Am I stupid for wanting to own a traditional Khukuri?

C

Coyman Neemus

Joined
Jan 21, 2018
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7
In the past few months, I have developed quite an interest for the Gurkha Khukuri. It looks cool, and has lots of history behind it, which to me is admirable, even though I have absolutely no Nepali/British ancestry. While it has it's aesthetic benefits, it is often large, and for a small person such as myself -- I fear it may be unwieldy. So answer me this. Is is stupid to own a Khukuri? Do they have any practical uses for a normal person such as myself? If you feel they are worth it, then I would also appreciate directions from another Khukuri lover to where I could buy a high quality, traditional-looking Khukuri for a price up to about 100-150 U.S. dollars. (B.t.w. I am new here, so if I am posting in the wrong board or anything, please redirect me to the better one. Thanks :D)
 
No you're not. I bought a Fairnbairn Sykes style dagger a week ago "just because" it's impractical, it's illegal to carry outside the home, I have no need for it or a use but I wanted one. A Khukri you can even use around the garden. Get one, get a decent one, don't overspend and enjoy it.
 
b00n said:
No you're not. I bought a Fairnbairn Sykes style dagger a week ago "just because" it's impractical, it's illegal to carry outside the home, I have no need for it or a use but I wanted one. A Khukri you can even use around the garden. Get one, get a decent one, don't overspend and enjoy it.
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Thank you for the reassurance. I never thought of being able to use the khukuri in the garden, but after reading a wiki article about it being the common tool of some people, it made more sense. Any suggestions on ones to buy/do you own one that you particularly enjoy?
 
Lapedog said:
Why would that be stupid? People have obviously found them to be very useful or they wouldn’t have been around long enough to be considered traditional.
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They would only be possibly considered stupid for a person like myself. I'm sure that the average soldier or outdoorsman would find many uses in a khukuri, but like I mentioned in the thread, I am just a normal person, and therefore would not have as many practical uses for a khukuri. You ask a valid question,
 
If you like it, get it. I have had my eye on a kabar Reinhardt Kukri which runs about $140. You can get a custom sheath made of kydex for about another $50.
I have a traditional usmc kabar, then purchased a D2 version, and just recently purchased a Ontario equivalent. If the Knife calls to you then don’t feel bad about buying it.
I also like that you are interested in the history of the kukri. The history and progression of knives is quite interesting.
 
Depends on your definition of "normal person".
I know lots of "normal persons" who use large knives for gardening type chores or clearing areas on their property. I also know lots of folks who own specific knives just because they like them.

You might try looking in this forum. These folks import khukuris from Nepal:
https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/himalayan-imports.739/
 
There's nothing wrong with wanting something you have no use for, but you'll probably feel better about owning one if you did.
 
If you start researching khukuris on YouTube, you'll find that they come with a bit of controversy. Several makers are importing them to the United States and Britain, and they sometimes get into ugly arguments about whose khukuri is best. Some people have fallen into the habit of making insults towards the khukuris of the manufacturers that they don't like. One of these terms is "sharpened crowbar." Sometimes, they get into little insult wars on their YouTube videos. Another term is "tourist khukri" which means a blade that is poorly made but is decorated to appeal to tourists who would visit Nepal and want to bring home a traditional knife as a souvenir. These can be okay as decorative items, but they aren't as good for real use. Some are made in Nepal, but others are mass-produced in places like Pakistan. The three places that most people seem to agree make "real khukuris" are the following.

Tora Blades - This company is run by a guy in Great Britain. He's a legitimate martial artist with an interest in knives. He's done quite a bit on history of the khukuri and other knives. He works with the genuine makers, called kamis, in Nepal, but they have production issues. Delivery can often take six to eight months, and he requires payment when taking the order. All of the khukuris in his line are reproductions of actual historical khukuris. He works with the makers to get the size, weight, and balance to match knives that were actually made and used in Nepal. According to him, they were made only in these sizes and dimensions, and he's not interested in selling anything else.

Khukri House - I believe this place is an American importer of khukuris, and they tend to have lower prices. Most people say that their khukuris are genuine, but they seem to be less worried about exactly matching traditional designs. They once uploaded a very ugly attack video to YouTube, and I've avoided them ever since. I mention them because you might still be very happy with one of their knives, and I'm not trying to get others to feel as I do.

Himalayan Imports - This company is based in the USA and has a wide variety of products. They often have products in stock, and when I first wanted to get a khukuri and not wait for months, I ordered one from them. The khukuri arrived in a few days and is an awesome knife. They make one model called the Ang Khola, and they make this knife to be extremely strong. The strength means more metal which makes these knives heavier than some traditional designs. The other manufacturers tend to attack their whole line because of the weight of this knife, but that attack is not justified. The Ang Khola is a great knife for someone who wants a heavy-duty khukri for cutting things in the garden or in the woods. This knife will be heavy, but the knife will be extremely tough. Other models will weigh less and still be very tough as well. This company offers a variety of models in a variety of sizes. I own one that's only ten inches long and one that's eighteen inches long. They sell some that are in the twenty-six to thirty inch range. Other makers would say that no one in Nepal traditionally made a khukri only ten or twelve inches long or makes one that is longer than twenty inches. I don't know whether that claim is true, but I don't really care. I like my smaller and larger knives.

I doubt that you'd have a problem handling a traditional khukuri in the fifteen inch size range. I don't know how small you are, but I think plenty of people who are smallish have used khukuris without a problem. I think the traditional Ghurka soldiers who made the khukuri famous in the British Army were smaller than most people are today. If you would like something a bit smaller, I'd recommend going to Himalayan Imports to look for smaller, lighter models. I've seen models there in the thirteen or fourteen inch range. These would be close enough to what many consider "traditional size" but would be a bit lighter. If you don't care about the arguments that many people have over what size a khukuri should be, you could find one that was about twelve inches long. Those are very sweet knives that anyone could handle.

As someone else said, Himalayan Imports has a forum in the Manufacturers' Forums section of Bladeforums.com. If you go there, you'll get plenty of good advice and find some nice bargains. If nothing is available that matches what you need, the lady who runs the company may have something available in her store. I'm sure you could find something in the twelve to sixteen inch range that would be beautiful as a display knife but also useful if you ever needed to do light cutting. Some of the folks in that forum even use them for food preparation and hunting. She usually ships them within a day or two. Her makers also make a variety of other beautiful and functional knives. You're likely to find many items that you'd like.
 
Coyman Neemus said:
...I have developed quite an interest for the Gurkha Khukuri... it is often large, and for a small person such as myself -- I fear it may be unwieldy. So answer me this. Is is stupid to own a Khukuri?
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You would be happy to know of the existence of a genuine nepali kukri
that's sort of a letter opener; better known as the "paper cutting knife kukri"
pa-kni-ste-bla-engrved-l.jpg

It is a perfectly sized pocketable working curio for light cutting and slicing
though admittedly, not entirely practical as one would come to expect from a kukri's legendary known ability for quick wood processing and very efficient buffalo sacrifices.
Guess nothing beats the heft of a full sized blade-heavy dog leg kukri!
Smallish people would have little to be worried about traditional nepali kukris,
as fearsome gurkhas are not generally known to be 200lb six-footers.
In fact, the smallish and sometimes short handles of nepali kukris
conforms to the generally small physical stature of it's native inhabitants.
So, it's actually bigger folks who might have to more to worry about buying traditional nepali products.
All said, even if you happen to "mistakenly" buy and own a genuine kukri
and not use it;
it is, as many non-knife tourist have attested, the absolute must-have item.
What more for a knife aficionado?
I say, "ayo gorkhali !" and be damned with the consequences.
Just be awfully careful about brandish it in a menacing way
in full view of nosy neighbours.
 
Are you crazy for wanting one? Of course not. However, after I hit the 50 mark, my wife had begun to question if I have a screw loose.
 
Not stupid at all.

A kuk is.a useful tool.

Go traditional, if you so desire but try to make a forum search for Jason Knight kukri.

Your life wont ever be the same.
 
A khukri is an awesome tool to have. I have a cold steel kukri machete which i got on sale at BHQ. I had to sharpen it my self but not a problem. Its one of the best camping tools i have. Absoluetly worth the money many times over.
The other khukri i have is a Gavko Knives Bigdoot in S7. Totally different. 0.285 thick and full convex ground. A total monster of a chopper. Bites deep into wood and makes any wood processing chores a breeze.
Im not sure what style you are looking for but keep up your research and im sure you will find something that works for you.
I tend to stray from traditional designs. I like more modern ones. But the basic shape is similar. Its one of the only knives you can chop, slice, stab, dig, whittle, with. Truely a great tool. Happy hunting!
 
Perfectly normal desire to want a kukri.

Everybody ought to own one!:D


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b00n said:
No you're not. I bought a Fairnbairn Sykes style dagger a week ago "just because" it's impractical, it's illegal to carry outside the home, I have no need for it or a use but I wanted one. A Khukri you can even use around the garden. Get one, get a decent one, don't overspend and enjoy it.
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..... and to want an original FS is also a natural desire IMO ...

vMXzK3V.jpg


Will C said:
If you like it, get it. I have had my eye on a kabar Reinhardt Kukri which runs about $140. You can get a custom sheath made of kydex for about another $50.
I have a traditional usmc kabar, then purchased a D2 version, and just recently purchased a Ontario equivalent. If the Knife calls to you then don’t feel bad about buying it.
I also like that you are interested in the history of the kukri. The history and progression of knives is quite interesting.
Click to expand...

TDR32DV.jpg



And who doesnt like a battleworn old KaBar ... (and a mess of Cat225s, which I actually prefer over the KB).
 
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Coyman Neemus said:
In the past few months, I have developed quite an interest for the Gurkha Khukuri. It looks cool, ...
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Welcome. :thumbsup: The only thing you are being stupid about is letting yourself think beyond what I quoted above.

You are interested in them and you think they look cool.

So just buy one already.

Ya big dummy. :D :p
 
Korean Hog said:
It's not like the nepalese are known for being exceptionally large and they invented the kukri. I bet you'll find a kukri very useful for yard work and other outdoor chores.
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Agreed. And, if you already own a decent EDC...then why not?
It is also a decent adjunct to that 12 ga. by your bedside.
 
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