Kukri (khukri), khakma and karda.

The blade is made from the springs of decommissioned cars: it is sharpened at various angles and hardened in zones (the blade is softer at the butt than at the edge of the blade); the handle of the knife is carved from ivory. Each element of kukri has not only practical, but a symbolic meaning as well. For example, the fuller at the butt is called the “Shiva Sword”; it gives the knife the power of the god Shiva’s weapon. The rings on the handle ensure a good grip of a kukri by a wet hand and symbolize the levels of the universe. The blade with a variable sharpening angle gives maximum efficiency in chopping, cutting and stabbing strokes and symbolizes the Sun and the Moon, being the traditional symbols of Nepal. The recess on the blade near the handle is called cho, which usually means the Shiva’s trident, a symbol of the power of this god. Another form of cho is the “footprint of a cow”, a symbol of the goddess Kali. The practical aim of cho is to prevent formation of cracks and chips of the blade at the handle. The metal finial on the head of the handle symbolizes the all-seeing eye of God; in practical terms, it covers the tip of the blade shank. Wide wooden scabbard with floral ornaments have two compartments.