Why not a Kukri

[Coinneach]

Sorry to hear that but is is a problem with having a wife sometimes and getting rid of her.

Yep, she was Doctor Psychiatrist in private practice of all things, had all manner of narcassistic problems, most complicated woman I ever had the misfortune to meet; despite the losses I had to take I'm better off without her in my life.

 

[Teliliad]

Sorry to hear that but is is a problem with having a wife sometimes and getting rid of her.

My ex-wife is finally ready to settle out of court after two years of fighting. Just settling terms. Had to sell most of my gun collection. My fiancé, God bless her, is ecstatic!!!

 

[Trooper]

I worked with a Nepalese veteran who served in the 6th Gurkha Regiment for 15 years. He retired and moved his family to Edmonton, Alberta and found employment as a welding apprentice. He brought his kukri to work one day and put on a demonstration of their fighting style. I’ve never seen moves like that. It’s no wonder the Gurkha has the reputation as a top notch fighting man. There’s a story that a Gurkha soldier fought off 30 taliban on an outpost in Afghanistan alone. The queen presented him with the conspicuous Gallantry Award for extraordinary bravery. They are fearsome warriors, never to be underestimated.
Prince Charles once said, “In the world, there is only one secure place; that’s when you are between Gurkhas.”

These soldiers from Nepal are known as fearless and elite warriors. The British even concluded the Treaty of Sugauli with a clause allowing them to recruit Gurkhas for their own army when the Anglo-Nepalese War ended in 1816. Since that time, Gurkhas have proven their unmatched combat skills everywhere the armies of Great Britain have fought.

 

[SOLANCO]

Had the random thought about throwing kukhris and Googled it. It is done and can be devastating.

 

[Dartwick]

Well I've watched Gurkhas decapitate Goats, gut and skin them effectively using their Kukris with ease. When skinning they held the Kukri by the back of the Blade with their hand clamped like a vice, it worked well for them and the skins came off intact.

I didnt say you cant do - I said its awkward because its oversized. (and even more so with rabbits and turkeys.)

You can neatly butcher a deer with a shard of glass wrapped in tape. You can field dress a deer with a sharp machete. That doesnt mean its ideal.

A knife will work so much better. And a hatchet would be much better on wood.

 

[stickmann00]

I think you could get away with it. Trading to the "Orient" was pretty common on the west coast when Mexico occupied California. Ships docked and traded in the San Francisco area.

View attachment 217694

 

[stickmann00]

I have a Kukri that looks just like yours

 

[Teliliad]

I didnt say you cant do - I said its awkward because its oversized. (and even more so with rabbits and turkeys.)

You can neatly butcher a deer with a shard of glass wrapped in tape. You can field dress a deer with a sharp machete. That doesnt mean its ideal.

A knife will work so much better. And a hatchet would be much better on wood.

To be fair, I never said that the Kukri was perfect for any one thing. I merely stated that it is a tool that is exceptionally capable of doing a great many things. Sure there is a better tool to skin a deer, possibly a better weapon to fight with, there’s a better tool cut away brush, there’s a better tool to cut wood and build a camp with…etc and so forth. My argument is that the Kukri is one of the few tools that is sturdy and exceptional enough at each of these tasks to be a stand alone weapon/tool in the event that you could only bring one blade. There are much better tools to do each of the separate tasks, but I believe there are few others that could do all the tasks as well as a Kukri, especially that would have existed in the time period of the fur trappers. If you had to force me into a survival situation I’d want one of three blades; of course a Kukri, an ak47 bayonet if I also had the sheath and the ak (cause the sheath connects to the blade to make crude wire cutters, the blade has a serrated edge so that when on the rifle it makes a pole saw, and it has a chisel grind that’s easy to keep an edge on), or a traditional Kbar, cause…Marine Corps.

 

[Loja man]

I think I would take a Bowie or Hudson Bay camp knife over a Kukri. Once again never having put one to the test I would stick with a blade style I knew if I was limited to “only” a large knife. Yet I have enjoyed this thread! Great first hand or second hand stories related to a historic fighting knife and its users!

 

[Coinneach]

To be fair, I never said that the Kukri was perfect for any one thing. I merely stated that it is a tool that is exceptionally capable of doing a great many things. Sure there is a better tool to skin a deer, possibly a better weapon to fight with, there’s a better tool cut away brush, there’s a better tool to cut wood and build a camp with…etc and so forth. My argument is that the Kukri is one of the few tools that is sturdy and exceptional enough at each of these tasks to be a stand alone weapon/tool in the event that you could only bring one blade. There are much better tools to do each of the separate tasks, but I believe there are few others that could do all the tasks as well as a Kukri, especially that would have existed in the time period of the fur trappers. If you had to force me into a survival situation I’d want one of three blades; of course a Kukri, an ak47 bayonet if I also had the sheath and the ak (cause the sheath connects to the blade to make crude wire cutters, the blade has a serrated edge so that when on the rifle it makes a pole saw, and it has a chisel grind that’s easy to keep an edge on), or a traditional Kbar, cause…Marine Corps.

Yep, its a case of "Horses for Courses", when I was deployed to SE Asia I carried a Brit Army issue Gurkha Kukri for the Jungle environment; when I deployed to the Middle East I preferred to carry a US issue Camillus K Bar. I still have both.

 

[Teliliad]

My ex-wife is finally ready to settle out of court after two years of fighting. Just settling terms. Had to sell most of my gun collection. My fiancé, God bless her, is ecstatic!!!

I feel the need to expand on this statement…fiancé is ecstatic that the divorce is almost over. Not the gun thing.

 

[Coinneach]

I worked with a Nepalese veteran who served in the 6th Gurkha Regiment for 15 years. He retired and moved his family to Edmonton, Alberta and found employment as a welding apprentice. He brought his kukri to work one day and put on a demonstration of their fighting style. I’ve never seen moves like that. It’s no wonder the Gurkha has the reputation as a top notch fighting man. There’s a story that a Gurkha soldier fought off 30 taliban on an outpost in Afghanistan alone. The queen presented him with the conspicuous Gallantry Award for extraordinary bravery. They are fearsome warriors, never to be underestimated.
Prince Charles once said, “In the world, there is only one secure place; that’s when you are between Gurkhas.”

These soldiers from Nepal are known as fearless and elite warriors. The British even concluded the Treaty of Sugauli with a clause allowing them to recruit Gurkhas for their own army when the Anglo-Nepalese War ended in 1816. Since that time, Gurkhas have proven their unmatched combat skills everywhere the armies of Great Britain have fought.

3 Gurkha anecdotes, one I personally witnessed.

A Company of Gurkhas were undergoing their Infantry training at the ITC in the Catterick camp Yorkshire, when they were granted local leave for a weekend most of them were observed formed in an orderly line outside a House of ill repute waiting their turn. All of them appropriately dressed in identical Blazer jackets and wearing Gurkha regimental Ties. Witnessed by a Brit Major friend of mine (now retired).

During the Falklands war the Gurkhas were deployed onto the main island by Landing Craft, the RN beach officer was amazed to watch the Gurkhas "storming" ashore as if it was D Day 1944, many of them yelling "where the Argies....where the Argies"". When one of the Brit Gurkha officers arrived the RN officer asked "is that how the Gurkhas deploy" ? The Gurkha officer (who I happen to know, he later joined the Australian Army) replied "one doesn't deploy Gurkhas....one releases them".

After we deployed to East Timor in late 1999 under then Maj Gen P Cosgrove (PC) MC, a Company of Gurkha Rifles from 2RGR arrived and placed under INTERFET command, initially PC wasnt sure about how to utilise them well knowing the Gurkhas reputation for aggressive operations. The Brit OC advised PC not to leave them unemployed for too long, so they were tasked with clearing the rugged hills around Dili where we were based.
It was found that individual pro Indon militia were still intimidating the Timorese in and around Dili itself, so the Gurkhas were brought to pacify the situation. I remember driving around and seeing groups of two Gurkhas smiling and waving while patrolling the dusty streets, the local Timorese appreciated their presence and the Militia thugs cleared out as soon as the Gurkhas arrived.
"Johnny Gurkha" isn't to be trifled with.

 

[bptactical]

I feel the need to expand on this statement…fiancé is ecstatic that the divorce is almost over. Not the gun thing.

Wait- your in the final stages of a divorce and you have a fiancé?

I think I found the problem…..

 

[mushka]

Yeah, divorce. Fiance. Good luck there.

 

[hlhanna]

The Gurkhas developed the kukri as an agricultural tool (not too dissimalar from a corn knife or hand sickle), and from constant use it could be a formidable weapon hand to hand. Developed for its region. Same as the Bowie knife, Arkansas toothpick, etc. We developed our own tools for the trade. I always thought they were fascinating, but similar to a Woodsmans Pal "survival machete"...which at one time I had to have, i soon discovered in practice it lacked alot. better than just a sharp stick to survivie with, but better choices.

Or, is the design an indirect import, via Alexander the Great through Afghanistan, from Ancient Greece?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kop...(Ancient Greek,with a similarly shaped blade.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

I didnt say you cant do - I said its awkward because its oversized. (and even more so with rabbits and turkeys.)

You can neatly butcher a deer with a shard of glass wrapped in tape. You can field dress a deer with a sharp machete. That doesnt mean its ideal.

A knife will work so much better. And a hatchet would be much better on wood.

Well, if you had to have only one blade....
I have three of them (bought online from Kukri House in Nepal) and I am a bladesmith.

 

[Loja man]

Well, if you had to have only one blade....
I have three of them (bought online from Kukri House in Nepal) and I am a bladesmith.

How have you like the quality? Thier quality vers taking a whack at it yourself?

 

[Teliliad]

Wait- your in the final stages of a divorce and you have a fiancé?

I think I found the problem

I think that’s a pretty judgmental assessment.

 

[Coinneach]

Or, is the design an indirect import, via Alexander the Great through Afghanistan, from Ancient Greece?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kop...(Ancient Greek,with a similarly shaped blade.

I believe that it is.

 

[Enfield58]

Some of my Kukris from Kailash Blades in Nepal:

https://kailashblades.com/