Gurkha Kukri Knives - Design, Construction & Form 

Thanks!

The problem with this idea is that - as any engineer will tell you - creating a notch in this fashion concentrates the stress rather than distributing it evenly. Thus the notch is a weak point and will be the first place to fail if the blade is actually flexing to any degree .

I'm neplease but most of the nepali who go to British army are not Hindu most follow animism, nature worship, Buddhism and kirati religion

I'm seconding what Peter said. The notch is actually more of a detriment than anything. There's simply no need for a "hinge" between the soft and hard metal. Simply put, reducing material does not make it stronger and when you localize that material reduction, you create a stress riser. Hard meal will snap in that area and soft meal will bend. Both would be mitigated by not removing material in a localized area in the first place. Personally, I see the kaudi as a choil that's too deep for it's own good. BUT I would welcome anyone who specializes in blade-making or metallurgy to confirm for refute this. All that being said however, this has not come up as a common issue with Khukuri so it's not really worth going into that deeply. A properly made khukuri should have no issues and if anything, an improperly made stick tang is far more of a risk than the notch.

I never noticed that Matt usually doesn’t use music. His knowledge base is so vast and his videos so informative that music isn’t necessary. In this case, he probably used the music to counterbalance (mask) the noise of his vest rubbing the mic.

I only noticed it because I practice certain types of throat singing and I was reminded of that

@@jacksonhoerster3966 Sounds more like something special forces would use to desensitise a captive before interrogation :)

Agreed, I own three khukuri from them and their excellent! One of my favorite makers.

Thanks guys! If all goes well you may see a blade from us on this channel in the not too distant future.

are you serious,or is this a bad joke?

@@maximilianolimamoreira5002 he's obviously lying. I can confirm that he is wanted in only five countries.

Just play the videos backwards, things should improve.

👍👍👍

A big belly is the sign of a powerful chopper.

Poor Little British Boi

why?

NO!

@@kalinmir Because it distracts from the content and I personally find it annoying.

For me it doesn't get to the point I can't understand, but it's very distracting, and makes me lose track of the talk.

I agree... the last video was much worse. But I'd prefer his videos not to have any music.

i personally like it, its layed back and not overpowering to me. completely fine background noise. but to each their own.

Well said

Yeah, supergay but not happy in any way.

I feel the same the music is too loud and does not fit the video in my opinion

I agree that it's to ceate more flex but I disagree on why. Khukuris are differentially tempered and I think it's to prevent cracks in the blade and allow the softer areas of the blade to absorb the impact. They definitely utilized the rat tail tang to minimise shock transfer to the hand tho.

Interesting theories gentlemen. I would very much like to see a test video done on this concept.

I was told it's simply symbolic, a cows hoof.

One practical thing about it is if your hand slides up ( say in a thurst ) the notch will catch a finger.

@@shakerson But how would that prevent cracking? If they aren't hardened that far back anyway, then I don't see how putting in a stress riser helps things.

I still found it too much. Much preferred old Matt with no music. Just his good clean English.

It's the vegetarian diet they feed him... Every time he tries to fight or break free, he passes out from the farts he expels. Well, at least they're letting him continue to share his knowledge through these videos!

I found the last ones music too distracting, but this one was much better

@@interdictr3657 I find it still utterly unnecessary at best and occasionally distracting.

Thanks for the shoutout! Agreed on the lack if distal taper for many modern blades. I really liked how matt dealt with the nuance of the belly and the profile of traditonal designs vs modern ones (some of my own included!). Two other things I'd suggest that are also missed are; Tip drop- The west sure does love a thrusting blade, be it a bowie or a shortsword and when many people are attempting a khukuri pattern they keep the tip drop very limited and end up missing the vibe quite remarkably. At best these can look like a kopis or at worst they can look like a recurve bolo/bowie hybrid. Relaxed recurve transition- Matt's sketch was fantastic and in the transition from the inner curve to the belly he included a large section which is almost straight as the two curves mesh together. You'll not find a single historical khukuri that rushes this transition point but a lot of modern repros and particularly western blades do. As an example within Cold steel's catalogue you have ttheir higher end gurkha khukuri vs their kukri machetes. cdn.myshoptet.com/usr/www.kentaurguns.com/user/shop/big/5418_cold-steel-kukri-machete-cs97kms.jpg?59ef9362 This blade features an extremely strained transition that almost looks like two C sections where one has been flipped and they've been joined. This is particularly emphasised by the lack of tip drop which forces a tight belly also. In comparison the high end gurkha option has a much lazier recurve transition, which coupled with the extra tip drop makes for a more traditional and in my eyes pleasing profile. I think this area of a khukuri is highly valued by the nepalese as it snags brush very well and chops deeply with great consistency against standing objects. In comparison many western khukuris like the previous machete mentioned prioritise the actual belly as the cutting edge as though it were an axe. No simple curves or straight lines- This is a tricky one and one I struggle with a lot. In matt's drawing the overall impression is fantastic and it is a very accurate historical profile. however when breaking down the profile into simple curves the blade lacks a lot of nuance that traditional blades have. This helps for demonstration purposes and in CNC productions it makes construction and programming much simpler. However historical blades have curves that are very nuanced and are often gradually straightening or tightening rather than being semicircular sections. Similarly there are no real straight lines occuring, even on very long sirupate that look straight upon inspection there's always some slight curve. These french curves give an idea of what I mean. www.thesprucecrafts.com/thmb/nIf-DovPnOofutid4A95uIpjPN4=/902x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/clothes-rulers-596f83aa0d327a0010fe5b51.jpg @scholagladiatoria what do you think? Is there anything else in the shaping of these beauties that makes them such a challenge for makers?

Hi @Kailash Blades - great to see you here, I've been admiring your work online. Thanks for the added detail and insights!

@@scholagladiatoria Although I'm a very big fan of the kukri knives I could not find a traditional one with a handle that would feel comfortable enough to work with it (big hands). Kinda sad, especially because I can't order one from an online store. My biggest issue with all today made kukris is the MASSIVE thickness. I mean 90% of knives have over 1cm thick spine. It gets narrow toward the front but overall builds up a very heavy tool. An ax. Now, this is the place I like modern kukris like the Cold Steel SK5 Gurkha Kukri or Ontario Kukri (OKC). Both perform amazingly and have the thickness and weight I like most. Matt, could you recommend a place to get longer (over 50cm), slim belly, and light kukri with a fairly long handle? I mean a traditional one like those you show. If it could be an older piece - the better. :) Cheers and thanks for a great video on the best knife in the world.

@@HanSolo__ Both Heritage Knives (which can be found at) www.kilatools.com & www.khotangkhukurihandicraft.com produce "hanshee" kukri's with longer handles, I'm fairly sure the handles measure about 5:5 inchs.

I still think the idea of thinking of the cutout as a hinge is the best explanation. They are differently hardened. It just makes perfect sense...

People that have loved his videos without music.

Matt used to call attention to it, but has since given up trying to figure out who or why. Some sad script kiddie with an axe to grind (haha), or someone doing it for a lark.

Andrew that is the best theory yet, a sacred hoof print, the kukri has long been my favorite style of blade ever since I was about ten years old and I always just thought the notch was to help get through those stubborn tendons in the throat lol

True. Thick ones are so off the scale. I mean 1,3cm on the spine? Over 1kg heavy? Are they mad?

Not an expert at all, but i do think that this is actually just an universal agriculture tool in it’s origin. It can chop through grassy/bushy vegetation to clean the path, it can chop some rather small firewood/bamboo and it can be used as a sickle to harvest some rise/wheat. Evolved later into e weapon in hands of warriors. Thus - longer/lighter earlier examples.

Thanks for liking my comment!

Generally you shouldn't store the weapon in the scabbard or sheath long-term. Wood and real leather absorb moisture out of the air and having that in contact with the steel of your sword is not good for corrosion prevention. Sheaths and scabbards are fine for short term storing and transportation, but generally you want to hang your sword freely (not in contact with other things). You can even make a surprisingly effective frog to hang your sword from by bending a wire coat hanger. If you are storing the weapon start by making sure there's no rust on it. If need be give it a quick polish. I use a scotchbrite scouring pad and some mineral oil for light rust and cleaning or paper towel and metal polish (Peek metal polish in my case) for more serious rust. In the worst case I have used oil and sandpaper, but that was on a cheap sword where I didn't care what the finish looked like. Once it's clean then apply a light, barely there, coating of oil (I use food grade mineral oil, but some of the people I know swear cheap Automatic Transmission Fluid works great and is inexpensive). You'll have to re-apply the oil occasionally, even if the sword is just hanging unused. How often is going to depend on the climate of where you are. Moist seaside air is going to require much more cleaning and oiling than a near-desert to prevent rust in high carbon steels. Stainless steel is lower maintenance from a corrosion standpoint, but it is stainLESS steel not stainIMMUNE, and still requires a bit of attention. For longer term storage I hear Renaissance Wax is the pro-play. Caring for the wood, leather, horn, or other organics of handles and scabbard/sheaths and belts is another subject, and I don't really feel qualified to give solid advice on that.

Oil lightly and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or as the Brits call it cling film then store in a sealed container (to avoid injury) or hang on the wall to display

@@scottmacgregor3444 Thank you good sir, for your highly detailed and informative response!

@@chadfalardeau3259 Thanks for your response.

Epic sound efects mate

His microphone touching the table.

There's also some rascals getting around called kailash blades too i hear ;)

@@kailashblades Knew I forgot somebody. I saw you guys on AdvancedKnifeBro. You're the new kids on the block who are making a strong introduction so far.

@@SeemsLogical Cheers! Yep only been around for a few years but getting better every day. AKB is such an interesting character, have you been following his stuff for a while? Seems like he's really blown up in the last 9 months or so

@@kailashblades Yup, been watching his stuff for about 4 years now and he is one of my favorites. He bridges the gap between sword lovers and knife lovers. I also recall Skallagrim reviewing your khukuri and gave you a nod of approval. That's RU-vid gold pretty much. How are things over in Nepal? I know business has taken a hit but are regulations lightening up to let you guys get back to the forge and shipping stuff out or are you still in home quarantine?

@@SeemsLogical Yeah I think he does an amazing job of appealing to a really wide ranged of blade enthusiasts while really avoiding any infighting or whatnot between his fans. Hopefully we can get another blade into Skallagrims hands in the not too distant future! Things in Nepal have relaxed a lot over the last month but we're still left with a big backlog due to the full work shutdowns, materials shortages an staffing issues. We have passed the peak of our real big wave and restrictions have lifted almost completely. We're continuing to see reductions in case growth but it's slowed a little and we're a tad concerned the amount of restrictions that were lifted was too great. At the end of the day though we're in a better position than much of the world and hopefully we can keep things that way. Take care, Andrew and the boys at Kailash

Speak for yourself, even this subdued music is enough to get me constantly off-track.

Depends on situation, for stabbing or everyday life situations, i would prefer a more straight knife.