Kukri - wing of death. Kukri knife: universal hard worker Nepalese sword name

The traditional ancient type of bladed weapon of the peoples inhabiting the mountainous country of Nepal has a unique name - Kukri (khukuri, khukuri). These are heavy, massive, durable, well-balanced knives that can be used in close combat, making paths and building huts. In everyday life, they can be called anything: cutlasses, machetes, knives and even short swords.

Nepalese kukri knife: main characteristics

A traditional Nepalese knife is made only from high-carbon types of steel, which are sharpened at a certain angle and are zone hardened. The blades are crescent-shaped, with sharpening that runs along their inner sides. In addition, the lower parts of the knives expand so that their centers of gravity are close to the tip. Such unusual shapes make it possible to apply minimal effort when delivering chopping blows.

At the base of the blades of Nepalese classic kukri knives there are special figured cuts called “cho”, and “lobes” or “dales” run along the butts. The presence of such elements is necessary in order to improve the rigidity and shock absorption of the blades. Historians also note their certain symbolic meanings. According to some versions, “dolyas” are the main attributes of the god Shiva and his other half, the goddess Kali.

What is the hidden meaning?

In all elements of kukri knives, in addition to the obvious practical significance, one can also discern the presence of deep symbolic and religious overtones. The triangular shape of the blades in their sections symbolizes the trinity of three gods or Trimurti - Shiva, Vishnu and Brahman. The presence of rings, which are traditionally located on the handles of the kukri, guarantees a good “grip”, even if the palm is wet. In addition, the presence of patterns, as conceived by the first gunsmiths who made such knives, should have resonated with the levels of the universe.

Blades with variable sharpening angles will not only guarantee the highest possible efficiency in the process of delivering chopping blows. They also symbolize the Sun and Moon, which are traditional Nepalese symbols. “Che”, or notches on the handles, can have a wide variety of shapes. They also designate Trishula, “the trident of the god Shiva,” which denotes the triple nature: Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the Universe. Alternative forms of "che" are called "cow tracks", which in turn represent symbols of the goddess Kali (the Hindu religion is known to recognize the cow as a sacred animal).

Kukri knife: the history of its origin

Today there are several variations in the origin of kukri knives. According to the most popular of them, the ancestor of this unique Nepalese bladed weapon is considered to be the khopesh sword, which was widespread in ancient Egypt, as well as the ancient Greek kopis. Their configurations were repeatedly modified and repeated in a number of very diverse states of the ancient world, which were located in the Mediterranean region, India, and the Middle East.

Kukri knives and Moroccan fleeces, which are straightened and elongated knives created on the basis of ancient Greek kopis, have remained in the status of national edged weapons to this day.

In essence, kukri are smaller versions of the ancient kopis. Nepalese museums contain kukris that were created only in the 15th century. However, the most ancient species and specimens, apparently, simply have not survived.

Traditional views in the Gurkha tribe

According to local legends, kukri, removed from their sheaths, must certainly enjoy the “taste of blood” before putting them back. As a result of this tradition, the Gurkhas adhere to the rule that under no circumstances should they draw their knives unless they have a truly compelling reason to do so. Before sheathing their weapon, Gurkhas make a small cut on one of their fingers to allow a small amount of blood to appear from the wound.

Martial arts, which are based on the study of the subtleties and features of the use of kukri, are studied in the Gurkha tribe from a very young age. Such training includes a set of specific ceremonies along with combat and hunting techniques. An extremely important philosophical implication in training may also be that when a warrior does not have sufficient grounds for a fight, it is better to abandon it altogether. However, when it is vitally necessary, the Gurkhas, without hesitation, deliver lightning-fast, deadly knife blows.

Known modifications of kukri knives

Traditional blades of Nepalese knives are sharpened with variable angles. This can be explained by the fact that, as a rule, in the process of cutting, chopping, cutting, and planing, different sections of the cutting parts of the blades are used. Basically, the sizes of Nepalese kukri knives can range in length from 275 to 410 millimeters. At the same time, the thickness of the butts of these blades can reach 8-12 millimeters.

In Nepal itself, a large number of varieties and models of kukri knives are produced, which may differ in their geometry, weight and size. This diversity can be explained by the difference in the purpose of each individual sample. Kukri knives can be used for souvenirs, rituals, combat, and also for utility purposes. It is curious, but kukri combat models are still used as cold standard weapons by the Nepalese police and military, as well as by the mercenary units of the Gurkhas themselves.

Materials used, technological details

More recently, some parts from railway trains could be used to make knives, but sometimes decommissioned rails were also used. Currently, knife manufacturers use heavy-duty spring plates from trucks or buses. The most popular materials may be springs from Swedish and German vehicles, a little less often from Japanese ones.

At the same time, kukri are produced using traditional technology with mandatory hand forging. Some industries still use hammers or hand hammers. To successfully combine excellent strength properties in weapons, as well as outstanding cutting characteristics, zone hardening is used in large-sized models. The blade bodies are hardened to HRC 35 - 48, the part that is close to the cutting edges is hardened to HRC 56 - 58. The sharpening angles gradually change along the entire length of the knives. Near the handle itself they are minimal, while in the central part of the “belly” they are sharpened to the maximum.

Of the entire variety of kukri knife blades, two types of “doles” stand out: khol and chirra. So, the halls are quite narrow (approximately 5 or less millimeters in width). This type of lobes is deeper. As a rule, two or one hall “runs” along the length of the butt of the blade in close proximity to the handle. In this case, a shift occurs near the place where the edges of the knives begin to bend. In ancient models, cholas were produced to further balance the increased rigidity of the blades and reduce their overall mass. Today, the kukri knives produced have decreased in size, and khols are now only marked using caulking.

The chairra run along the cutting edges themselves, along the entire length of the blades. This type of lobes is less deep than the lobes and wider (up to 20 millimeters). Most chayrras are used on anghols. The classic version is considered to be “triple fullers” (Tin Chirra), which extend onto the blades of the blades, although one or two may be acceptable. Chairrs are sometimes called the wide “descents” of the blades of kukri knives with a concave configuration, which form the cutting edges.

Handles were traditionally made of wood or bone. The installations of the handles were mainly mounted, a little less often plate-type, in cases where the fastenings were carried out using rivets. Today, gunsmiths use brass, aluminum alloys, water buffalo horns, or expensive hard woods as materials for handles. In ancient kukri, rhinoceros horns or ivory could be found from time to time. Recently, market relations have dictated certain conditions for the mass production of knives. Thus, rubber-like plastic with a special anti-slip texture was identified as a common material for handles.

It is generally accepted that the sheath of Nepalese kukri knives should be made of wood and covered with leather. In addition, the sheath can usually accommodate two more, but smaller knives. Genuine fighting kukris have a set of two to six smaller knives. Some were used in a wide variety of household work. Others, which had increased hardness and rough, distinctly rough surfaces, were used for lighting a fire, as well as for straightening the blades of the main blades. The first ones are called “kards”, and the second ones “chakmaks”. As a rule, army kukris do not have additional knives, since they arose almost at the end of the 20th century. Then the Gurkha soldiers decided to return to their former historical and military tradition.

Specific purposes of kukri knives

According to experts, weapons with S-shaped crescent-shaped cutting edges and reverse curvature of the blades have an ancient history at their disposal. They were specifically designed to deliver powerful slashing blows. The geometry of the cutting edges was deliberately adapted for this particular application, which is also facilitated by the center of weight shifted closer to the middle. By the way, with the well-thought-out ergonomics of the kukri, proven over centuries, you can use these knives with virtually no special training.

Accordingly, under Russian law, kukri knives are not considered edged weapons. The deflections of their butts towards the upper parts exceed 15 mm, and the angles of the blade tips are more than 70°. In accordance with current GOSTs, such signs classify it as household goods.

We continue to tinker with the hardware of the Indo-Persian region. In the first part, we stopped on the southwestern coast of India, in Malabar, where we looked at the weapons of the local residents - the Kodagu people.

As already mentioned, in addition to the pichangatti knife, the Kodagu warriors have an aida-katti, also known as ayudha-katti, which means “combat knife”:

It has a very peculiar shape of a wide, heavy blade curved forward. Obviously, the aida-cutty traces its origins to a simple cleaver, which was used to clear bushes and other thickets from the land for plowing. Therefore, for an inexperienced person, it looks a little like an agricultural tool, but in fact it is a real weapon, deadly in experienced hands. It is about 0.6 m long.

Ayda-cutty is often called the “sword of the Moplahs,” which is not entirely true. Despite the similarity and, most likely, a common “cleaver” origin, the aida-katti is still a weapon of the Kodagu people.

Moplahs, also known as Mapilli, are the Muslim ummah (community) of Malabar. It consists mainly of descendants of Arabs who mixed with the local population, and of Indians who converted to Islam. Many lower caste Indians became Muslims in order to break free from the harsh restrictions of caste and cease to be untouchables.

The Moplah sword differs from the Ida-katti in the smoother curve of the blade and, as a rule, in a handle with a pommel that is slightly curved, in the form of a head or beak. The size of the sword is the same as that of the Aida Katti.

In 1921, the Moplahs staged another uprising. What began as an anti-colonial protest turned into a grandiose massacre. At first, the Mapilli slaughtered the English oppressors from the administration, the police, and in general, from wherever they could be reached. But the British quickly ran out. But there remained Hindus and an unquenched thirst for blood. And so, remembering past grievances and contradictions, under the pretext that the Indians somehow wanted to help the British, the massacre continued with renewed vigor. Several thousand people were hacked to death by these very “swords of the Moplahs.” Several hundred thousand more people fled from the areas affected by the uprising.

In the end, quite serious forces were brought in to suppress the rebellion. It is clear that no swords could help the Moplahs against rifles. Having suppressed the uprising, the colonial authorities dealt harshly with the rebels, and then carried out a total confiscation of these weapons, after which they were loaded onto a ship and drowned in the ocean. As a result, the Moplah sword is now quite rare in the wild.

to the begining

Gurkha regiments also took part in suppressing the Moplah uprising.

I feel the advanced members of the Pack grunt contentedly. Because they immediately understood what was going to be discussed next. Well, of course, where the Gurkhas are, there is their constant kukri knife!

But before we move on to the knife itself, I’ll briefly tell you about its owners.

Gurkhas (English Gurkha) - British colonial troops recruited from Nepalese volunteers. The name comes from the name of the varna (caste group) of the Chhetri caste (Nepalese Kshatriyas) - Gorkha (Gurkhas), which played a leading role in the Gorkha Confederation - a military alliance of Nepalese tribes, led by the ruler of the small principality of Gorkha, who subjugated the territory of the modern kingdom of Nepal.

This is the same founder of the kingdom - Prithvi Narayan Shah. He proudly shows his finger to his neighbors, saying, I’m the first here, and you just say:

Gurkhas took part in the suppression of anti-colonial uprisings in India (Sikhs, sepoys, etc.) and in Afghanistan (1848). They also fought in World War I against Britain's enemies in the Middle East and France.

During the Second World War, the Gurkhas fought in Africa, Southeast Asia and Italy.

In 1982, the Gurkhas took part in the Falklands conflict.

The Gurkhas are distinguished by the strictest discipline, courage and loyalty to the oath. Their motto is: "Kaathar hunnu bhanda marnu ramro." (Better to die than to be a coward).

To understand how the Gurkhas “came to such a life,” let’s take a short excursion into history.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the British East India Company, which by that time had already firmly established itself in Bengal, began to restore order in the territories that it considered its own. But the fact is that the neighboring, young and warlike kingdom of Nepal also laid claim to part of these territories. Conflict was inevitable.

Gurkha from the Khas tribe. Notice how good he looks. Solid, open. The look of a warrior, a kshatriya:

Before the outbreak of hostilities, the British, accustomed to easy victories over the Indians, did not perceive the Nepalese as a serious danger. Well, really, what threat could the Nepalese armed forces pose, consisting of 14,000 soldiers and commanders, armed with only about 4,000 handguns and several light guns?

However, the first attempt to capture several Nepalese fortifications in January 1814 showed that the enemy was greatly underestimated. After a fierce Nepalese counterattack, British casualties amounted to about 300 soldiers, with the Nepalese themselves losing only 70. The puzzled British retreated and began preparing for a major military campaign.

The first big battle took place in the fall of 1814 near Nalapani. Despite the use of artillery by the British, the battlefield again remained with the Nepalese.

In subsequent battles, the Nepalese defenders also showed fierce bitterness and desperate courage. A typical case is known during the defense of the Malaon fortification, when the British occupied a key position on the mountainside, and from there they wanted to shoot through the main fort. After the British sappers cleared the road and dragged guns to this position, a small detachment of Nepalese, led by the garrison commander Bhakti Thapa, advanced from the fortress. 600 people versus 2400.

The Nepalese are fighting to occupy the heights, and a terrible meat grinder begins. During the fight, Bhakti Thapa is seriously wounded in the stomach. And here, according to legend, Bhakti Thapa tucked his intestines back in, wrapped his torso with a turban torn from his head, and continued hand-to-hand combat, killing, in total, about two dozen opponents. And he was then “only” 73 years old!!! Such is the fighting grandfather-kshatriya.

Despite the numerical superiority of the British, the Nepalese braves fought so desperately for the heights that only the introduction of an additional detachment of British troops into the battle turned the tide. In the end, most of the Nepalese detachment was killed, the rest were seriously wounded. Impressed by the courage of the Nepalese warriors, the British allowed their bodies to be taken to the fortress, which soon capitulated.

And here is an eyewitness account, a British missionary, Reverend Wood, who described the fighting techniques of the Nepalese in his memoirs:

"Bold as lions, lithe and quick as monkeys, and angry as tigers, the small, wiry men leapt forward to attack, moving so fast and keeping such a distance from each other that muskets were useless against them. As they approached to the soldiers, they suddenly crouched down to the ground, dived under bayonets, struck upward with their kukris, cutting the bodies with one blow, and then, after doing all the evil that was in their power, retreated as quickly as they came. the people understood this method of attack, many of them died at the hands of a few opponents, some suffered damage from their weapons. The opponents cut or chopped them with knives sharp as razors, and often jumped out unharmed from the stockade of bayonets. They could slip under the belly of the officer's horse, cut him open with one blow of a curved knife, and hit the officer’s leg from the other side while he and his horse fell.”

“Travels in India and Nepal” by the Rev. Wood

Nevertheless, the better equipment and numerical superiority of the British troops turned the tide of the fighting. In the autumn of 1815, after several major battles, British troops were already dangerously close to the heart of Nepal - the Kathmandu Valley. On March 4, 1816, a treaty was signed under which Nepal, although it defended its independence, lost all the territories it had recently occupied. One of the most important parts of the peace treaty was the clause according to which the British could recruit soldiers for the British Gurkha regiments in Nepal.

The smart-assed British, greatly impressed by the courage and bravery of the Nepalese warriors, as well as their clear superiority over the sepoys (these are Indians hired to serve in the military units of the British East India Company), were going to use the Gurkhas not so much to conquer new territories, but to control already conquered peoples. As they say, everything is in the best traditions of English democracy - divide and rule.

This is how the Gurkhas put their kukris at the service of British colonialism. Even today, there is a Gurkha battalion (1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles) in Afghanistan. Prince Harry, during his 10-week service in Afghanistan, was assigned to this battalion.

And not so long ago it was reported that some Gurkha, in a fit of official zeal, cut off the Taliban’s head.

True, he was already dead and did not feel anything, but his fellow tribesmen were offended.

Well, we've dealt with the Gurkhas, it's time to move on to the kukri!

So, as we have already found out, the kukri knife (also known as khukri or khukuri, pronounced by the Nepalese as “hu’kuri”) was a real nightmare for the opponents of the Gurkhas. The powerful curved blade, being “in dexterous and hard-working hands,” left terrible wounds, cut off limbs, cut off bodies and heads. However, for the vast majority of Nepalese, the kukri knife has always been and remains a common household tool used for clearing areas of vegetation, harvesting wood, slaughtering livestock, cutting meat and similar tasks.

In general, the kukri can be safely called a multifunctional tool. This is a tool of a warrior, traveler, peasant, hunter. Indeed, thanks to the unique design of the kukri, it can be used to prick, cut, chop and even hit like a hammer using a butt. Another purpose of this knife is ritual. Special types of kukri are used to cut off the heads of sacrificial animals.

It should be noted that tools of such a curved shape were quite widespread in ancient times, including in Europe.

Here, for example, is a Celtic curved knife of the 2nd-1st centuries. BC.

In this regard, heated debates about the origin of kukri continue. Some believe that this is the legacy of the Aryan nomads who came to Northern India at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e. Others believe that the ancient Aryans have nothing to do with it, and the origins of kukri must be sought in Nepal itself. Still others are looking for (and finding!) prototypes of kukri in India, where such blades were also used. Below is one of the images of warriors in the temple of Chandragupta, the king of the ancient Indian state of Magadha, the founder of the Mauryan dynasty (317-180 BC).

There are also more “recent” images of curved blades in India, as, for example, in this 10th-century bas-relief:

Still others believe that the Nepalese borrowed this weapon design from the Persians: Herodotus mentions similar weapons of the Persian heavy cavalry at the beginning of the 5th century BC. e.

The most popular theory says that the kukri comes from the so-called kopis (other names are mahaira and falcata) - a curved sword of a specific shape with a one-sided sharpening on the inside, which was used by the soldiers of Alexander the Great.

Allegedly, during his Indian campaign, the Indians became acquainted with kopis, having experienced it on their own skin. They were greatly inspired by this and immediately adopted it.

I still think that, most likely, kopis (if kukri really comes from it) took root in the territory of Northern India and Nepal during the existence of the so-called Indo-Greek kingdom (from 180 BC to 10 AD) , founded by the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius.

Some adherents of this theory even draw up some kind of diagrams that clearly show the connection of certain types of eastern weapons with the ancient Greek kopis.

The blade of a traditional kukri is made of high-carbon steel and, most often, is zone hardened. The shape of the blade is curved, sharpened on the inside, the lower part expands so that the center of gravity is shifted to the tip. The thickness of the butt of a Nepalese kukri blade is on average from 8 to 12 mm, the length of the blade is usually from 280 to 400 mm. This shape of the blade allows you to minimize the effort when delivering chopping blows. The classic Nepalese kukri has an omega-shaped cut at the base of the blade - kaudi, kaura or cho, and along the butt on both sides of the blade there are valleys.

The caudi can be “open” or made in the form of a hole (the so-called “pigeon eye”).

The existence and purpose of this cutout has always aroused genuine interest in the Naifomaniac community. In order to identify the truth, a sea of ​​literature was studied, from Hindu mythology to sopromat. In the end, most of those interested agreed that the purpose of the caudi is to relieve stress and prevent the appearance of cracks in the place where maximum stress is concentrated, where the blade meets the unsharpened heel. The main argument for this theory is the following fact: supposedly for kukris that do not have a caudi, produced, for example, in America, the most common defect is the blade breaking off at the handle (like this area of ​​the blade receives the maximum load during a chopping blow on a hard target).

Regarding the versions explaining the existence and benefits of caudi, let me quote I.V. Myagkikh (), who, in my opinion, gives the most correct explanation.

Here's what he writes:

"Kukri blades, starting from the 19th century, have a figured cutout near the hilt, called cho (cho) or caudi. Initially, this cutout was, in all likelihood, a choil - a semicircular cut of blade metal separating the sharpened part of the blade from the ricasso (see Prithvi Narayan Shah's kukri below).

It then evolved into a more complex shape with a tooth in the middle of the notch. There are a large number of versions explaining the usefulness of this element, but, unfortunately, most of them are unconvincing. Among them are: this is a device for capturing the enemy’s blade; an element that prevents blood from flowing onto the handle; the cutout increases the blade’s fracture resistance; this is a lock that secures the blade in the sheath, etc. The simplest and probably logical explanation is the following - the shape of the caudi allows you to determine in which region and in which workshop the kukri was made. Perhaps this was a kind of signature and guarantee from the master.

The simplest kukris, ordinary ones, had a simple caudi carved on them; perhaps they were made by apprentices who did not yet have their own badge. Subsequently, with the advent of factory-produced kukris and souvenir kukris for tourists, this cutout continued to be traditionally made on the blade, but became schematically simple and no longer carried a semantic load.

It was at this time that, perhaps, complex explanations of its practical usefulness appeared or, conversely, versions linking its presence on the blade with the religious beliefs of the Nepalese."

The kukri handle is traditionally made of wood or bone and has a mounted or, less commonly, overhead mounting with rivets.

The kukri sheath is made of wood and covered with water buffalo skin. As a rule, kukri are equipped with a set of auxiliary tools, located in special pockets on the main sheath, which can include from one to a dozen small devices.

In most cases, there are two of them: a small “clean” card knife (karda), for cooking, planing, fine and precise cutting, and a small primitive file chakmak (chakmak) - a strip of high-carbon steel with a handle, roughly processed and rough, it was used for sharpening kukri, card and as a flint (part of a flint), for starting a fire. The flint and tinder itself could also be in a pocket on the scabbard.

A large number of kukri models are made in Nepal, which are quite difficult to classify: from ancient times to the present day, there has been a huge variety of local varieties, multiplied by the diverse requirements of customers and the manufacturing features of various craftsmen. Being made entirely by hand, even models of the same kami differ from each other.

Since the end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th century, kukris have been conventionally divided into two main types. Both types are characterized by a fairly smooth arc between the handle and the butt of the blade, without having a pronounced hump-angle on the butt.

The first type, with a narrow blade, called “hanshee” (arch, sickle), often had an elongated handle and blade.

The second type is called "budhume" (big belly), it is more massive, with a wide blade. The total length was usually 17 - 19 inches (430 - 480 mm), the thickness of the butt at the handle was 8 - 10 mm.

Since the 20th century, kukri with a clearly defined hump angle on the butt have appeared.

The name of kukri models, as a rule, was given according to the place of manufacture or some special characteristics. So, for example, the Bhojpure kukri is named after the town of Bhojpur in eastern Nepal, famous for the production of wide, “abdominal” kukris, which have a significant (up to 40°) bend of the tip of the blade to the line of the handle. Such blades, due to their massiveness and sufficient thickness of the spine, are ideal for various household needs.

The Sirupate kukri is so named because the shape of its blade resembles the leaf of the Siru tree, native to Nepal. Sirupati is a lightweight and convenient instrument, extremely popular both among Gurkha military personnel and among martial arts fans.

The name kukri Buttewal comes from the word “batta”, which means pattern, which means this type of kukri is covered with patterns, decorated, ceremonial or ceremonial. These kukris are also called "Kothimora" or simply "Mora".

And the Angkhola kukri, which translates as “concave back,” have a notch on the wide blade of the blade along the butt, between the “hump” and the tip. That. The center of mass is moved closer to the cutting edge, which improves the balancing of the blade and makes it easier to work with.

Kukri Chitlange is named after the town of Chitlang in eastern Nepal. This type of kukri is similar to sirupati, but, instead of caudi, it has a specific shaped hole in the blade, the so-called. "pigeon eye"

This is where we will finish listing the different kukri models. This can be done for a long time, but it does not make much sense, since the differences between kukri of different styles are much smaller than the common ones.

Kukri structure:

Nepalese generally have a great love for slashing weapons. In addition to a variety of kukri (3), they were also armed with a large two-handed slashing sword ram-dao (1) and a one-handed slashing sword kora (2):

Both swords have a very specific shape. The bark, in addition to this, also has a specific handle, strongly reminiscent of the handle of the Western European medieval dagger rondel (aka scheibendolch). The pommel and guard are made in the form of disks that tightly fix the palm gripping the handle, top and bottom.

If the ram-dao is considered a purely ritual weapon, used exclusively for sacrifices, then the bark, which is also used for ritual slaughter, is quite a military weapon, although it does not have such great fame as the kukri.

The picture below shows Nepalese warriors from the Gurung tribe. Each warrior has a kora sword, a kukri and a dhal shield.

With the development of firearms, the shield and bark became a thing of the past, but the more compact kukri not only took root among the troops, but also became a symbol of the Gurkhas.

Many large-sized fighting kukris in Nepal were made with bark-like handles.

And this museum kukri is shaped like a makhaira kopis!

In Northern India, where kukris were also in use, they were equipped with talwar handles (talwar is an Indian saber).

There, in the north of India, based on kukris, they were made as a completely military weapon,

and the front one, for special ceremonies.

Recently I have this Anghola living with me:

His name is Mini Jangle Dragon. Kind of like a little jungle dragon. Length 324 mm (8 inches).

I bought it at one of the Arsenals, purely out of interest, to see how it chops. I was pleased, even light blows leave deep notches in the tree.

Full set, buffalo leather sheath, with pendant, card and chakmak.

True, the card is desperately stupid, and the chakmak, on the contrary, is too smooth, you can’t straighten it out. But if you wish, of course, all this can be brought to mind.

To conclude the story about kukri, there are several interesting specimens.

Luxurious kukri decorated with gold koftgari:

Beautiful kukri with a carved bone handle:

Indian knife ala kukri with a Damascus blade:

Milla Jovovich switched to kukri in order to completely exterminate zombies. Even for two kukris!

Don't come closer, I'll bite you, uh, that is, I'll kill you!

And even the Goblin himself took a look at this knife, and, it seems, he managed to work hard with it...

And this Gurkha, although small, has such a... kukrya!

Doesn't anyone need to chop wood???

I say goodbye to this, I’m going to write a sequel...

We were all once boys and read about exciting adventures in Africa, India... about the hunt for treacherous man-eating tigers, about the ascents of brave climbers to Annapurna. And such attractive, one might say, fabulous and incredibly distant names: Tibet, Nepal, Kathmandu. And somewhere in those places live warlike Gurkhas, armed with traditional large, crooked and scary kukri knives.

Even now I like to daydream in the silence of my office, of course, not during working hours.

I remember the famous Tartarin of Tarascon by Alphonse Daudet, when he was reading a book about adventures and at the same time waving a knife or pistol, imagining himself as one of the characters in the story.

And on his wall hung a collection of weapons, in which I was always touched by the labels: “arrows are poisoned, do not touch”, “dagger, be careful - sharp”, etc.

Some grew out of childhood dreams and go hunting in the same Africa, but others were lucky in a different way, and they enjoy woodcock evenings near Moscow.

I'm not saying that woodcock hunting is less interesting and exciting than warthog hunting, just to each his own. I like hunting, traveling, firearms and especially bladed weapons, dogs and everything related to hunting and fishing.

This is hereditary, my grandfather Evgeniy Semenovich Lopukhov hunted almost until his death (he was 81 years old) and always kept dogs, mostly hounds. This passion for hunting and weapons was passed on to me from him.

I remember those recent times when you could get 3 years for a penknife with a blade lock or, God forbid, with a switchblade, and it was by no means conditional. And it was better not to dream of blades 15 cm or more. But times, thank God, have changed.

Now a decent blade can be purchased in almost any hunting store, and in most cases without a permit to carry and store firearms. Great!

You can even buy a knife online. There are several popular and, importantly, reliable online stores where lovers and connoisseurs of edged weapons can purchase knives from famous world manufacturers without deception or counterfeiting.

But lately, there have been too many deceivers and simply irresponsible and dishonest online stores, where you wait for an order for 3 months (it happened to me), or even send money, but no answer, no hello.

So, the link led me to an interesting site: real Nepalese kukris, but, interestingly, they are certified as household ones. There are probably about forty models. I won’t lie, I was surprised, I thought, out of naivety, that there was only one kukri!

Well, I’ll tell you, my eyes ran wide and my palms itched. I really wanted to become the owner of this fantastic knife in childhood, which has now become real and affordable.

Well, it’s always interesting to test a new product, and the famous, one might say, fabulous kukris from Nepal itself are even more so. Because many questions and doubts immediately arose: are they really Nepalese, why “household life”, what is the hardness, are these real knives or a souvenir for the wall?

In order not to suffer for a long time, I decided to buy, and not one, but two - the full-length “Siru Pate 10” and the small “Jungle 6”. I paid the bill, emailed a copy of the receipt and prepared to wait a long time. Imagine my amazement when the next day the courier delivered the parcel to me! And this is not in the capital, but 550 km from it!

The initial examination showed: there is no doubt, this is not a souvenir or a fake. The knives are clearly handicraft, in the good sense of the word. Maybe someone will say that it was done rather crudely, that the fit of the wood of the handle to the blade is not ideal.

But I think that anyone who picks up these knives will feel the aura that distinguishes handmade work from factory - gross consumer goods, no matter how technologically and beautifully the latter is made.

The forging of the blade is truly handmade, this is immediately noticeable to an experienced eye, it cannot be confused with a blank cut from a sheet of metal, and the rods forged on mechanical hammers look somewhat different.

The wooden handle is also carved by hand, and not on a woodworking machine using a carbon copy. This product reeks of hoary antiquity, this is how grandfathers and great-grandfathers made knives, and this is how they do it now, passing on the experience of making it in the family clan - from father to son.

I will not delve into the history of when and by whom the blade was first brought to Nepal; I am more interested in the practice of use and technology of kukri.

The groove at the butt, called the “sword of Shiva,” has more of a purely decorative and cult image than a practical meaning. This groove is so shallow that it is simply ridiculous to say that it serves for shock absorption and rigidity of the blade, and even more so for blood flow.

But the notch on the blade near the handle, called the “trident of Shiva,” is a really necessary technological solution for relieving metal stress. I have seen Cold Steel without such a notch, but with a shape similar to a traditional kukri, bursting at the point where the handle is attached.

The blade, as stated by the manufacturer, is made of carbon steel, but the cutting and strength advantages of carbon steel have not been canceled. Another issue is that the blade requires constant care.

However, like the sheath, made of water buffalo skin. I must pay tribute, the two knives that were sent to me were preserved with something similar to wax. And the blade, and the hilt, and the sheath. Now about the metal cap at the end of the handle.

It is made reliably and with high quality, but I would be careful not to use it as a hammer. Brass is not suitable for driving nails, at most it can crack nuts, and even then not coconut ones.

At the opening of the season, I did not take these knives with me hunting. But two weeks later, when the whole duck had practically been scattered, it was time for a calm, leisurely test of the knives.

First of all, I sharpened the blades on a belt grinder. Then I adjusted the cutting edge on a Spyderco ceramic block, after which I proceeded directly to testing. I would like to note that the ceramic block should have the shape of a circle in cross-section or, like mine, a drop.

This shape is most suitable for the curved shape of the kukri blade. With a flat bar, it is almost impossible to sharpen or straighten the blade of this knife, especially in the place where the blade bends. The hardness of a zone-hardened blade is not easy to check.

Anyone familiar with the measurement technique using a Rockwell device will understand me perfectly. The measuring plane must be located strictly perpendicular to the diamond cone. Therefore, it is not possible to actually measure the hardness of the cutting edge. When the hardening is the same over the entire surface of the blade, there are no problems.

With zone hardening, everything is more complicated and less accurate. The measurements were taken on the butt, the middle of the blade and, as close as possible, to the bevel of the cutting edge. Before measurement, the device was calibrated on a control plate with a known hardness.

I present to you the hardness measurement data in units on the Rockwell scale for the Siru Pate 10 knife: spine - 22.5, middle - 40, cutting edge somewhere around 56-57. Is it a lot or a little, you be the judge. For some, give 60, and for others, 55 is enough.

I have a Finnish Lauri PT blade, also with zone hardening, it has a spine of 52, an edge of 62. And there is a Finnish Marttiini, there is only 55, but that doesn’t make it any less favorite. Kukri “Jungle 6”: butt - 25, middle - 43.5, edge about 55-56.

I would like to dwell a little on the two small knives included in the traditional kukri set. One is blunt, the other is sharp. Using a blunt, as written above, you should light a fire. This is a somewhat incorrect interpretation.

Rather, we are talking about using this knife paired with flint to strike sparks (flint). I have one from the company “Expedition” (we are talking about flint), both Kershaw and the Swedish company Primus produce something similar, they call it “igniter-flint”.

You only understand how useful this thing is when you find yourself in an extreme situation. In windy and damp weather, it is possible to make a fire only with the help of special hunting matches. But even with this small knife it is convenient to strike sparks from the flint, and the spark reaches a temperature of 3000o C.

Setting fire to birch bark or dry newspaper is not difficult. There are 10 special hunting matches in a box, and the flint is enough for 12,000 strikes. In a word, one does not interfere with the other. The mass is small, but the benefits are obvious.

Despite some archaism. Another purpose of this knife is sharpening and straightening the blade; in this case, we can only talk about straightening the cutting edge, like a grinder. It may be possible to sharpen a blade with it, but it’s like sharpening a tram rail with a needle file.

Another knife, quite sharp, the scope of its use remained a mystery to me, except for sharpening a match for a toothpick or scratching an ear, I personally did not find any other use for it. On the other hand, these two knives certainly won't hurt.

But let's return directly to kukri. What can they do? What is it used for? And how to use it in our Russian conditions? Cut some wood to make a fire. With your right hand, grasping the handle, and with your left, leaning on the butt.

The weight distribution and shape of the knife are such that chopping branches is not difficult, and even brings a certain pleasure. The knife itself seems to grab the branch, and the handle, which expands at the end, allows you to securely hold the knife in your hand when striking with a drawbar. I had the opportunity to cut through a tangle of loaches and cattails with this knife.

It was impossible to get through without using a kukri. Here its use clearly intersects with the scope of the machete. But, as they say, the richer you are, the happier you are. All of the above applies to both of my kukris, since they differ only in size.

As a result of testing, I came to the conclusion that a large kukri in field conditions can completely replace several tools at once: an axe, a knife and a machete. If you are hunting or hiking for one or a couple of days off, then a small kukri will be suitable for the same purposes.

I want to make a reservation, I mean traveling to the hunting location by car. On a running hunt, especially in late rainy autumn, where every gram counts, I don’t recommend wading through our soggy black soil that has acquired the viscosity of plasticine; it’s a bit difficult.

And even larger kukri are very convenient for sanding timber for rafters during construction. This, however, is a different song, and has nothing to do with hunting.

Especially for those who like to open cans with a knife (there are also those for whom this is the main and main test): opening is inconvenient, but still possible, especially for small kukri. He also cuts hundreds of nails, without any consequences for the cutting edge (although such evaluation criteria are complete idiocy).

I did all this solely at the request of the public, for whom it is important. Of course, you will say, why do you need such a special knife if you have axes and machetes? That's right! Why do we need a variety of shapes and sizes of knives, axes, and machetes? All these skinners, daggers, stilettos, bowies.

Isn't it easier to use one single knife for all occasions? It might be simpler, but it’s too boring and inconvenient. Really, gentlemen and comrades, why deny yourself the pleasure?

While describing the advantages and some disadvantages of kukri, I deliberately kept silent about its most important application. Kukri is first of all a weapon, and again a weapon. No matter how our valiant and caring “internal organs” classify kukri.

A real Nepalese kukri is primarily a military weapon, and then everything else: an ax, a scraper, a machete.

As an example, I can offer you an excerpt from the book “Modern Combat Knives” by Dietmar Pohl. “Due to the size and weight of the blade, a cleaver in the hands of a skilled fighter can be a terrible weapon, and the mere sight of such a knife demoralizes the enemy.

During the Falklands War of 1982, the British military magazine Soldier cleverly used propaganda photographs on its pages that depicted Gurkha soldiers sharpening their Kukri knives for upcoming hostilities.

The result of this propaganda, mixed with the terrible rumors widespread at the time, was that the Argentine soldiers, for the most part poorly trained, insufficiently armed and abandoned by their command to their fate, were afraid and threw down their weapons at the first sight of the Nepalese elite soldiers.

I completely agree with him. The mountaineers have always been a warlike, hot-tempered and rebellious people, and it does not matter where they come from, from Tibet or the Caucasus. And although the forms of national edged weapons are different, the purpose is the same.

To feel the spirit of Nepal and understand, at least partially, these proud and independent people, their culture and way of life, of course, it is not enough to buy kukri. But buying such an interesting and special knife will still allow you to get closer to an ancient and mysterious civilization.

Real Nepalese kukri is a fairy tale and a true story at the same time. And for me now it’s a mysterious reality that allows me to get closer to that childhood dream of Tibet, Nepal, Kathmandu.

A LITTLE HISTORY

Kukri (otherwise spelled khukri and kukuri) is the national form of knife used by the Nepalese Gurkhas (Gurkhas). The kukri blade has a characteristic “falcon wing” profile with a sharpening along a concave edge (that is, it is a knife with a so-called “reverse bend”).

Kukri is believed to come from the Greek "kopis", which has a similar curve, and came to Nepal with the army of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. The soldiers of the Macedonian army were armed with short swords with a curved blade.

According to another version, the characteristic shape of a curved blade, sharpened on the inside, was brought to Greece from Africa in the 6th century BC, and from there spread to the Balkans and the Middle East, influencing the shape of the scimitar and a number of knives in the region. The shape of the kukri is often compared to a machete.

Regardless of the source of origin, kukri is one of the most ancient types of bladed weapons that has survived to this day without major changes. The most ancient kukri is kept in the National Museum of Nepal and dates back to approximately the 14th-15th centuries; museum samples are practically no different from those made now. Earlier samples have not survived due to the low-quality metal used in them.

Each characteristic element of kukri has not only practical, but also symbolic meaning.

For example, the groove at the butt is often mistaken for blood flow; in fact, it is intended to increase the shock-absorbing properties and rigidity of the blade both when chopping and when struck with the butt.

This groove is called the “sword of Shiva” and gives the kukri the power of the weapon of the god. The rings on the handle ensure a confident hold of the kukri in a wet hand and symbolize the levels of the universe. The blade has a variable sharpening angle for maximum efficiency in cutting, slashing and piercing attacks and symbolizes the Sun and Moon - the traditional symbols of Nepal.

The notch on the blade near the handle is called cho, comes in various shapes and, as a rule, denotes the trident of Shiva - the main attribute and symbol of the power of this god. Another form of cho - "cow footprint" - is a symbol of the goddess Kali (the cow is a sacred animal in Hinduism).

The practical meaning of this is to prevent the formation of cracks and chips of the blade at the handle. For kukri that do not have a cho, produced, for example, in America, the most common defect is the breaking off of the blade at the handle (the maximum load falls on this area of ​​the blade during a chopping blow on a hard target).

The metal cap on the head of the handle symbolizes the all-seeing eye of God, and in practical terms it covers the tip of the blade tang, which passes through the entire handle, and allows the kukri handle to be used as a hammer.

The kukri is worn in a wide wooden sheath, covered with water buffalo skin and bound with metal. The handle is traditionally made from rosewood or water buffalo horn.

Usually, in addition to the kukri itself, the set includes two smaller knives - carda and hackma. The first is a knife for small work, the second is a dull piece of steel with a handle, which serves, in particular, for starting a fire.

The blade of a traditional kukri is not only sharpened with a variable angle, but also zone hardened. At the butt the blade is much softer than at the edge of the blade. Kukri is characterized by hardness values ​​of 25-27 HRC at the butt, 46-48 HRC in the middle of the blade and 55-57 HRC at the edge of the blade, or 57-58 HRC at the butt and about 60 HRC at the edge of the blade.

The encyclopedic article says that kukris are divided into four groups:

Catrimoras is a richly decorated, ceremonial knife.

Bunspati and Suripati, which are used only as military weapons, are characterized by a simple narrow blade with a single curve.

Ang Khola and Bhojpuri are used as a working tool: they have a very thick (up to a centimeter) blade, shaped like a wide leaf.

Janawar Katne is a special type of kukri, at least 40 cm long and with a less thick blade.

Kukri(Khukri, Kukuri) is a legendary Nepalese knife, or rather a terrible mixture of an axe, a knife and a machete. A distinctive feature of the kukri is the curved shape of the blade and the center of gravity shifted forward. The blade resembles a “falcon wing” and has a sharpening on the inside. Kukri is one of the most ancient types of edged weapons; its age can be counted from the 4th century BC, when the troops of Alexander the Great “brought” a similar form of knife to Nepal, where it took root almost unchanged and the kuri became a truly iconic weapon. Today, the kukri is in service with the Nepalese army and police, as well as in the Gurkha brigades of the Foreign Legion.

The curved shape gives the kukri excellent properties when using this knife as a chopping tool. This property of the kukri is achieved due to the large moment of inertia due to its thickness and mass and due to the shifted center of gravity and the inclination of the cutting edge. A combination of chopping and cutting blows occurs, and the result is a unique and effective cutting with a “pull” using the least amount of effort.

In addition to its applied properties, kukri also carries deep symbolic and religious overtones.

• Thus, the crescent shape of the knife resembles a crescent - the symbol of Nepal;
• The fuller at the butt is called the “Sword of Shiva” and, in addition to the stiffening rib, gives the knife the strength of the god Shiva;
• The rings on the handle, in addition to improving grip with a wet palm, symbolize the coils of the universe;
• The riveted shank, which perfectly fixes the handle, is called the “Eye of Shiva”;
• The “omega-shaped” notch on the blade next to the handle deserves special attention - this is a characteristic feature that a real Nepalese kukri has. This notch is called “Cho”. If the “Cho” has an open shape, then it is the “Tooth of Shiva”; if the “Cho” is in the body of the blade and does not come into contact with the cutting edge, then it is the “Trace of the Sacred Cow”. From a physics point of view, this tooth relieves enormous dynamic loads when using a knife by increasing the area of ​​the most stressed part of the blade and, as a result, reducing the stress concentration in the metal, which reduces the possibility of fracture to zero. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Americans produced a batch of kukri without this tooth - and almost all knives broke in this place under heavy loads.

If you intend buy Kukri, then we can offer two types of execution of this knife:

• Classic kukri, one of the most popular ones we have on sale -Mahakali Nepalese World War II Replica

• And a folding (!) kukri - Rajah-II from Cold Steel. When opened, this fold is not much inferior to the classic kukri. It also demolishes everything in its path well, and at the same time carries in your pocket.

Kukri production in Nepal has been unchanged since the 11th century - it is a centuries-old technology and completely handmade. Knives are made in a handicraft way, but the skill of Nepalese blacksmiths must be given due credit. Knives may have different parameters, but kukris perform their functions perfectly. The blades use high-carbon steel, usually a car spring. Forging is done in the usual way - the workpiece is heated over coals and then blacksmiths and hammerers get to work. All blades have two-zone hardening - the butt is hardened to 35-40 HRC, the cutting edge is 56-57 HRC. Thanks to this hardening, the knife has ideal characteristics - the blade at the butt is viscous and springs well, the blade holds an edge perfectly.

The kukri handle is made from water buffalo horn or wood.
The scabbard is also wooden, covered with leather.

The kukri kit includes two auxiliary knives - card And Chakmak. Carda is a small utility knife used for small jobs. Chakmak, due to its harder hardening, is used for field straightening of large kukri and as a flint.

Traditionally, kukri is divided into three types:

Sirupati - more elegant and sharp, used as a military weapon,
- AngKhola - has a thicker butt, used as a household tool,
- Katrimoros is a large and richly decorated knife, used as a ritual knife.

According to Gurkha beliefs, a kukri, when taken out of its sheath, must necessarily drink blood. Therefore, Gurkhas, if they take out a knife not in battle, before putting it back into the sheath, make a small cut on their finger.

According to current Russian legislation, the Kukri, due to the deflection of the butt relative to the handle, is NOT a bladed weapon.