Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - 2015 update to the 20th century Gurkha issue kukri article

spiral · 11th February 2015, 06:43 PM

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Next we have the mk.3 kukri came into being in 1943 according to Indian sources & was certainly in mass production by 1944. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the K.45 design based on the date stamp present on some examples made in 1945.

It was still the most commonly issued kukri to the Indian armed forces including there Gorkha regiments into at least the 1980s and is still issued today for use, although many other kukri styles are also used, particularly for parades..

Thousands or probably even millions have been made, but the only Genuine military pieces are those that were actually purchased by the military forces. The others are just commercial copys even if made by the same companys.

It was designed for easy & fast production & was made by many companies.

Including. {With years of production runs that I have seen to date.}

Mil, 1945
WSC {Windlass steel Crafts} 1944, 1945,
K.1944, 1945,
CMW {Calcutta}, produced very high quality specimens that have many easily recognizable manufacturer & army inspection stamps.1944, 1945

Many MK.III were sadley rather badly stamped. Other manufactures include Chowdri & DKW who both produced during 1945 at least but most likely for the Indian army after Independence as well.

There are vast Numbers of other makers of these kukri in both WW2 & ever since. Once again those marked Allied Steel or Tempered Steel , Made in India are from around or after Indian independence in 1947.

Many of these kukris have been made to the present day & it has been used by many Indian army Gorkha units as well as commercially exported in lower quality versions to the USA & Europe for over 60 years.

It weights from 19 oz to 26 oz. {On those I have examined.}

1944 & 45 versions of the CMW mk.III kukri & detail of manufacturers stamp & army inspection marks.

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Next we have the mk.4 was the rarest official kukri pattern model to ever exist, and the last 60+ years have made it extremely rare..

It was designed in 1949/50 by Wilkinson Sword Company. It appears the British army wanted to buy British despite the much higher cost rather than keep purchasing from The Indian kukri factories/ Government.

In profile its looks nearly identical to the mk.3 which was obviously its design basis & indeed Wilkinson's appear to have deconstructed an Indian made mark 3 as an example to base their design upon, .but also when examined by hand their are many subtle differences. Including Chrome plating of the tang & buttcap to reduce corrosion & Patina.

Many years ago WSC confirmed to me that only 1400 were ever made, {possibly 1402 including the prototype pattern room & workshop models.}

A very small number for an army production run. Less than 10/% of serving Gurkhas would have been issued with them.

They where a very high quality hand forged production by some of the worlds leading & famous sword smiths & cutlers & presumably the cost of having them made by WSC was fairly high.

They seem to have been mainly issued in the Far East, particularly Malaya & Borneo.

What happened to them is sometimes regarded as a mystery , I have heard many unsubstantiated stories, mostly saying the Gurkhas threw them away, {Not very likely!} but it seems to me the simple truth is they most where never brought back out of Malaya ever again they were used to destruction in the longest jungle campaign fought by the Gurkha in there their long & bloody history.

A couple of years in the Malayan & Borneo jungles would rust & rot most equipment beyond recognition. According to army sources canvas jungle boots & webbing would be rotting within 2 weeks.

Hence I think the rarity of the mk.4 Wilkinson sword kukri. Not many were made, Then in that extreme environment handles eventually warped, loosened or even rotted & the unless cleaned & oiled every day the steel rusted.

For some reason the grip plates were made of English Beech a most unsuitable timber, prone to rot, warp & insect attack. Why such a bad choice was made one can only guess at, but thanks to Robert Wilkinson-Latham's invaluable help we know that Wilkinson got paid a second time round to rehilt 50 of them for the MOD within a very short time of their manufacture & then again to supply a further 400 replacement hilts & rivet fittings as well.

Interestingly the tang although distal tapered in the design specifications, was not actually made with any distal taper, which is also unfortunate, as it affects balance & feel. Which with the quality of workmanship that went into them & place in history seems rather a shame.

Why the Army purchasers & inspectors allowed this apparently unauthorised manufacturing shortcut to happen, once again one can only surmise.

Literally only a dozen or so of them are known to be in existence amongst collectors today. Those found are usually in excelent condition & were most likely examples bought & kept by Gurkha Officers who it seems often held the Wilkinson made kukri in high regard.

It is Often considered the holy Grail for many collectors of British Military pattern kukri.

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The MKV.

Some time during the late 1950s to early 1960s the ”new” mk.5 kukri was introduced.

Often called the BAS {British Army Standard} or BSI {British service issue.}These are manufacturer’s & sales terms & seem to bear no relation to any British military designation.

This issue model is generally made in Nepal rather than India.

One could argue they are unit pieces as they are currently bought from civilian contractors by the Gurkha regiment. But as, as late as 1969 The MOD was looking for more purchases of the mk.4 kukri , with time & money shortcuts, which implys MOD were still heavily involved in the purchase of kukri at that era.{Wilkinsons turned down the request.} So I regard the mk.5 as a pattern piece.

This shorter much lighter kukri was introduced a few years after every Gurkha had been issued with the British SLR copy of the Belgian FAL automatic rifle, or the Sterling submachine gun. One assumes that by which point the powers that be thought a smaller lighter camping style of kukri was acceptable .Rather than the earlier longer more sidearm/Utility style kukris. But in some ways that makes sense as it It does occur occasionly but generally its rare for Gurkhas to use kukris as weapons anymore. {Air support & fully automatic guns are the preference.}But by the same token, large numbers of Gurkha buy there own kukri for field & battle use as via private purchase they can obtain longer & higher quality pieces than those there issued with.

This model is made by several Nepali firms nearly all of which claim to supply The British Army & most have done on occasion..

In a way it seems irrelevant which of them do as the current versions of it manufactured most seem to be low quality. Many are no different in quality than the average modern tourist kukri one finds.

The lowest bidder wins the army contract each year so for many years Lalit of khukri house has been one of the main supplies as the size of his business presumably allows him to undercut the competition. Of course he was also a Gurkha for many years & maintains his contacts within, the British army, the Gukhas & at the officer training school Sandhurst.

Hundreds of thousands have been made, but the only Genuine military pieces are those that were actually purchased by the military forces. The others are just commercial copys even if made by the same company's.

The higher quality versions of this kukri I have seen, were made by kami employed by the British army themselves working at Dharan army base. They are normally marked "Ordep Nepal" with a date stamp. {Generally from the mid 1980s.} With superior fit & finish, they have a superior feel to the ones marketed today that I have handled.

They were made in 2 grades, the higher quality finish ceremonial parade, with plastic scabbard, & the rougher utility versions.

Interestingly I've found most other Manufactures ceremonial models are lower quality chrome plaited blade items, But they should still be a useable kukri as its still worn for Guard duty at Buckingham palace & Windsor castle. Etc. {Should doesn't necessarily mean is, of course.]

There have been many minor variations over the years due to the number of manufacturers & time span invloved.

Blade Lengths of of 11 inchs are the norm on the 60s, 70s & 80s pieces, weights are usually in region off 14oz. to 17oz.

In the 1990s a slightly shorter variation of the mark 5 came to be commonly issued with a 10 1/4 inch blade often weighing between 17 to 19oz.

2 Dharan army base made mk.5 kukri, Both weigh between 16oz & 17oz

Issue standard. left.
Ceremonial. right, {with plastic sheath & belt.]

Typical marks found on the Dharan Base made kukris.

In truth many British Indian Army units were issued kukri, most famously the Gurkhas, but in reality, the Garhwalls ,The Kuamon & Dogra also carried them & many other units as well including some Sikh & Military police units.. By WW2 Some Chindits & Commando units in the Burma theartre were issued them & indeed most Indian based units were issued a few scabbardless ones as part of utility camp equipment throughout the first half of the 20th century..

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11th February 2015, 06:43 PM	#3
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	…………………………………………………………………………………………….. Next we have the mk.3 kukri came into being in 1943 according to Indian sources & was certainly in mass production by 1944. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the K.45 design based on the date stamp present on some examples made in 1945. It was still the most commonly issued kukri to the Indian armed forces including there Gorkha regiments into at least the 1980s and is still issued today for use, although many other kukri styles are also used, particularly for parades.. Thousands or probably even millions have been made, but the only Genuine military pieces are those that were actually purchased by the military forces. The others are just commercial copys even if made by the same companys. It was designed for easy & fast production & was made by many companies. Including. {With years of production runs that I have seen to date.} Mil, 1945 WSC {Windlass steel Crafts} 1944, 1945, K.1944, 1945, CMW {Calcutta}, produced very high quality specimens that have many easily recognizable manufacturer & army inspection stamps.1944, 1945 Many MK.III were sadley rather badly stamped. Other manufactures include Chowdri & DKW who both produced during 1945 at least but most likely for the Indian army after Independence as well. There are vast Numbers of other makers of these kukri in both WW2 & ever since. Once again those marked Allied Steel or Tempered Steel , Made in India are from around or after Indian independence in 1947. Many of these kukris have been made to the present day & it has been used by many Indian army Gorkha units as well as commercially exported in lower quality versions to the USA & Europe for over 60 years. It weights from 19 oz to 26 oz. {On those I have examined.} 1944 & 45 versions of the CMW mk.III kukri & detail of manufacturers stamp & army inspection marks. ……………………………………………………………………………………… Next we have the mk.4 was the rarest official kukri pattern model to ever exist, and the last 60+ years have made it extremely rare.. It was designed in 1949/50 by Wilkinson Sword Company. It appears the British army wanted to buy British despite the much higher cost rather than keep purchasing from The Indian kukri factories/ Government. In profile its looks nearly identical to the mk.3 which was obviously its design basis & indeed Wilkinson's appear to have deconstructed an Indian made mark 3 as an example to base their design upon, .but also when examined by hand their are many subtle differences. Including Chrome plating of the tang & buttcap to reduce corrosion & Patina. Many years ago WSC confirmed to me that only 1400 were ever made, {possibly 1402 including the prototype pattern room & workshop models.} A very small number for an army production run. Less than 10/% of serving Gurkhas would have been issued with them. They where a very high quality hand forged production by some of the worlds leading & famous sword smiths & cutlers & presumably the cost of having them made by WSC was fairly high. They seem to have been mainly issued in the Far East, particularly Malaya & Borneo. What happened to them is sometimes regarded as a mystery , I have heard many unsubstantiated stories, mostly saying the Gurkhas threw them away, {Not very likely!} but it seems to me the simple truth is they most where never brought back out of Malaya ever again they were used to destruction in the longest jungle campaign fought by the Gurkha in there their long & bloody history. A couple of years in the Malayan & Borneo jungles would rust & rot most equipment beyond recognition. According to army sources canvas jungle boots & webbing would be rotting within 2 weeks. Hence I think the rarity of the mk.4 Wilkinson sword kukri. Not many were made, Then in that extreme environment handles eventually warped, loosened or even rotted & the unless cleaned & oiled every day the steel rusted. For some reason the grip plates were made of English Beech a most unsuitable timber, prone to rot, warp & insect attack. Why such a bad choice was made one can only guess at, but thanks to Robert Wilkinson-Latham's invaluable help we know that Wilkinson got paid a second time round to rehilt 50 of them for the MOD within a very short time of their manufacture & then again to supply a further 400 replacement hilts & rivet fittings as well. Interestingly the tang although distal tapered in the design specifications, was not actually made with any distal taper, which is also unfortunate, as it affects balance & feel. Which with the quality of workmanship that went into them & place in history seems rather a shame. Why the Army purchasers & inspectors allowed this apparently unauthorised manufacturing shortcut to happen, once again one can only surmise. Literally only a dozen or so of them are known to be in existence amongst collectors today. Those found are usually in excelent condition & were most likely examples bought & kept by Gurkha Officers who it seems often held the Wilkinson made kukri in high regard. It is Often considered the holy Grail for many collectors of British Military pattern kukri. …………………………………………………………………………. The MKV. Some time during the late 1950s to early 1960s the ”new” mk.5 kukri was introduced. Often called the BAS {British Army Standard} or BSI {British service issue.}These are manufacturer’s & sales terms & seem to bear no relation to any British military designation. This issue model is generally made in Nepal rather than India. One could argue they are unit pieces as they are currently bought from civilian contractors by the Gurkha regiment. But as, as late as 1969 The MOD was looking for more purchases of the mk.4 kukri , with time & money shortcuts, which implys MOD were still heavily involved in the purchase of kukri at that era.{Wilkinsons turned down the request.} So I regard the mk.5 as a pattern piece. This shorter much lighter kukri was introduced a few years after every Gurkha had been issued with the British SLR copy of the Belgian FAL automatic rifle, or the Sterling submachine gun. One assumes that by which point the powers that be thought a smaller lighter camping style of kukri was acceptable .Rather than the earlier longer more sidearm/Utility style kukris. But in some ways that makes sense as it It does occur occasionly but generally its rare for Gurkhas to use kukris as weapons anymore. {Air support & fully automatic guns are the preference.}But by the same token, large numbers of Gurkha buy there own kukri for field & battle use as via private purchase they can obtain longer & higher quality pieces than those there issued with. This model is made by several Nepali firms nearly all of which claim to supply The British Army & most have done on occasion.. In a way it seems irrelevant which of them do as the current versions of it manufactured most seem to be low quality. Many are no different in quality than the average modern tourist kukri one finds. The lowest bidder wins the army contract each year so for many years Lalit of khukri house has been one of the main supplies as the size of his business presumably allows him to undercut the competition. Of course he was also a Gurkha for many years & maintains his contacts within, the British army, the Gukhas & at the officer training school Sandhurst. Hundreds of thousands have been made, but the only Genuine military pieces are those that were actually purchased by the military forces. The others are just commercial copys even if made by the same company's. The higher quality versions of this kukri I have seen, were made by kami employed by the British army themselves working at Dharan army base. They are normally marked "Ordep Nepal" with a date stamp. {Generally from the mid 1980s.} With superior fit & finish, they have a superior feel to the ones marketed today that I have handled. They were made in 2 grades, the higher quality finish ceremonial parade, with plastic scabbard, & the rougher utility versions. Interestingly I've found most other Manufactures ceremonial models are lower quality chrome plaited blade items, But they should still be a useable kukri as its still worn for Guard duty at Buckingham palace & Windsor castle. Etc. {Should doesn't necessarily mean is, of course.] There have been many minor variations over the years due to the number of manufacturers & time span invloved. Blade Lengths of of 11 inchs are the norm on the 60s, 70s & 80s pieces, weights are usually in region off 14oz. to 17oz. In the 1990s a slightly shorter variation of the mark 5 came to be commonly issued with a 10 1/4 inch blade often weighing between 17 to 19oz. 2 Dharan army base made mk.5 kukri, Both weigh between 16oz & 17oz Issue standard. left. Ceremonial. right, {with plastic sheath & belt.] Typical marks found on the Dharan Base made kukris. In truth many British Indian Army units were issued kukri, most famously the Gurkhas, but in reality, the Garhwalls ,The Kuamon & Dogra also carried them & many other units as well including some Sikh & Military police units.. By WW2 Some Chindits & Commando units in the Burma theartre were issued them & indeed most Indian based units were issued a few scabbardless ones as part of utility camp equipment throughout the first half of the 20th century.. .................................................. .................................................. ................