Hank Reinhardt's The Book of the Sword (35 page)

Reproduction falcata. HRC360.

Reproduction gladius. HRC198.

The Romans were impressed by the Iberian Celts, and quickly adopted one of their swords, a waisted short sword with a long point that was then known as the gladius Hispanicus. They did not adopt the falcata, as it was used in a fashion that was not suitable for the Roman soldier. The falcata was mainly a chopping weapon, although it could be used for thrusting. The shorter gladius was a stabbing weapon that could be used for cutting. This was much more in keeping with the Roman idea of tactics. However, it is believed that Scipio Africanus armed his cavalry with the falcata, and this weapon was used extensively by the Roman cavalry until replaced by the longer spatha around 200 AD.

Both the kopis and the falcata were much bigger than the average kukri. The kukri is basically a 10–13 inch knife, while both of these are swords, with an average blade length of about 20–23 inches.

It is easy to assume that the kukri shape arrived in India via Alexander the Great, and his conquest, which stopped at the Indus River. While this is a reasonable conjecture, it may not be the case at all. There is no evidence to support a direct Greek influence, and it had been used in Western Europe many hundreds of years before the shape shows up in India.

Information on early Indian swords is not readily available, but there are rock carvings, drawings, paintings, writings, and a very few archeological finds. None of these show a forward-angled blade until about 400 AD. After this period they appear quite frequently, and indeed, seem to actually proliferate, driving out many of the older, straight-bladed swords that were previously used. We do know that there was a lot of contact between Rome and the Deccan area of India, and it seems logical that the Romans introduced it there.

Once introduced to the subcontinent, the Indians adopted it as their own, and did so with a great deal of imagination. The forward-angled shape was tried for so many swords that we don't have room to show all of them. Indeed, many of them were not practical fighting tools, but they sure did look mean.

The forward-angled blade made its way throughout India as one warlike tribe after another adopted the shape, and through conquest spread it farther and farther afield. We do not know the early history of Nepal, nor do we know the weapons they used. Early art plus a few archeological finds indicate that they used the leaf-shaped short sword a great deal, plus the Chinese straight sword. There is no evidence that the Nepalese used the curved sword. Sometime well after the 10th century AD, the forward-angled blade appears. The primary weapon of the early Gurkhas and the other warlike tribes in the area was the kora. This was a sword, length ranging from 18 to 28 inches, with the blade sharpened on the inside edge. The tip curved forward and flared out and down. Although completely useless for a thrust, the power in the cut was awesome! However, technology invaded and the firearm assumed the place of principal weapon. The kukri, which had many uses, was kept as the kora was discarded.

Kora.

The kukri has since become the national weapon of Nepal, and particularly the Gurkhas. But the Indians were the first to use the kukri and in the Royal Nepali Museum, almost all of the old kukris are of Indian workmanship. Actually there are very few old kukris in the museum, and the oldest only dates to about 1750 AD. It is identical to the kukri shown in the photo here which, judging from the design and manufacture, I feel dates from about 1750–1800 AD.

Nepalese kukri, 18.5 inches overall length. HRC42.

One of the more interesting, and amusing, aspects of the kukri is the notch at the base of the blade. It's amusing, because even the Gurkhas don't know for sure its exact meaning. The notch is of two cut out semicircles side by side, leaving a small projection. It has been described as intended to catch the opponent's blade (a sure way to lose a hand should it be attempted), a symbol of the female sex organ designed to give the blade power, a representation of a cow's udder (Gorkha—old spelling—means "Protector of Cows"), or the Trident of Shiva the Destroyer. No one really knows, so feel free to choose whichever you like. I know which I prefer.

But what makes this blade so effective?

All chopping weapons have an optimal striking point, the area where the greatest force is generated with the least amount of vibration. The sweet spot on a kukri is extremely large, in fact just about the entire blade is the sweet spot. The same depth of cut will result if the blade hits close to the front of the knife or close to the back. Only at the extreme front is there a noticeable difference. The forward-angled blade helps dampen the vibration, so that there is no energy lost in the blow, but it also arrives quicker, so that you get the effect of "cutting through" without much effort. With a wrist snap just as the blade hits, much more force can be generated than most realize, enough to lop off the limb of a small tree or a small man.

All warriors and soldiers need to be familiar with their weapons before they are effective with them. The same is true with the kukri. In the mountains of Nepal, the Gurkha grows up using the kukri, and he also grows up with a warrior tradition. His weapon becomes part of himself.

The old kukris were handmade. There were several styles that were popular. The Limbu tribe favored the Sirupate kukri that has a blade somewhat long in relation to its width. The Rais prefer the Bhujpore style, which has a wider blade, while the Gurungs, Thapas and Magars prefer what could be called the standard kukri.

But no two old kukris are alike. (The only kukris that are identical are those issued by the various countries that employ Gurkhas: Great Britain, India and Nepal.) Original kukris are as individual as the
kami
(the village kukri maker/blacksmith) who made them, and many of them are works of art. The knives were frequently given as gifts to officers and high-ranking people who happen to please one of the ruling classes of Gurkhas. These can be very elaborate, with ivory or silver grips and mounts, and beautiful, highly polished blades.

One of the more interesting tales about the kukri is the trouble the British ran into once they had established a presence, and then a railroad in Nepal. All too frequently the track was stolen. The English couldn't figure why, until it was realized that this is an excellent source of steel, and the kami did not have to worry about purifying the iron.

The history of the kukri is very long, and in this chapter I could only cover the basics. I wish it were only possible to go back in time and see its development. Since this is not possible, I will have to be content with speculation. I've been playing with the kukri for over fifty years, and I still am fascinated with it. And it's still my knife of choice on a lengthy trip in the wilds.

Burton, Richard F.,
The Book of the Sword
, originally published 1884, reprinted by Dover Publications, New York, 1987.
For his discussion of the kopesh.

Farwell, Byron,
The Gurkhas,
W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 1984.
A good popular history of the Gurkhas
.

Haider, Syed Zafar,
Islamic Arms and Armour of Muslim India
. Bahadur Publishers, Lahore, 1991.

Rawson, P.S.,
The Indian Sword
, Arco Publishing Company, New York, 1968.

Reid, William,
A History of Arms
, Barnes & Noble Books, New York, 1997, first published in Sweden 1976.

The cutting power and the mystique of swords has been a much misunderstood subject for quite some time. The desire of the warrior, from whatever culture, for a sword that will not break, bend, nick, or get dull and that will cut steel, is easily understandable. Alas, such a blade only exists in myth and legend. Charlemagne had Joyuese, Roland had Durandel, there was the Viking sword Tyrfing, that could do all of the above, and the sword Quernbiter, that cut a millstone in half with one blow.

I confess that I would also like such a blade. But steel is still steel, and is subject to the same strains and stresses of any other piece of metal. Some of the strains can be lessened by the addition of various trace elements, but they all have limits. Some will be better than others, but none will be magic.

It should be noted that knowing how to cut with a sword does not mean you know how to fight with one. Knowing how to fight with one does not mean you know how to cut. Cutting with the sword is not nearly as easy as it looks. But it certainly isn't as hard as many would have you think. We live in a world of Hype. Everything is made out to be much greater than it is, much harder than it is, more important than it is. In short, just about everything in this society is hyped a great deal. I can't change that, but what I can do is give you the facts about cutting with the sword.

Although cutting with a sword, and doing it well, requires some basic skills, the main part of any cutting is the sword itself, and the working part of the sword is the edge. The basic geometry of the blade is also important, as curved blades have different cutting potential than straight blades.