The Khukuri FAQ
Originally compiled by Howard Wallace. Maintained (and on-going reorganisation) by Benjamin Slade / Himalayan Imports

[This information has been extracted from the posts and e-mails of Bill Martino, John Powell, Kami Sherpa, and numerous other khukuri aficionados, who often gather at the Himalayan Imports Forum]

Khukuri Basics
  Introduction
  Construction and Terminology
  Nepalese Terms
  Care & Maintenance
  Safety Considerations
  Sharpening a Khukuri  
  Testing a Khukuri
  Khukuri Dynamics - khukuri shapes, sizes and performance
  Khukuri Training and Techniques
  Carry and Storage Options

John Powell's The Kukri NEW - a series of online articles/chapters by kukri-expert John Powell
  Introduction
  Traditional Kukris
  Kothimoras - fancy kukris
  On Kukri Grips
  ..more to follow...

Khukuri Esoterica (and 'what-does-this-have-to-do-with-khukuris' stories & thoughts)
  Ceremonies and Blessings
  Symbols and Carving
  Gurkha Insignia NEW
  Animal stories and Misc. Adventures
  Pokhara Sunrise and other Essays

BirGorkha Khukuri (Nepal)  - (misc. information about Bir Gorkha Khukuri Industries of Nepal)
  Bir Gorkha factory and the Kamis - the expert knife-smiths of Nepal
  Reviving a Tradition - the founding of BirGorkha
  Biographies of BirGorkha/Himalayan Imports workers
  Bir Gorkha and environs

Other Pages of Interest on the Himalayan Imports main site [himalayan-imports.com] or Bhaaratashastra [jnanam.net/shastra/]
  Himalayan Imports Shop
  Variants, Interpretations, Special runs, other Nepalese tools
 
Gorkhas (or Gurkhas)
Books on Gurkhas & Khukuris
 

Misc. Offsite Links

Nepal - history
 A brief chronology of key events [BBC News]
 History of Nepal [Infoclub.co.np]

Nepal - society
 MS Nepal, stories & articles - various articles on life & society in Nepali, including that of a blacksmith/kami named Sher Bahadur Biswakarma (not HI's Sher!)
 Ann's Nepal-Focus page - various resources on Nepali life & culture

Nepal - maps and geography
  Index of towns in Nepal
  Nepal Maps [Uni. of Texas]  
  More Nepal Maps [Travel-Nepal.com] 


Nepal - news
  BBC News - South Asia (English)
  BBC Nepali Samaachaar (Nepali)
  Nepali Times (English)
  Newslook Online (English)
  Kantipur Online (English)
  Saaptaahik Janmabhuumi (Nepali)
  Radio-Nepal (English & Nepali)
  News of Nepal (Nepali)
  Nepali Himal (Nepali)
  Nepali Post [Washington, D.C.] (Nepali)

Nepal - language
  Languages of Nepal [Ethnologue.com]
  Brief description & alphabet of Nepali [Alphabets-world.com]
  Online Dictionary of Nepali by Sir Ralph Lilley Turner [Uni. of Chicago]
  Brief Nepali Phrasebook [kathmandu.com]
  Nepali Ann's Itty-Bitty, but darn good Nepali Language Primer

  Nepali Language Books from Pilgrims Book House (Kathmandu, Nepal)
  Nepali - language exchange (language-partners at mylanguageexchange.com)
  Sherpa->English dictionary [nepalresearch.org]

Nepal - arts & culture
  suskera.com - online Nepali literature, arts, culture
  Nepali Research page
  Nepali Cooking with Tulsi Regmi, Ph.D.
 

Other Indian subcontinental arms & armour sites
 
Ethnographic Edged Weapons Resource Site [vikingsword.com]
  Bharaata-Shastra - Indian Subcontinental Arms & Militaria resources [jnanam.net]

Knife resources - general
  A.G. Russell Knife Encyclopedia
  Types of Steel used by Knife-Makers - listing of types & descriptions
  Blade Metal Info - more info on materials used in knife-blades
  Brief History of Steel [Prof. H. Föll, Uni.-Kiel]
  A Cross-Linked Glossary of Some Terms from the History of Metal Working [Prof. H. Föll, Uni.-Kiel]
  Metalsmithing links [Lively Knives]
  Knife-making Tutorials - useful info [Lively Knives]
  Outdoors.fr - using knives in the field, & more
  Theo's Knife-Pages - 3100+ knife-links



some old FAQ pages
(not yet integrated/reorganised)
  Historical Khukuris
      The John Powell Collection, Pg. 2,   Pg. 3, Pg.4, Pg. 5, Pg.6, Pg 7,
      Other Collections
      Examples of 19th Century Nepalese Khukuris (on Lee Jones' Khukuri Page)
  Traditional Khukuri Styles,   Pg. 2
  Modern Military Khukuris

"It is tempting to credit me for a lot of information about khukuris, kamis, Gorkhas and Nepal.  This credit would be misplaced.  The real credit belongs to the many kamis, Gorkhas and in general the people of Nepal who gave the information to me.  I am simply a reporter repeating things that were told to me over the years."  --Bill Martino, Himalayan Imports
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Copyright (c) 1999-2002  by Howard Wallace; 2003-5 by Himalayan Imports - all rights reserved.
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This FAQ may not be included in commercial collections or compilations, or distributed for financial gain, without express written permission from the author.  This FAQ may be printed and distributed for personal non-commercial, non-profit usage, or as class material, as long as there is no charge, except to cover materials, and as long as this copyright notice is included.

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