Hi Guys Have you guys heard of ToraToraTora khukuris or had any experience in using them. They are thinner than most at around 1/4inches but I just spoke to the guy and he claims to supply to the British Army. ToraToraTora Any help appreciated. B
The khuks don't look all that special, but I would be interested in a stand...hmmm... Anyone know where i could find one in the US?
Dunno. Hard to tell from a pic. However, they do look like the villagers Uncle Bill gets from time to time. Sorta like the ones I saw in the local sporting goods store.
About Tora kukri stock, our kukri are based on the military design which is generally quarter inch stock. This is for me, better than the current Nepali thick stock, which is only done by most kami in Nepal because it easier for them to make it that way. However from a military point of view the Nepali stock is no good as it makes the blade to heavy. Try cutting through the jungle with an almost half inch stock and 13" blade, it simply cant be done, also try fighting your enemy with a blade like that when your gun is jammed, after a few cut and thrusts your arm will cramp up and that will be that!! We have tried to hit the balance between lightness of use and strength, and we have not always got it right, but we are well on the way.
Tora, Tora, Tora = Attack,Attack,Attack, in Japanese, Dont know if it means anything in Nepalese? So Sirupate If your design is "based on the Military design" Does that mean you dont actualy supply the brigade of Gurkhas, But you do supply some individual members of them? Spiral
For an old man I have done a lot of work with the few khuks that I have and, It has been the sharpness of the knife that usually keeps one from doing certain things with a khuk. I don't think this guy supplies the gurkaha's with khuks. Even the old blades that Berkley showed me had a spine very close to 3/8" and tapered from there. Sound more like the copies that I have heard about that come out of India. I forget the name of the company that claims they can duplicate the HI khuks But, I am sure there quality control leaves a bit to be desired. The one India khuk that my son left with me has a fairly hard sweet spot but the rest of the khuk is not any where near the standards of any HI I have seen. Not even the blems.
Hello there, We (Tora)do not supply the Gurkhas, but do sell the curent issue British issue 11" bladed and 5" horn handled issue kukri. A lot of people sell the 10.25" bladed replica made in Nepal as Service no.1 and service no.2, which has not been issued for a long time. However we have supplied the Royal Marine Commando with kukri and a lot of forces individuals with our kukri, who have used our products in all sorts of conditions icludinr the Afghanistan and Iraqi war. By the way Tora Tora Tora was the attack code for Pearl Harbour and Means Tiger Tiger Tiger. Our Company tends to specialise in Historical Military replicasof which we have a new range comming through.
JustRight & Sirupate, Please excuse my ignorance re. Tora,Tora,Tora, I was obviously incorrect! Sirupate, Well all this does sound interesting!Thankyou! Spiral
Hope I have been of some help, if anybody has some questions about the Gurkhas and the kukri, i will be happy to answer.
I dont know how long you were cutting through jungle with a 13" blade and 1/2" stock handle, but it cant have been very long if it was of Western Nepali type design, as it would have weighed nearly 3lb!! That is why Gurkhas often prefer the Eastern type of design (Sirupate), because most kami in Nepal cant do 1/4" stock well, the Sirupate with 1/2" stock is lighter and more usable because of the shape. However in the Malayan confrantion Gurkhas still used WWII issue kukri in preferance, in the early days while they were still avaliable for issue. Possibly the best WWII Kukri made, were the M43 that were manufactured in Sheffield England and they come with a 1/4" stock, and have the best attributes of both the Sirupate and Western Nepali blades. It is a design we are trying to get made in Nepal as near to Sheffield spec as possible, except it will be hand made. We already do a collecters/martial art training version of it.
We do a NEW Forces designed kukri, with lanyard loop facility in the handle. They have just arrived but have already gone, ill keep you posted for when the next lot come in. This type is very popular with the Royal Marine Commando.
Sirupate, the khukuri I used was a HI Gelbu Special model, which is nearly 1/2" thick at the spine but has fullers forged into the sides to make it much lighter than expected with that spine thickness. I wasn't using on jungle per say, just underbrush in Pennsylvania woods. I've used it for several hours at a time clearing brush and although it is tiring, I've had no trouble with my arm cramping. I'm not an unusually large or strong person, in fact at that time I was 16 years old and only weighed about 125 lbs. I do agree that the massively overbuilt blades aren't as desireable as lighter blades, but with the exception of my Gelbu Special, none of my HI blades have 1/2" spines, not even my 18" Ang Khola. It's a little over 3/8" thick at the spine, while my WWII model is somewhere between 1/4" and 3/8". When properly forged these blades seem to strike a good balance between weight and performance, IMO at least. Stock thickness doesn't tell the whole story.
Sir, Ck. your "history",your statement regarding Shef,K's made in England,Gurk's threw them away didn't like them!As for the rest of your statements,I'll wait for JP to comment!! I trust him!! YOU??? THE SAINT
I thought it meant "tiger" but "attack" is appropriate. However, if you lived in Nagasaki or Hiroshima it ultimately meant kiss your arse goodbye. Some of us will never forget. Semp
Hello Roadrunner, I agree stock is not the whole story, and if you had proper fullers in the blade that would make a big difference. 1.25 pounds is a good weight and somewhat easier to handle than 3 pounds!! Since being taught how to use the kukri at boarding school, I have found it to be the most versatile blade in the World, keep chopping!!! Regards Tora
