School me on kukris.

[Termite]

The ones from Nepal, not Cold Steel, Kabar, etc. Those are more machete, and less knife. I've got a Cold Steel(the cheaper one) and a Kabar. Great machetes(esp. the Kabar), but the blades have a large amount of curve, and are very wide(bellied). Probably useless for stabbing.

The Gurka ones seem to run the gamit from cheap junk, to somewhat better junk, to moderately decent for $40-$50, to "you got be kidding to ask that kinda money for a plain but nice knife made in a 3rd/4th world country where a good 'smith makes $4-$6 per day."
Most of the handles look uncomfortable, too. That ring in the middle of the handle will irritate a hand with much use.

I've done a bit of Googling, but I thought maybe some of ya'll might have some insight.

[Evyl Robot]

Atlanta Cutlery has always stocked a few Kukris that they claim are actual Gurka knives. Check out this link. Even if you don't buy from them, they have a selection worth looking at.

[Kommander]

IMA has some original ones running from giant Victorian era ones to smaller WWII ones. I really want one of the Victorian ones, but I just can justify that kind of expenditure on that kind of thing.

[Greg]

I desperately want a HI WWII model. (An AK or CAK would be nice, too.) I just can't justify the money at this time. I don't have anything to chop, and I already have a decent number of good general-purpose knives.

[Termite]

Thanks guys.

I had already found Himalayan Imports. Nice stuff, but crap, their prices...

Robot,
Thanks, I never thought about ACC.
BTW, think you could make a good sheath for one, at a reasonable price?

[SeekHer]

The Kukhri is believe it or not an Iberian (Now Spain and Portugal) design that made its way eastward to Egypt and area just before Alexander the Great's father came into power and the soldiers and of course their weird blades went further east with Alexander...Whether the blades remained because of capture, soldiers deciding to live out their days there or just copying we'll never know but the Nepalese really liked the design and incorporated the knife of the conquerors.

The curve in the blade is to provide extreme power in the draw or pull of the stroke by adding far more surface area for a cutting edge and of course added weight and of course the fighting technique is based on that principle...You can stab with it but it's a lot harder to manipulate the blade to do it properly and you can see the subtle difference in the blade shape between a working kukhri and a military one.

Whether you call them parang, golok, kukhri, Kris, panga, machete, cane knife etc. they're all the same thing and used for the same purposes---brush clearing, wood chopping, food preparation, killing and skinning game, personal defence, crop gathering and combat.

ESEE (formerly Randall) has their Junglas, Extrema Ratio has their "K" series, Entrek has the Destroyer as other alternatives in the market.

[Langenator]

I've seen generally positive reviews for The Khukuri House.

I've got a knife from them on my list of things to buy, just not at the top.

[Combat Controller]

LOL. I love these guys.

[Highspeed]

Thanks guys.

I had already found Himalayan Imports. Nice stuff, but crap, their prices...

My Sirupati is a Himalayan Imports version - or at least it was made by one of their Kami's - he signed the blade.

I didn't actually pay for it, I received it in a trade for some gun parts with an Indian friend, so I don't know about prices.

I have had the Sirupati for approaching 10 years and it has chopped down small trees, survived the useage of my wife - who thinks any blade is a prybar\screwdriver\whatever and has no mechanical sympathy with tools at all. She can break anything without even trying too hard.

I respect my SOG Seal Pup but I wouldn't let her anywhere near it , because she would f--- it up by trying to chop through a piece of wood with a nail in it, or generally by mistreating it in some way.

She has tried her level best to kill the Sirupati but failed - Nepalese Kami's 1 - Stupid woman - 0 )

[Termite]

I have had the Sirupati for approaching 10 years and it has chopped down small trees, survived the useage of my wife - who thinks any blade is a prybar\screwdriver\whatever and has no mechanical sympathy with tools at all. She can break anything without even trying too hard.

That's pretty impressive. The Sirupati is the lighter and thinner version of kukris.