Rampuri

The Rampuri is an Indian gravity knife of formidable reputation having a single-edged blade roughly 9 to 12 inches long. Usually it is the switchblade type but there are step-lock types available as well, which became synonymous to the town of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. It formed the basic weapon for Indian thugs or "goondas" during the beginning of the 19th century. The name Rampuri comes from a town called Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, India. The royal bladesmiths of local Nawabs of Rampur started making knives after the popularization of firearms after the 18th century.