccon holding tinder , and a piece of quartz for striking a spark,

I picked it up on site in Nepal a couple of years ago...


Size wise here it is with other Sirupate & a ww2 mk.2. the one beneath it is a 16 inch blade.

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An 18 inch kukri has 14.5 inch blade maximum. often less. But those are serious back country kukri ther wearing. I think the ones in the picture are not short handled pieces, I cant proove it, but , Ive had a lot of kukri & stuided manty in photos.

{600+ kukri owned in passing & 12, 000 kukri, Gurkha & village,photos,}

But each to there own. ;)

Spiral
 
Spiraltwista,
The lesson I get grows. The one hand draw; set to rest, these stout men are worried more about carrying they're kit and packs up and down hills and mountains and for long distances in as relative comfort as possible. The blades are bushwacking tools made to be drawn, most often, for every possible use and not simply for a martial role as is my shortsighted perception. Thanks for the photos.
mark
 
Great pictures and info. So, a question: what would you say was the usual size (or usual size-range) for khukuris in Nepal in, say, the 19th Century? I'm kind of curious, and still trying to figure out optimal blade length for various uses.

Thanks!
 
Judging from Nepali national museam, evrything fro 10 inch blades to 2ft blades was in use on occasion militarily in the last 300 years.

Many in fact probably the majority of Nepalese army military blades from 19th century where just about 15 or so inches I think. They seem to weight from 24 oz to 32 oz on average. {some might be down to 12 or 13inches but there not so common on the ground .}

British Gurkha ones were usualy in the lower half of that weight range.

Once bolt actions came in kukri started to get smaller for soldiers.

But lots of variations in all kukri.

For backwoods Nepal village use, from the 19th century , I havent seen enough to truly say.

Optimal is IMHO, length ratio to weight, ratio to balance , for whatever particular job or jobs in questian.


What job do you have in mind?

Spiral
 
In my case, mostly camping / bushcraft type uses are what I have in mind. I'm tending toward the conclusion that a medium-to-smallish H.I. khukuri (15-17 inches overall length) is usually optimal. But I don't think I've ever handled one with an 18-inch blade, and am a little curious about what they are like.
 
The 18 inch blades are nice but not neccasary for camping in most of the world.

For camping personaly Id like a 12 or 13inch blade, weighing somewhere around 24 oz. for fast efficient work. But others may have other preferences.

To me the 10 to 11 inch blades seem to just nowhere near the same power & leverage of even the 12 inch bladed ones, but that may be just me?


But I guess For just cutting kindling & sticks in camps any reliable kukri should do.

Spiral
 
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