Buying a Khukri in Nepal

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pistolero
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Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by pistolero » Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:47 pm

Hello All,

I was in Nepal recently on work and I was able to wrap up a whole 2 days early!

It was obvious to me then, that I would not be returning home earlier but would be staying over and hopefully getting my hands on a Authentic Made in Nepal Khukri.

So like everyone else I googled to find out about Khukri Manufacturers, there is a over load of information on the net, even our forum has some info about buying knives from Nepal. Keeping all the info in hand, I realized the key spot for Khukri's in Kathmandu was Thamel.

Thamel is like the Colaba Market of Mumbai, aimed at Tourist, bustling with vendors, resto bars & guesthouses. I was a bit apprehensive about going to a tourist trap to buy a Khukri, but all my research pointed me there. (It is the primary place to buy Khuk's in Nepal!)

Armed with Google Maps I set-off on the 1.2 Kms Walk from Lazimpat, where my Hotel was located to Thamel. The weather was awesome, it had snowed a few days ago and the air was chilly! But very enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed my walk.

The moment you enter Thamel, you cant miss how Touristy it is, Shops selling Souvenirs, Buddist Art, Clothes, Hiking & Mountaineering kit to every thing else in between are right there in the narrow lanes. While you can take a cab there, it is my serious recommendation to walk.

My First Stop was Ex-Gurkha Khukri House, seeing the forums abuzz with Pros & Cons, I decided to check things for myself. While HI (Himalyan-Imports.com) has a die hard fan following, I believe the Ex-Gurkha suffered from bad reviews of Arm Chair warriors. ( I did mail HI for a visit to their factory but did not hear back)

The thing was that before I could reach Ex-Gurkha, I was over whelmed with the number of Shops selling Khukri's! You are walking and walking and then BANG! Out of nowhere you will see this shop packed to the Brim with Khukri's! Now dont get me wrong almost every 2nd road side shop in Thamel is selling Khukris, and almost all of them will swear these are genuine antiques!! :mrgreen:

However these were Khukri ONLY stores, once inside I was overwhelmed with the Khukris and the Khukri Like Objects which the stores had. Almost all the Khukris were made of Spring Steel. There were Zombie Killers, to Regimental Khukri's to inspired Karambits and Bowies! You name it they had it.
Sharp, Shiny, Matt Finish, Tactical it was all there.

Christmas had come early or late! Depends on how you look at it :D

Shop after Shop had similar stuff, and even in the off season, there was a bunch of Tourists, from China, Korea and other European countries, buying Khukri's.

Kothimoras to Sirupate's they were all the BEST! The Khukri sales man had been born, and I did not even know that this had happened :D !!

After the initial Euphoria had died down, I was able to examine the pieces more closely. My apprehensions about buying a Khukri from a Tourist Trap were becoming real. Most of the stuff was off balance and heavy! or it was fullered to the extent that it was a wall hanger. However the sales men, who by the way know very little about Khukri's, were busy selling their wares. Shops even have a log for you to have a WHACK at it, with your new purchase. Sure enough the knife's held up to the few blows, that were thrown at the log, but after questioning the shops on the heat treat, design, style and history, it was obvious that they were just dishing out BS to unsuspecting Tourists. If you are in Nepal, you would buy a Khuk as THE souvenir to take back from your Holidays. This demand was fueling the trade. Leading to the large number of Khukri Shops which had sprung up in Thamel.

It was a bit disappointing, shop after shop it was the same story, claims and crazy claims about their blades, to attitude about their knowledge and mastery of the Khukri! there were just interested in a quick sale! Anything goes (I can be whoever you want me to be :mrgreen: :shock: ),

This de-tour from my original plan, took a few hours! and I landed up at Ex-Gurkha at 4 PM. Now there are 2 Ex-Gurkha Shops in close proximity of each other. ( Will post photos) A long time salesman has now been made a partner in one shop and the other shop is manned by Vinod. Now Vinod, from the very word go, was different from all the other Khukri experts I met that day. While I waited to talk to him, he explained the difference between the sharp shiny Khuk's and practical Khuk's to a bunch of Chinese Tourists, sure enough he had a few easy sales, and all the Tourists left happy.

His honesty was a welcome break, from the clutter of the market, I was more relaxed and was able to examine quiet a few decent blades he had and his practical work horse Khukri's, which had been heat treated and tempered to take abuse. These practical Khuk's is available in three sizes, it has a large handle, and is an out and out chopper. He is very clear, there are wall hanger Khukri's and there are practical Khukri's and depending on what people wanted he sold them the Khuk most suited to their needs. His store clearly identifes, the wall Hangers as decorative Khukris.

We discussed Khukri's, Gorkha's, Gorkha Culture, the Khukri Trade and a whole lot of stuff in between, he also showed me a few genuine antique blades, and by the time I left at 7, I knew that Vinod was the go to guy in this market.
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It had been a exciting day, and despite the weather it was Beer O Clock, I called it a day. Walked into one of Bars in Thamel and basically had a whale of a time, with some new friends ( Weather, Beer and a Whole lot Whisky, make it easy to make new friends, I guess?? :D :lol: :lol: )

More to follow.....
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by nitroex700 » Wed Feb 08, 2017 11:17 pm

Nice! Very Nice! Looks like Thamel is a must go to place for the blade lovers... :D
What was your experience chucking these things - how well do they FLY? How accurately and over what maximum distances?
I understand that Khukri is a chopping tool and I use mine for everything from digging to chopping potatoes and cocunuts!

Did you also come across any other Nepalese blades, esp the longer varieties? Do comment about the metallurgy of those available here. I am a great fan of damascus and Japanese tamahagane but yet to see a khukri in damascus and yet to own a tamahagane blade...

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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by pistolero » Thu Feb 09, 2017 12:47 am

Dear Nitroex,

These are definitely not throwing knives. They are not balanced for that. These were Choppers, plain & simple.

By Damascus I am assuming you mean Pattern Welded/Mechanical Damascus? These are easily available in India.

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If you mean Wootz/Faulad that will take some doing, seen very few Wootz Khukris.

As for Tamahagne, well I wish you the best. Do let me know when you get a genuine Tamahagne Blade.


Regards,
P
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by Shivaji.Dasgupta » Thu Feb 09, 2017 10:32 am

Really a nice Blade. the has an extensive collection as in the pic showing.
is it a bargain market???? What is the average price line..
I have few Khukri from northeastern area but right you are they all are chopper blade for General use. whether its chopping wood or Veggis.

Regards.
Regards

Shivaji

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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by pistolero » Thu Feb 09, 2017 12:39 pm

Hi Shivaji,

Yes the collection is extensive as I explained earlier, you however need to dig deep to get a decently heat treated blade.

Being a Tourist location prices are not cheap. Prices range between 3K to 20K, depending on what you want to buy. Decent blades are at 7500 but you can bargain it down to 4-5K.

Posting more Pics, Enjoy!! :D
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by kshitij » Thu Feb 09, 2017 4:13 pm

Damn!! Felt like a kid in a candy store! Some pretty looking sharpies they have got.
Did you pick any for yourself? Share some images if yes.
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by pistolero » Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:37 pm

Dear Khstij,

As mentioned in my post, there are beautiful looking Khukri's and then there are practical Khukri's. Went for the latter, pics below:

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Almost all Khukri's made in Nepal are of 5160 Spring Steel, this one is actually a San Mai - (SOFT-HARD-SOFT) with a Harder Core and Softer back, it has a good grip and it is meant for hacking and chopping. The makers got tired of broken blades, as they were catering to a lot of hunters and Outdoorsmen, in Europe and USA. They then went back the drawing board and by Trial and Error have perfected this Khukri. Its not pretty, but it is pretty damn tough. :mrgreen:
Last edited by pistolero on Thu Feb 09, 2017 7:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by kshitij » Thu Feb 09, 2017 6:32 pm

That blade sure looks pretty to my eyes :D
Have a couple of khukris but have not yet had an opportunity to put them to their intended use. Given the way these blades are made and their spine thickness, its difficult to imagine anyone being able to break them no matter what they try to do with it.
Anyways, congratulations for getting that beautiful blade and hats off to your self control for getting just one :mrgreen:
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by Trajeev » Thu Feb 09, 2017 6:45 pm

Nice post Pistolero (y) .Neat and informative. I like practical blades over the decorative one. Have a medium size Khukri which I got from the last Gurkha of my factory when he retired & went back to Nepal for good.Must be 35+years old but still very sharp.Recently I cleaned it and planning to get the sheath a new leather wrapping. :cheers:

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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by pistolero » Thu Feb 09, 2017 7:08 pm

Hi Kshitij,

Glad you like blade. Could not stop at one though :oops:

Will post photo of the other.

On the Spine Thickness, while this is imp in a finish blade, the Heat Treat, Quench & Temper will decide the strength of the blade. You can have as thick a spine you want, if you dont get these steps right, blade wont be worth much.

Regards,

P

Added in 14 minutes 41 seconds:
The other beauties:

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Hi Trajeev,

Thank you for your kind words.

Glad you restored the old blade. Hold on to it. Old Khuk's, especially the villager Khukri's are now collectibles.
Do post photos.


Regards,
-P
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by kshitij » Thu Feb 09, 2017 7:24 pm

*goes and checks ticket cost to Nepal*
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by pistolero » Thu Feb 09, 2017 7:34 pm

Here is some further motivation:

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The above blades are from Khukri House, will post article soon
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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by pistolero » Fri Feb 10, 2017 1:13 am

So..

Moving forward with the Original Post:

Day 2 in Thamel:

My next stop was Khukri House, Khukri house are the current suppliers of Khukri's to the British Army Gurkhas and the Nepal Army Gurkhas. They make the ceremonial sharp and shiny and actual deployment Khukri's for them.

After my first day of distractions, I was more focused in what i wanted to achieve. There were soooo many shops with the name Khukri House. It was an all out attempt to confuse tourist. I however stayed true to my plan and arrived at Khukri House. I have posted a few photos earlier.

I liked what I saw

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Above are the 2 British Army Gurkha Khukri Knives. You can buy your very own Gurkha regimental Khukri right here.

It was a pleasant experience and I do beleive that Ex-Gurkha and Khukri House are the 2 legit places to buy Khukri's. It is easy to get lost in the maze of Khukri Sellers, while it can be fun for some time it will get repetitive and boring.

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What I did learn from this trip was that Dharan Nepal, was the KEY manufacturing location for Khukri's. Majority of Kami's engaged in the Khukri Trade are primarily located there. Kathmandu is a Trading post. I do hope to visit Dharan later this year. Will keep you all posted.

If anyone is game for a IFG outing to Dharan we can plan for a trip :D

Till the next time

-P

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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by nitroex700 » Fri Feb 10, 2017 3:25 am

pistolero wrote: Image
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Gosh! Do I worship those 'curves'... Would have liked to comment further, but them being 'Kali', I think that would be blasphemous.. That is what I love above the Orient - every weapon has a soul... :)
Please do comment about their metallurgy and heat treatment aside from the pics - some of them look really beautiful! I'm a fan of double edged serrated Enep kind of blades but that's just me.

My Sirupate is a 'villager' knife - light and sturdy, with a partial tang - still does heavy duty chopping on a routine basis. The edge has gotten a bit dull and needs sharpening now. I have used it to cut down several trees by now and dug many a hole in the ground and though the handle came loose slightly, the blade itself didn't get a scratch.
pistolero wrote:Dear Nitroex,

These are definitely not throwing knives. They are not balanced for that. These were Choppers, plain & simple.

By Damascus I am assuming you mean Pattern Welded/Mechanical Damascus? These are easily available in India.

Image

If you mean Wootz/Faulad that will take some doing, seen very few Wootz Khukris.

As for Tamahagne, well I wish you the best. Do let me know when you get a genuine Tamahagne Blade.


Regards,P
I have seen guys fling their fine Khukris with deadly accuracy and effect, hence the curiosity. Given the curve, I see no reason why a well balanced blade can't be used to deal destruction out to 25-30yds..

I feel that the Indian Faulad is the best metal for a 'fighting' weapon - least likely to break while fighting while maintaining a very very sharp and effective cutting edge. Faulad blades are, well, Fauladi - and they did live up to their names once upon a time. I'm not sure how many old mastersmiths in India still practice the art of heating steel + charcoal in crucibles and then slowly cooling them down, all ensuring that no bubbles form inside that sealed container! Most guys you see nowadays are no better than Lohars building farming instruments. One thing I really detest about them is that they have no 'respect' about their trade mostly - to them fighting blades are no different from digging spades...

The Japanese Shingane-Kawagane blades are like Surgical weapons - precision instruments good enough to slice hairs into two, as they floated in the air! But I'm not sure how well they would take banging and clanging with other blades on horsebacks back in the medieval times. But then that kera steel has astronomical prices, the forging is a task of weeks and the polishing is longer than the forging itself! And to top it all, unless you're half a Samurai yourself, good luck identifying a 'real' mastersmith out of the hundreds claiming to masters, and getting him to make a blade for you! Truth be told, Daishos are for the Samurai Gods, everyone else is a lesser mortal born to be jealous of them! :D

The Damascus that one mostly gets to see in shops is also mostly fake and etched with acid. Pakis sell a lot of their crap online and almost all of it is crap afaik. Good Damascus is a lost art imho, still easier to manufacture than Faulad if one puts his mind to it!

Personally I would pick a 5160 blade made by a mastersmith who knows his craft, over a 'damascus' or even Faulad. Everything else is history now.

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Re: Buying a Khukri in Nepal

Post by pistolero » Fri Feb 10, 2017 1:23 pm

Hi Nitroex,

Khukris if so designed can be thrown. These Khukri's which I received are all on the heavier side and not ideal for throwing. Older Villager Khuks would be more suited.

Crucible Steel is a lost art in India, but there are many Western and Russian smiths, who have now perfected Crucible Steel. Al Pendray still makes blades.

With no patrons, the art of the Sikligar's is diminishing, thanks to Globalization and the Internet, the art is slowly making a come back in Rajasthan to my understanding. The village Lohar/Black smith focuses on tools and implements, you need a Bladesmith for making blades. That is where the Sikligars comes in.

If you are truly interested in investing in a Shinken made in Japan in the traditional methods, I could offer some help, with a few people I know there, otherwise you can look for a decent NBTHK certified blade.

All the best, let me know what you come up with. Will be interesting I am sure.


Regards,
-P
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