Found this Kukri behind Water tank in loft!!!

[JAD]

"Connolly was fostered at the age of two by Jim and Helen McManus of Blantyre, South Lanarkshire and took their family name. The McManuses were the family of Mark McManus, of Taggart fame. Both men perceived a resemblance between them, and supposed McManus's father to have also been Connolly's."
Source; Brian Connolly

Great reference Harry, thanks for setting the record straight; isn't amazing the shite we store in our swedes? I hadn't thought of the McManus, Connolly and Fergie link for well over 20 years until I saw that picture of Taggart/Sam the other evening.

 

[Ravers]

Bump.

Having a little root through the family jewels today and found this kukri.

Presumably given to one of the wife’s ancestors by someone (there is a ton of this stuff. Mostly engraved saying to the Earl of ******** blah blah etc.)

Looks like quite a nice piece, but unfortunately very rusty and pitted. I’ve cleaned it up to the best of my ability.

The only writing on it says Prince Debendra Bikram Shah Bahadur, who I’m guessing was the previous owner.

A few other nicely done engravings but that’s it. No date or anything. The handle is horn or tortoise shell by the looks of things. Not wood.

It’s also incredibly sharp.

By the state of the leather sheath it looks very old.

When I Google the name it throws up no exact results.

Thoughts?

 

[Helm]

Bump.

Having a little root through the family jewels today and found this kukri.

Presumably given to one of the wife’s ancestors by someone (there is a ton of this stuff. Mostly engraved saying to the Earl of ******** blah blah etc.)

Looks like quite a nice piece, but unfortunately very rusty and pitted. I’ve cleaned it up to the best of my ability.

The only writing on it says Prince Debendra Bikram Shah Bahadur, who I’m guessing was the previous owner.

A few other nicely done engravings but that’s it. No date or anything. The handle is horn or tortoise shell by the looks of things. Not wood.

It’s also incredibly sharp.

By the state of the leather sheath it looks very old.

When I Google the name it throws up no exact results.

Thoughts?

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Get some very fine grade wet and dry around 10000 and use it with some oil gently

 

[Ravers]

Get some very fine grade wet and dry around 10000 and use it with some oil gently

Aye, that’s what I’ve done to get the worst of the rust off. A light polish with Autosol and a felt pad on the Dremel also seems to have helped.

To be honest I can’t really make it any worse.

 

[gorillaguts981]

Laser rust removal will clean it up without damaging the base metal. Looks ceremonial or high status. Never seen carving like that on a handle. Get a good auction house to appraise it.

 

[Lardbeast]

Edge looks a bit crappy but it's ceremonial as mentioned. Not worth really getting into it. Need to take off a mm or so to clean it up properly.

That would give it a good edge again, but you lose a bit of the blade. Best to clean up the cosmetic bits and treat the metal, touch up the dodgier nicks and chips and stick to displaying it or donate to an organisation who may have an interest in its preservation.

 

[Troy]

He refers to a show, Forged in Fire, which is pretty cool viewing.
Competitors get given lumps of steel, or scrap, or old tools etc, and have three hours in a forge to create and harden a blade.
then 2 hrs to finesse it, add a handle, and sharpen.
Often chaps make Kukris.
After which the judges hack the **** out of huge ice blocks, or logs etc to test strength, and then slice big fish, silk, sandbags, apples to test sharpness.
then 2 chap go on to create a 'classic weapon from history' which is tested chopping up pig carcasses or blood filled dummies
I doubt if it would be shown in UK, as it involves some pretty stabby stuff.
And is VERY unPC.

Gold is for the mistress -- silver for the maid --
Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.
"Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his hall,
"But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of them all."
Rudyard Kipling

 

[Troy]

Stolen or maybe it was used in an act of violence. I read that if a Gurkha draws his Kukri he must either draw blood or cut himself!

Less known but true nevertheless is that some issue kukris also had the bayonet catch integral to the handle. The hue and cry this caused in diplomatic circles led the Gevena Convention to rule that this a breech; whereby weapons had been "altered to make them inhumane and more dangerous".
Apparently the combination of a Gurka soldier, with a kukri bayonet, attached to That Rifle was just too much. Gives you shivers just to think of this doesn't it.










It is also so true that I just made this up, and thus is how such legend are born...

 

[Slime]

Less known but true nevertheless is that some issue kukris also had the bayonet catch integral to the handle. The hue and cry this caused in diplomatic circles led the Gevena Convention to rule that this a breech; whereby weapons had been "altered to make them inhumane and more dangerous".
Apparently the combination of a Gurka soldier, with a kukri bayonet, attached to That Rifle was just too much. Gives you shivers just to think of this doesn't it.










It is also so true that I just made this up, and thus is how such legend are born...

You missed the best bit of the issue kukri bayonet.
The sharpened edge of the blade was uppermost. This split each bullet in two and allowed Gurkhas to hit two different targets with each round.

The above is why Gurkha snipers wore a sniper badge on each arm.

 

[Troy]

You missed the best bit of the issue kukri bayonet.
The sharpened edge of the blade was uppermost. This split each bullet in two and allowed Gurkhas to hit two different targets with each round.

The above is why Gurkha snipers wore a sniper badge on each arm.

Yes, this is so very true! I was just posting for brevity as it's been a long day for me.

 

[Bacongrills]

The Falklands was one island until a Gurkha accidentally dropped his Kukri while opening a tin of mixed fruit pudding.

( more believable than any other Gurkha / Falklands stories )

 

[Meat and Two Veg]

At he risk of seeming to be utterly Daggers I'd submerge the blade in molasses for about 6 weeks.

It's a great, gentle, non damaging way of removing rust as well as stabilising the metal. Quick rinse off with hot water, thorough drying then finish with Renaissance Wax.

My sense is that this khukri is probably Indian and from around the 1920's - can't give you any references, just a sense, that's all.

 

[Provost]

My sense is that this khukri is probably Indian and from around the 1920's - can't give you any references, just a sense, that's all.

The name is of the Nepali royal dynasty (the Nepali crown prince who went tonto in 2001 and took out most of the Nepali royal family and then shot himself was Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.)

I don't think that inscription necessarily means that the kukri was the personal property of the prince whose name is inscribed. (I would have expected something considerably more bling). It could be a presentation, commemorative issue or similar. Nice piece and worth restoring, though.

Might be worth getting someone to take a look at it before you go nuts on it, I would say.

 

[gorillaguts981]

the Nepali crown prince who went tonto in 2001 and took out most of the Nepali royal family and then shot himself was Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev

Went off at the deepend did he? I know the way out.

 

[CaptainRidiculous]

I recall Bahadur from Flashman books.
Bahadur may refer to:

Bahadur, another form of Baghatur, an honorific title
Rai Bahadur, Rao Bahadur, Khan Bahadur, and Sardar Bahadur – honours conferred by the British Raj to Dewans of princely states (conferred on North Indian Hindus, South Indian Hindus, Indian Muslims, and Sikhs, respectively)
Dewan Bahadur, a title of honour conferred upon Indians by the British Order of the Bath
Nawab Bahadur (disambiguation), a title used by a number of Muslim princes of British India

 

[Graculus]

Aye, that’s what I’ve done to get the worst of the rust off. A light polish with Autosol and a felt pad on the Dremel also seems to have helped.

To be honest I can’t really make it any worse.

Do you not have Carlos Fandango (old joke, not a trade name) ultrasonic baths at work? I've seen brilliant finishes on stuff which had been in the oggin for decades once they were put through one.

 

[Ravers]

The name is of the Nepali royal dynasty (the Nepali crown prince who went tonto in 2001 and took out most of the Nepali royal family and then shot himself was Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.)

I don't think that inscription necessarily means that the kukri was the personal property of the prince whose name is inscribed. (I would have expected something considerably more bling). It could be a presentation, commemorative issue or similar. Nice piece and worth restoring, though.

Might be worth getting someone to take a look at it before you go nuts on it, I would say.

That’s the name that I found when I googled the writing in the knife but it’s slightly different, Debendra as opposed to Dipendra.

Also I’m 99% sure this is much older. The leather on the sheath has the look of something that’s aged 100 plus years. Also I found it in amongst some of the possessions of a bloke who died in the 1940s.

As you say, definitely worth saving.

 

[CaptainRidiculous]

That’s the name that I found when I googled the writing in the knife but it’s slightly different, Debendra as opposed to Dipendra.

Also I’m 99% sure this is much older. The leather on the sheath has the look of something that’s aged 100 plus years. Also I found it in amongst some of the possessions of a bloke who died in the 1940s.

As you say, definitely worth saving.

Antiques Roadshow, Ravers?
You might be able to grab Fiona's ar$e as well.

 

[Lardbeast]

That’s the name that I found when I googled the writing in the knife but it’s slightly different, Debendra as opposed to Dipendra.

Also I’m 99% sure this is much older. The leather on the sheath has the look of something that’s aged 100 plus years. Also I found it in amongst some of the possessions of a bloke who died in the 1940s.

As you say, definitely worth saving.

Sometimes less restoration is more, particularly on historical pieces.

 

[PuriPuriManTumas]

That’s the name that I found when I googled the writing in the knife but it’s slightly different, Debendra as opposed to Dipendra.

Also I’m 99% sure this is much older. The leather on the sheath has the look of something that’s aged 100 plus years. Also I found it in amongst some of the possessions of a bloke who died in the 1940s.

As you say, definitely worth saving.

I saw similarly cherished family heirlooms thathad been passed down thru’ generations of Nepali Military and Police which were only used on ceremonial occasions during the times I worked with the Nepali Forces preparing them for Peacekeeping deployments. The ‘normal issue’ Khukri was unadorned, and there were slight differences between the versions issued to the various ranks, with the most utilitarian versions being the ones issued to the troops and bearers.
I agree with use of molasses to gently soak the rust off ... and perhaps a very fine ’paper rub, as iterated above.
I think you have a suitable ‘heirloom’ to be handed further down your line ... and the interpretation I have of “Bahadhur” is “Warrior”, often of noble birth.