A service-pattern khukuri reflecting the standard-issue blade carried by Gurkha soldiers today — every new Gurkha recruit is issued two khukuris, one for parade and duty, one for training.
The khukuri (often anglicised as kukri) is Nepal’s national knife, its inward-curved blade a design element some researchers trace back over two millennia of continuous Nepali use. Its modern military reputation was forged in 1816, when the Treaty of Sugauli ended the Anglo-Nepalese War and permitted the British East India Company to begin recruiting Nepali soldiers — the original Gurkhas. The khukuri has remained the standard-issue personal blade of Gurkha soldiers ever since, carried through the First and Second World Wars, the Falklands campaign of 1982, and into British Army service today, making it one of the longest continuously issued military blades in modern history. A traditional khukuri sheath holds two small companion blades: the karda, a small sharp utility knife, and the chakmak, a blunt tool used with flint for fire-starting. Today, every newly enlisted Gurkha soldier is issued two khukuris: one for duty and parade, and one for training and exercise, a practice formalised in the early 2000s and continuing a tradition of standard-issue Gurkha equipment stretching back over two centuries.
Deepeeka’s reproduction reflects this modern service pattern, part of our South Asian heritage range.
Use for:
- Gurkha and Nepalese living history and display
- Bushcraft and utility knife use
- Museum-style display on a wall mount or stand
- Nepalese and South Asian-themed home decor and collections
- Historical events and living history fairs
- Collectors of Gurkha military knives
