What is the circular notch near the hilt for?
Khukuri Notch:
The most appealing and distinctive part of the khukuri is the notch or “Cho” cut into the blade directly in front of the grip and the bolster. The Cho or “Kaudi” in Nepalese that separates the khukuri from the world of knives arouses much interest because of its unique shape and utility objectives. Practically the notch works as a blood dipper to prevent the blood or fluid from going towards the handle so that firm grip can be maintained throughout the execution and also as a stopper to stop Chakmak (sharpener) from reaching the handle area when sharpening while running down the edge of the khukuri blade.
Similarly the notch also has religious significance as it signifies the Hindu fertility symbol (OM) and represents the sacred cow’s hoof (as cow is worshipped in Nepal).It is also believed to have been developed as a device for catching and neutralizing an enemy blade in close combat.
However, myths like notch being a target device to capture an enemy’s sight within it and hurl the blade like a boomerang to snick of his head is not true as khukuri is never thrown. As well the notch being a can opener or rest curvature for index finger of the using hand while slicing are all fictitious. The first khukuri blade ever known to the modern mankind had the Cho and some drawings found in an Indian temple around 600AD also depict it in the blade.
Almost all khukuri that originated in the past had the legendary notch and even the modern ones continue to carry this distinctive tradition.