I happen to be a Nepalese Kukri and thus I can tell you that the notch is actually for confusing people as to what its purpose is.
@scholagladiatoria
7 жыл бұрын
lol
@MixedMartialHelp
7 жыл бұрын
lol brilliant
@kwanarchive
7 жыл бұрын
That joke is top notch.
@MixedMartialHelp
7 жыл бұрын
kwanarchive xD
@petrus4
7 жыл бұрын
"Problem, Officer?"
@NonApplicable1983
7 жыл бұрын
What if a lot of Nepalese blacksmiths just got together one day and decided they wanted to fuck with archeologists?
@gg2fan
7 жыл бұрын
That's totally what I would do if I was a blacksmith
@Feldscher1039
7 жыл бұрын
Like god when he made the earth 6000 years old but burried fossils older than that, snickering mischievous.
@danieljones6617
7 жыл бұрын
Aymotin Montesegur lol
@charkvaror2112
7 жыл бұрын
It's Satan who put the dinosaur bones in the ground.
@Dustypilgrim1
7 жыл бұрын
I have also collected and studied Kukhuris/kukris for decades and have around 30 at least ( not actually sure how many) . Family has connections with the B'o'G since WW1 and my grandfather. and I am afraid , Matt ... I have to ... totally agree with you. The role as blood drip point could only be believed by anyone totally ignorant of how close-quarter blade work goes. Blood,slime and body fluids would go everywhere. They would not politely dribble to the notch and vacate the 'steely premises'. Equally, the entire weapon would be applied in hammer strikes with pommel and spine, and even the flats and handle reinforced fist punches, scattering appalling mess hither and thither. The karda, kauda, kaudi, kaura, or cho ( a,k,a. notchy thingy) predates beer bottles and cans , so that's a wash-out. The 'sight for aiming it when you throw one' belongs in the realms of fluffy rainbows and unicorns. There are possibles in the realms of utility where a role as striker with steel or flint might be viable ( although many Kukhuri came with the Karda and Chakmak). It may also have been useful for 'shredding' kindling into more feathered form for ease in firestarting... However , all things considered the clever money is on a spiritual/religious origin where it may represent the trident of shiva, or the fertility blessing from representing the Goddesses gentials, or a sacred cows hoof, or even the spired stupa of a temple. The 'must draw blood' myth is nonsense , and was reportedly first heard during WW1. The Kukhuri is the most common tool in Nepal. If it had to draw blood with every exposure Nepal would have been wiped out by desanguination and septicaemia long before now. It has only gained real popularity in more recent years where even younger Nepali/Gurkhas will insist it is true. Great video ... Loved its uncompromising sense...
@scholagladiatoria
7 жыл бұрын
Thanks and I totally agree!
@kranjcalan
7 жыл бұрын
DustyPilgrim1 In modern knives you can some times find similar notch. Its purpose is to easy sharpening. I think that it is started the same way with kukri. Possibly later they added a small post on the middle to give it religious purpose as well.
@Feldscher1039
7 жыл бұрын
If the western purpose is easy sharpening, why do knives that are constantly used and resharpened, like butcher knive sets, without that notch?
@kranjcalan
7 жыл бұрын
Butcher knives are sharpen till the end of blade and then there is a step that goes in to handel. Please don't argue with me why is this noch on moderen knives, because this is astablished fact. I Just propose an idea that simelar thing is possible for kukri
@nups968
6 жыл бұрын
DustyPilgrim1 n
@SirKaldar
7 жыл бұрын
A blacksmith I spoke too said that he thought it was there as a stress relief point. He said that if you were to deferentially harden a blade with a curve like that then it might tend to crack or warp when it is quenched. But with a cutout near the end of the hardest part, it can flex during the quench and be less likely to crack or warp.
@DannoCrutch
7 жыл бұрын
My dad served with Gurkhas in WWII, who told him that it was related to Shiva. I think the Trident, Shiva's weapon. the negative space (where there is no metal) does resemble the negative space of the trident if you look between the outer tines. Hard to verify, but makes more sense than any other explanation I've encountered.
@waraidako
7 жыл бұрын
It was added as a conversation starter. Random Person: _"Hey, what's that weird notch in your knife used for?"_ Gurkha: _"Make yourself comfortable friend, we're going to be here for a while."_
@nmarbletoe8210
4 жыл бұрын
-- pops a bottle with the notch -- have a beer
@onmilo
7 жыл бұрын
From a metallurgical standpoint, the notch could have been added to relieve stress and metal fatigue at the point in the blade and to reduce handle vibration during impacts.
@kranjcalan
7 жыл бұрын
In modern knives you can some times find similar notch. Its purpose is to easy sharpening. I think that it is started the same way with kukri. Possibly later they added a small post on the middle to give it religious purpose as well.
@thedudemeisteragain
7 жыл бұрын
That notch is the only way to block the superior godly katana :P
@Ascaron1337
7 жыл бұрын
hah good one! ;)
@Evirthewarrior
7 жыл бұрын
It is the best way to disarm katana users, catching the blade in the notch, then twisting it out of their hand.
@MarkS806
7 жыл бұрын
Personally I prefer the Suzuki style.
@vodkatoxin6914
7 жыл бұрын
Dennis Bauer nigga kilijs are way better
@nishankhadka9807
7 жыл бұрын
Have you tried it :P
@OakInch
7 жыл бұрын
It is for tying sashes/cordage to the blade. It is for make shift grip stops/identification of the user.
@shellymcmurrie
7 жыл бұрын
I just had a thought about this and here's what it was! That notch might help to divert forces along the blade into the thick spine and away from the hand - as a means of protecting the hand from hard shocks such as when chopping tough materials, and protecting the blade (not just the edge but the whole blade) by channeling striking forces along to the thick spine of the weapon. (Currently watching Alec Steele making a huge kukri and the thought popped into my head.) Think how differently the same kukri might feel if you struck something with it prior to the notch being put in, then were able to once the notch had been put in. The metal would transmit the vibrations of the impact along it differently in each case - maybe not a whole lot differently, but a perceptible difference. The technique was developed before computers could model the stresses involved and before modern metallurgy, so it might have been an easy way to make the kukri predictable?
@MickeyCuervo36
7 жыл бұрын
There are similar notches on some bowie knives, called a "Spanish Notch." What it actually has to do with Spain, I don't know. They say it's used to strip and split sinew for sewing and repairs, and to aid in tying lines and repairing nets. It also acts as a sharpening guide, showing where to start. As far as the Kukri goes, the little notch looks like a cow's hoofprint. Cows are a big deal in Nepal and India.
@MichaelJenkins910
7 жыл бұрын
I've noticed that martial arts nerds are pretty reluctant to assign symbolic origins or fashion to some aspects of weapons design. I am also a fan of the vestigial feature theory: once upon a time a similar feature had a practical purpose, and the current manifestation is an echo of that.
@kynaston1474
7 жыл бұрын
I've always wondered if it wasn't an arrow straightener or something from back in the day that just got stylized over time.
@ummonk
7 жыл бұрын
There seems to be this assumption (perhaps as a backlash to ridiculous fantasy weapons) that all historical weapons development was practical and there was nothing done for aesthetic or tacticool reasons. I think that assumption is ridiculous on its face, since it implies that historical people were MORE rational than modern people are when they design modern weaponry.
@kynaston1474
7 жыл бұрын
Equationist I would say in a lot of regards they were more likely to include aesthetic design choices if for no other reason than boredom.
@polymathicperturbations1476
6 жыл бұрын
I believe the notch was used to split a specific reed/bark they used in primitive skills such as house making, weaving, cord making, and the likes. With the advent of modern houses, it has been just enough generations for them to forget what it was for. But I am betting it's specialized and no longer used...
@Slash-XVI
7 жыл бұрын
I can only imagine some blacksmith sitting in his workshop, starring at the recently formed blade, deeply in thought: "I have finished this new Blade, but somehow it seems to be missing something." He spends days wondering what he could possibly add to the blade in order to make it feel more unique, make it memorable, but each idea he has was either done before or would be entirely impractical. He askes a friend for advice and he says "if you want to make the blade more unique, instead of adding something you could take something away.". The smith likes that idea, takes his tools and formes a small notch just at the bottom of the blade, as he did not want to impact its functionality. His blade becomes famous and others start to copy it, but instead of just duplicating the general blade shape, they also start to copy that notch. Unbeknownst to him, the smith had created a new tradition, as well as headache for future historians.
@IISocratesII
7 жыл бұрын
Or he went "know what would be funny, if i gave this blade a camel toe hehehe"
@sparrowhawk81
7 жыл бұрын
Notch!..huhhh! Good god, yawl? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing....
@scholagladiatoria
7 жыл бұрын
Hahahaha
@harjutapa
7 жыл бұрын
You win everything. Congratulations.
@johnrobie9694
7 жыл бұрын
Say it again!
@Glimmlampe1982
7 жыл бұрын
@scholagladiatoria on the german wikipedia i found an interesting idea (in the talk part, in the real artikle there is the common BS about blood stopping. blocking, etc): the notch is there to stop microfractures! the notch is at the base of the blade where it is not only very slim, but where also the greatest strain is and it has a very thin and sharp edge, the ideal conditions for microfractures. by filing a notch down to where the blade is a few milimeters thick, you reduce the chance of a fracture happening. the same principle can be applied if you need to stop a microfracture. you drill in a small hole at the tip of the fracture, thus distributing the force over the surface of the hole.
@rogerdee.926
2 жыл бұрын
There's a few comments like this about the notch serving a structural integrity purpose and those fractures would have been observed in earlier types, the protrusion in the midst of the notch may give strength to the notch at its weakest place.
@quadraticsplat
7 жыл бұрын
It may be there to stop the blade from cracking when used as an axe. The notch is near the point of highest bend force if you used it as an axe, and the arc shape would allow the blade to bend and spring back without cracking. Engineers put these kinds of notches in long ships at the point with the most bending strain in heavy seas. I think the Titanic and Olympia had these notches 1/2 way down the length of the ship.
@billmelater6470
Ай бұрын
But if that were true, any other blade design that doesn't have it (and they don't) would have a history of breaking and cracking. None of them do though.
@Knight_Astolfo
7 жыл бұрын
Seems like a good place to wrap it with a lanyard for being able to quickly drop it while working. They were used for bushcraft, too, no?
@brashmane2749
7 жыл бұрын
Aye, that's most definately what I'd use it for. Having a strap tied to your weapon is something warriors in many different cultures over many different time periods have done.
@frequencydecline5250
7 жыл бұрын
Except, why just the kukri? And there are no pictures of them being tied and worn or handled that way the notch sits inside the sheath so you'd have to tie a cord to it every single time you took it out not all the notches are the same you could tie a cord to it there anyway and it wouldn't go anywhere and having a lanyard or cord with it seems to be only a modern "tactile" thing you find when buying them from nontraditional sources.
@Pueo711
7 жыл бұрын
It would probably be easier for a Kami to forge or braze a bail or shackle to the end of the butt cap; a lanyard cord wrapped around the cho might interfere with both sheathing and unsheathing the khukri.
@Knight_Astolfo
7 жыл бұрын
Depends on the shape and materials of your sheath. And the thickness of your chosen cordage. And whether or not tradition matters to you. I certainly like tactile things, but not tactical. =D Why just the kukri? I have had many occasions where I need to quickly drop my Bowie and grab something for one reason or another. So I drilled a hole near the guard and ran some cord through it. Now I have a loop in a very similar spot to that notch. The loop basically puts the knife back in my hand automatically and in the proper alignment. This means that I can shear a branch, drop the knife and grab the branch before it falls (or whatever I'm doing) move it away and quickly shear another. But I haven't done the same thing with my machete, axe, or spear.... because those aren't being used in the same capacity. That would be my thinking.
@Pueo711
7 жыл бұрын
Which brings up an interesting question: why weren't lanyards (traditionally) used on the khukri? As far as I know, there are no depictions of a lanyard (or sword knot on a kora or pattah - the recurved sword, not the gauntlet sword) being employed on a tool that was likely used as a bush/camp knife as much if not more than as a weapon. As I wrote earlier, it would have been fairly straight-forward for the Kami (or whoever forged the butt cap) to add a small metal loop for a lanyard. Modern khukri are often made with a lanyard hole drilled through or molded into the grip; most large camp knives, including machetes have some provision for attaching a lanyard, hell, even some hatchets have a lanyard hole, but not traditional (modern made) and/or antique specimens.
@varunrai3325
4 жыл бұрын
Its just a guess but I think maybe it helps in locking it with the scabbard because of the shape of khukuri. The shape of the Khukuri does not allow it have a good fit in the scabbard, it feels loose, we often push the handle or give it a little tilt on casing that holds the sharp side. After that tilt, it fits good. So maybe that notch helps in locking it in a way. It's just a rough guess.
@VTPSTTU
7 жыл бұрын
I like the explanation of something that once had a purpose but the purpose was lost in time.
@The1Helleri
7 жыл бұрын
Few used ones that I've owned have come with bi-knives or a 100% intact scabbard. A lot of them have come to me as just the knife. So I just keep them under my belt and that notch catches the lip of the belt, preventing the knife from shifting around on it's own. Not saying that's it's use. Just what I have found it to be useful for.
@Scott-qq9jd
7 жыл бұрын
I doubt the blood hypothesis, but I do think it could serve as a sap drip. When chopping into a sap filled tree it would eliminate or at least reduce the amount of sap that makes it from the blade to the handle.
@jumper0034
7 жыл бұрын
A few websites say the notch is for sharpening the 2 smaller knives that used to come with the kukri, carried within the scabbard.
@damagejackal10
7 жыл бұрын
I was told it was a symbol of a cow hoof, for good luck. Then it became popular to imprint them on Kukri's so that everyone started doing it, and it became an iconic part of the Kukri.
@dudedebal6505
6 жыл бұрын
I fully agree with the notch having a connection with Shiva, the Destroyer. Even though it can't be proven irrefutably, I believe it may be symbolic of Shiva's trident. For me personally it just makes the most sense, but it not knowing the true reason makes kukri's even more awesome!
@balisticsquirel
7 жыл бұрын
I have a very bland, pragmatic, utilitarian, suggestion for the double notch. Keep in mind the following : (1) You need a notch there as a place for the finger to fall into should the ridge on the grip fail to stop the hand sliding forward. (2) A notch like this is common on knives as a place to sharpen up to (The sharpening stone can hang over the notch, cover the entire sharpened edge, and not have to jam itself into a corner where the edge would otherwise end). (3) This of all swords was a tool also. (So it would have been sharpened and lost material from the edge a lot.) So. With a receding edge as the tool aged, the notch would disappear and become more ledge like, providing nothing for the finger to stop against should it slide further than this region. The simplest solution is to add such a stop, so that when the one gets sharpened away naturally there's still that one there to catch the finger.
@lancerd4934
7 жыл бұрын
maybe it's to give some tactile feedback that your finger is getting close to the edge since there's no guard. maybe it's stylised file marks that were originally from testing the temper. maybe it's a makers mark widely imitated, the equivalent of ULFBERT or Andrea Ferrara the possibilities are endless, and it's fun trying to think up new ones
@SingleMaltSmash
7 жыл бұрын
if I were researching this, I'd contact and meet as many smiths in Nepal as possible, especially the older ones, and ask them why they continue to add that, smiths rarely do something for no reason for so long, requires extra effort.
@MixedMartialHelp
7 жыл бұрын
I think it's equally likely that someone just started doing it and other people copied them.
@MisterKisk
7 жыл бұрын
You can see it in fashion, so why not with weapons? King or some big important person starts wearing something new and odd, everyone else wants it too so they copy him.
@MarkS806
7 жыл бұрын
100% agree, I'm sure some famous blacksmith started doing it so others probably started imitating his "signature" mark so they could sell them for more. The fashion thing Kisk79 mentioned sounds possible too.
@ummonk
7 жыл бұрын
Exactly.
@shobhitshakya4620
7 жыл бұрын
The flag of Nepal and the 'Moon' in the upper triangle of the flag might have the answer. The Gorkha kings or the Shah dynasty are supposed to be lunar dynasty. Khukuri (kukri) was made a standard military weapon by the Gorkha army which continued into the British-Gurkha. Later may be the design stuck and with later blacksmith not knowing what the notch was for started making different styles of notch.
@TimmyB1867
7 жыл бұрын
some time ago, I watched something about Gurkha filing that into their kukri themselves. For the life of me I can not recall even what it was I was watching, but this video brought that to mind. What I can remember from the fuzzy depths of my skull, was that it was something to do with dedicating it to service as a weapon, so that would go along with your assumption it was a religious thing. Oh well, whatever it is, the small men with the big knives are still pretty badass.
@DaaaahWhoosh
7 жыл бұрын
Maybe it has something to do with sheathing the weapon? Like you put it in the sheath, and then there's something that fits into that groove to lock it in? I guess there should be extant sheaths that have that functionality, but I for one think it'd be nice to have something with which to secure your knife when transporting it, so it wouldn't fall out and hurt someone.
@TheBaconWizard
7 жыл бұрын
If this were an entirely modern invention I would be pretty certain that it's part of a catch to hold it in the scabbard.
@robertwyckoff1421
7 жыл бұрын
interior of the Scabbard for the kukri there's a corresponding protrusion that fits into the notches on the blade to prevent it from being drawn the falling out of the sky Scabbard when the handle is shifted forward.
@daanwilmer
7 жыл бұрын
It's for stirring up debate!
@clydebennish2106
8 ай бұрын
Perhaps the slot serves as a defensive blade deflector much like a sword guard. if one uses the kukri blade to parry, the slot may catch the edge of the attacking blade before it ruins your last manicure. The hump slows the attacking blade and the notch catches it. Or because the kukri blade is curved inward, any material that may ride up the blade towards the hand, such as might happen when using the kukri to chop branches for fire wood, chop up animals for food or some other job, the notch might again act as a guard. im not convinced its a religous symbol or that it has some specialized purpose such as cracking open certain nuts or opening bottles of beer. It might just be a stripping tool to create fibers from plant material for rope. those are my best guesses. Back about the time the kukri came about rope making was a skill most people needed to acquire.
@vishmonster
7 жыл бұрын
I always thought it was a bottle opener?
@brottarnacke
7 жыл бұрын
Haven't watched this video yet, but I saw the last one on the topic. For me it's the same as with the Spanish notch. I don't bother with the original historic reason for them. I just like how they look esthetically + I know several things they CAN be used for if you make them correctly. That's why I put them on some of the knives I make.
@WurdBendur
7 жыл бұрын
That notch is for tying it onto your backpack. That's what allows you to carry one of every kind of weapon and three sets of armor into battle.
@DelaniDr
7 жыл бұрын
In a bind the notch might prevent other blades from slipping onto the wielder's hand.
@AndrewEsh
7 жыл бұрын
Maybe the notch rides against the top edge of the scabbard to keep the knife from sliding out even when the scabbard is turned upside down, or if the knife gets caught in the underbrush. It would be difficult to draw, but also difficult to lose.
@kyleprosser5600
5 жыл бұрын
I knew a few Gurkhas, and they all seemed to agree that it was a blood groove. Apparently they were/ are used for butchering small animals (goats). I also thought they wouldn’t fully stop blood from getting on the hand, and they probably wouldn’t (in a knife fight with a human). But i can see how it would work for butchering bc its more controlled and you can hold the blade in such a manner that you hand does not get bloody.
@jarodmasci3445
Жыл бұрын
As a collector of Sudanese kaskara, I often see makers marks on the blade (some real, some forgeries) of the crescent moons. It could be that a maker of good quality kukris used this as a makers mark and others copied it (the Wilkinson star is another example of this) with variations occurring as a result. OR, the entire kukri shape is meant to resemble a flintlock pistol, with the cho being the trigger.
@siddharth2207
4 жыл бұрын
So can we say... The notch is there for either of the three reasons (or may be all three): Symbolic 1. Symbol for Mahakaal(Shiva) Practical 2. Guide for finger to know, that sharp part is just around the corner while thrusting. 3. To catch/stop opponents blade in a blade vs. blade fight. The third reason seems more legit to me, since Kukri do not have such a gaurd on the handle. That may also be the reason, why such a notch is not present on other weapons from the region as swards(which one would use usually for blade vs blade fight) generally have a hand gaurd on the handle.
@effeojnedib7208
2 жыл бұрын
Reading a book on history of edged weapons in warfare. The Kukri is the first chapter. Mostly talks about the Gurkhas. This author says the double notch represents the the sun and moon, which has something to do with the religious beliefs. It also represents a womans reproductive organ, so it stands for vitality. It also said it was for blocking or capturing the opponents edged weapon to control the direction of the opponents strike. The truth is probably a combination of all, and more, including other possible reasons I read on here.
@justicar5
7 жыл бұрын
only thing I can thing of, it helps to stop your fingers slipping up the blade, with no guard that seems a possibility, you can also use it to choke up a little on the blade, whether either is the prime purpose or just a happy coincidence I admit to having no idea.
@dalepid9837
7 жыл бұрын
it may sound rubbish but that notch is made to stop blood running down to the grip.
@Xanatos712
7 жыл бұрын
Could it be used for striking firesteel to produce a spark? Kukris are quite popular survival tools, so it makes sense.
@skaboodlydoodle
7 жыл бұрын
I'd guess it's probably something utilitarian than symbolic. There's already plenty of patterning and symbology on a lot of kukris. If they wanted to add more symbols, why wouldn't they just put the "kukri" symbol as an etching along with the others? The fact that it's on almost ALL kukris (both decorative and plain) and like you said, not on other Nepalese swords makes me believe that it served a function unique to the kukri. I also see a lot of variations of the notch as well. Some are more flared and some are more pincer-like. Some of the needles are blunt, some are sharp, some are broad, some are narrow, and some are ornate, and some are plain. My GUESS, and you're far closer to an expert than I am, is that it was some kind of tool, perhaps for crimping or cutting metal. It has an almost "Can-opener" look to it, and it's not implausible to think that this was a historical "Utility knife". Lord knows theres dozens of multi-purpose knives throughout histoy.
@TheOhgodineedaname
7 жыл бұрын
I found it surprising to read folks with Kukri's went up against folks with swords and bayonets and won.
@thiagodunadan
7 жыл бұрын
It's funny how some people just can't accept we don't know some things.
@lancerd4934
7 жыл бұрын
rectifying not knowing things is how we advance as a species
@siestatime4638
7 жыл бұрын
Careful, Matt, you're getting awfully close to the "It's not a blood groove" heresy...
@strategicbushcraft6391
7 жыл бұрын
How about for starting a fire with flint and steel? That is what I would use it for, that way your not blunting/damaging the edge when you start a fire. You would probably want to try it out to see if it works.
@user-fz5jc6xt1c
5 ай бұрын
The reason people don't actually know of the use of the "cho", is simply because they don't use it in every day tusks. Bushcraft knives don't have hand guards for utility reasons. If the knife is also used for thrusting, you many times need a guard. One could be put on and off easily with a tight cord on the spot and the notch would keep it in place.
@jamphelmutaka3389
7 жыл бұрын
you will always get these 2 smaller knives with a genuine khukuri.....they're tools that are used to sharpen the edge of the khukuri...however sometimes even these tools need a little sharpening of their own......you do that by running those tools between the notches....all in one maintenance package.
@wojtekimbier
7 жыл бұрын
I don't remember the story exactly, but when some archaeologists found knives that were placed just below the huts' roofs, they announced it had a religious purpose, while it was just so that the kids don't grap sharp things and cut themselves. Probably read it or reddit (pun intended)
@Regolith86
7 жыл бұрын
It's a pretty longstanding joke that archeologists use "religious purposes" as a catch-all explanation for anything they don't understand.
@charliebowen5790
7 жыл бұрын
hey matt.. there's an old Nepalese woman on my street and she has kukuri hanging in her house.. when I asked her she said yes its religious but traditionally the notch would be held downwards like a draw knife and used to debark wood and scrap ice blocks for drinking water up in the mountains.. don't know if she's correct but thought I'd add it in
@MrKaidman
4 жыл бұрын
It is for the blood, when you cut it runs along the edge, down handle, how effective it is cam be discussed but that is the purpose of the notch. I lived 2 years in Nepal i got this answer everytime i asked. There are even.some info written about it in books
@e.zponder7526
7 жыл бұрын
Its purpose is misdirection. As your opponent wonders what the fuck the notch is for, you quickly cut him down.
@toniedwards422
4 жыл бұрын
I beleive it is a releif cut from the hardened steel blade and the softer spine to reduce shock or cracking from hiting or chopping more blunt objects. Just my opinion
@nydabeats
7 жыл бұрын
to me it looks like a place to tie a thin rope that ties to your wrist so you don't drop the kukri in battle... and that would also support why its blunt and that bit in the middle would stop the rope from wriggling up or down the notch...
@daveyburgess
6 жыл бұрын
It is indeed a "sight" for aiming, but not an optical sight! When one holds a modern hammer, the handle is oval which gives the hand an indication of where the flat of the head is. The Kukri was designed for efficient killing and so the notch evolved, with it's middle blunt spike, as a place to rest the index finger. The thumb lies naturally on the spine of the blade, and the remaining fingers wrap around the handle, forcing it into the palm. You could, in effect, rock the blade using just the forefinger and the thumb and achieve an almost perfect angle on the blade. With this method, the wielder of the blade can accurately land the cutting edge, multiple times if needed, on the exact same spot, since the index finger is "sensing" the angle of the blade. This ensures that, in the case that the first hit was not fatal, the second hit would finish the job. In the video where you compared 3 different Kukri, you were hacking at a piece of wood. Try that exercise again with your index finger in the "notch" and I believe you will find that you strike almost exactly the same place with each hit, instead of the hits an inch or more apart that you recorded! This is similar to the gunslinger practise of firing "from the hip", where aim is taken using the index finger, and not lining up the gun with the eye. Many "accurate" gun classes teach placing the index finger along the line of the gun, and using the middle finger on the trigger. Before you ask, I came about this knowledge while watching an old-timer blacksmith shoeing a horse. He had driven a nail into the underside of the haft, with a point on the end of it, so he could accurately land each blow exactly how he needed it! The nail was exactly where his index finger would lie when grasping the hammer.
@jeffslade1892
6 жыл бұрын
There are pictures of Gurkas wielding the kukri in action and training with the forefinger on that notch to align the blade with the hand. It is probably there for feel so the finger is not placed onto the sharp blade. Its shape may be symbolic or traditional but its presence is probably as part of the grip. A hammer is held like this but the thumb never lies directly along the top as it is a good way of breaking your thumb, nor is the grip on a hammer clenched tight as this is very tiring to use; let the hammer do the work, the hand guides it.
@TheSquidPro
7 жыл бұрын
Maybe if you don't have a sheath for whatever reason the notch helps it snag onto your sash or belt and keep it in place?
@badnewsBH
7 жыл бұрын
I'm pretty sure the notch was added to assist the wielder in deflecting thrown pommels.
@danielchalmers9815
7 жыл бұрын
Perhaps it's to aid in the prevention of water running down the blade edge when it's sheathed.
@JimFortune
7 жыл бұрын
First rule of archaeology: "If you don't know what it is, it's religious."
@Gnarlf
7 жыл бұрын
Plottwist: The Kukri is the Swiss Army Knife of its time and the notch is just a can opener for camping. :))
@Ac3sdg
2 жыл бұрын
I figure it would work very well for opening beer bottles!
@VaanG0v
7 жыл бұрын
It's obviously used for tying a leather cord too. The other end goes around your wrist so you wont lose your Kukri. Why are people even bothering debating this?
@pbliable
7 жыл бұрын
you wouldnt want that to happen though, youd rather lose the blade than your whole hand if they force your blade in some way ...right??
@jordanadams6126
4 жыл бұрын
I think why those are there is because the weight of the blade while you're swinging is a easy slip out of the hands so I think people used to wrap rope around those two notches and back around the other side how's the handle so it doesn't slip and fall out of their hands
@ashishxoxo
6 жыл бұрын
A Nepalese king in the very past in HISTORY...while chopping enemies like wood...his hand was covered and jammed in the handle by dried enemy blood... Hence he had to come down to a river ..near Sikkim and wash the stickiness.. From then on he devised an engineering feat.. Get that hinge as a symbol maybe but mostly to get rid of the unwanted blood.. He obviously wanted his hands clean after all
@illmade2
7 жыл бұрын
My guess would be that other weapons don't have them because they are "weapons" while the kukri was also a tool and personal weapon.
@srjohndeans5508
7 жыл бұрын
Blood runs down the blade hits the sweet spot and drips away.
@MexieMex
7 жыл бұрын
I was told it is to represent a Garuda (rather than Shiva), no idea of the accuracy of that, but considering the shape, it's possible.
@zenhydra
7 жыл бұрын
I've considered the kukri notch to most likely have started as a maker's mark from the original designer which just got copied by emulators, and is now considered part of the traditional design.
@Evirthewarrior
7 жыл бұрын
Opening paint cans, clearly.
@Dave_0993_I
Жыл бұрын
I know nothing about the Nepal's culture, but, functionally, this is a choil notch.
@counterstructure4908
7 жыл бұрын
My guess would be it is for a rope/string to have a loop to put your hand through (like wii mote). Otherwise maybe a smiths signature that got widely adopted.
@48mastadon
7 жыл бұрын
The notch is a primitive form of planned obsolescence. The notch weakens the blade, causing it to break easily and making the dismayed owner buy a new one. Brilliant !!!
@RealLuckless
7 жыл бұрын
At this point I'm going to go with it being one of two theories: 1. There was some minor miscommunication along the way early on when someone ordered a bunch made, the symbol got added, and everyone just rolled with it and copied it. 2. It was deliberately added as a joke ornamentation to the blade to make outsiders ask questions.
@Toxked
7 жыл бұрын
My thoughts say it is to catch a blade if it slid down to the handle. there is no hand guard. It may have doubled as a symbol.
@calvinabbott6920
4 жыл бұрын
They will not tell you is all, it is used to control the blade of an opponent in a fight, get it on another weapon and give it a twist to disarm your opponent.
@kalasknatte
7 жыл бұрын
My first thought was that it could act as a sort of anchor point for wrapping cloth around the blade. This would make sense in the way that the cloth would stop much of the blood running down onto the wielder's hand. I don't know much about Nepalese culture, but maybe the cloth could represent allegience and or religious purposes as well? Just brainfarting here.
@giacomomelera3179
7 жыл бұрын
Maybe they used to have a little rope there to put your hand in so that you don't lose it in combat?
@yesacwerdna
7 жыл бұрын
God damn it, this is like the fifth time I've seen this video over the years. And every time I watch it anyway, asking if Matt finally found out what its for.
@holymaryfullofshit3790
7 жыл бұрын
its for cracking nuts or to hold extra pommels so you have something to throw.
@johnnymcmurray3305
3 жыл бұрын
My guess would be tradition to the point of not remembering why lol making the grooves in arrows for the feathers to sit in would be what I would use it for as it is perfect for it
@gobertech
7 жыл бұрын
My guess is that the notch serves as a collection/drop point for sap and the like so that it doesn't pollute the handle and get your hands all sticky
@gobertech
7 жыл бұрын
also the second point created might be useful for whittling idk
@hadrianbuiltawall9531
7 жыл бұрын
While it might not make sense on a weapon, it probably does make sense on a tool which is what the kukri also is.
@Mike_of_the_Sonora
7 жыл бұрын
Like i said last time i still do think its a catch ( not for cutting or poking ) but a catch for a sheath or perhaps a ribbon or something decorative
@TheSharkysharksta
7 жыл бұрын
@scholagadiatoria I think its so you know the blade is coming next if your hand slips forward, so you don't cut yourself.
@intergalacticimperialist9670
7 жыл бұрын
not gonna let this one go, are you Matt? lol
@Leery_Bard
7 жыл бұрын
About other weapons not having the same symbol on them: as far as I know, also in our culture, usually halberds tend to have crosses pierced into them, and yet not many other weapons do. Well, some swords do have a cross engraved or etched somewhere on the hilt, but it's quite different, I'd say. Also, I'm not aware of many other types of western weapons generally having crosses on them. Still, I might be wrong, because my knowledge of antiques isn't really that great.
@Zmego1234
7 жыл бұрын
Maybe it had to do with wrist locks or even dis arming ones opponent.
@aesidius2293
7 жыл бұрын
I'm pretty sure it's some sort of ancient bottle opener. It's like finding an anciet swiss army knife.
@giveussomevodka
7 жыл бұрын
Pretty sure you put thread there or something to hang it, or to pull it out of a scabbard? The shape is good to attach a thread without any knot, in a way that I can't explain in english, I haven't the dictionary for it. But yeah, has to be that, because everything else is stupid and doesn't make sense.
@thumper8684
7 жыл бұрын
I expect you mean a hitch.
@InfernosReaper
7 жыл бұрын
it would be perfect for holding a strap so if you get disarmed, it's not going far
@jehovahuponyou
4 жыл бұрын
IT IS A SIGHT - ONE WHICH IS USED TO AIM AT WHICH PART OF THE ENEMY YOU WOULD SLICE OFF!
@boxy2k8
7 жыл бұрын
It's worth pointing out that some people do things just because. Like a meme being shared until pretty much everyone gets it, even though none know the origin after a while. Perhaps a few Nepalese simply did this because they thought it looked cool and it caught on. Alternatively, like people carving weird stuff into cliff faces or alien heads into corn fields, maybe it was a joke intended to have people in the future scratching their heads. Both are possible. Some things don't need to have a practical or cultural origin, but it remains, we really have no idea what that damn notch is about.
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