{"product_id":"kukri-knife-olive-wood-handle","title":"Kukri Knife, Hand Forged Carbon Steel with Olive Wood Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eA kukri is the forward curving knife from Nepal, and this one is built at the length most people use. The blade is 11 inches of 5160 spring steel, the handle is olive wood with a strong wavy grain, and it runs 16.5 inches overall. Buyers reach for it on brush, vines and small limbs around camp, or collect it for the olive wood, which almost nobody uses.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e11 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5160 spring steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark gray hand forged finish, faint hammer marks, wide mirror bright bevel, cho notch at the base of the edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOlive wood with strong wavy grain, honey colored in places and close to brown in others, raised ring at the middle, flared butt\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHidden tang through the handle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled water buffalo leather scabbard, wooden core, brass tip cap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIncluded\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKarda and chakmak companion knives\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 dollars per piece\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarranty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifetime warranty against defects, free sharpening for life.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e5160 spring steel is the steel the traditional makers use and name. It takes a hard chop without chipping and comes back on a stone. The flat keeps its dark gray forge finish and the bevel is polished mirror bright. The blade leaves the handle narrow, sweeps forward and down in a deep curve and widens toward the tip, so the heaviest steel sits furthest from your hand. The trade off is carbon steel, which darkens and wants drying after use. The cho at the base of the edge stops a cut running back into the handle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eOlive wood is dense and oily, long used for tool handles around the Mediterranean, and it lives with damp hands. The grain is the reason to buy it, running in strong waves, honey colored in places and brown in the rest. A raised ring at the middle sits between your fingers so the grip does not travel in your palm. The tang is hidden, running inside the wood in the traditional way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe karda and the chakmak\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo small knives ride in pockets on the back of the scabbard, each about four inches long with olive wood handles. The karda is the sharp one, for cord, food and close work a curved blade is clumsy at. The chakmak is blunt, for truing up a rolled edge and traditionally for striking a spark. Nepali makers include both and name both. Ours do.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe scabbard is water buffalo leather over a wooden core, so it keeps its shape. Brass caps the tip, a belt frog is stitched to the back, and the pockets for the karda and the chakmak sit behind it. Every stitch goes in by hand. The face is hand tooled with a carved wheat sheaf inside a stamped border, cut and shaded into the leather rather than printed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn 11 inch blade is long enough to chop with weight behind the tip and short enough for tight brush.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone clearing brush, vines and small limbs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCampers who want one blade for camp chores\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors after a Nepali shape in a new wood\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 11 inch kukri\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe karda and the chakmak\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tooled leather scabbard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach blade is forged, ground and sharpened by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out alike. Olive wood varies more than most timbers, so the grain in your handle will not match the photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the blade dry after use and never put it away wet. The gray patina that builds is normal and protects the steel. Sharpen with a stone or a file following the bevel already there, working the belly of the curve. Oil it lightly before storage and let the leather dry away from heat. More on our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaser engraving is 20 dollars per piece, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits on the blade or the handle, and clean line art works best. We send a proof image before the laser runs, adding 3 to 5 business days. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a kukri?\u003c\/strong\u003e The forward curving knife from Nepal, built so the heaviest steel sits near the tip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy does the blade curve forward?\u003c\/strong\u003e The curve puts the weight ahead of your hand, which turns a swing into a chop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the karda and the chakmak?\u003c\/strong\u003e The two small knives in the back of the scabbard. The karda is sharp for fine work, the chakmak blunt for truing an edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill this steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. Dry it after use and oil it before storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill my blade look exactly like the photo?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. Every piece is finished by hand and no two olive wood handles match.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan you engrave it?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, 20 dollars per piece for about 30 characters, with a proof image first.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the same shape in a size you can carry all day see the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/mini-kukri-camel-bone-handle\"\u003emini kukri in camel bone\u003c\/a\u003e, and for the classic pattern the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-kukri-service-pattern-rosewood\"\u003eservice pattern kukri in rosewood\u003c\/a\u003e. More sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/kukri-knives\"\u003ekukri knives\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bushcraft-survival\"\u003ebushcraft and survival\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/gifts-for-him\"\u003egifts for him\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44140380094582,"sku":"VEF-KUK-HC-OLV-512","price":169.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/hand-forged-kukri-olive-wood-handle_835a0581-d75d-409d-9e1d-5f088dc833b1.jpg?v=1788793798","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/kukri-knife-olive-wood-handle","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}