Damascus Kukri knives

The Kukri knife features a curved blade design with an angled or smooth spine. The spine is thick and can be up to 10mm in thickness. A thick spine will come in handy given how the Kukri is used and the strength required. It also adds more weight to the knife, resulting in more aggressive cuts.

The Kukri has a very forward-heavy balance. This trait is intentional entirely in the design to boost momentum going into the swing. When it cuts, the Kukri goes through the target like an axe, outputting a lot of force.

Despite the forward-heavy balance, the Kukri doesn’t rely on its tip to cut. The design curves to expose a sizable belly that can chop like an axe.

The Kukri can feature a half or a full tang. The traditionally made Kukris fancy half tang more than full tang for easier replacement. As it is used vigorously, a broken-off handle is much easier to replace when you have a half tang.

Blacksmiths heat treat parts of the Kukri differently. The edge is hard to maintain sharpness, and the spine is softer to increase durability. This discrepancy in the heat treatment makes the Kukri an adaptable cutting tool.