the Classic Era Bhojpure (REPRO)

the Classic Bhojpure Reproduced by KHHI; a piece with a history (18th century)

This 'Classic Era Bhojpure' is an exact reproduced version of the classy Bhojpure kukri that existed in the 18th century. We took one of the variants of Bhojpures of that time and reproduced it from head to toe as exactly as possible. It is a heavy chopper that has massive built-in weight designed to cut swiftly and effortlessly. The blade is good 17” long that gives out an excellent coverage to take down even a huge object. Moreover, its big bevel in the cutting edge gets the job done quicker and better. It has a beautifully shaped blade for look and function that is well supported by a cleverly crafted kukri handle. The typical wooden handle is ergonomic to a human hand and hence provides a very secured and comfortable grip. The sheath on the other hand is made from treated water buffalo hide. This complex black leather sheath makes the kukri as original as possible dating back to the era. 

Classic Bhojpure is a solid chopping machine for heavy duty works. The knife feels so right for the same and result is swift. The targets tumble like the house of card in front of the beholder and the holder just wants to keep going on and on…

Brief history of the kukri..
In simple language, kukri knives made in Bhojpur village in East Nepal are called the Bhojpures. These kukris are forged broad, heavy and robust. This distinctive feature has always been the recognition of the kukri. Blacksmiths in these regions have been making such kukris for a very long time since ca 16th, 17th century. Bhojpur and its surrounding areas were part of “Maaj (middle) Kirat” of Kirat dynasty before the Nepal unification in 1773. Kirats were already making the kukris then which were heavily used against the Gorkhalis (Shah dynasty). It was their primary weapon. When Kirat dynasty fell it is when we believe the name, Bhojpur, surfaced.

There are 2 probable logics >>
1. Due to the King Shah’s feast that was celebrated over his victory. “Bhoj” means feast and “Pur” means place
2. Due to the heavy presence of the tree called “Bhoj Patra” in the region. It gradually converted to Bhojpur in spoken language

Bhojpur has always been rich in natural resources like iron-ore, minerals, raw materials and wood etc. This favorable condition highly contributed to the large production of the kukris. It also aided to selecting Bhojpur as one of the metal coin producer (famously known as Taksaar in Nepali) in around 1815 during the Shah reign. History also states that during king Mahendra Bikram Shah’s visit to the place in 1970 he highly praised the kukris. He publically announced Bhojpure kukris to be the best in Nepal and hence got very famous. 

Evolution …. 
Over the decades along with time, need, circumstances and modernization Bhojpure kukris have evolved a lot. The very objective of the knife has also changed from being a prime weapon to a domestic tool. The size is drastically reduced to med-size range. The shape and features have also changed a bit however the robust and bulky shape has been retained. These modern Bhojpure kukris started to surfaced out sometime around 1960’s. Please feel free to check out our modern village Bhojpure in this LINK.