Nepal · Bladesmithing / Metalwork
Khukuri (खुकुरी) — Kami Kaam
The forging of the khukuri (kukri) — Nepal's iconic curved single-edged blade, internationally recognized through its association with Gurkha soldiers and, per Nepali blacksmiths themselves, described as the world's most famous knife. This record closes a striking gap: despite the archive's already extensive coverage of Nepali metalwork (Newar repoussé, gold granulation, silver jewelry, singing bowl tuning), no blade or edged-weapon craft was previously documented for Nepal at all. Khukuri forging is the hereditary trade of the Bishwakarma (also called Kami) caste — the name meaning 'world maker' — traditionally using recycled leaf-spring steel worked entirely by eye and ear rather than by instrument, with the smith reading the blade's temper through the combined color of the hot steel and the sound it makes during the differential quenching process. A distinct associated caste, the Saarki, traditionally produces the knife's leather and wood scabbard, meaning a single finished khukuri is typically the product of two separate hereditary craft communities working in sequence.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not Listed
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