Bought a Kukri on eBay

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cratz2

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Well, I'd been wanting to get one for a long time (think 15 years or so...) and the Assault Machete thread prompted me to do so. I looked over the Himalayan-Imports website and though they are beautiful and no doub of better quality than this one, I just couldn't justify the $100+ cost of most of those listed.

Anyway, I bought what was listed as a 'Balance Khukuri' from seller asianartifacts888. This is a shorter example and the blade just over 9" long but is still impressively hefty. Final price was $25.01 plus $6.85 shipping. I must say that this is a very impressive piece. Came with a very decent edge and one minute with a diamond steel and it was scary sharp. The mini skinner was outrageously sharp out of the sheath. I haven't had the chance or need to do any serious work with it, but I have very little doubt that it would radically outchop either the Light or Bolo Machete from Cold Steel.

I was also bidding on the 'Sirupate Khukuri' from the same seller but was outbid and was away from home and auction's end but I will be on the lookout for other knives from this seller. I was somewhat uncomfortable buying from eBay but a seller tipped me onto a few things to look for...

Anyway, needless to say that all of the positive comments on the Kukri knives are right on the money. I can only imagine what the full size knives would be capable of.
 

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Looks like an OK Kuk, but I can't really tell from a picture. At that price, it's probably Indian manufacture, which tends to be more of the wall-hanger variety than the Nepalese, but they're pretty diverse so it's hard to paint with that wide a brush. Most of what sets a kukri apart from other knives is in the design and engineering anyway, so don't worry. You'll play with that one until you feel the absolute need for an HI, and then you'll buy one anyway.
I'm getting closer to that breaking point every day. :)


The notch in the ricasso has never been explained to my satisfaction. Apparently its meaning has been lost to the kamis themselves, and it's more a matter of tradition than anything else at this point.
Various theories, in no particular order, range from silly to romantic to far-fetched--but all seem possible:

  • Some say that it symbolizes a part of a woman's body that starts with "cli" and is not a clipper. . . . .
  • Some that it's the equivalent of the so-called "Spanish Notch" on bowies, which people thought was meant to trap and break an opponent's blade. . . .
  • Some say it symbolizes the trident of a fisherman. . . .
  • Some say it started as a maker's mark and was copied by everyone else. . . .
  • Some say it's just decoration . . . . .

For much more info on that and everything else about kukris, I suggest Himalayan Imports which has an extensive history and FAQ, as well as a lot of information on how Kukris are made today. If you haven't seen the way the kamis work, you'll be amazed--and your satisfaction with the tool they're able to create will be doubled when you see the resources they have to do it.

Bladeforums.com also has a pretty good Himalayan Imports Forum where you can find out anything you don't get from Uncle Bill's website.
 
I also read somewhere... maybe even on HI's page, that it is supposed to be a 'blood drip' mark so that if the knife was bloody and raised, it would not drop blood on the holder... Now what I don't quite get is how you are supposed to hack into an opponent without at least a hint of splatter directly from the vict... er... other guy.
 
A freind of the family a Mr. Suri, who at one time was a bodyguard to the Ambasador from Nepal carried one he explained that the notch,was a blood letting piece,that according to some god they had,, that to draw the blade and not let it drink blood was a sin. Every time he would pull his out to show us kids and those around, he would always prick his thumb before resheathing.
 
Yeah, I remember reading some time back that the knife had to draw blood every time it was unsheathed... Either from the opponent or from the wearer of the knife.
 
I'd love it if you could get Mr. Suri to comment again in a more official way. Every reputable source I've read has stressed that the whole "can't be drawn without tasting blood" story is a myth. I found that easy to believe because it's been said about so many "warrior cultures"--even the Samurai, who thought it was awful to touch the naked blade and oiled and powdered their blades before storing them in the scabbard have been said to have sliced themselves and then put the blade back in the scabbard. It just didn't seem to add up.
If a Nepalese soldier/security guy says the story is true, that would change a lot of the information available.

I do have to say that it doesn't sound very logical, though. Nepalese, even Ghurkas, use/used kukris from childhood as serious work knives. They were performing the tasks we would think of as "camp knife" jobs--cutting wood, food, rope, etc. many times per day. How did these people survive when they had to cut themselves constantly?
 
Bladeforums.com also has a pretty good Himalayan Imports Forum where you can find out anything you don't get from Uncle Bill's website.
Also a good place for a bargain as Uncle Bill posts specials almost daily. Sometimes a small cosmetic flaw or insignificant crack in the handle, etc for some great user grade Khuks. I got my HI 18"- 20oz BAS for $55 shipped.
Used it last weekend for clearing some shooting lanes around my deer stands. (Bow season opens Oct 1!) Hunting buddy was helping me. He thought I had flipped out and bought some kinda ninja hardware until he used it. Shaving sharp and it swings thru thumb-thick braches without even slowing down. Gotta be CAREFUL.
 
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