THIS is an example...

Of one of the best cutting tools ever invented. Fulfilling the roles of knife, sword, and axe, the khukri (or kukri, or khukuri) of Nepal is one amazing tool/weapon. I won't bore you with the details right now - you can follow the link for all sorts of hard-to-pronounce-and-spell (for my American brain) terms. Note the two small accessory knifes in the sheath. One is sharpened and is used for utility purposes and the other is not. The unsharpened blade is used to burnish/sharpen the blade. The bit of string on the sheath is my addition for hanging in the armory...

These are carried by the famous Gurkha regiments. Read up on the history of these dudes, 'cause they definitely command respect.

The knives themselves are made by certain castes in Nepali society - an artifact of Hindu religeous practices.

I used to have a vintage WWII model khukri, but it was stolen back in college. Why I had such a knife at college is subject to some debate. The model pictured here is new Nepali standard issue, and the blade is stamped Nepal 2005 (year of manufacture). I carry this one camping and hiking sometimes - it beats a machete in the close thick stuff and it can do double duty as a light axe. I wouldn't want to fell a 22" oak with it, but it'll handily tackle a 4" limb or sapling.

I have a fancier Himalayan Imports chitlangi khukri, which I will discuss at a later date. It's of recent make, but I consider it a treasure...