Lion pommel

M

Machetero

Joined
Oct 29, 2002
Messages
5
I am new to this forum and I have a question that has been boggling me for some time. Many of the touristy junk Kukris you encounter have a lions head pommel. But I have also seen this lions head on antiques and on seemingly good blades. What is it? Why did the people making the tourist trinkets choose this particular design? Did it have any significance in days past?
 
I believe it is due to the British influence. The old British Empire. Lions Head had significance. I have a "British Swagger Stick" with a Brass Lions Head on it.

Only my opinion. Experts?
 
Apparently when the Indian commercial trade wanted to give their kukris some sense of validity they added a 'lion's head' pommel to these junk knives. I guess the thought being it gave them an antique sense because of the British Raj and their long domination of India.

It is almost the kiss of death to knowledgeable buyers. If it has a lion's head it certainly doesn't have a lion's heart. As usual there are 1 or 2 exceptions but they are very, very rare.
 
Thank you for these answers.
John, I fully agree with you on this. I have always stayed away from the Lions head design earlier. But i recently saw a dui chirra blade with a lions head on it. Judging from the looks of it it (I only saw some photos) seemed like early 20´th century at least, but I´m not sure. I guess I will not know until i see it in real life. Are You sure there as been no historical significance to these designs? Some type of original lions head Kukri that has been copied? I guess I´m barking up the wrong tree here, but I just loove a good anectdote.
Thanks again guys.
 
Somebody sent me one of the lion head khukuris a long time ago after they had tested it. Not much left of it but the pommel was in the parcel. I showed it to Yangdu and asked her what it was. She looked at it and replied, "a pig." I think that tells the story as well as anything.
 
Yeah, thats pretty much what I thought. I am glad we sorted that out about the quality. And about the historical significance... I guess they just made them that way to look like remnants of the early colonial era or something like that. Damn, has anyone seen the same lions head on any British weapons from that time? Maybe thats where they lifted it from? I mean its pretty obvious that the head design must have been recast thousands of times. I just want to know the origin of this strange and pretty ugly type of pommel.
 
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. For "decoration" I prefer a crescent moon and the initials L.B.;)

Sarge
 
...has anyone seen the same lions head on any British weapons from that time?
Click to expand...

Yup, lots of them. It was a common European motif for much of the 19th century.

n2s
 
Don't forget the Lion of Ashoka, the national symbol of India. Consider the fact that lion-head kukris are invariably Indian, and most are post-independence.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top