Antique Nepalese Gurkha Bhojpure Kukri Knife

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10-05-2016, 05:04 PM
Aragorn243

Antique Nepalese Gurkha Bhojpure Kukri Knife

Came across this during one of my daily bayonet searches and then spent about a week or so researching and comparing prices before committing to buy. They claim it's the real deal and I have no reason to dispute it.

For an original Nepal knife with military provenance, this is a bargain basement price from what I was able to find.

Came today, covered in cosmoline, wrapped in plastic. Wood handle missing nothing, just a few scrapes and dents. Blade is rust free but does have a couple of staining spots. The edge did need dressing up a bit but not much. No British marks that I can find but it is serial numbered in standard letters and numbers on the top of the blade. IMA is the seller, $89.99 is the price, shipping is free. I did have to pay state sales tax on top of that.

Took about 10 minutes to clean up and it looks just like the one in the photo except the stains are different.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...5fu5hcfh-1.jpg
10-05-2016, 07:48 PM
twh

Neat knives. I bought four at Smokey Mountain knife works on a trip to Gatlinburg about three years ago. They had acquired probably 30 and I was able to pick through them was and get some nice ones with the scabbards. Out of the batch I sorted through I only found one with a broad arrow acceptance mark and that went to my youngest son. I would suggest going on the IMA sight and picking up a copy of the book that covers the story of the acquisition of the Nepalese cache of weapons.
10-06-2016, 07:53 PM
browningautorifle

3 Attachment(s)

Thing I've never been able to sort out...is the handle. Mine came from the Ghurkas in 1976 when they were in Wainwright Alberta and there were two identical found. They were numbered two apart, they have horn handles. These with wood handles that claim to be original and the ones that claim to be "Issued to British Officers serving with the Ghurkas during WW2"...have wood handles. I thought the originals had horn handles...? I made the scabbard myself after 40 years...
10-06-2016, 10:07 PM
Aragorn243

In my research I found most with wood handles. The IMA knives are pre WWI. Many WWI knives actually have makers marks on them as in the complete company name, etc. They also may or may not have the broad arrow on them. Serial numbers may be in Nepalese script rather than English/Arabic. WWI and WWII issue seem to have a metal cap on the end. Mine does not and I cannot figure out how the wood handle is held on. It does have the metal on the blade end. I have not really cleaned the handle up at all. Figured I'd wipe it down with linseed oil but haven't gotten around to it yet. Horn grips are post WWII maybe? I don't know.
10-07-2016, 11:23 AM
Flying10uk

The Worldwide Arms website currently has 2 versions of the Kukri knife listed on it's website, both coming from Nepal. One version is said to be of British WW1 issue type for Gurkha use and the other is said to be earlier specifically intended solely for Nepalese issue. The accompanying pictures indicate that the British version is Broad Arrow marked with a serial or part number in english style letters but it doesn't make it clear if all the British examples are marked this way. The Nepalese version appears to be marked with native Nepalese writing. Both versions appear to be offered for sale with no scabbard.
10-07-2016, 01:56 PM
browningautorifle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

Horn grips are post WWII maybe?

Agreed. Mine is probably made within a ten year period of when it was found. The belly shows extensive sharpening as it's slightly flattened. The handle is held on by riveting through the brass pommel, which is double thick because of two pieces.
10-07-2016, 02:58 PM
Howard

I was in Kathmandu, Nepal a couple of years ago and bought a Gurkha knife, just like the one pictured in the first comment, from a soldier standing guard at a temple we visited. There are no numbers or marks on it that show it was military. I think the reason is that he had it for standing guard duty because it was spit shined and really looked good, it looks cheap after I got it. Paid 30 dollars for it. I still like it because it did come from a soldier real or not.
Most of the houses in Kathmandu have a shop under them and sell knives like this. I do not know how they make money because the shops all seem to have the same items, there are literally hundreds if not thousands of knives there. Some are plain, like mine, or really ornate which cost a lot more.
Seeing that knife brought back memories of the trip, which was a really good one. It is a really different world there, lots of people.
10-07-2016, 06:20 PM
Aragorn243

Mine was sold as 1890's vintage but has English letters and Arabic numerals as the serial number so assuming is has some British provenance. I cleaned the handle some today but it didn't change its appearance at all and I still can't tell how the handle is fastened. There is no hole or screw on the end where you would expect one to be.
10-07-2016, 06:22 PM
Flying10uk

What I call "cheap tourist Kukri knives" often seem to have the word "India" marked on the blade and must have been turned out by the millions.

I thought that a rod passes through the handle and the end of the rod is then peened/riveted over?
10-07-2016, 09:39 PM
Aragorn243

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying10uk

I thought that a rod passes through the handle and the end of the rod is then peened/riveted over?

Nope, even stuck a magnet on the end to see if it was camouflaged with dirt. Nothing.
10-08-2016, 12:39 AM
browningautorifle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying10uk

I thought that a rod passes through the handle and the end of the rod is then peened/riveted over?

That's how mine is done. The tang runs right through.
10-08-2016, 05:59 AM
Flying10uk

Years ago I saw a documentary programme about Nepal and or the Gurkhas and they showed the local craftsman/blacksmith forging the blade of the Kukri knife. I remember that it stated they used a leaf spring from a vehicle as the raw material for making the blade out of. I don't know if any other steels are used but I would guess that they would use anything that could be heat treated i.e. hardened and tempered.
10-08-2016, 07:14 PM
browningautorifle

You should all read this, it answers many of the questions and confirms or denies much of what we've been saying here...read on!

Khukuri House - Gurkha Knives Official Khukuri/Kukri supplier to Gurkhas
10-08-2016, 10:20 PM
Aragorn243

That explains why the handle doesn't have the tang going all the way through. One thing it doesn't explain unless I missed it is what the small notch is for. I doubt it's for opening bottles but that is what it looks like.
10-08-2016, 11:06 PM
henry r

the story I was told is that it is a drip point to stop the blood running down onto your hand after you behead your enemy.
10-09-2016, 11:09 AM
browningautorifle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

I missed it is what the small notch is for.

As Henry points out and I found in print in probably another site selling these...exactly as he says. The attack position with this knife is up high over the head. It's meant for a chop not thrust. After chopping the enemy for some time you'd have blood present. This channels it off the blade so it doesn't make the handle slippery. That ended the rumor it was for piercing the finger to draw blood when you draw the knife... They do have an attack position for the thrust, but the knife won't be as effective that way...
10-09-2016, 06:26 PM
Flying10uk

If after clicking onto Jim's link in post 13 you then down-load the information brochure, there is a link at the bottom of the page that comes up, there is additional information about the notch. Apparently, it is also a Hindu fertility symbol being connected to a Cow and, possibly, also intended to break an opponent's blade.

Mistake corrected 11/10/16 which was caused by miss-reading document.
10-10-2016, 11:41 AM
browningautorifle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying10uk

, also intended to break an opponent's blade.

Don't know how you get that from "Catching and neutralizing an opponent's blade", but that's exactly how these wild stories start. Do yourself a favor and read up on knife fighting and what these terms mean...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying10uk

it is also a Hindu fertility symbol being connected to a Crow

Read closer...not a Crow...
10-10-2016, 02:19 PM
Flying10uk

What does it mean then?
10-10-2016, 07:16 PM
browningautorifle

1 Attachment(s)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying10uk

What does it mean then?

Read from the exact document you just quoted...
10-10-2016, 07:41 PM
Aragorn243

Just a casual observation since there appear to be three different reasons for the notch. As with a lot of these old thingamajigs, I don't think anyone knows. I guess they all make sense in a way other than the cows hoof as I've seen some that are not in that shape, similar but not a hoof.
10-10-2016, 08:15 PM
browningautorifle

Quote:

Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Originally Posted by Flying10uk
, also intended to break an opponent's blade.
Don't know how you get that from "Catching and neutralizing an opponent's blade", but that's exactly how these wild stories start. Do yourself a favor and read up on knife fighting and what these terms mean...

Originally Posted by Flying10uk
it is also a Hindu fertility symbol being connected to a Crow
Read closer...not a Crow...

The point being, none of what he wrote was from the document he quoted. THAT'S how false stories of great things start...and why I posted the document quoted.
10-11-2016, 01:50 PM
Flying10uk

Yes it was Jim. The bit about it being a Hindu fertility symbol was from the document quoted. I admit that I miss-read cow for crow late at night when I was tired but not knowing anything about the Hindu culture or faith I didn't realise my mistake. You totally missed the document altogether, Jim, so I do know why you are being so critical of my innocent mistake. You still haven't explained what is meant by "Catching and neutralizing an opponent's blade" since you say it doesn't mean breaking an opponent's blade. Lets have an an explanation of what exactly it does mean then, please?

I do, of course, apologise to anyone from from the Hindu, Gurkha, Nepalese or anyone else who may have been offended by my innocent mistake of miss-reading Cow for Crow.
10-11-2016, 06:27 PM
browningautorifle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying10uk

You totally missed the document altogether

Who said I missed anything? I printed it off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying10uk

You still haven't explained what is meant

You can go search that out. Doesn't matter what's said, you prefer to argue.
10-11-2016, 06:42 PM
Aragorn243

Catching and neutralizing the enemies blade would just involve it being "stopped" by the notch rather than continuing to slide down to the handle. Seems a rather awkward position which is why I continue to think no one really knows what it was for. I thought it might make it convenient to hang by a nail on the wall but that probably wouldn't work either.
10-11-2016, 06:47 PM
Flying10uk

No, you prefer to argue, Jim, in your posts you are always looking to "engineer" an argument with me. You were also very "selective" in which parts of my post you chose to reproduce and which you didn't in connection with the possibility or otherwise of the notch breaking the opponent's blade. If you were aware of the document concerning the notch why didn't you refer to it until after I had pointed out it's existence???