Online Collection

The Online Collection showcases a selection of our objects for you to discover and explore. This resource will grow as the Museum's Collection is catalogued and computerised, and as new acquisitions are added.

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Kukri, 1920 (c)

Kukri with steel blade with geometrical decoration, wooden grip and steel ferrule.

The kukri, with its recurved blade, is an iconic weapon synonymous with the Gurkhas of Nepal.

Most kukris and scabbards are usually quite plain but presentation weapons can be highly decorated. The kukri is often accompanied by two smaller knives designed for less warlike activities. The 'karda' for cutting and skinning and the 'chakmak' for sharpening blades. For Gurkhas serving with the British Army, the kukri became a service issue weapon alongside the bayonet. During World War Two (1939-1945), non-Gurkha units serving in the Far East also adopted the weapon. The vast majority of kukris, especially those carried by troops in Burma during World War Two, were anonymous, commercially produced weapons.

NAM Accession Number

NAM. 2000-04-8-1

Copyright/Ownership

National Army Museum Copyright

Location

National Army Museum, Study Collection

Object URL

https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=2000-04-8-1