CHITLANGE history
- Thread starter russhw
- Start date
Kailash Blades
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2015
- Messages
- 819
Hey there!
It's a bit of a tricky question as a lot of the terms and labels used to classify and categorise khukuris are relatively modern inventions. The chitlange style mostly refers to the ornamentation and details on the blade and handle rather than the profile. As I understand it this ornamentation developed as a way to make blades in the chitlange region more valuable for trade and sale with other provinces in the mid 20th century. The blade profile itself is a form of sirupate- popular throughout nepal but heavily associated with Eastern Nepal and the ethnic groups of that region. The sirupate has seen use both as a tool and weapon of war from at least the turn of the 19th century. There's similarly shaped khukuris dating from earlier than this but they are different enough in shape and style whether they fit the form or not.
I'm really not an expert though and would very much welcome any corrections or input.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
It's a bit of a tricky question as a lot of the terms and labels used to classify and categorise khukuris are relatively modern inventions. The chitlange style mostly refers to the ornamentation and details on the blade and handle rather than the profile. As I understand it this ornamentation developed as a way to make blades in the chitlange region more valuable for trade and sale with other provinces in the mid 20th century. The blade profile itself is a form of sirupate- popular throughout nepal but heavily associated with Eastern Nepal and the ethnic groups of that region. The sirupate has seen use both as a tool and weapon of war from at least the turn of the 19th century. There's similarly shaped khukuris dating from earlier than this but they are different enough in shape and style whether they fit the form or not.
I'm really not an expert though and would very much welcome any corrections or input.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash