- Joined
- Feb 1, 2000
- Messages
- 1,370
I recently have become fascinated by khukuri knives. They are made in a very primitive fashion which interests me because it's how steel knives were made until only recently in our history. And by primitive I do not mean unsophisticated, I am only referring to the lack of reliance on modern power tools. I think that this is actually a very refined and well executed knife design!
Since I am learning how to forge knives myself I had to hold a khukuri in my hands. I figured all khukuri blades are forged either in Nepal or India so I thought I'd go on eBay and find a cheap one just to see what it would be like. I paid less than twenty dollars for one that just arrived today. Well I got what I paid for, the finish on the handle is hideous but the blade is not half bad. In fact it would not have taken much for this to be a really nice knife.
Materials seem to be excellent, but fit and finish are sadly lacking (as I fully expected from the price). If a little care had been taken the rosewood scales could have been outstanding even.
I have a couple of questions (and to answer your questions, yes I will be ordering a "real" khukuri soon). Are the blades of all khukuri's in India made by village smith's and then poorly fitted up in small shops in the cities for mass wholesale? Or is the whole shebang knocked up in small shops rather than village smithies?
How closely to the notches in the blade are khukuris sharpened (this one is not sharpened at all and in fact for about 4 inches from the notch the edge is nearly 1/8" of and inch wide.) My guess is that it should be sharpened all the way to the notches.
Well until I get a real one I'll fool around with this one, make some changes (despite it's poor finish it handles and feels wonderful) and figure out how it is made. I ordered the video and it should be here soon. I realize now that I will have to make one of these myself. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendhip! Sorry for being a little long winded here, but you guy's probably understand.
Guy Thomas
Since I am learning how to forge knives myself I had to hold a khukuri in my hands. I figured all khukuri blades are forged either in Nepal or India so I thought I'd go on eBay and find a cheap one just to see what it would be like. I paid less than twenty dollars for one that just arrived today. Well I got what I paid for, the finish on the handle is hideous but the blade is not half bad. In fact it would not have taken much for this to be a really nice knife.
Materials seem to be excellent, but fit and finish are sadly lacking (as I fully expected from the price). If a little care had been taken the rosewood scales could have been outstanding even.
I have a couple of questions (and to answer your questions, yes I will be ordering a "real" khukuri soon). Are the blades of all khukuri's in India made by village smith's and then poorly fitted up in small shops in the cities for mass wholesale? Or is the whole shebang knocked up in small shops rather than village smithies?
How closely to the notches in the blade are khukuris sharpened (this one is not sharpened at all and in fact for about 4 inches from the notch the edge is nearly 1/8" of and inch wide.) My guess is that it should be sharpened all the way to the notches.
Well until I get a real one I'll fool around with this one, make some changes (despite it's poor finish it handles and feels wonderful) and figure out how it is made. I ordered the video and it should be here soon. I realize now that I will have to make one of these myself. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendhip! Sorry for being a little long winded here, but you guy's probably understand.
Guy Thomas
I wouldn't sharpen right up to the "notch" (cho). I'd leave the last few millimetres unsharpened (my opinion). I inspected a museum khuk one day which was roughly and crudely sharpened right up to the cho. It had the tendency to hook my finger like a mischievious fish hook. In any case, the cho is Shiva's trident (some say). If the "prong" nearest the bolster is blunt, the "prong" furthest from the bolster must be blunt also, for symmetry's sake. Make sense?