The kukri (Devanāgarī: खुकुरी) is a heavy, curved Nepalese knife used as both tool and weapon. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. A knife is a handheld sharp-edged instrument consisting of handle attached to a Blade used for cutting It is also a part of the regimental weaponry and heraldry of Gurkha fighters. Prithvi Naraya Shahdev and Sri Teen Maharaja Jung Bahadur The Way of Sacrifice The Rajputs Pages 28-30 Graduate Thesis South Asian Studies Department Dr It is known to many people as simply the "Gurkha Blade" or "Gurkha Knife".
The name is pronounced khu-khoo-ree. Although khukuri, "khukeri" or khookree are more accurate transliterations, kukri is the most well-known spelling of the name of this blade style. Transliteration is the practice of Transcribing a Word or text written in one Writing system into another writing system or system of rules for such practice In early English writings there were many and diverse spellings of the name.
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Design and manufacture
The kukri is designed for chopping and in use resembles a cross between a knife and an axe. Blades are typically 3 - 10 cm wide and 30 – 38 cm long, but size varies. Larger, less practical ceremonial blades may be as long as 70 cm. Blades are deflected at an angle of 20° or more, with a thick spine and a single sharp cutting edge; this causes the end section of the blade to strike square on, greatly increasing chopping effectiveness. Khukris can be broadly classified into two types: 'siropate' are used for warfare, while 'budhuni' are used for woodwork. Siropate have sleeker and thinner blades, while the budhuni have thicker wider blades shaped more like fish.
Kukri blades are often forged from leaf springs intended for the suspension of trucks. Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, Shock absorbers and linkages that connects a Vehicle to its Wheels Suspension This article is about the semi-truck For the North American use of the word see Pickup truck. The tang of the blade usually extends all the way through to the end of the handle; the small portion of the tang that projects through the end of the handle is hammered flat to secure the blade. The tang of a Sword or fixed-blade Knife is that part of the Blade extending into and usually through the grip that is fastened to it A kukri blade has a hard, tempered edge and a softer spine. This enables it to maintain a sharp edge, yet tolerate impacts. They are also balanced so that they will rest in a vertical position if supported on a fulcrum, e. g. a finger.
Traditional kukris usually have handles made from hardwood or water buffalo horn. These handles are often fastened with a kind of tree sap called laha (also known as "Himalayan epoxy"). With a wood or horn handle, the tang may be heated and burned into the handle to ensure a tight fit, since only the section of handle which touches the blade is burned away. In more modern kukri, handles of cast aluminum or brass are press-fitted to the tang - as the hot metal cools it shrinks and hardens, locking onto the blade. Some kukris (such as the ones made by contractors for the modern Indian Army) have a very wide tang with handle slabs fastened on by two or more rivets, commonly called a full tang configuration.
Traditional profiling of the blade edge is performed by a two-man team; one man spins a grind wheel forwards and backwards by means of a rope wound several times around an axle, while the sharpener applies the blade. The wheel is made by hand from fine river sand bound by laha, the same adhesive used to the affix the handle to the blade. Routine sharpening is traditionally accomplished by passing a chakmak (smaller, harder, unsharpened blade) over the edge in a manner similar to that used by Western chefs to steel their knives.
Kukri sheaths are usually made of wood with a goatskin covering. The leatherwork is usually done by a sarki. Traditionally, the scabbard also holds two smaller tools called the karda and the chakmak. The karda is a small accessory blade used for many tasks. The chakmak is unsharpened and is used to burnish the blade. It can also be used to start a fire with flint. Flint (or flintstone) is a hard sedimentary Cryptocrystalline form of the Mineral Quartz, categorized as a variety of Chert Attached to older style scabbards there is sometimes a pouch for carrying flint or dry tinder.
Kukris usually have a notch or a pair of adjacent notches (the "kaura" or "cho") at the base of the blade. Various reasons are given for this, both practical and ceremonial: that it makes blood and sap drop off the blade rather than running onto the handle; that it delineates the end of the blade whilst sharpening; that it is a symbol representing the Hindu goddess Kali. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Kali redirects here See Kali (disambiguation for other uses Not to be confused with Kali (demon, the personification of Kali Yuga A kukri can also have one or more fullers, including the "aunlo bal" (finger of strength/force/energy), a relatively deep and narrow fuller visible in the modern example above, as well as one or more "chirra", which may refer either to shallow fullers in the belly of the blade or a hollow grind of the edge [1]. fuller is a rounded or beveled groove on the flat side of a blade such as a Sword, Knife, or Bayonet (shown The grind of a blade refers to the shape of the cross-section of the blade This groove is said to symbolize the spear of the god Shiva. There are other stories about the meaning of these decorations. Very often the knifesmith will put his own maker's mark near the handle as well.
History
The kukri was used by the Gurkha forces in the Anglo-Nepal War as well as in First and Second World War. Prithvi Naraya Shahdev and Sri Teen Maharaja Jung Bahadur The Way of Sacrifice The Rajputs Pages 28-30 Graduate Thesis South Asian Studies Department Dr The Gurkha War ( 1814 – 1816) sometimes called the Gorkha War or the Anglo-Nepalese War, was fought between Nepal and the British World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including 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. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Prithvi Naraya Shahdev and Sri Teen Maharaja Jung Bahadur The Way of Sacrifice The Rajputs Pages 28-30 Graduate Thesis South Asian Studies Department Dr blacksmith is a person who creates objects from Iron or Steel by Forging the Metal; i Kami (Nepali कामी is a Dalit community from Nepal which belongs to Indo-Aryan ethnic group 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. Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. 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. A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय kṣatriya from क्षत्र kṣatra) is one of the four varnas (social orders in Hinduism 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 Iberians, and the Greeks used similar designs. One weapon of Iberian origin, the Falcata, shows some similarity with the weapon, and the Greeks used forms called the Machaira and kopis. The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources (among others Hecataeus of Miletus, Avienus, Herodot and Strabo The falcata is a type of Sword typical of Pre- Roman Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, modern Spain and Portugal) similar Makhaira (from Greek μάχαιρα, also transliterated machaira or machaera; an Ancient Greek word PIE The kopis (from Ancient Greek κοπίς, from κόπτω kopto, "I cut" was a Sword with a forward-curving blade 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 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. Gladius is a Latin word for Sword. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those used by the Greeks
It is unknown if the Aryans had a similar weapon, but another Eurasian steppe people, the Turks, did. Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit " Ārya " meaning "noble" or "honorable" The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language The Turkish forward-curving sword is called a yataghan. The yatagan or yataghan (from Turkish yatağan) is a type of Turkish sword (which became known in other countries as the 'Turkish sword' But the yataghan seems to have been developed independently as it first appeared in centuries after the Battle of Manzikert. The Battle of Manzikert, or Malazgirt, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuq forces led by Alp Arslan on August 26 1071 near Manzikert
Usage
The kukri is considered a very effective weapon. Despite the physical resemblance to a boomerang, the kukri is not designed to be thrown. A boomerang is a simple implement used for various purposes It is primarily associated with Australian Aborigines but has been found amongst peoples of North The blade's distinctive forward drop is intended to act as a weight on the end of the blade and make the kukri fall on the enemy faster and with more power. It has been erroneously stated that the knife is specifically weighted for the purpose of slitting the throat. As for attacking, the kukri is most effective as a chopping, slashing weapon - though stabbing attacks are also used. Based on the recollections of Colonel Gian Singh, (formerly 7th Indian Division), [2]
A Gurkha from the 4/8 Gurkhas had demonstrated to me in India how best to use the kukri. Firstly, you get in close to your enemy and stab him in the lower body. When the kukri goes in, the enemy always doubles up. You then swiftly withdraw your kukri and take his head off. With a sharp blade that’s easy. I saw many an enemy with their heads off so it must work!
Despite usage in the military, the kukri is most commonly used as a woodcutting and general purpose tool, and is a very common agricultural and household implement in Nepal. A kukri designed for general purpose is commonly 16 to 18 inches (around 40-45 cm) in overall length and weighs one to two pounds (around 450-900 grams). A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth For other uses of the words gram or gramme see Gram (disambiguation. Bigger examples are impractical for everyday use and are rarely found except in 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. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them The machete (məˈʃɛti is a large cleaver -like cutting tool It can be used for building, clearing, chopping firewood, digging, cutting meat and vegetables, skinning and also for opening tins. [3]
The kukri also has a religious significance in Hindu religion and is blessed during the Dasain sacrificial festival. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Dashain (दशैं is the 15-day national festival of Nepal, and a state festival of Indian states of Sikkim and the Darjeeling district of West Bengal Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning "to make sacred" from Old French, from Latin sacrificium: sacr, "sacred" A religious festival is a time of special importance marked by adherents to that Religion.
Uses of Kukri in film and other media
- Major Payne in the movie of the same name carries a Kukri knife and sometimes uses it to scratch his head
- Alice from the Resident Evil movies uses a pair of Kukri knives in Resident Evil: Extinction
- Helmeppo from the One Piece manga uses a pair of Kukri knives in One Piece
- A kukri can be used as a weapon in the video game Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Major Payne is a 1995 film starring Damon Wayans. The film is a loose remake of the 1955 film The Private War of Major Benson Resident Evil Extinction is a 2007 Science fiction action Horror film. is a Japanese Shōnen Manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, that has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine Eternal Darkness Sanity's Requiem is a Psychological horror Video game originally planned for the Nintendo 64 but later released exclusively
See also
Ancient weapons Mêlée (excluding polearms) Axe Khopesh Masakari The Phurba ( Tib, pronunciation between 'pur-ba' & 'fur-pu' altDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic