Sharpening the Gurkha Kukri

[Kwon Kwang]

I love my Spyderco Sharpmaker, but something tells me it's just not meant for such a beastly tool, and I most definitely do not want to put a grisly edge on it with a file. How do you guys sharpen your GKs?

 

[Drdan]

Traditional Nepalese kukris have a small knife (the karda) sheathed in the kukri's sheath, and also a sharpening steel, called the chakmak. Cold Steel's kukri does not have these.

The photo seen below will describe the sharpening process. Substitute the chakmak for a sharpening stone. Many kukri aficionados at Himalayan Imports will then take a 2" wide heavy leather belt, and glue it to a piece of board which is the same width, and about 18" long. "Chargé" the leather with iron oxide that bladesmiths use or Flitz, and you can polish an already very sharp blade's edge to make them what has been referred to as "stupid sharp".

My favorite kukri is as sharp as my Tai Pan...

 

[Kwon Kwang]

Wow. Thanks for the great post, Drdan. I assure you it won't go to waste.

 

[Drdan]

My pleasure Kwon Kwang. Post some photos of you cutting newspaper with it when you've got it stupid sharp!

 

[Edgesnarf]

I sharpen it with the sharp maker. It works just fine.

 

[Bigfattyt]

No GK here. I have a Busse KZII that I use a loaded strop, ceramic stick. Mine is convexed, though.

 

[crom]

Isn't it a convex grind and edge? I sharpen my non-CS Khukri on sandpaper, over a soft cover book on the arm (chair arm puts arc into book) of my living room chair. Works great, keeps convex edge, gets super sharp.