The Khukri is the first article in a series of fighting knives, short history and traditions. The Khukri is the fighting knife of the Gorkhas. The original Gorkha, or Gurkha as they are more widely known, came from the Gorkha district of Western Nepal. The first Gorkhaharu were men who fought for the king of Gorkha, Prithivi Narayan Shah, in an effort to unite Nepal into a single cohesive country. The first Gorkhas to serve under the British flag were recruited in 1812 by Lt. Frederick Young, who had been held captive by the Gorkhas for a year. The Gorkhas respected Young and the British fighting spirit, very much resembling their own.

Nepalese boys would be given a knife at a very early age and eventually, with constant use; it became an extension of their arm. The Khukri was not just for fighting but also for everyday jobs such as cutting wood, clearing undergrowth, hunting and skinning. In the hands of a skilled Gorkha the Khukri became a fearsome weapon very hard to parry. The British Army Gurkha regiment has received a formidable reputation around the World.

Many myths surround the Khukri such as having to draw blood every time the weapon is unsheathed. If this was the case the Gorkha would be bleeding from many wounds after cutting undergrowth, open cans, chopping wood etc. Another myth is that the Khukri could be thrown like a boomerang, chop off an enemy’s head and return to the hand of the thrower. This is strange because a Gorkha would never throw his weapon and much prefers to use it for hand-to-hand combat.

A supposedly true story from World War II - “General Sir W J Slim in command of the14th Army encouraged constant patrolling by all forward units. One Gurkha patrol on return presented themselves before their General, proudly opened a large basket, lifted from it three gory Japanese heads, and laid them on his table. They then politely offered him for his dinner the freshly caught fish which filled the rest of the basket.” Another favorite joke or fable is when during a conflict a Gorkha swings his Khukri at his adversary who jumps back and cries jubilantly, “You missed!” The Gorkha replied, “Don’t shake your head!”

Whilst I was serving in the British Royal Marine Commandoes I had the pleasure of serving with Gorkhas detachments on four occasions. In Borneo, Norway, Sardinia and South America. They operate well in all areas Jungle, Desert and Arctic. During the Falklands conflict in 1982 much propaganda was made from Argentina with reference to the indigenous Argentine Indians recruited into the Army. Supposedly they were headhunters and cannibals and according to Argentine sources more than a match for the Gorkha. I talked to a couple of Gorkha soldiers at the time and they said exactly the same thing, with a smile, that they were looking forward to meeting the ferocious “Argentine Indian Warrior!” Most of the Argentine Indians surrendered without a fight. Seemingly they had no idea why they had been brought overseas from their homes to a cold barren Island. I think the Gorkha were disappointed. Propaganda also worked the other way round. Stories about the Gorkha had reached the Argentine soldier.

The Khukri blade is curved, razor sharp on the inside curve and is usually between 12 and 16 inches. Unusual for a fighting blade the Khukri doesn’t end in point but rather curves inward. Lengths could vary for ceremonial or sacrificial types. The Kaura, a notch near the base of the blade. The practical use of the Kaura is to divert blood away from the hilt and catch an attacking blade. Its non-practical use is that of a Hindu religious symbol. The Khukri sheath is made from wood and covered in leather and also holds two additional knives called the karda and chakmak. The chakmak is for sharpening the Khukri and, with the aid of a flint, starting fires and the karda is for skinning. The blade would usually be one piece of metal straight through to the tang. The handles, most commonly, were made from wood, usually walnut or pat-pate. On occasion handles were also made from bone, ivory and horn.

A village Smith could make an acceptable Khukri within a few hours though custom-made weapons could take days, or weeks to prepare. In the hands of a Gorkha the Khukri is truly one of the Worlds most formidable fighting knives!

The next fighting knife in the series will be the Fairbairn/Sykes Commando Knife.