Actual use and clean up

S

Slugger

Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
233
Most of the pictures I see of these beautiful HI blades look like they are brand new. Is this because you guys have a special cleaning method, are they tough as nails and never get finish wear or do most never put them to work?

I'm gonna have to use them. I look at them as tools like anything else. Not for abuse but built to use.
 
I think a lot of the pics are right out of the box. The mirror surface can get scratched up pretty quick. The surface develops a patina pretty quick too when you start chopping stuff, especially any live wood with sap.

I'll leave it others to start posting pics of their users.
 
The mirror finish also makes them pretty easy to clean up. You may recall my Pen Knife from our show and tell day. I used it alot last summer on vacation, split kindling, even flipped pancakes, just about everything and it's pretty as the day it was born.

Most of mine don't see much use, I still love them just as much and it warms me to know that they are capable and ready to work if needed. Heck I'm a derelict in a wheelchair, getting to the bush to chop stuff is the biggest challenge.

But I love to chop any chance I get. I drove my riding lawn mower into the bushes last summer with the KLVUK just to whack on some bushes and small trees. Feeling of power goes straight to your head. Neighbors probably think I'm a little off but I'm ok with that. It's probably true.
 
Used 25" Siru vs new 11.5"Siru. Battle scars and hamon start to show after a while which is cool with me:thumbup:
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good used knives get a very nice petina, that only enhances beauty ! but if they are never used they will retain the full perfection of the magic stone mirror, but even cutting a soft grass or tree will streak and stain the steal because of the acids in the plants , if not the actual friction. I think they are nice either way !

this is my use khukuri , since 2001 ( I think) this is also the bura siru that split the cow skull i talked about in the other thread

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/w569/synjebek/recent019_zps3f86a1d1.jpg

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/w569/synjebek/recent020_zps0f91f3d6.jpg
 
Good to know, thanks for the feedback. I think it gives a knife character anyhow.
 
On my tin chirra or bura AK I will use a combo of 300 grit sandpaper and a 6" buffer on a small 1/3 hp grinder. This combo has worked great for me!
 
Here are a couple of my heavily used HI blades.

kdcIH9w.jpg



The Bahadur has started to show a bit of a "hamon" and you can see where the kami poured the water on the blade during hardening. (I know it's not technically a hamon but I don't know what else to call it.) A little hard to spot in this close-up photo but it's there.

gZFrVEO.jpg
 
Thanks, Gehazi. The Bahadur is a beast and it's seen a lot of use in the yard.

Both of them formed the patinas from getting rusty. I cleaned them up with sandpaper and steel wool and this is the result. The Bahadur also has a secondary patina from chopping up grapefruits in the yard.
 
I'd also like to note that neither of them getting rusty was my fault! :D

I bought the AK from a member here who let his dad borrow it, and the Bahadur I lent to a friend. Moral of the story: don't let other people borrow your khukuris!

Both of them suffered the most from being stored in the sheath. 2nd moral of the story: don't store your khukuris in the sheath unless you clean & oil them first!
 
well im definitely looking for a bahadur of my own now, that is a very meaty looking knife
 
Mine is a recent one made by Vim. There is still hope to get one straight from HI!
 
I don't have a scale but it's 18" and about the same weight as the 20" AK in the photo. Meaty for sure.
 
Thank you guys for posting those pics, I bought a KHHI khukuri in 2011 that I heavily use and felt bad that it had a couple of small rust spots and the sheath has a few dings but now I feel a lot better. It's going to be hard first using my first HI khukuri, I will be nervous but I can't wait. I haven't really done anything for maintenance other than using clear shoe polish and wd-40 on the blades and stropping or light sharpening. But I'll be a lot more careful with my HI one. ;)
 
I should have taken a pic of the rusty bahadur as a warning to others, but I was too eager to clean it up when I discovered it. It used to have the high polished finish but after the sanding it is satin for sure!
 
Cool Monsters Phillll!!!!! Knowing How big that 20" AK is tells me that Bahadur is a monster too! My 25" Siru has that Hamon...er temper line also. Ive always clean it with iso alcohol and oil it before it goes in its sheath. I use it too much to even attempt to keep it highly polished. I jealous on the grapefruit trees! That sounds like a blast with a Khuk!
 
Thanks for the pix and info philllll, good to hear directly with those of you with experience.
 
Looks like you'll have a little TLC to apply on your new CAK when it arrives. I'd like to see it before you doll it up if time allows. If you want to come up and do a tag team effort on that one, I'm up for that too.

I'm no expert but I got most of the stuff we probably need, I hope. Maybe you do too.

We'll get it all prettied up and have to send it off to Pugs or Wildman or somebody and get a proper sheath for it.
 
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