The Fisher Kukri

The Kukri is the national symbol of Nepal. It is a utility tool in the home and a lethal weapon on active service.Gurkha soldiers from Nepal have served and fought alongside British military personnel since 1815. They have fought in the wars of the 19th Centuary and both World Wars as well as in Malaya, Borneo, the Falklands, Iraq and Afganistan. Their reputation for fearlessness and loyalty precedes them. This Kukri belonged to Major General John Frederick Lane Fisher, who as a Lieutenant served in the Siege of Delhi in 1857, during the Indian Mutiny, with the Sirmoor Battalion (now part of the Royal Gurkha Rifles). All Gurkha troops carried a Kukri similar to this. The notch (Kaura) in the blade has a practical purpose to stop blood reaching the handle, but also has a religious significance. At Dashain, the Hindu religious festival, a ceremonial version of the Kukri (a Konra), is used to sever the head of an animal in one blow. A clean cut signifies good luck and wellbeing for those attending the ceremony.

The Kukri is the national symbol of Nepal. It is a utility tool in the home and a lethal weapon on active service.