Questions About a Curious Kukri

[Tim Simmons]

More pictures.The flash tends to show things so clean.The Nepalese? one is much finer, [IMG]http://[/IMG] lighter and sewn with gut.The military issue one is quite different to handle.Tim P.S the Nepalese blade has concave sides.

[Conogre]

Thanks again all, and I think you're probably correct about the sirupati vs hanshee as well, Steve.
The only bad thing about the search engine is that you frequently have to remember the terms to bring up much about it...thus I've started making sure the titles in any posts I make will come up under a basic search **so much for cute or witty!**.
I'll definitely check out that thread as well as several others, and thanks there as well.....I presume the untanged and peened hilt is just local custom or a particular smith (term?) as I understand that they were and still are made at a village level over a wide range.
The little "knife" that's present with mine is VERY hard, Tom, and definitely never intended to be sharpened so is definitely serviceable as a striker and possibly as a honer as well.
Those are some beautiful pieces that you have there....I've got to do a better search in the archives as I remember some excellent and rather extensive photos several years ago, both on kukris and koras.
Mike

[Conogre]

Since the terms "falcata" and "kopis" so commonly come up in connection with the kukri, here's a couple of photos of contemporary weapons grade reproductions of each.
As you can see the smiths have taken liberties with both, the falcata being scabbarded very much like a kukri and the kopis being made with a steel blade, where so far as I know, all of the originals were bronze and, unless I'm mistaken, Egyptian?
Both were hand forged in India.
Mike

[tom hyle]

Actually, aside from the side knife, which I don't know about, that sheath is a pretty good looking repro of ancient Itallian sheaths.
Interesting interpretation of an Egypto/Palestinian kopsh.

[Conogre]

The kopis, I believe, is based primarily upon ancient artwork, with very few surviving into the present, if any at all.
In this particular piece, it's so blade heavy that it's almost painful to the wrist to try and wield it with one hand, much like most of the "ceremonial kukris" that I've seen, to the point that I've only encountered one with a hilt large enough for a two-handed grip and yet still thin and balanced enough to be utilized with one hand if need be.
This particular kopis, to me, is only practical if it's primarily wielded much like a great sword, with one hand on the hilt and the other on the ricasso, in which case it has some very real and interesting possibilities but ends up being used very differently than you would expect out of necessity.
It's my understanding that an original out of bronze may have been even heavier, thus would likely have been deeply fullered, the reason for the attached side pieces, purely ornamental on one made of steel and serving no purpose except to add weight.
The falcata, on the other hand, has a really good "feel" to it and I can see where it may have given the Romans some real pause when wielded by an enemy, primarily in the hands of the Spanish, if I understand correctly.
Mike

[tom hyle]

Generally reproductions of kopsh are overly large. Yours in particular appears to be on the wide side. There are surviving examples, and I have seen photographs of at least two, in books.
The falcatta/copis/machaira was a pretty widespread sword; used by Celts, Latins, and steppes tribes; pretty much throughout a broad band norh of the Med. I am personally attracted to the idea that it is originally a Caucasian or Central Asian sword derived of sickles, and not especially closely related to kopsh, despite the sharing of name, which seems derived of the fighting broadaxe of the Eastern Mediterranean region.

[spiral]

Thats a nice, what appears to be post 1945 sirupate from eastern Nepal Conegre. {The sword forum article has some good photos of comparison of blade shapes...{ http://swordforum.com/articles/ams/tradkukri.php } But says western Nepal, for sirupate origins. which is is tottaly innacurate as are many other statements in that article.

Sirupate are from eastern Nepal, made by the Limbu tribe mainly.

Nepal was closed to most westerners till the 60s & traditional crafts lasted a long time.

Heres a similar one at Tora kukri forum from early ww2 , hence the shorter bolster. { http://www.toratoratora.co.uk/forum/...p?TID=357&PN=1 }

A search there should provide you with lots of info.

Yours appears somewhat tired, unfortuanatly, {IMHO} as the Ninhonto enthusiasts would say judging from the amount of stamped ingraving actualy left visible, buy always nice to find an authentic used Nepali village kuk. Unless it was stamped in a very faint manner?

There are some great ones turn up. Hope you find some others you like.

Intrestingly similar to the falcata/kopis many kukri reproductions such as those made by Himalayen imports without any distal taper are massivly over heavy compared to balenced original , antique & military models.

regards,
Spiral