India's skilled blacksmiths learnt to forge knives from the debris of a war that forged the Indian Army

The Tari Khasi (or Tari Dap) is a simple, but incredibly sharp, utility knife that is forged by blacksmiths in the Khasi hills of Meghalaya; today, easily found in the bazaars of Shillong.

The huge number of discarded Willys Jeeps and Ford trucks after WW2 were a massive bonanza for India's makers of swords and knives. The durable, high carbon 5160 steel from the springs of these vehicles was the perfect raw material for blades, because this steel was formulated to withstand the constant flexing and weight of military vehicles over rough terrain. The famous Kukri, and less famous Dao and Rampuri were soon being forged from these and resulted in blades that were highly impact resistant, and could cut, chop, slice and hack without shattering. Of course, today's blades come from newer Mahindras (who began manufacturing the Willys Jeep in 1947) and Tatas, all learnt from lessons in recycling steel in the biggest furnace of all: India's WW2.