Trustworthiness and valor has been integral part of Gurkha Khukri Knife's legacy for centuries now. However, the famed Gurkha army and their prized weapon "Kukri" featured once again in the news all over the world during the past few days. Reason this time was their unsurprising selection to provide security at probably the most talked about political summit of this century – the Trump-Kim meeting. The news has revived the story of glory, intensity and superiority of the Gurkhas and their trusted weapon of choice – Kukri in peoples mind around the globe.
It was recently revealed that the Gurkha Contingent of the elite Singaporean Police will be securing the Trump-Kim summit venue, roads and hotels. Around 1,800 Gurkhas serve in the Singapore police, across six paramilitary companies. The international news agency Reuters used the following statements to break the new: "The Gurkhas, recruited by the Singapore police from the hills of faraway Nepal, were kitted out in body armor, Belgian-made FN SCAR combat assault rifles and pistols in leg holsters at the conference. Despite all the advanced weaponry, the Gurkhas do not prepare for battle without the khukri - the heavy curved knife that is their traditional weapon of choice".
The above statements by Reuters pretty much sums up what Gurkhas and their battle weapon – Khukri is all about. Gurkhas and their Khukri was first introduced to the western world in the year 1814 AD during the first encounter between the British army and the Gurkha troops while the history of kukri dates back few more centuries before that. At the end of the Anglo-Nepalese war in 1816 and impressed by their bravery and war skills, the Gurkhas were invited to join the East India Company’s army where they brought their prized weapon of closed combat – Kukri along with them. Since then the use of Kukri in military spread wherever the Gurkhas went on to serve, eventually reaching in the hands of foreign regiments such as British Gurkha, Assam Rifles, Burma Military Police, Singapore Police, Brunei army and more.
Authentic Nepalese Khukris are still hand-made using the exactly similar tools and techniques that has been used for hundreds of years now, in order to maintain the legacy, grace and excellence of the famed “Gurkha Khukri”. Apart from its military use, in the modern days, Khukris are being used for various purposes such as utility tool, survival tool and showpiece.
Kukris these days are available in a wide range of designs, shapes, decorations and prices from which you can choose the one that best suits your taste. While you can either visit the stores of authentic Gurkha kukri sellers in Kathmandu or go through their online catalogs, some of the sellers also offer customized kukri production to match your exact requirements.
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