They had a pic on their insta not too long ago showing a test leather handle with rings, so there's a chance that might become an option in the future
Sirupate 14" - First Impressions
- Thread starter Maya_steel
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If you really want to treat that wood handle to some tung oil, which I think Danish Oil may contain some, maybe trace amounts as most finishes that list tung oil only seem to have trace amounts, if they even add it, you might want to look up Corey's Amazing Tung Oil. His web site gives the particulars. iirc it has 40% (polymerized) Tung Oil, enhanced with organic Brazilian Gum Rosin and food grade Citrus Oil. I ran into this while looking for a wood finish, probably for when I was planning on ordering one with a wood handle myself. I've since used this on many kitchen knives and love it. The citrus oil instead of the usual oil that stinks up the house if you use it indoors, is really nice and pleasant smelling. Plus you get a good amount of tung oil to soak in and in time build up a layer on the wood. Unlike pure tung oil that takes forever to dry, this dries much faster and leaves a nice warm looking finish. I bought a qt from him and iirc it was $20-30? It's been a while.
Kailash Blades
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Kraton handles are definitely truly soft. However as a direct result of this they do not last- it's essentially a dense synthetic rubber. A similar thing occurs with our stacked leather handles. To ensure that they are durable over a lifetime the washers are tightly compressed together and also are slightly penetrated by resin used to bond each layer together. Without this they could come apart with repeated wetting and drying as many other stacked leather handles are prone to. Vibration absorption and shock absorption of the leather still outperforms our other materials though despite a tough surface. In bicycles for example carbon fibre is used for its vibration damping over aluminium/steel despite being essentially rock hard to the touch. New composite wheels are using thermoplastic to encase the carbon fibre rather than harder 2 part epoxy resin. This is heavier and more flexible, however it dulls vibrations a lot more and also opens up opportunities for the fibres to be recycled.
Leather handles are already available with rings
We've looked into wood stabilisation- it's a bit outside of our capabilities currently. The base process is reliant on very low viscosity, heat set resins that would need to be imported. We'd need a big vaccum chamber which we'd also need to import. Most crucially though is we'd need a supply of wood that is properly kiln dried- this is not something that we have access to in Nepal. The solution here is to dry and cure our own wood but in the high humidity and fluctuating temperatures of ktm this is not an easy task. Potentially in future! But for now we've got some more pressing projects.
Leather handles are already available with rings
We've looked into wood stabilisation- it's a bit outside of our capabilities currently. The base process is reliant on very low viscosity, heat set resins that would need to be imported. We'd need a big vaccum chamber which we'd also need to import. Most crucially though is we'd need a supply of wood that is properly kiln dried- this is not something that we have access to in Nepal. The solution here is to dry and cure our own wood but in the high humidity and fluctuating temperatures of ktm this is not an easy task. Potentially in future! But for now we've got some more pressing projects.
I thought the same regarding the tone of the Desert Micarta , Andrew if you read this could you possibly add a photo of the Burlap / Hessian micarta wrap you do ?Hi Maya_steel, that is a beautiful blade. I always thought the desert camo was much lighter in color, but for some reason, yours has much more darker tones and looks great with the copper. I wonder if they all come out that way. That Sirupate is an intriguing, even very useful design. I shied away from it since I first saw its use to be more machete like and I already had 3 machetes, plus I wanted something that could also chop well. But even though it could fill that purpose, its usefulness goes way beyond cutting brush and things that get in your way.
I can see now why many carried that style Khukuri in wartime over the other popular models. That shape may not have as awesome a scissor like cutting effect as some of the more curved blades, but nonetheless, it would do great damage. What is appealing is how much better it can thrust. They say these Khukuri are not designed for that and more for slashing, but it is hard to imagine the Sirupate not being used that way when needed. The question is though, will the hand slide up onto the blade when you try. I still have to wonder if those rings alone will keep your hand positioned snug enough. Maybe they just never considered using it that way. Has anyone ever tried it with hay bales or some soft target? I know guards throw these blades off balance, but that Sirupate seems to beg for one. How hard would it be, if right behind the rear of the cho, you let the steel come down to form a guard that ended at the bolster, similar to what you have done with the Plain Jane Bowie?
Oh yes, one more use for these Khukuri that no one mentions. Most of us love to sharpen our knives and then test them on paper. Inevitably, we have many little snips of paper on the floor around our desk. I had to laugh the first time I used my HSI to stab one of those little pieces of paper on the floor. The tip on these blades is so pointed and fine, that it picks them up with ease. No more bending over trying to find and edge on the paper to lift it up. Just stab them with your Sirupate
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I'm actually curious for more info too since I know I want a Siru in my collection. I thought the 14" would be fine but the website says the 16" is the standard so I'm torn. I'm also bouncing back and forth between satin and raw but that's a me problem.
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Kraton handles are definitely truly soft. However as a direct result of this they do not last- it's essentially a dense synthetic rubber. A similar thing occurs with our stacked leather handles. To ensure that they are durable over a lifetime the washers are tightly compressed together and also are slightly penetrated by resin used to bond each layer together. Without this they could come apart with repeated wetting and drying as many other stacked leather handles are prone to. Vibration absorption and shock absorption of the leather still outperforms our other materials though despite a tough surface. In bicycles for example carbon fibre is used for its vibration damping over aluminium/steel despite being essentially rock hard to the touch. New composite wheels are using thermoplastic to encase the carbon fibre rather than harder 2 part epoxy resin. This is heavier and more flexible, however it dulls vibrations a lot more and also opens up opportunities for the fibres to be recycled.
Leather handles are already available with rings
We've looked into wood stabilisation- it's a bit outside of our capabilities currently. The base process is reliant on very low viscosity, heat set resins that would need to be imported. We'd need a big vaccum chamber which we'd also need to import. Most crucially though is we'd need a supply of wood that is properly kiln dried- this is not something that we have access to in Nepal. The solution here is to dry and cure our own wood but in the high humidity and fluctuating temperatures of ktm this is not an easy task. Potentially in future! But for now we've got some more pressing projects.
How are handles typically treated in Nepal? I can't imagine they're rehandled terribly frequently outside of real heavy use. Any oil applied commonly?
at least Stateside, I've never heard of people complaining about issues
Kailash Blades
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B
bigeard09
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/white-micarta-handles.1981881/post-22574582
B Bill_Melater 14" is a great length too. 16" is a bit more poweful and a bit faster so better for clearing flexible brush. However 14 inches is a lot more handy and easy to carry- makes for a great bushcrafty campy versatile knife. I also like 14" sirupates in a full tang. There's enough blade length and weight that they don't become too handle heavy and the prying capability suits the blade style well for those that need it. I love rat tails too- just for different purposes.
Historically khukuris rehandles were somewhat common- I would say moreso in the past when people had better access to blacksmiths and makers etc. Historical laha could be melted and new handles placed on with relative ease.
In Nepal people use whatever oil they have on hand really. Synthetic oils are quite commonly used like motor oil etc. We recommend mineral oil due to its penetrative qualities and stability. Some customers are fans of boiled linseed/tung for a more permanent finish but the flexibility and removability of mineral oil is a big benefit in our eyes
B Bill_Melater 14" is a great length too. 16" is a bit more poweful and a bit faster so better for clearing flexible brush. However 14 inches is a lot more handy and easy to carry- makes for a great bushcrafty campy versatile knife. I also like 14" sirupates in a full tang. There's enough blade length and weight that they don't become too handle heavy and the prying capability suits the blade style well for those that need it. I love rat tails too- just for different purposes.
Historically khukuris rehandles were somewhat common- I would say moreso in the past when people had better access to blacksmiths and makers etc. Historical laha could be melted and new handles placed on with relative ease.
In Nepal people use whatever oil they have on hand really. Synthetic oils are quite commonly used like motor oil etc. We recommend mineral oil due to its penetrative qualities and stability. Some customers are fans of boiled linseed/tung for a more permanent finish but the flexibility and removability of mineral oil is a big benefit in our eyes
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Would you say there's a big disparity in brush clearing between the 14" and the 16"?
OP, did you test yours on any lighter foliage?
Bill , many users / collectors seem to always want that something a bit longer than what they probably need at times ( nothing wrong at all with that ) as its whatever suits the individual , but sometimes smaller is better for certain tasks so have a good think what you will actually be using it for .
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Not a bad way to look at it. I think some things are just going to come from experience/trial and error though. But to your point, it will be carried more than used and even short(er) blades have been more than handy for me in the past. My current go to is a 10" which has been decent for thick-ish things but not great for the lighter stuff and I may be getting ahead of myself on the length issue. Based on this and the response from Andrew I might be leaning towards the 14" like the OP.
I did actually make some 1/4" plywood pattern blanks to really get a feel for the length difference but that doesn't help for true feel and performance.
By the way, OP: great photos! It really helps get a sense of scale for blade lengths when they're held in profile.
Yeh , you will no doubt be happy with a 14" Sirupate , im sure you wont be disapointed . Thinking of one myself .
Kailash Blades
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I think the main difference between the 16" and the 14" is the style of brush clearing. The 16" promotes a larger, lazier slashing motion it has enough tip speed and power to sort of glide through things a bit. The 14" and short are more suited to deliberate, planned snap cuts at specific locations. I prefer this latter style but if I lived somewhere with softer, greener brush then the 16" would have more of a chance to shine.
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Sorry to bang on about this but I'm just one the cusp of making my purchase but one more thing is holding me back: I think I'm sold on the 14" length but the last bit is about the handle. You mentioned that you like the full tang on the 14" Siru but also liked the rat tails for other purposes. Could you elaborate on this difference?
I also ask because I'm leaning towards steel hardware so handle weight is a consideration. It's hard to tell but the Siru models look like the handles have a really thick end bolster on them whereas what I see most of the time is a thinner sheet. Is that rear most bolster solid and does that tip the balance too much to have steel hardware and full tang?
Kailash Blades
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If you're a person that needs to pry, dig and do similar crowbarish tasks then you need a full tang. Many khukuris don't gel particularly well with this kind of utility as their lighter blades and leaner grinds can lead to a handle heavy blade with a grind that's not quite up the beating that the handle suggests. The sirupate however is a good match- it has a pretty beefy blade and a bit of length (14 and up) which helps to resist the handle heaviness from the full tang. A rat tail is lighter and has a bit more of a potent chop- making it a better choice for anyone that doesn't need to pry or dig.
I think the sirupate buttcaps look larger due to their handles ebing slightly skinnier- I don't think they're really much larger. The rear buttcap is formed sheet metal in the same style as the HSI and MSI. This provides better resistance to drops and impacts than the thin flat sheet but can make for a slightly less comfy handle as the pointed nature of the buttcap is accentuated in this region.
Full tang, steel hardware (non steel pins as default), rosewood handle on a 14" blade should handle well. Micarta on the larger handle lengths could make a 14" a little handle heavy.
I think the sirupate buttcaps look larger due to their handles ebing slightly skinnier- I don't think they're really much larger. The rear buttcap is formed sheet metal in the same style as the HSI and MSI. This provides better resistance to drops and impacts than the thin flat sheet but can make for a slightly less comfy handle as the pointed nature of the buttcap is accentuated in this region.
Full tang, steel hardware (non steel pins as default), rosewood handle on a 14" blade should handle well. Micarta on the larger handle lengths could make a 14" a little handle heavy.
You can request as I dona thin butt cap .
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Excellent description Andrew, it answers a few of my questions as well, though I'm debating the 12" vs the 14". It sounds like the 14" rat tail would suit my needs and clearing techniques better for the same reasons you stated: preferring deliberate, targeted swings. Plus, with already having an 11" Ek Chirra, the 14" Sirupate should offer greater difference in capabilities.
M Maya_steel , I received my 7" Mini last week with copper hardware and dark rosewood grip. I agree, copper hardware really does look amazing and takes the look of the khukuri to a higher level. I also think, after a bit of use during less than ideal weather, you're going to really appreciate the micarta handle. It's one less thing to be concerned with maintaining and the texture offers solid grip retention.
Jack