"Gurkha Knife"
When it comes to survival tools, a good blade will always come in handy. There are many various types of blades and they are used to serve a variety of purposes. Having the right tool can save a lot of time and effort on your part. While machetes are quite popular, there is another type of blade that can be used to serve a similar purpose.
The Kukri or Khukuri is of Nepalese origin and has a very distinct shape that is easily recognizable. The blade's distinctive forward curve acts as a weight on the end of the blade. This allows you to obtain more chopping and cutting power from the blade when in use. The kukri is also known as the “Gurkha” blade or “Gurkha” knife depending upon its intended use. Normally, kukris which are 12 inches or less in length are considered as knifes to be used for more routine tasks on a daily basis.
The kukri in the picture above is 11.5 inches in length and works well as a substitute for a larger machete. If you don’t need the extra length and weight of a machete, a small kukri can make a suitable substitute to serve your needs and still give you the chopping power that may be required. It is also somewhat easier to conceal than a large machete.
Got kukri?
Staying above the water line!
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10 comments:
Riverwalker,
Your right! The Kukri is an excellent survival/wilderness tool. I had the opportunity in 2002 to visit India where I purchased two of these from a local Nepalese vendor. Very friendly guy. He told me a little about these blades and the peiple that traditionally use them. He said the tribe that made these blades famous were the Ghurka tribe. They were known to be fierece and loyal warriors. So much so that the British hired them circa 1920 to help secure the British coloninal government buildings. I know that to this day the Ghurka are still used in Bahrain as outer security for the coalition naval yard there. He said that as a matter of tradition if a Ghurka removes the main blade from its sheath, the blade must draw blood before it is resheathed. Even if they only cut their own finger. Not sure if that is myth or not but thats what he said.
He added that the shorter one like in your picture was only issued to officers. The larger one with a wooden handle was for the enlisted front line troops. Lastly, he explained that all Kukris come with three blades. The large fighting blade and two smaller working knives both very small with a blade lentgh of about two inches each. These knives could be drawn and used for daily work and chores without having to cut hemselves or someone else!
I HIGHLY recommend them over a machete for chopping there really is no comparision.
Cool tool!
Thanks for sharing!
jj
Http://www.realitysurvival.com
I've owned a Khukuri for years and have found it to be an interesting "around the camp" knife, although it did take some getting used to. In fact, I would consider a close second to a handy fixed blade. Thanks for sharing.
He said that as a matter of tradition if a Ghurka removes the main blade from its sheath, the blade must draw blood before it is resheathed.
I recall reading that a long time ago when I first became familiar with this style of knife and the Ghurka soldiers who used them.
...o.k,o.k...i'll get one again,had one 25 years ago or so,gave it away before i knew what i know now...
...live and learn...
To: Reality Survival
My small one is intended for use as more of a general utility knife. While I've been using machetes most of my life, I decided it was time try something different that might function well as a substitute.
I saw a larger one that was almost like a machete and figured it would be a little too big and heavy for my use...just use my machete instead.
I know about the drawing of blood and it may be more of a ceremonial or tradition developed over the years.
Thanks.
RW
To: milleniumfly
It will probably time some time for me to get used to it. The balance of it feels a little awkward but hopefully that will translate into easier chopping.
Thanks.
RW
To: Josh
This seems to be a common tradition that may be ceremonial in nature since a lot of people use kukris as an everyday tool in their daily lives.
Thanks.
RW
To: Ken
I've had the opportunity to get one many times but felt my machetes already had the bases covered. With a little more study, I've decided to try them out and see just how easy (or hard) they are for use in chopping, etc.
Thanks Ken.
RW
I'm still on the fence on this one. The hatchet and this design seemed pretty much to run neck and neck by the looks of it. I have more experience with the hatchet, and have rapped my knuckles with split wood rising up to meet them then with a machete. The kukri and hatchet are about the same weight and length.
To: anonymous 9:33
A good hatchet or an axe will probably win when it comes to splitting wood but the kukri should be more efficient for general duties that are normally reserved for a knife.
Thanks anon.
RW
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