Kukri/khukuri

Timo Nieminen · 5th August 2012, 10:33 AM

... and a few more:

#24 has a crude engraving on the blade. Hilt is a lightweight wood, a little crudely made. Hidden tang. Lightweight due to the light grip. 345g, with an 8mm spine.

#25 has an ornamented metal grip. Seems to be well-made. Estimated to be from 1890-1920. Feels rather neutral in hand. 600g.

#26 looks like a MKII. Unmarked, and rusty and crusty. I'd call it heavy, at 795g.

#27 is large and engraved. Bone inlays in grip. Estimated as pre WW2. At 760g, it's lighter than #26, but a little unwieldy due to its size.

#28 is said to be 1950s, Indian-made. Basic kukri, nothing wrong with it. Nothing more to say about it other than it being 550g.

#29 is also said to be 1950s, Indian-made, and to have come from Nepal with a group of Nepalese weapons (rifles and edged weapons). Long crack in the grip, but it seems to be functionally strong. 560g.

Timo Nieminen · 5th August 2012, 10:37 AM

... and one last one for today. Is this, sensu stricto, a kukri?

#30 is extremely curved, S-shaped even. Thin blade, only 5.1mm thick, and light, only 230g. Seller suggested north Indian, and it looks Indian to me. The back of the scabbard has an open slot to let the blade in and out. Very round end on the grip.

kai · 7th August 2012, 11:58 PM

Hello Timo,

Quote:

#30 is extremely curved, S-shaped even. Thin blade, only 5.1mm thick, and light, only 230g. Seller suggested north Indian, and it looks Indian to me. The back of the scabbard has an open slot to let the blade in and out. Very round end on the grip.

Afghan (IIRC).

Any blade marks? How long is the blade?

Regards,
Kai

Timo Nieminen · 8th August 2012, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kai

Afghan (IIRC).

Any blade marks? How long is the blade?

Unmarked. Blade is about 10" (see tape in photo).

The scabbard with the open slot on the back makes me think Indian. Are such scabbards used/common in Afghanistan? (I've not seen any at all, so any examples will be interesting.)

kai · 8th August 2012, 08:19 AM

Hello Timo,

Nice collection - seems like the kukri infection is in full swing...

Quote:

The scabbard with the open slot on the back makes me think Indian. Are such scabbards used/common in Afghanistan? (I've not seen any at all, so any examples will be interesting.)

I believe the slotted scabbard is a form-follows-function thing rather than allowing to narrow down on its geographic/ethnic origin.

The roundish pommel seems quite distinctive though and also the missing/integral bolster and recurved blade design are not unique:
http://www.swordforum.com/forums/sho...MKI-Variations
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15899

BTW, does your blade have a false edge towards the tip or is it even sharpened?

Regards,
Kai

Gavin Nugent · 8th August 2012, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timo Nieminen

Unmarked. Blade is about 10" (see tape in photo).

The scabbard with the open slot on the back makes me think Indian. Are such scabbards used/common in Afghanistan? (I've not seen any at all, so any examples will be interesting.)

Hi Timo,

I believe you are correct about the origins as being Indian.
The sheath tip is typical of Khanjar, Tiger Tooth Jambia and other small arms from Indian manufacturing centres.
The presence of the block ricasso on the blade side of the Kaudi is also indicative of this origin.

Gav

spiral · 8th August 2012, 04:00 PM

Yes Indian I agree, The only ethnicaly made, open back kukri scabbards I can recall also come from India, Jodhpur to be precise.

These strange beasts turn up occasion, they usualy have have very large & fat grips, even by western standards.

Spiral

Timo Nieminen · 8th August 2012, 10:38 PM

It's single-edged, and respectably sharp. The blade has a fairly uniform taper in thickness towards the tip, from 5.1m near the hilt to about 2.5mm an inch short of the tip.

No bolster, but the blade end of the hilt is carved in the shape one would expect of a bolster.

This would work as a kitchen knife, if sharpened better. At the moment, it's sharper than the kitchen knives some people use, but not as sharp as a kitchen knife should be.

As for "form follows function", most conventional-bladed kukris have conventional kukri scabbards, whether Nepalese, Indian, or Afghan. But I've see (somewhere on www) a couple of Indian conventional-bladed kukris with slotted-back scabbards. More than one form can fulfill the function.

5th August 2012, 10:33 AM	#1
Timo Nieminen Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 422	... and a few more: #24 has a crude engraving on the blade. Hilt is a lightweight wood, a little crudely made. Hidden tang. Lightweight due to the light grip. 345g, with an 8mm spine. #25 has an ornamented metal grip. Seems to be well-made. Estimated to be from 1890-1920. Feels rather neutral in hand. 600g. #26 looks like a MKII. Unmarked, and rusty and crusty. I'd call it heavy, at 795g. #27 is large and engraved. Bone inlays in grip. Estimated as pre WW2. At 760g, it's lighter than #26, but a little unwieldy due to its size. #28 is said to be 1950s, Indian-made. Basic kukri, nothing wrong with it. Nothing more to say about it other than it being 550g. #29 is also said to be 1950s, Indian-made, and to have come from Nepal with a group of Nepalese weapons (rifles and edged weapons). Long crack in the grip, but it seems to be functionally strong. 560g. Attached Images

5th August 2012, 10:37 AM	#2
Timo Nieminen Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 422	... and one last one for today. Is this, sensu stricto, a kukri? #30 is extremely curved, S-shaped even. Thin blade, only 5.1mm thick, and light, only 230g. Seller suggested north Indian, and it looks Indian to me. The back of the scabbard has an open slot to let the blade in and out. Very round end on the grip. Attached Images

8th August 2012, 04:00 PM	#7
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	Yes Indian I agree, The only ethnicaly made, open back kukri scabbards I can recall also come from India, Jodhpur to be precise. These strange beasts turn up occasion, they usualy have have very large & fat grips, even by western standards. Spiral

8th August 2012, 10:38 PM	#8
Timo Nieminen Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 422	It's single-edged, and respectably sharp. The blade has a fairly uniform taper in thickness towards the tip, from 5.1m near the hilt to about 2.5mm an inch short of the tip. No bolster, but the blade end of the hilt is carved in the shape one would expect of a bolster. This would work as a kitchen knife, if sharpened better. At the moment, it's sharper than the kitchen knives some people use, but not as sharp as a kitchen knife should be. As for "form follows function", most conventional-bladed kukris have conventional kukri scabbards, whether Nepalese, Indian, or Afghan. But I've see (somewhere on www) a couple of Indian conventional-bladed kukris with slotted-back scabbards. More than one form can fulfill the function.