Hand-Forged Survival Kukri/Khukuri, Configurable Build

A Hand-Forged Survival Kukri/Khukuri, Built the Way You Want It

Choose the blade finish, the handle, the fittings, the scabbard colour and whether to add the karda and chakmak — then we forge that exact khukuri. Every selection updates the preview on screen. There are 1,080 possible builds, each one a piece our smiths make routinely, and you can add a display stand.

Underneath every combination is the same working blade: 12 inches of hand-forged 5160 spring steel with the deep inward curve of the kukri/khukuri, the cho notch at the base, and a full tang running through a six-inch grip behind a metal bolster. It is built for the outdoors — clearing, chopping, splitting kindling and camp work — in the pattern the Gurkhas carried through the jungles of Burma and Malaya.

Your Six Choices

Blade length and construction are fixed on this pattern. For anything outside these options, use our custom forge service.

What Makes This a Survival Khukuri?

Length and weight. A service kukri/khukuri runs around eleven inches; this one is twelve, with more steel through the belly, which is where a khukuri does its cutting. That extra mass turns it from a general-purpose knife into a blade that will limb a sapling, split kindling and clear a path without you swinging twice. The deep inward curve means the edge meets wood at an angle, so the blade bites instead of glancing.

The handle is a full tang behind a metal bolster, and the grip is six inches — long enough to choke back for chopping or forward for control. Every blade carries the cho, the notch at the base of the edge, which is the mark of a genuine Nepali khukuri. Our kukri/khukuri terminology guide covers the rest of the vocabulary.

Which Blade Finish Suits a Survival Khukuri?

Handle and Fittings

Rosewood is our standard: dense, stable and sure in the wet. Whitewood is the pale timber and gives the strongest contrast against a dark blade. Buffalo horn is glossy black and takes a deep polish, though it is the least forgiving of very dry heated rooms. The three two-material grips — rosewood + whitewood, rosewood + horn and whitewood + horn — pair contrasting sections along the handle; because two materials wear at slightly different rates, the softer section shows handling marks first on a hard-worked khukuri.

The fittings are the bolster where the blade meets the grip and the metal at the butt. Silver-tone is a bright white metal that stays bright longest and is the traditional choice on a working khukuri; brass is warm gold and the classic partner for rosewood; copper is warmer and redder and darkens fastest.

Scabbard, Karda and Chakmak

Every scabbard is a traditional dap: a carved wooden core shaped to the blade, wrapped in leather, with a belt loop. Black and brown hide field dirt best; red, blue and green make a statement; white is the most striking and shows wear soonest.

Choose Yes for the karda and chakmak and the two companion pieces ride in pockets on the back of the scabbard. The karda is a small utility knife for the fine work a twelve-inch blade is too large for, such as carving, skinning and food preparation. The chakmak is a blunt, hardened steel for burnishing and straightening the edge in the field. Choose No for a lighter, simpler carry.

Why This Khukuri Works

Standard Build Specification

Blade, handle and overall length are fixed on this pattern and do not change with your selections. Weight varies slightly with handle material and with the karda and chakmak. Because every piece is hand-forged, small variation in weight, dimensions, grain and finish is normal.

An Honest Note on This Khukuri

An honest note. Three things worth saying plainly. First, the notch at the base of the edge is the cho, and it is not a blood groove or a blood dropper, whatever you may read elsewhere. It keeps sap and moisture off the grip, marks where sharpening stops, and carries a traditional meaning as the sign of the forge. Second, this is a heavy blade for its length, which is what makes it chop and also what you will feel after an hour of clearing; for a lighter khukuri to carry all day, our configurable sirupate is the slim, fast pattern. Third, the silver-tone fittings are a bright white metal, not sterling silver, and 5160 is not stainless, so keep the blade lightly oiled and out of a damp scabbard.

How Your Order Is Made

Caring for Your Kukri/Khukuri

Wipe the blade dry after use and keep a light film of oil on the steel in storage. Do not leave the khukuri in its scabbard for long periods, because the leather and wooden core hold moisture against the steel. When you sheathe it, put the khukuri in first and the karda and chakmak in last; a full pocket pressing on the scabbard can make the khukuri tight to draw. If the dap feels tight over time, wood shavings cut from the core by the edge are the usual cause, and tipping the scabbard out clears them. Our kukri/khukuri maintenance guide covers sharpening and storage in more detail.

Shipping, Returns and Warranty

Every piece is prepared at the forge in seven to ten days, and shipping adds a further seven to ten days. Orders to the USA and Canada travel with FedEx; everywhere else ships on a DDP service, which means duties and taxes are settled before the parcel moves so there is nothing to pay on delivery. Every piece carries the Everest Forge manufacturer warranty against defects in forging and heat treatment. Because a configured khukuri is made to your specification, it falls outside our standard returns window except where the blade is faulty — full terms are on our shipping and returns page. Import rules on edged blades vary by country and are the buyer's responsibility to check before ordering.

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Questions About the Survival Kukri/Khukuri