Having been a fan of knives in the past, over time my attitude towards knife topics has become more relaxed. The knife became for me more of a tool for solving its inherent problems and an element of equipment than an object of desire, as is usually the case among “knife-maniacs”. But the love for certain types of knives still remains. And one of these knives was the Nepalese kukri knife.
History of the Nepalese kukri knife
Kukri is a knife of Nepalese Gurkhas. Nepalese Gurkhas are famous for their fearlessness and high moral endurance. An elite group of Gurkhas has been in the service of the Queen of England since the 19th century, taking part in both world wars and local conflicts involving Great Britain. And if the katana is the symbol of the Japanese samurai, then the symbol of the Nepalese Gurkhas is the kukri, which is their combat knife. The skillful use of kukri and the high destructive properties of this type of knife helped the Gurkhas become famous during night raids, close combat and trench warfare.
Kukri, otherwise spelled khukri or khukuri (khukri or khukuri) - there is no consensus on this matter. But the most common one is kukri or khukri. I suggest sticking with the simplest option - kukri.
Kukri is a traditional Nepalese knife, the first mention of which dates back to the last era. The samples preserved in museums date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Thus, kukri is one of the ancient types of bladed weapons that have survived to this day practically unchanged.
At the moment, kukri is included in the equipment of the military and police.
The Nepalese knife is a curved blade, sharpened on the inside. Like any ancient weapon, the kukri has not only design features, but also symbolic ones.
1 - blade with zone hardening (for large kukri models)
2 - dol, is called "Sword of Shiva". Serves to increase shock-absorbing properties when cutting and reduce the weight of the blade.
3 - kukri handle
4 - rings on the handle serve to better hold the knife and symbolize the levels of the universe
5 - Blade edge with variable sharpening angle, ensuring efficiency in chopping and cutting blows.
6 - “Tooth of Shiva” - or Cho, symbolizes the trident of the god of strength and destruction. It is not only symbolic, but also relieves tension in the metal during cutting. In the absence of Shiva’s tooth, it is in this place that the blade may chip when chopping. Also, a finger was pricked on this trident of war to stain the blade with blood (according to some sources). Instead of a trident, Cho is sometimes made in the form of the symbol of the goddess Kali, or the footprint of a sacred cow.
7 - The metal top of the handle allows you to more securely hold the kukri in your hand when chopping, closes the end of the shank in the handle and symbolizes the all-seeing eye of God.
Nepalese kukri manufacturing technology
To make a kukri blade in Nepal, they mainly use steel from old car springs. Thanks to zone hardening, the butt is soft, its hardness is only 35-45 HRC, and the hardness of the blade is 55-58 HRC. Zone hardening makes the blade insensitive to impact loads. The sharpening angle is minimum at the base and maximum in the middle of the blade.
All steel is inspected for chips and the best specimens are selected. As a rule, 4 people are involved in the production of one copy of kukri. Almost all operations are performed manually by craftsmen. The art of making kukri is passed down from generation to generation from a very young age.
The workpiece is heated red-hot in a coal furnace, after which the forging of the blade shape begins.
After forging the shape of the blade, Shiva's tooth is knocked out
The next step is for the master to pour water onto the blade of the hot blade for hardening. The manipulation is very delicate, since the water should only get on the blade. Next comes the formation of the blade shape and primary sharpening.
Knocking out the fullers and turning the shank
Shaping the handle and fitting onto the tang using epoxy resin from Lach wood.
Planing the wooden halves for the scabbard and dressing water buffalo leather for the scabbard.
Leather covering of wooden scabbard halves
Kukri are usually equipped with two small knives, which are also placed in a sheath. One blunt one, in the form of an abrasive - chakmak, intended for sharpening, and the second -card (karda) for small household work. This reminds me of something
There are several varieties of kukri, differing in size, weight and angle of curvature of the butt, but they are all united by a common curved shape, which cannot be confused with other types of knives. Universal kukri models weigh 450-900 g with a length of 200 - 350 mm. The thickness of the butt above the convex middle part of the blade can reach 10 mm, the concave shape of the blade and the balancing shifted towards the tip allows for powerful slashing blows due to inertia, and not the strength of the fighter.
According to the classification, the kukri occupies a place between a large heavy knife and a light ax. The Kukri is ideal as a large survival knife. With such a knife you can build a shelter and clear a road in the thicket. It is more compact than a machete and more versatile. In Nepal, it is not only a combat knife, it is also used by ordinary peasants for household work, and even by women in the kitchen.
In addition to directly Nepalese kukri, there are models from various manufacturers on sale, ranging from Chinese ones, like Pirat and Viking Nordway, to famous brands like Cold Steel. All these models, as a rule, do not have Shiva's tooth.
The Kukri (Khukri) is the national knife of Nepal, used by the Gurkhas for at least the last 1500 years. Thus, at the moment this is one of the oldest types of short-bladed weapons, which has come down to us from ancient times, having undergone virtually no changes.
According to Nepalese legend, in ancient times a magical hawk with two heads and unusual wings appeared in the sky over Nepal. The wings were crescent-shaped and widened towards the middle and then tapered into a pointed shape. According to legend, a man who saw this unusual bird created a weapon with a blade similar in shape to the wings of a magical hawk. This is the legend of the creation of the kukri (in some readings khukri) - the traditional Nepalese “big knife”.
One of the main historical versions of the origin of kukri connects its appearance with the invasion of the troops of Alexander the Great into the Indian region in 334-327 BC. The soldiers of the Macedonian army were armed with short swords with a curved blade, characteristic of the Greek kopis sword. This form is found on swords dating back more than 2,500 years. According to another version, the curved blade, sharpened on the inside, was brought to Greece from Africa in the 6th century BC, and from there it spread to the Balkans and the Middle East, influencing the shape of the scimitar and a number of knives in the region.
A duel between a Gurkha armed with a kukri and a Bengal tiger. English engraving from the 19th century.
Army kukri
The exhibits stored in the museums of Nepal and dating back to the 15-16th centuries are practically no different from those manufactured now. The Kukri remained in combat service during the Second World War and remains in service with regular troops to this day, without having become an attribute of dress uniform, like sabers, dirks and protazans.
Earlier samples simply did not survive due to the low-quality metal used in them.
This example is from the early 18th century.
And this one is from the mid-17th century
Gurkhas and kukris
Drawing from 1814. A noble Gurkha warrior is among the British killed in hand-to-hand combat.
The Kukri is included in the weapons of ordinary soldiers and officers of Gurkha detachments, and is used as a weapon in close combat, and also replaces a whole set of equipment (machete, sapper shovel, etc.).
Gurkhas (in some readings Gurkhas) have served in the British Army since the 19th century and have participated in all wars and armed conflicts in which it has been involved. It was thanks to the Gurkhas that kukri became widely known in Europe and then in America.
Gurkha soldiers during the 2nd Anglo-Afghan War. 1878
During the First and Second World Wars, the Gurkhas established themselves as fearless fighters, especially famous for their hand-to-hand combat during night raids, when capturing trenches, fortifications and bunkers. During the Second World War, it was the crazy Gurkhas who were most often at the forefront of the attack against Japanese troops in Burma and against the Italians and Germans in Tunisia.
Gurkhas attack German positions in Tunisia, 1943.
The Gurkhas' established reputation now serves them better than any weapon. Thus, during the conflict in the Falkland Islands in 1982, the mere news of the arrival of a detachment of Gurkhas led to the demoralization of the Argentine army, and the soldiers, knowing about the weapons of the Kukri attackers, began to surrender in hundreds without a fight ( this is of course an exaggeration).
Design and traditional manufacturing
There are many varieties of kukri - ang-khola, chitlang, panawal, sirupati, etc. This is due to the fact that different clans in Nepal had their own blacksmiths - kami, who passed on the traditional shapes of knives and the secrets of their manufacture from generation to generation. Despite this, they have few differences. Thanks to the unique design of the kukri, it can be used to prick, cut, chop and hit like a hammer (using a butt). Balancing the blade allows it to be thrown over a distance of up to several meters (the throwing technique is not used in combat).
A pair of WWII kukris
Traditional kukri is shown in the picture. The main elements are a curved blade (1), sharpened on the inside and a characteristic handle (3). The cross-section of the blade is sharpened to form a V shape (in fact, 90% of traditional kukri are sharpened with a so-called “convex edge” rather than a “wedge edge”) and provides the kukri with maximum splitting effect when it meets the target. 
On average, a kukri has a length of about 40 cm with a blade length of about 30 cm. It must be taken into account that, based on the curved shape of the knife, the length of the handle is greater than the difference between the length of the entire knife and the length of the blade. The blade of the kukri greatly expands towards the butt and reaches a thickness of one centimeter or more. The weight of a kukri is usually about 750 grams, with the center of gravity shifted forward from the handle by approximately 8 cm. This allows you to deliver a powerful slashing blow, using mainly the inertia of the weapon rather than muscular effort.
Each characteristic element of kukri has not only practical, but also symbolic meaning. So, for example, the groove (or grooves) at the butt (2), often mistakenly interpreted as blood flow, are intended to increase the shock-absorbing properties and rigidity of the blade both for cutting and for blows with the butt. This groove is called the “Sword of Shiva” and is intended to grant the kukri the power of the weapon of the god of destruction Shiva. The rings on the handle (4) ensure confident holding of the kukri even with a wet hand and symbolize the levels of the universe. The variable angle blade (5) ensures maximum efficiency of the blade in cutting, cutting and piercing strokes and symbolizes the Sun and Moon - traditional symbols of Nepal. The notch on the blade near the handle is called cho (b) and comes in various shapes. The most common form is shown in the diagram (picture) and represents the trident of Shiva - the main attribute and symbol of the power of the god of destruction. There are also forms of cho that are symbols of the goddess Kali or cho "in the shape of a cow's footprint" (the cow is a sacred animal in Hinduism). The practical meaning of this is that this notch prevents the formation of cracks that could lead to the blade chipping at the handle. For kukri, produced by a number of American companies (which do not have a cho), the most common defect is the breaking off of the blade at the handle, since the maximum load falls on this area of the blade during a chopping blow on a hard target. The metal cap on the head of the handle (7) symbolizes the all-seeing eye of God, and practically covers the tip of the blade tang, which passes through the entire handle, and allows the kukri handle to be used as a hammer.
Modern kukris made in Nepal.
The blade of a traditional kukri is not only sharpened with a variable angle, but also zone hardened. At the butt the blade is much softer than at the edge of the blade. Kukri from Gurkha House are characterized by values of 25-27 HRC at the butt, 46-48 HRC in the middle of the blade and 55-57 HRC at the edge of the blade. Kukri from Himalayan Imports have high hardness - 57-58 HRC at the butt and about 60 HRC at the edge of the blade. The traditional forging technique, passed down from generation to generation by Nepalese kami blacksmiths, helps maintain the elasticity of the blade at such a high hardness. The kukri blade is hand forged from high quality spring steel using special forging techniques. Knives from Gurkha House use German spring steel or steel types 1095 and 5160. Kukri from Himalayan Imports are made from springs from buses or heavy trucks, while the best raw materials are considered to be springs from Mercedes cars, then, in descending order of value, springs from Saabs and then springs from Japanese cars. The handle of the kukri is traditionally made from rosewood or water buffalo horn. Sometimes the handle is covered with carvings with symbols of deities to give the kukri additional magical power. Symbols of the god of destruction Shiva or the monkey god Hanuman are usually depicted.
There are several systems for attaching the handle to the blade, including those based on the use of wedges and Nepalese epoxy resin laha or using rivets. The Kukri is traditionally equipped with a sheath made of wood covered with water buffalo skin, and two more items - a blunt tool for straightening the blade - chak-mak (another reading of hack-ma), and a small knife for household work - carda.
Modern kukri from Nepal Kukri House
Myths and reality about Kukri
Myth. Kukri is only a weapon and cannot be used as an economic tool.
Reality. This applies only to specially consecrated kukris. Without this there are no restrictions on use. In Nepal, khukri is often used by butchers to cut up carcasses and is used as a machete to fight weeds. There is even a special variety of kukri - ganjaola, which means hemp cutter (one of the main weeds of Nepal).
Myth. A Gurkha can cut off a buffalo's head with one blow with his khukri.
Reality. During a traditional ceremony in honor of the goddess Durga (one of the incarnations of the goddess Kali), a ritual sacrifice takes place, in which the most experienced fighter in handling kukri must chop off the head of a buffalo with one blow. If the blow is successful, then the whole year will be successful for the entire squad. It should be noted that a special ritual khukri of much larger size and weight than those used by the Gurkhas is used for sacrifice.
These are approximately
But there are larger specimens.
Myth. If a Gurkha takes the khukri out of its sheath, then he must sprinkle it with blood, if not of the enemy, then at least with his own.
Reality. Indeed this is true, but with one amendment: this is only if the Gurkha and his kukri went through the Death Ceremony held on the eve of the battle. If the kukri has not been consecrated in accordance with the ritual, then it can be used as a household tool, cleaned, sharpened, etc., without sprinkling with blood.
Myth. Real khukri can only be bought in Nepal.
Reality. Currently, many companies are trying to fully or partially reproduce the kukri design in their models of survival knives. However, no Western company, with the exception of ColdSteel, has moved beyond reproducing the shape of the blade.
Kukri by ColdSteel
Kukri, made using traditional techniques, is currently exported from Nepal by two main firms: Gurkha House and Himalayan Imports. The products of these companies are available mainly in the USA and, to a lesser extent, in Western Europe. In Nepal, the market is flooded with cheap crafts designed for tourists and suitable only for decorating interiors.
But if you are very lucky and have a decent amount of money, you can purchase decommissioned kukris from the arsenals of the Nepalese army. That's how this truly unique couple is. According to some indications, both knives were produced before 1890! 
Well, as a bonus, the kukri was presented by the Gurkhas to Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. 
Hello! Finally got around to writing about khukri. I’ve been getting ready for quite a long time, and even planned this article to be one of the first to be posted on the site, but for various reasons, I’m writing only now. So what is it khukri? By the way, how to pronounce it correctly - khukri or kukri? In many modern sources, the second option is often found, but it is most likely not correct, because a person, when translating peculiar language terms, follows the path of simplification and, as a result, not entirely accurate interpretations of the same term or name appear, which subsequently leads to confusion and disputes. The word kukri actually has a slightly different meaning, and serves as the name for the emblem " kukri", meaning a sign of strength, ruthlessness and victory. It consists of two short curved swords crossed with each other.
Now let's look at the Khukri knife - a Nepalese traditional knife that became famous due to its use by the Gurkhas - Nepalese commandos serving in the British Army. - This is a chopping and cutting edged weapon, also used in everyday life. In its unique design and ceremonial and spiritual aspects, khukri is similar to Japanese katana . Besides this, khukri, like katana, was used in battles during the Second World War, and is also used to this day, being a military weapon in service that has not turned into a souvenir and award weapon, such as daggers, protazans or sabers.
In Nepal, there is a special legend about the origin of khukri. According to this legend, back in ancient Nepal, a man saw an unusual hawk in the sky. The wings of this hawk were crescent-shaped, widening towards the middle and tapering to a point. The man was very interested in this intricate shape and later on, he began to use this shape to create weapons with a blade in the shape of the wings of this hawk. Of course, this is just a legend, so now it’s time to turn to the historical facts of the origin of the Nepalese knife.
There are two main historical versions about the origin khukri. According to one version, this includes the troops of Alexander the Great, who invaded the Indian region in 334 - 327 BC. The warriors were armed short curved swords, called –
Another version says that the curved shape of the blade with a sharpening on the inside was brought to Greece from Africa in the sixth century BC, and from there it spread to the Middle East, the Balkans and beyond, influencing the development of a number of knives and swords with a characteristic forms.
In any case, khukri has reached our days from ancient times practically unchanged. At the moment, specimens dating back to the fifteenth century are known and are in museums, and earlier examples simply have not survived to this day.
As noted earlier, the most striking association when mentioning khukri is Nepalese warriors - Gurkhas. It was thanks to them that khukri became famous in Europe and America. It should be noted that these Nepalese warriors have never submitted to any invaders throughout history. Their fearlessness and even insane obedience to orders are legendary. Even when Her Majesty's British troops unleashed their full might on the Nepali people during the East India Campaign, the Gurkhas survived, and the British themselves admitted that it was impossible to conquer them. After this, the Gurkhas were invited to enter the service of the kingdom, and from 1850, units of Nepalese Gurkhas officially entered the British army. The British government, in turn, paid Nepal for the use of their soldiers. For more than one hundred and fifty years they have been in the service of Great Britain, participating in all armed conflicts.
During the landing in Normandy, the Gurkhas showed themselves to be fearless and efficient warriors - they, following orders, unquestioningly jumped into the water, although many did not even know how to swim, rushed to attack fortified positions with a fearless spirit, a battle cry and, of course, khukri. During the Falkland Islands conflict in 1982, Argentine soldiers began to surrender themselves as soon as they learned that Gurkha units with Khukris had arrived.
Today, khukri is in service not only with the Nepalese army, but also with the police, once again proving its reliability and ease of use.
Traditions that influenced the design of the khukri.
Today there are a wide variety of varieties of khukri. Moreover, today khukri has become so popular that many manufacturers, mainly from the USA and Germany, produce modern replicas of this legendary weapon. Among the varieties we can note:
- Ang-khola
- Chitlang
- Panaval
- Sirupati
- Ganjaola
Basically, the diversity of khukri is due to the fact that Nepalese blacksmiths from various families passed on their traditional forms and manufacturing secrets from generation to generation.
Thanks to the unique design, the khukri can chop, cut, and act as a hammer. Balancing the blade allows you to throw khukri over short distances. Let's look at the design of the classic traditional khukri shown in the figure.
Essential elements:
Traditional khukri has not only variable sharpening angles, but also zone hardening. The blade is softer at the butt and gains hardness as it approaches the blade. Usually the hardness values are as follows: on the butt - 48-57HRC, closer to the edge of the blade it reaches 60-62HRC. The features of traditional forging, passed down from generation to generation, make it possible to maintain the elasticity of the blade despite such hardness. The blade itself is forged by hand from high-quality spring steel.
In modern production, khukri is used spring steel 1095 And 5160 . The raw materials are springs from heavy trucks and buses, then from German cars, and then from the Japanese automobile industry.
Handles for khukri traditionally made from rosewood or water buffalo horn. The handles can be decorated with carvings, various symbols or images of deities. All this gives the khukri even more power in terms of magic.
In addition to the main blade, the scabbard, usually made of leather and trimmed with metal or brass, also contains two small auxiliary tools. They're called card– an employee for minor work, and hackma or Chakmak- it's just a piece of steel that serves as musata, for straightening the cutting edge, piles or armchair .
What is myth and what is reality?
Now let's look at the main questions that arise when getting to know khukri.
Myth No. 1.
- This is only a weapon and is never used in household work. In reality, everything is a little different. This applies only to blessed khukris. Without this there are no restrictions on use. In Nepal, khukri is often used by butchers to cut up carcasses. Khukri is also used as machete to combat weeds. There is even a special type of khukri - ganjaola, which means hemp cutter, which is the main weed of Nepal.
Myth No. 2.
A Gurkha warrior can cut off a buffalo's head with one blow with his khukri. In reality, during a traditional ceremony in honor of the goddess Durga - one of the incarnations of the goddess Kali, a ritual sacrifice takes place in which the most experienced fighter in handling khukri must chop off the head of a buffalo with one blow. If the blow is successful, then the whole year will be successful for the entire squad. It should be noted that a special ritual khukri is used for sacrifice, much larger in size and weight than those that are in service with the Gurkhas.
Myth No. 3.
If a warrior takes the khukri out of its sheath, then he must sprinkle it with blood, if not the enemy, then at least his own. Reality. This is indeed true, but with one amendment - only if the Gurkha and his khukri went through the Death Ceremony held on the eve of the battle. If the khukri has not been blessed in accordance with the ritual, then it can be used as a household tool, cleaned, sharpened, etc. without sprinkling blood.
Myth No. 4.
Real khukri can only be bought in Nepal. Reality. Currently, many companies are trying to fully or partially reproduce the khukri design in their models of survival knives. However, not a single Western company, with some exceptions, has moved beyond reproducing the shape of the blade. Traditionally produced khukris are currently exported from Nepal by two major firms. Gurkha House And Himalayan Imports. The products of these companies are mainly available in the USA and, to a lesser extent, in Western Europe. In Nepal, the market is flooded with cheap crafts aimed at tourists and suitable only for decorating interiors.
Well, our introductory article has come to an end. A lot of interesting information has been prepared for you on this topic, which will soon be published on the website. In the meantime, subscribe to the news and join my group
Kukri has been a traditional bladed weapon of the Nepalese Gurkha tribe since the 19th century. This knife is forged in a single solid structure along with the handle, and its blade is curved downwards, unlike a saber or scimitar. It is believed that this shape of the blade increases the force of the blow by several tens of times. In this case, the center of gravity of the weapon is shifted closer to the handle, which is two to three times shorter than the blade.
Despite how long ago the kukri was invented, this curved knife has not gone down in history: today the Nepalese army and police are armed with it. The production of these knives has reached an industrial level, but while maintaining historical manufacturing traditions. In Russian reality, a kukri knife made according to all the rules with your own hands can lead to problems with the law, since the line between this homemade weapon between cold and not requiring permission is very thin.
Thanks to its design, the Nepalese kukri knife is multifunctional: it can be chopped, stabbed, cut, skinned, and even thrown. The features that distinguish this knife from others are:
- The blade is curved by 20 - 40 degrees with an inclination towards the handle, which is sharpened on the inside with a variable sharpening angle.
- The presence of a groove in the butt, which allows increasing the shock-absorbing properties and rigidity of the blade when chopping and striking with the butt.
- The presence of rings on the handle, ensuring reliable fixation of the weapon in the hand, even if it is wet.
- A recess at the handle, which can be of various shapes. The practical significance of the notch is that it prevents the formation of cracks that lead to chipping of the blade at the handle.
- The presence of a metal cap at the end of the handle, covering the end of the shank and allowing the kukri to be used as a hammer.
The dimensions of the blade are usually 25-30 cm, its width can vary from 30 to 100 mm depending on the type of kukri. It is made of carbon steel; zone hardening of the blade is used to combine high strength and excellent cutting characteristics.
Nepalese kukri knife: traditional making
In order to make a quality knife with your own hands, you need to have an idea of what the traditional process of making it is.
Before making a kukri knife, the material for making the blade is selected. Carbon steel is carefully selected by inspection for cracks and defects, then weighed. The weight of the finished kukri is usually from 500 to 1200 grams, but the weight of the steel for its production should always be greater, since during processing it loses weight and decreases in area. After this, the required length of the blade is measured using a standard scale with an allowance for compression of the steel (usually about 2 cm), and cut off from the overall piece. Then the steel is red-hot and hammered with a three-kilogram hammer using a sharp metal cutter. The beating process to break the steel is usually done by two people for half an hour.
After this comes the important moment of beating with a hammer simultaneously with two hammers, turning the steel on both sides alternately. At this stage, the red-hot steel is given the necessary rough shape, bending, and a shank is formed.
To shape the final design of the blade, a 1.5 kg hammer is used, which requires great skill and experience to give the knife the correct bend and thickness.
After the shape is worked out, a groove is made on the belly of the blade. To form it, a special rod is used, which is pressed against the edge of the blade and carefully beaten with a hammer. The blade heats up again, takes on a soft shape, and the rod cuts off part of the metal from the groove, leaving the desired recess.
The next stage is zone hardening: additional strength is added to the knife edge by carefully pouring cold water onto this part of the kukri. It is important that water only gets on the tip.
After this, the blade is sharpened with a fine file, making the tip thin on both sides. The wooden handle is attached to the shank using glue.
To sharpen kukri, a traditional method is used: seven are made from white river sand, glue and ordinary sand, mixed and left to harden. After this, the hardened mixture is applied to a round iron frame and installed on a wheel, which is used to sharpen the blade.
Polishing a knife is done using a strip of leather (usually buffalo leather).
Do-it-yourself kukri knife: step-by-step manufacturing instructions
Based on the traditional technique of making kukri, as well as following step-by-step instructions, you can make this knife with your own hands. Compared to other knives, kukri is not so easy to make, which is largely due to its unusual shape.
One of the options for making a kukri knife is from a metal sheet of a tractor or car spring, but you can take a regular metal sheet 5mm thick. Often a homemade kukri is made from a bearing race.
A grinder is used to cut a piece of material corresponding to the size of the future blade with small allowances along the edges. It is heated over an open fire or oven, and after that forging begins, trying to give the desired shape to the knife. In this case, both the blade itself and the handle are formed.
Then grinding and sharpening are carried out, which can also be done with a grinder at an angle of about 20 degrees, and the final grinding of the blade is done with fine-grained sandpaper. We must not forget that during the manufacturing process the knife must be immersed in a container of cold water, which leads to the hardening of the blade.
The handle is made from a wooden block (it is better to use oak), inside of which a hole is drilled for the shank and put on it with glue. After this, it is given the desired, convenient shape using a grinder and file. Final sanding is carried out with fine-grain sandpaper and a piece of leather. If desired, you can make a sheath for kukri from genuine leather: for this you need leather soaked in water, which is fixed around the perimeter of the knife until it dries. After this, it takes the desired shape, hardening. Both parts are fastened with rivets, the excess is cut off.
Kukri(Khukri, Kukuri) is a legendary Nepalese knife, or rather a terrible mixture of an axe, a knife and a machete. A distinctive feature of the kukri is the curved shape of the blade and the center of gravity shifted forward. The blade resembles a “falcon wing” and has a sharpening on the inside. Kukri is one of the most ancient types of edged weapons; its age can be counted from the 4th century BC, when the troops of Alexander the Great “brought” a similar form of knife to Nepal, where it took root almost unchanged and the kuri became a truly iconic weapon. Today, the kukri is in service with the Nepalese army and police, as well as in the Gurkha brigades of the Foreign Legion.
The curved shape gives the kukri excellent properties when using this knife as a chopping tool. This property of the kukri is achieved due to the large moment of inertia due to its thickness and mass and due to the shifted center of gravity and the inclination of the cutting edge. A combination of chopping and cutting blows occurs, and the result is a unique and effective cutting with a “pull” using the least amount of effort.
In addition to its applied properties, kukri also carries deep symbolic and religious overtones.
- Thus, the crescent shape of the knife resembles a crescent - the symbol of Nepal;
- The fuller at the butt is called the “Sword of Shiva” and, in addition to the stiffening rib, gives the knife the strength of the god Shiva;
- The rings on the handle, in addition to improving grip with a wet palm, symbolize the coils of the universe;
- The riveted shank, which perfectly fixes the handle, is called the “Eye of Shiva”;
- The “omega-shaped” notch on the blade next to the handle deserves special attention - this is a characteristic feature that a real Nepalese kukri has. This notch is called “Cho”. If the “Cho” has an open shape, then it is the “Tooth of Shiva”; if the “Cho” is in the body of the blade and does not come into contact with the cutting edge, then it is the “Trace of the Sacred Cow”. From a physics point of view, this tooth relieves enormous dynamic loads when using a knife by increasing the area of the most stressed part of the blade and, as a result, reducing the stress concentration in the metal, which reduces the possibility of fracture to zero. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Americans produced a batch of kukri without this tooth - and almost all knives broke in this place under heavy loads.
If you intend buy Kukri, then we can offer two types of execution of this knife:
- Classic kukri, one of the most popular ones we have on sale -Mahakali Nepalese World War II Replica
- And a folding (!) kukri - Rajah-II from Cold Steel. When opened, this fold is not much inferior to the classic kukri. It also demolishes everything in its path well, and at the same time carries in your pocket.
Kukri production in Nepal has been unchanged since the 11th century - it is a centuries-old technology and completely handmade. Knives are made in a handicraft way, but the skill of Nepalese blacksmiths must be given due credit. Knives may have different parameters, but kukris perform their functions perfectly. The blades use high-carbon steel, usually a car spring. Forging is done in the usual way - the workpiece is heated over coals and then blacksmiths and hammerers get to work. All blades have two-zone hardening - the butt is hardened to 35-40 HRC, the cutting edge is 56-57 HRC. Thanks to this hardening, the knife has ideal characteristics - the blade at the butt is viscous and springs well, the blade holds an edge perfectly.
The kukri handle is made from water buffalo horn or wood.
The scabbard is also wooden, covered with leather.
The kukri kit includes two auxiliary knives - card And Chakmak. Carda is a small utility knife used for small jobs. Chakmak, due to its harder hardening, is used for field straightening of large kukri and as a flint.
Traditionally, kukri is divided into three types:
Sirupati - more elegant and sharp, used as a military weapon,
- AngKhola - has a thicker butt, used as a household tool,
- Katrimoros is a large and richly decorated knife, used as a ritual knife.
According to Gurkha beliefs, a kukri, when taken out of its sheath, must necessarily drink blood. Therefore, Gurkhas, if they take out a knife not in battle, before putting it back into the sheath, make a small cut on their finger.
According to current Russian legislation, the Kukri, due to the deflection of the butt relative to the handle, is NOT a bladed weapon.
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