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The kukri was used by the Gurkha forces in the Anglo-Nepal War as well as in First and Second World War. The Nepalese handle these knives from the age of five. During World War II, Gurkha recruits preferred their village smith's (kami) blade to mass-produced issue ones. The quality of the blade varies widely. They come in every size from miniatures to enormous sword-like implements. The people who make them are called Kamis (knifesmiths) and the Kamis are a member of the "untouchable" caste. Another term for the smiths who make the blades is biswakarma which translates as "worldmaker".

The Gurkhas, noteworthy as brave soldiers who have used the kukri as a fighting knife while in British service, are members of the Kshatriya caste. Invaders into India historically have remained there, and added to the social/ethnic/cultural life of the country. The Gurkhas are an East Asian-looking people, though it is a matter of debate when they migrated to the south side of the Himalayas, or just where in the North they migrated from.

It is a matter of debate where the design came into Nepal from or who promoted it first. It may be indigenous to the Indian region, but ancient Egypt, the Spanish Celts, and the Greeks used similar designs. One weapon of Spanish origin, the Falcata, shows some similarity with the weapon, and the Greeks used forms called the Machaira and kopis. Alexander the Great's men used weapons of this type and may have spread it into India when Alexander moved into the Punjab. Also there were Greek kings in Afghanistan and India in later centuries who kept in touch with Mediterranean culture. After the time of Julius Caesar, Roman merchants, who had a huge commercial presence in India, seem to have used tools like the khukri also, and probably were promoters of it. The Romans were always buying items such as tigers, spices, precious stones, handcrafted goods and fine steel from India during antiquity, as India had a vast population and very old civilization. That said, Roman armies never saw fit to use such a design, as the khukri did not fit with their tactics; the Roman military never got far east of Azerbaijan. Instead, the classical Romans used another short sword design that the Celtic and Basque Spanish tribes had used, the "gladius hispaniensis", which had a straight two-edged blade though sometimes it had a "wasp waist" that saved weight and increased cutting ability.

It is unknown if the Aryans had a similar weapon, but another Eurasian steppe people, the Turks, did. The Turkish forward-curving sword is called a yataghan. But the yataghan seems to have been developed independently as it first appeared in centuries after the Battle of Manzikert.



The kukri is considered a very effective weapon. Despite the physical resemblance to a boomerang, the kukri is not designed to be thrown. The blade's distinctive forward drop is intended to translate and amplify lateral swipes into perpendicular motion. It has been erroneously stated that the knife is specifically weighted for the purpose of slitting the throat. In the attack, the kukri is most effective as a chopping, slashing weapon - though stabbing attacks are also used. Despite usage in the military, the khukuri is most commonly used as a woodcutting and general purpose tool, and is a very common agricultural and household implement in Nepal. A khukuri designed for general purpose is commonly 16 to 18 inches (around 40-45cm) in overall length and weighs one to two pounds (around 450-900 grams). Bigger examples are impractical for everyday use and are rarely found outside of collections or as ceremonial instruments. Smaller ones are of more limited utility, but very easy to carry.


Although a popular urban legend states that a Gurkha "never sheaths his blade without first drawing blood", the kukri is most commonly employed as a multi-use utility tool, rather like a machete. It can be used for building, clearing, chopping firewood, digging, cutting meat and vegetables, skinning and also for opening tins.

The kukri also has a religious significance in Hindu religion and is blessed during the Dasain sacrificial festival.

Please feel Free to Contact For Furthere Information:
 

Binod Khatiwada
Nepal Khukuri 'N' Art
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Ph:+977-1-4215474

Email: info@nepalartncraft.com