I've traveled all over the world,
from the U.S. through Europe, the Near East (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon,
etc), the Middle East, and back again. In every one of these places
I have looked for knives. I'm not a serious knife collector who
spends thousands of dollars on knives, but I've spent my share,
and I've been known to drop a couple of hundred dollars on knives
in a good month. So, what did I find in my travels?
The number one discovery was …
tourist knives are worthless! The real challenge was finding
the real thing - locally made. That is not easy. In Nepal, of course,
I looked for the Khukuri, the Nepali national knife. Khukuri
knives (or kukri) are the right hand of the Gurkha. For the last
century the Gurkhas have fought for the Queen's Guard in England.
It is said that a Gurkha must draw blood if he removes his knife/dagger
from its scabbard. That is why the Khukuri knife has the little
prick point at the base of the blade. If he does not kill someone,
he must prick his own finger with it. Original Khukuris also come
with one to three small skinning knives sheathed around the hilt
of the Khukuri.
The Khukuri is immediately recognizable,
having a bent-forward blade of about 25 to 30 degrees. It also is
a heavy blade, approximately ¼ inch wide at the spine. Lengths
vary, from a 12-inch blade to a short sword length knife of a good
18 inches. It has a one-handed grip, made of various materials from
leather to bone.
On my search for a genuine Khukuri,
I went into shop after shop in the city of Kathmandu, and
without fail, I only found tourist versions of the Khukuri knives.
Yes, there were some nice ones, but not one that I found was what
I call a working knife. I was truly disappointed, but not enough
to resist buying a couple of the tourist versions.
Before I left the country, however,
a Nepali friend gave me his own Khukuri. I refused it, but he insisted.
I offered to pay for it, but he refused. In the end, it was less
insult to take it with deep gratitude than to leave it behind. It
is the only working Khukuri I found.
I must remind you to keep your knives
out of your carry-on baggage if you are boarding a plane. Put them
in your check-in luggage. It will certainly hold things up while
the customs inspectors take them from you and give you a claim check
for them. Then expect at least a one-hour wait on the other end
while your knives are located and you can retrieve them. It happened
to me. Also, some countries will not allow you entry with large
knives, but will hold them for you until your departure. Just be
polite.
Knife collecting is quite enjoyable,
and the search for unique knives is the best. A quality used knife
is worth much more than a new imitation. Keep your eyes out for
that one-of-a-kind knife. You won't regret buying it. And if you
talk fast, neither will your wife.- E. E. Kane
Good luck, Blakes