Please help ID kukri?

C

Codfather

Joined
Jan 14, 2001
Messages
67
Hi from Andy..Ive been out of the Kukri collecting business, but I got this for $70.00..WW2? Sharpened??
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Looks like the MK-2/M-43 model to me.

Shortwinger/JDK1/Sta94 will be answer to you quick.
 
sweet find, I know nothing about these though... ive just got to say that Im predicting an imminent moving unless someone injects some HI into this thread....

it DOES look a lot like an M43, if it turns out to be the real mccoy then sweet find
 
Well hmmm. I'll start by saying Berkley and others know far more than I about these things. I can say it shares some features of the standard Mk. II khukuri from WWII. I have a couple and they are all about 17.5", so it's a bit longer than what I understand to be standard. Mine also have wood, not horn. The sheath is very much like what I've seen for Mk. IIs. It does have an intergral welded steel bolster, which seems a key Mk. II feature, but the horn handle and length would make me think it more of a private purchase or something along those lines maybe. Over on another forum, a very knowledgable English chap often speaks of how there were myriad khukuri purchased for and by different units, or whatever they called the groups. So, it could be something like that. So, let me beat Bill by saying it's absolutely without value and you could cut your already significant losses by selling it to me for cheap:D. Kidding, of course. Seems like a very neat khukuri and I would be happy with the deal you got. Please let us know what you find out as it's quite an interesting khuk at the very least. Take care.
 
jdk1 said:
Over on another forum, a very knowledgable English chap often speaks of how there were myriad khukuri purchased for and by different units, or whatever they called the groups.
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John, I think you meant Jonathan AKA Spiraltwista.
 
JayGoliath said:
John, I think you meant Jonathan AKA Spiraltwista.
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I was actually thinking of Simon. He makes the point that the Mk. I-V khukuri are only part of the picture. But, I would love to get Jonathan's take on this also.

Codfather, the handle looks like horn to me. Earlier you also asked if it was sharpened. They're all sharpened. I reckon the question for collector's being by whom and when:). The only thing I (please remember, I'm no expert in any way) notice about yours is the tip looks smoothed edge side and back side. It kind of makes me wonder about belt sander use maybe. My two standard Mk. IIs and M43 variant do not have that, but that only means this one is different from mine. If that's even what caused it, I'm sure they had belt sanders in WWII. I'm not qualified to address whether or not it's representative of a WW II Gurkha khukuri. It seems Gurkhas, as other soldiers, used many different edged weapons. Last year I would have laughed at the thought of Gurkhas swinging aluminum alloy handled khuks in combat. Well, it seems they used quite a few of those! I learn something new everytime I log onto khukuri websites. In my very LIMITED knowledge, your khuk here doesn't represent the typical Mk. II as they seemed to be standardized around 17.5" OAL, but it does closely follow the design. Very closely IMHO. It looks like someone took a Mk. II, put horn on it and stretched it out an extra 1.5 inches. My M43 Mk. II variant has no markings. I had an idea of what it was, but was not sure. All I could do was research, ask very helpful and friendly folks for thier opinion, and compare features with known examples. In the end, you may never know for sure exactly what it is or for what use it came to be. But, that can be a neat feature in and of itself. Sometimes a little mystery adds to the romance. It is a lovely khuk no matter. Good luck and take care.
 
Horn handle suggests it's likely one of the many MkII/M43-style kukris available for private purchase by Allied troops in the CBI Theatre during and immediately after WWII.
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Berks right,Its a late ww2 era private purchase versian of mk.2 pattern kukri.

JDK if you read my pattern kukri article I do point out that Unit & private purchase kukri were also bought,made & carried.

Spiral
 
spiraltwista said:
Berks right,Its a late ww2 era private purchase versian of mk.2 pattern kukri.

JDK if you read my pattern kukri article I do point out that Unit & private purchase kukri were also bought,made & carried.

Spiral
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You are correct Jonathan and I have used your info many times. Many thanks for compiling what seems to be the authoritative work on British military khukuri. I was just thinking of how Simon's disdain of the chiruwa/panawal Mk. II gives him a good reason to remind us that the Mk. khukuri are but a small part of the picture, unless your Bill:) No disrespect intended Jonathan and thanks again for providing the information so many of us turn to. Take care.
 
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