Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Ring grip Army issue Kukri, A correction for collectors

spiral · 18th July 2015, 07:28 PM

Another strange piece of evidence is an apparently undated picture of a Mess orderly carrying such a kukri! {Actually the clothing could be just civilian style leave attire, I would think? .}

But anyway I've always found this rather amusing as Mess orderly kukris are usually display type pieces,{Like officers presentation kukri on occasion.} which of course are generally different from issue kukri.

Here's the mess orderly picture cited as evidence for it being a WW2 Indian army issue kukri.

[see below]

& another showing mess orderlies wearing silver kothimora & possibly an ivory or more likely {I surmise.}bone handled piece.

[see below]

While I don't know whether these were paid for by the regiment or by the individual Gurkhas, {After all kukris are dirt cheap in India & Nepal even today... never mind in distant times.} to describe them as ww2 Indian army issue seems rather a stretch of credulity & terminology.

When mess orderlies fought in combat, {As some did.} I somehow doubt if it was with an Indian army issue Kothimora with bone handled hilt & silver scabbard!

Of course although maybe one in a thousand of those found today are ww2 private purchase kukris, & some may have been carried in combat zones, the vast majority were manufactured & exported to the UK in the 60s & 70s to be sold in seaside shops along with low grade lions head kukris, & the bone top & ebonised shaft swordsticks {which sadly are often now sold by dealers & auction houses as Victorian!} that were piled high next to the cheap china & buckets & spades.

In fact they are still made & exported from India to the UK today! So without individual province it is impossible to say 100% whether it is ww2 or not, but I think its safe to say they were not Official Indian army Issue kukri to the Gurkhas! {Or probably anyone else!}

Spiral

.................................................. .................................................. .
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge."

Daniel J. Boorstinpiral

18th July 2015, 07:28 PM	#5
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	Another strange piece of evidence is an apparently undated picture of a Mess orderly carrying such a kukri! {Actually the clothing could be just civilian style leave attire, I would think? .} But anyway I've always found this rather amusing as Mess orderly kukris are usually display type pieces,{Like officers presentation kukri on occasion.} which of course are generally different from issue kukri. Here's the mess orderly picture cited as evidence for it being a WW2 Indian army issue kukri. [see below] & another showing mess orderlies wearing silver kothimora & possibly an ivory or more likely {I surmise.}bone handled piece. [see below] While I don't know whether these were paid for by the regiment or by the individual Gurkhas, {After all kukris are dirt cheap in India & Nepal even today... never mind in distant times.} to describe them as ww2 Indian army issue seems rather a stretch of credulity & terminology. When mess orderlies fought in combat, {As some did.} I somehow doubt if it was with an Indian army issue Kothimora with bone handled hilt & silver scabbard! Of course although maybe one in a thousand of those found today are ww2 private purchase kukris, & some may have been carried in combat zones, the vast majority were manufactured & exported to the UK in the 60s & 70s to be sold in seaside shops along with low grade lions head kukris, & the bone top & ebonised shaft swordsticks {which sadly are often now sold by dealers & auction houses as Victorian!} that were piled high next to the cheap china & buckets & spades. In fact they are still made & exported from India to the UK today! So without individual province it is impossible to say 100% whether it is ww2 or not, but I think its safe to say they were not Official Indian army Issue kukri to the Gurkhas! {Or probably anyone else!} Spiral .................................................. .................................................. . "The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." Daniel J. Boorstinpiral Attached Images Last edited by Ian; 23rd July 2015 at 04:05 PM.