Why no guard?

[Unbreakable]

As I look over all the HI models the one thing that I am curious about is why they have no sort of finger guard. I know that a Kuk would make a poor stabbing tool anyway but I was just curious. Tradition? Conforming to a given martial art? Why as why?

 

[kronckew]

mostly tradition, it's a cutting tool, not a thrusting one, tho i've seen some martial arts with them using a thrust it's frequently with the pommel in the palm of the weak hand doing the pushing with the strong hand guiding it if any penetration is required (soft areas like throats are an exception but harder to hit, the bend tends to make the point hit lower than intended, there are variants with guards, tulwar style hilts, etc. but the main ones are guardless as it is not designed to either parry or thrust where your hand might slip down the blade. (you'd not do it more than once). it's not a duelling blade like a bowie,usually it's whoever gets in the first chop that walks away leaving the loser in more than one piece... it's kinda like the scandinavian knives where they say only the children need a guard, adults learn to use them without.

a lot of south east asian and indonesian weapons are guardless for similar reasons, and those designed for thrusting have grips designed for that, like pistol grips, and may even have a flaired base to the blade as in kris in order to deflect an opponents blade...there are of course exceptions and guards are found on a lot of pedangs and klewangs, etc. some in emulation of western and indian swords...

 

[Grappler1911]

Actually the ring on the handle acts as a subhilt and they thrust fine.
Just find one with a good point.
Some are better for the thrust than others even within the same type.
I prefer the Chitlangi at about 15 inch overall and around a pound for carrying concealed and 18 inch overall for fighting.

I would like to see a few models with a finger guard as on a Crossada or Hell's Belle.
Say an 18 inch overall Chitlangi with the crossada's integral blade catcher hilt,a true sub hilt without the ring and a non slip handle.
I'd also want the blade ground for live bone and flesh and not like an ax.

 

[Dave Rishar]

There's no guard because it's not needed, even on fairly hard thrusts. As Grappler said, the ring on the grip does an acceptable job of anchoring the hand.

It's also a matter of tradition I'm sure. We still haven't figured out definitely what the kaudi/cho is for, but it wouldn't be a khukuri without one.

 

[Howard Wallace]

Some of the old ones from the days of blade-to-blade combat did have guards. For instance these ones that were on display in Nepal's National Museum.

The guards were not so much to prevent the hand riding up, which is addressed by the central ring, often the handle shape which might swell in the middle, and the bend in the khukuri blade making the handle not parrallel to the thrust vector. Rather the old guards were to help protect the hand from cuts by an adversary and loss of the weapon.

When fighting with knives or swords the hand is an easy target and safer because it doesn't require closing the distance as much as touching the body does. Hence basket hilts on European weapons, guards on "fighting knives," and the guards on old khukuris.

If your khukuri is a tool, or even for combat use other than blade-to-blade, the guard is more extra trouble than it is worth.