Kukri (Khukuri) in WWI and WWII: MK I, MK II and MK III Patterns Explained

How to Tell the British Military Kukri (Khukuri) Patterns Apart

The kukri (khukuri) Gurkha soldiers carried in the First and Second World Wars came in a small number of official military patterns, which collectors call the MK I, MK II and MK III. The MK I (about 1903 to 1915) has a long blade and a rat-tail tang running through a walnut grip to a nut at the butt. The MK II (from about 1915, still made in 1944) has a full tang in a wooden grip held by two rivets, with a steel bolster and butt cap. The MK III (from about 1943) drops the separate bolster, has larger rivets and a more angular, knife-like blade. This guide shows how to tell them apart, where to find the maker's and date stamps, and which makers produced them.

For the battles, regiments and the wider story of the Gurkha kukri (khukuri) in service, read our hub post The Kukri in Service: A Gurkha Military History. This post is the identification guide that sits beside it.

Sizes and weights are typical recorded examples, not official specifications. Issue pieces vary by maker, contract and year.

Why the Kukri (Khukuri) Got Official Patterns

For most of the 19th century, Gurkha soldiers in the British Indian Army carried kukris (khukuris) made in the traditional way by Nepali smiths, with a hidden partial tang and no standard size. As the Gurkha regiments grew, the army wanted a kukri it could order in quantity, inspect and replace like any other item of kit.

The answer was the "official standard pattern" kukri: a set design, made in Indian arsenals and by contracted workshops, and checked by army inspectors. Collectors number these patterns MK I, MK II and so on, after the British "Mark" system. In the 20th century there were around five numbered official patterns in all, including post-war designs. The three below are the ones carried in the two world wars.

One honest note on names: the "MK" labels are collectors' shorthand, and not every name appears on the blades. The MK III label in particular is debated. Some researchers point out that a "Mk.3" on Wilkinson Sword drawings was an internal drawing number, not an army pattern, while dealers and collectors use MK III for the angular WWII design described here. If you buy an original, go by the construction and the stamps, not the label in a listing.

The MK I Kukri (Khukuri): About 1903 to 1915

The MK I is the first official military kukri. It was in production by 1903 and carried into the opening battles of the First World War, at Neuve Chapelle and Loos in 1915, before the MK II replaced it.

• The tang is the giveaway. Instead of a hidden partial tang, a rat-tail tang runs the whole length of the walnut grip and is held by a nut recessed into the butt, much like the fitting on a rifle stock.
• A long blade. Typically 13.25 to 14 inches, and heavy for its size, at around 24 to 33 ounces on examined pieces. Some of the 1915 pieces are noticeably heavy and blade-forward in the hand.
• A rarer variant. A few lighter, longer-handled MK I kukris exist, usually unmarked. They may be private or regimental purchases rather than standard issue.
• Markings. Many MK Is carry no maker's mark at all. Some 1915 pieces are stamped "CO." for the Cossipore arsenal, and inspection marks such as FW (Fort William), QA (Quetta) and RP (Rawalpindi) appear on the spine. Civilian workshops were also subcontracted, among them E. Boota Singh & Sons of Rawalpindi.

The MK II Kukri (Khukuri): From About 1915, Through Both World Wars

The MK II was the kukri of the trenches, Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, and it was still being made in large numbers for the Second World War. It is the pattern most WWI and WWII originals belong to.

• A full-width tang. The tang runs the full length of the handle inside a wooden grip held by two rivets. This was stronger and quicker to make than the MK I's through-tang.
• Steel fittings. Issue MK IIs have a steel bolster where the blade meets the handle and a steel butt cap. Brass fittings usually point to a private purchase or a better-quality piece, not standard issue.
• Weight. Around 21 to 28 ounces on examined pieces. WWII-made MK IIs are usually heavier than WWI ones.
• The M43. Kukris stamped M43 are best seen as one maker's version of the MK II, with sunken rivets and a bolster welded to the tang, rather than a separate pattern. Our M43 kukri post covers it in full.

Recorded MK II makers

The MK III Kukri (Khukuri): From About 1943

By 1943 the Indian Army needed huge numbers of kukris for the campaigns in Burma, Italy and North Africa, and the MK III was designed to be made faster with more modern methods.

• No separate bolster. The MK II's steel bolster is gone, which saved a part and a fitting step.
• Bigger rivets and a sturdier butt cap hold the wooden grip to the full tang.
• A different blade. The blade is more angular and slightly hollow-ground, which stiffens it and saves weight. The overall look is closer to a large knife than the rounded MK II. Blades of around 12 to 12.25 inches are typical.
• Markings. Recorded MK III makers include CMW, HW and Pioneer of Calcutta, plus D.K.W. (Doon Kukri Works). Year stamps such as 1944 and 1945 appear. "K-45" is a year stamp for 1945, not a model number. Early MK III stamps are often faint and hard to read.
• A long service life. The MK III design stayed in use in parts of the Indian Army after the war, so many WWII pieces also carry later Indian Army inspection marks.

How to Read the Markings on a Military Kukri (Khukuri)

On an original, the stamps matter more than anything else. A dated, broad-arrow-marked kukri with its own scabbard and both small knives is worth far more than a plain blade. Look in three places:

• The blade, near the bolster. The maker's name or initials and the year, such as "CO. 1915" or "PIONEER CALCUTTA 1943".
• The spine and the handle. Inspection marks such as FW, QA and RP on early pieces, plus inspector numbers and later Indian Army marks on many WWII kukris.
• The scabbard and frog. The broad arrow (the British War Department mark), a contractor's mark and a year. Scabbard dates often differ from the blade date by a year or so; scabbards and blades were made and issued separately.

Regimental marks, such as a battalion of a Gurkha Rifles regiment, do turn up, but they are not part of the official pattern, and they are the marks most often faked.

Warning signs on a "wartime" kukri

• Crisp, shallow stamps on a blade that is otherwise worn and pitted.
• A regimental mark added to a plain kukri, or a genuine old kukri with new marks.
• Brass grip rings on a kukri stamped "CO. 1917"; these are a known fake.
• A fresh, unworn scabbard on a supposedly field-carried blade.

Check every stamp under 10x magnification. Real stamps are struck into the steel and wear with it; added ones often sit on top of the wear.

The Scabbard and the Two Small Knives

Issue scabbards were hard leather over a wooden core, with a metal chape at the tip and a leather frog to carry it on the belt. Many held the two small knives that go with every kukri (khukuri): the karda, a small utility knife, and the chakmak, a blunt steel for sharpening and striking fire. Our post on the karda and chakmak explains what they are for, and our scabbard (dap) guide covers how a kukri scabbard is built.

Where the WWI and WWII Patterns Served

In the First World War, Gurkha battalions carried the MK I and then the MK II on the Western Front in 1915, at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia. In the Second World War, the MK II and MK III went with Gurkha units to North Africa, Italy, including Monte Cassino, and above all Burma, where the jungle fighting made the kukri (khukuri) as much a tool as a weapon. The full story, from the Anglo-Nepalese War to the Falklands, is in our Kukri in Service post. For the modern patterns that replaced these, see The Official Issue Kukri.

Our WWI and WWII Pattern Reproductions: What Is and Isn't Period-Correct

Everest Forge makes reproductions, not originals, and we think you should know exactly what you are buying:

• The blade profile follows the pattern. Our historical kukris (khukuris) are forged to the shape and size of the pattern they are named after.
• Some construction details differ. Several of our reproductions use horn or rosewood handles and traditional Nepali tang construction, where an issue MK I had a walnut grip on a threaded through-tang, and an issue MK II had a riveted wooden grip with steel fittings. If you want a closer match, ask for it through our custom forge.
• Steel. We forge in 5160 spring steel, a modern steel that is tougher than the wartime carbon steels. We do not make Damascus or pattern-welded blades. Our kukri tang types guide explains the tang options.
• Markings. An honest reproduction should never carry a period maker's stamp, a war date or a broad arrow. If you want text on the blade, ask for your own engraving instead.

These are the closest patterns we forge:

See the full range in our Historical Gurkha Kukri Replicas post.

Related Reading

• The Kukri in Service: A Gurkha Military History
• The M43 Kukri
• The Official Issue Kukri
• Historical Gurkha Kukri Replicas
• The Kukri (Khukuri) in Military and Paramilitary Badges

Frequently Asked Questions