Mini Kukri, Hand Forged 6 Inch Blade with Camel Bone Handle
Mini Kukri, Hand Forged 6 Inch Blade with Camel Bone Handle
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A mini kukri is the forward curving Nepali shape cut down to a size you can carry all day. The blade is 6 inches of 5160 spring steel, the handle is polished camel bone, and it runs 10.5 inches overall. Buyers take it as a belt knife for camp cooking, cord and small kindling, or as a collector piece where the shape matters more than the reach.
Specification
| Blade length | 6 inches |
| Overall length | 10.5 inches |
| Handle length | 4.5 inches |
| Blade steel | 5160 spring steel |
| Blade finish | Dark gray hand forged finish, faint hammer marks, wide mirror bright bevel, cho notch at the base of the edge |
| Handle | Polished camel bone, creamy white with fine natural veining and warm tan mottling, raised ring at the middle, flared butt, thin brass collar at the front |
| Tang | Hidden tang through the handle |
| Sheath | Tooled water buffalo leather scabbard, wooden core, brass tip cap |
| Included | Karda and chakmak companion knives |
| Engraving | 20 dollars per piece |
| Made in | Forged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina. |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty against defects, free sharpening for life. |
The blade
5160 spring steel is what the traditional makers use and name, tough enough to take a hard cut without chipping. The flat stays dark gray from the forge and the bevel is polished mirror bright. The blade leaves the handle narrow, sweeps forward and down and widens toward the tip, so the weight sits ahead of your hand. Six inches will not chop the way a 12 inch blade chops, and thicker limbs want a longer kukri. The cho at the base of the edge stops a cut running back into the handle.
The handle
The handle is polished camel bone, creamy white with fine natural veining and warm tan mottling. Bone takes a hard smooth polish and does not soften with handling. A raised ring at the middle keeps the grip from traveling in your palm, and a thin brass collar sits at the front. The tang is hidden, running inside the bone in the traditional way, and at 4.5 inches it still fills an adult hand.
The karda and the chakmak
Two small knives ride in pockets on the back of the scabbard, each about three inches long with camel bone handles. The karda is the sharp one, for food, cord and the fine work a curved blade is clumsy at. The chakmak is blunt, used to true up a rolled edge and traditionally to strike a spark. Nepali makers include both and name both. Ours do.
The leather
The scabbard is water buffalo leather over a wooden core, so it holds its shape. Brass caps the tip, a leather 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 sunburst inside a scalloped border, the rays cut and shaded into the leather rather than printed.
Who it suits
This is the kukri for someone who wants the shape in a size that rides on a belt.
- Campers who want a small blade for food and kindling
- Collectors after the Nepali shape in bone
- Someone buying a gift that gets used
What comes in the box
- The 6 inch mini kukri
- The karda and the chakmak
- The tooled leather scabbard
- A care card
Every piece is different
Each blade is forged, ground and sharpened by hand, so runs stay small and no two finish alike. Bone is natural, so the veining and the tan mottling on your handle will not match the photographs.
Looking after it
Wipe the blade dry after use and never put it away wet. The gray patina that builds is normal and it protects the steel. Sharpen on a stone or a file following the bevel already there, and work the belly of the curve where the cutting happens. Oil it lightly before storage and let the leather dry away from heat. More on our knife care and sharpening page.
Put a name on it
Laser 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 while photographs do not. We send a proof image before the laser runs, adding 3 to 5 business days. See the engraving page.
Questions buyers ask
What is a mini kukri? A short version of the forward curving Nepali knife, here at 6 inches.
Will a 6 inch kukri chop? It handles kindling and small green stems. Anything thicker wants a longer blade.
What is the cho? The small notch in the edge where it meets the handle. It stops a cut running back into the grip.
Will this steel rust? It can. Dry it after use and oil it lightly before storage.
How sharp is it out of the box? Sharpened by hand before it ships and ready to cut.
How long until it ships and can I return it? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days, and unused pieces come back within 30 days.
For the same shape at full length see the kukri with the olive wood handle, and for the classic pattern the service pattern kukri in rosewood. More sits in kukri knives, gifts for him and all knives.