The 20th Century British Military Gurkha Issue Kukri.
Including Official Pattern approved, unit & unknown issue types.
Updated 2015 (original article 2006).
Mr. Jonathan Sedwell.
Part 3 of 7,
The MARK 3 (MK III) KUKRI KNIFE.
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1944 & 45 versions of the CMW mk.III kukri.
Next we have the mk.3 kukri came into being in 1943 according to Indian sources & was certainly in mass production by 1944. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the K.45 design based on the date stamp present on some examples made in 1945.
It was still the most commonly issued kukri to the Indian armed forces including their Gorkha regiments into at least the 1980s and is still issued today for use, although many other kukri styles are also used, particularly for parades..
Thousands or probably even millions have been made, but the only Genuine military pieces are those that were actually purchased by the military forces. The others are just commercial copy’s even if made by the same companies.
It was designed for easy & fast production & was made by many companies. Including {With years of production runs that I have seen to date}:
- Mil, 1945
- WSC {Windlass steel Crafts} 1944, 1945,
- K.1944, 1945,
- CMW {Calcutta}, produced very high-quality specimens that have many easily recognizable manufacturer & army inspection stamps 1944, 1945.
Many MK.III were sadly rather badly stamped. Other manufactures include Chowdri & DKW who both produced during 1945 at least but most likely for the Indian army after Independence as well.
There are vast Numbers of other makers of these kukris in both WW2 & ever since. Once again those marked Allied Steel or Tempered Steel , Made in India are from around or after Indian independence in 1947.
Many of these kukris have been made to the present day & it has been used by many Indian army Gorkha units as well as commercially exported in lower quality versions to the USA & Europe for over 60 years.
It weights from 19 oz to 26 oz. {On those I have examined.}
Detail of manufacturers stamp (CMW) & army inspection marks:
“Text & photos copyright, Spiral JRS 1st Feb. 2015.”
This 7 part series is based directly on the original longer article posted on “The International Kukri Research & Historical Society” (www.IKRHS.com); http://www.ikrhs.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1201 on 1st Feb, 2015.
