Time for change / BSI Khukuri
May 30, 2021 21:12:29 GMT
Post by airborne on May 30, 2021 21:12:29 GMT
Hello All ,
I would very much like to start a debate about a weapon / Utility tool that is very close to my heart , the aim being to gauge the views of other forum members who may be interested .
The weapon I am talking about is the now iconic and famous Khukuri knife of Nepal or to be more precise the British Army Standard Issue (BSI) which still is and has been issued to The Brigade of Gurkha soldiers for over two hundred years of loyal and faithful service to the British Crown , albeit in its various styles and forms to the model of khukuri issued today to the modern day Gurkha soldier .
I myself have served with the British Army and have come across Gurkha soldiers only a few times over the years but I can say now that they have a special place in the hearts of not only serving soldiers but the British public in general and long may it so be .
Over the years I have been a collector of various types and styles of knives and have even made my own knives at one time , I still collect and also have a small collection of nine Nepalese hand made Khukuri knives from two of the more well known makers in Nepal . In fact I take a keen interest in not only the history and various styles of khukuri knives but also the various Gurkha Regiments serving with both the British and Indian Armies which constitutes a lot of history . I am no expert on this famous knife but there are some very good websites on the net that provide much relevent information for khukuri buffs , not least being the "Sir Khukuri" website where I learn a great deal from .
Now I dont want to start a partisan debate where people are disrespecting each other over who or which manufacturers make the best khukuri knives as Im sure we all have our favorites for different reasons , but I would like to bring to question the present day style of khukuri supplied by various companies in Nepal to the British Army Brigade of Gurkhas and to its actual quality and usage .
A little background to khukuris in general first . Apparently the first time any mention was made of the khukuri knife was sometime back in the 16th century and there are various historical versions of how and from where it originated , many believing as far back as the invading armies of Alexander the Great as he swept across Northern India into what is now Afghanistan ! Wherever the truth lies it came about that Nepal and its ancient Gorkha races adopted and probably adapted a similar style of weapon to the famous khukuri of today . In Nepal itself and some areas of Northern India the khukuri is used today in a very basic form as a utility tool for farmers and other peoples living and working the land to cut undergrowth , cutting meat , slaughtering their animal foods , digging and chopping firewoods . On the other side of the coin it has always been used as a martial close quarter weapon by the warrior races of Nepal and this is carried on within the British , Indian , and Nepalese Armies today as well as the Singapore Gurkha protection Force , even the Sultan of Brunei paid for his own Gurkha security contingent . All these forces and units still carry the khukuri knife as a traditional and integral part of their uniform going back to their own country and history and lets be honest most likely as a back up weapon if all else fails .
I actually own a BSI Khukuri and as such my debate is this . The BSI has a 10.5 inch blade with I think a handle of around 4.75 inches , so just over 15 inches overall , it has quite a thick stock at the brass bolster which does not taper well to the tip , and has no hollow grind and the handle is made of black Buffalo horn fitted with the thicker style of brass butt cap and held with a brass keeper . I assume they are all forged using 5160 steel . Various manufacturers in Nepal get the contract from the British Government year by year based on who gives the cheapest quote ! As far as I am concerned that is not a good basis for achieving the best quality khukuri knife , it seems like a dog eat dog situation with all the manufacturing companies claiming they are the ones who have the official British Government contract and this is not entirely true. Like any solid made khukuri as long as the tang holds solid in the handle and the steel of the blade has been forged and heat treated , it will probably hold up in a bushcraft type of environment for cutting or chopping wood , slicing meat , cutting rope etc as long as it is kept sharp and rust free it will last a long time and this is the argument that most people use when describing their own particular choice of knife from whichever khukuri manufacturer , but is this enough. Remember we are talking here about the khukuri that is issued to the British Army Gurkhas and as far as I am concerned it is just a small heavy chopping implement that could and maybe should be greatly improved upon . I have done a little visual research and on many recent operations including Operation Herrick in Afghanistan British Gurkha soldiers are shown either carrying or using not BSI khukuris but privately bought khukuris of various styles but I have seen chitlanges , sirupates and others . This then tells me that as the guys in the field of operations the famous Gurkha soldier chooses to carry his own choice of khukuri for whatever reason , but it is obvious that they do not prefer the BSI for choice ! I have had this coroberated for me by a Nepalese guy who has a number of serving and ex members of the Gurkha Regiments within his own Family who state they do not like the BSI khukuri . Why you may ask do the British Government still then insist on having the regular BSI manufactured at all ? In part I think it is down to the fact and rightly so that the khukuri is an iconic and integral part of Nepal and therefore the same for the Gurkha soldier who hails from that country , it is what is expected when you see a Gurkha soldier . Apart from that there is a display unit from within the ranks of the Gurkha Brigade who demonstrate their handling skills of the khukuri by performing a combination of a pattern of drills by way of a traditional dance , this helps to keep the Brigade of Gurkhas in the public eye and is a great sight to behold (see youtube). Of course the BSI khukuri is used in these demonstrations and thats fine but my original aim was to question the practical use of the BSI in the field . To improve the BSI as a martial weapon it should probably be lengthened to around 12 " for the blade with a hollow grind to help reduce any extra weight (which an infantry soldier is always aware of) and also to give a much better balance when in use . The traditional scabbard or Dap could be replaced for field use with a made to fit kydex quick release sheath or some other modern day material in desert brown or camoflage and just use the traditional Dap for ceremonial purposes . British Gurkhas are actually supplied with two khukuris , one shiney and patent leather for parade use and one dulled down for field use . The only reason I can think of is that no one within military circles has actually given any thought to this issue or its just down to a money saving exercise . I do understand that as a field tool the khukuri probably does not see as much use as way back in the 19th and early 20th centuries as military Infantry units do not need to strike a camp the way they did back then with all the uses that implied but I personally think in the right hands the Khukuri is a fantastic back up weapon for close quarter combat if ever needed and has been proven numerous times since the end of WW2 . I for one do not want to see a Gurkha soldier without the symbolic weapon of his homeland .
I would very much like to start a debate about a weapon / Utility tool that is very close to my heart , the aim being to gauge the views of other forum members who may be interested .
The weapon I am talking about is the now iconic and famous Khukuri knife of Nepal or to be more precise the British Army Standard Issue (BSI) which still is and has been issued to The Brigade of Gurkha soldiers for over two hundred years of loyal and faithful service to the British Crown , albeit in its various styles and forms to the model of khukuri issued today to the modern day Gurkha soldier .
I myself have served with the British Army and have come across Gurkha soldiers only a few times over the years but I can say now that they have a special place in the hearts of not only serving soldiers but the British public in general and long may it so be .
Over the years I have been a collector of various types and styles of knives and have even made my own knives at one time , I still collect and also have a small collection of nine Nepalese hand made Khukuri knives from two of the more well known makers in Nepal . In fact I take a keen interest in not only the history and various styles of khukuri knives but also the various Gurkha Regiments serving with both the British and Indian Armies which constitutes a lot of history . I am no expert on this famous knife but there are some very good websites on the net that provide much relevent information for khukuri buffs , not least being the "Sir Khukuri" website where I learn a great deal from .
Now I dont want to start a partisan debate where people are disrespecting each other over who or which manufacturers make the best khukuri knives as Im sure we all have our favorites for different reasons , but I would like to bring to question the present day style of khukuri supplied by various companies in Nepal to the British Army Brigade of Gurkhas and to its actual quality and usage .
A little background to khukuris in general first . Apparently the first time any mention was made of the khukuri knife was sometime back in the 16th century and there are various historical versions of how and from where it originated , many believing as far back as the invading armies of Alexander the Great as he swept across Northern India into what is now Afghanistan ! Wherever the truth lies it came about that Nepal and its ancient Gorkha races adopted and probably adapted a similar style of weapon to the famous khukuri of today . In Nepal itself and some areas of Northern India the khukuri is used today in a very basic form as a utility tool for farmers and other peoples living and working the land to cut undergrowth , cutting meat , slaughtering their animal foods , digging and chopping firewoods . On the other side of the coin it has always been used as a martial close quarter weapon by the warrior races of Nepal and this is carried on within the British , Indian , and Nepalese Armies today as well as the Singapore Gurkha protection Force , even the Sultan of Brunei paid for his own Gurkha security contingent . All these forces and units still carry the khukuri knife as a traditional and integral part of their uniform going back to their own country and history and lets be honest most likely as a back up weapon if all else fails .
I actually own a BSI Khukuri and as such my debate is this . The BSI has a 10.5 inch blade with I think a handle of around 4.75 inches , so just over 15 inches overall , it has quite a thick stock at the brass bolster which does not taper well to the tip , and has no hollow grind and the handle is made of black Buffalo horn fitted with the thicker style of brass butt cap and held with a brass keeper . I assume they are all forged using 5160 steel . Various manufacturers in Nepal get the contract from the British Government year by year based on who gives the cheapest quote ! As far as I am concerned that is not a good basis for achieving the best quality khukuri knife , it seems like a dog eat dog situation with all the manufacturing companies claiming they are the ones who have the official British Government contract and this is not entirely true. Like any solid made khukuri as long as the tang holds solid in the handle and the steel of the blade has been forged and heat treated , it will probably hold up in a bushcraft type of environment for cutting or chopping wood , slicing meat , cutting rope etc as long as it is kept sharp and rust free it will last a long time and this is the argument that most people use when describing their own particular choice of knife from whichever khukuri manufacturer , but is this enough. Remember we are talking here about the khukuri that is issued to the British Army Gurkhas and as far as I am concerned it is just a small heavy chopping implement that could and maybe should be greatly improved upon . I have done a little visual research and on many recent operations including Operation Herrick in Afghanistan British Gurkha soldiers are shown either carrying or using not BSI khukuris but privately bought khukuris of various styles but I have seen chitlanges , sirupates and others . This then tells me that as the guys in the field of operations the famous Gurkha soldier chooses to carry his own choice of khukuri for whatever reason , but it is obvious that they do not prefer the BSI for choice ! I have had this coroberated for me by a Nepalese guy who has a number of serving and ex members of the Gurkha Regiments within his own Family who state they do not like the BSI khukuri . Why you may ask do the British Government still then insist on having the regular BSI manufactured at all ? In part I think it is down to the fact and rightly so that the khukuri is an iconic and integral part of Nepal and therefore the same for the Gurkha soldier who hails from that country , it is what is expected when you see a Gurkha soldier . Apart from that there is a display unit from within the ranks of the Gurkha Brigade who demonstrate their handling skills of the khukuri by performing a combination of a pattern of drills by way of a traditional dance , this helps to keep the Brigade of Gurkhas in the public eye and is a great sight to behold (see youtube). Of course the BSI khukuri is used in these demonstrations and thats fine but my original aim was to question the practical use of the BSI in the field . To improve the BSI as a martial weapon it should probably be lengthened to around 12 " for the blade with a hollow grind to help reduce any extra weight (which an infantry soldier is always aware of) and also to give a much better balance when in use . The traditional scabbard or Dap could be replaced for field use with a made to fit kydex quick release sheath or some other modern day material in desert brown or camoflage and just use the traditional Dap for ceremonial purposes . British Gurkhas are actually supplied with two khukuris , one shiney and patent leather for parade use and one dulled down for field use . The only reason I can think of is that no one within military circles has actually given any thought to this issue or its just down to a money saving exercise . I do understand that as a field tool the khukuri probably does not see as much use as way back in the 19th and early 20th centuries as military Infantry units do not need to strike a camp the way they did back then with all the uses that implied but I personally think in the right hands the Khukuri is a fantastic back up weapon for close quarter combat if ever needed and has been proven numerous times since the end of WW2 . I for one do not want to see a Gurkha soldier without the symbolic weapon of his homeland .