SUPERB WW2 HAND-FORGED vintage Kuhkri VERY SHARP Chromed blade, worn in parts, showing LIGHT surface rust Sold UNCLEANED "as-found" RETAINS the (rare) military belt frog

The kukri has been known as “The Gurkha Knife”

The national weapon of Nepal, In some communities, it defines a social role as well as serves as a symbol of wealth, social status & prestige

The kukri has not only been the main weapon of war, but also a multi-purpose tool in peacetime

Although the history of the kukri is long in Nepal, the knife was first seen by the British during the Anglo-Gorkha War of 1814-16

Wherever the Gurkhas fought, the kukri went with them & there wasn’t a single battle where the kukri was not used

Gurkha fighters have a fearsome reputation, & the kukri is the main reason NO Gurkha goes into battle without a kukri

When Prithvi Narayan Shah, the king of the independent Kingdom of Gorkha & the founding father of Nepal, invaded the Kathmandu valley in 1767 & conquered it, the kukri was credited wth playing a major role in his victory It continues to be the weapon of choice for the Gorkha soldiers

His forces the Gorkhali army, eventually clashed with British forces & the story of the Gurkhas & the kukri became FAMOUS

The kukri of King Drabya Shah, the King of Gorkha in 1627, is among the oldest & is in the National Museum of Nepal

Another famous kukri is the Fisher Kukri, used by Lt. J. F. L. Fisher during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857-58 in India, displayed at the Gurkha Museum in Winchester

The Sepoy Mutiny was where the loyalty of the Gurkhas was tested & proved as reward, the Gurkhas were made RIFLEMEN & their own regiment the Gurkha Rifles

The kukri become a propaganda tool for the British in war

But the way they used them against the Argentines before the battles in the Falklands in 1982 was classic

A photo of a Gurkha sharpening his kukri instilled fear in many Argentine soldiers’ minds & worked well with the myth that a Gurkha must draw blood every time he unsheathes his kukri