Catastrophic blade failure

spiraltwista said:
& presumably one day Mike's handle will come off but hopefully the blade won't snap...

Spiral
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Spiral, I'd like to use this as a sig line. :D It's a hopeful thought.

One bad khukuri, or one bad batch, is just a bump in the road. No big deal.

I did NOT torture-test this to the breaking point, to reiterate for some. It never went in a vise. Just the sidewise whack and less than 2 minutes of chopping on a pine tree and it started coming apart. With my 20" AK, the tree would have been coming apart. :thumbup: These just weren't designed great, and are a lot tougher-looking than they actually are.

The only important thing is that Steve isn't too badly hurt, and can resume those husbandly duties. :p


Mike
 
Svashtar said:
Well, this leads me to think my best course of action on this would be to completely remove the handle and clean it all up and then re-epoxy the whole thing together. As long as the blade and tang are solid and in good condition I shouldn't have any further problems.

Norm
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Norm if I were you and wanted to save the whole rig I'd send it to Dan K and let him rework the handle.
It can be taken off and re-brazed and then reinstalled with the Accuglass that Dan likes or with JB Weld either one.
The MM is a very unique kukri and good modern ones are going to be very rare. I think yours would be well worth saving since the handle isn't that loose.

Steve's would've broke at some point down the line anyway and the others with the super loose handles have a very good chance of breaking although the handles could be removed and the blade and tang intersection checked out thoroughly and if found sound the handles could also be repaired and reinstalled.
Just depends on how bad a man wants to keep one.;) :D
 
Yvsa said:
Norm if I were you and wanted to save the whole rig I'd send it to Dan K and let him rework the handle.
It can be taken off and re-brazed and then reinstalled with the Accuglass that Dan likes or with JB Weld either one.
The MM is a very unique kukri and good modern ones are going to be very rare. I think yours would be well worth saving since the handle isn't that loose.

Steve's would've broke at some point down the line anyway and the others with the super loose handles have a very good chance of breaking although the handles could be removed and the blade and tang intersection checked out thoroughly and if found sound the handles could also be repaired and reinstalled.
Just depends on how bad a man wants to keep one.;) :D
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Yvsa, I got it apart tonight and cleaned up the tang. I'm starting a new thread with pics in a few minutes, and would welcome your input on the best way to proceed. I think I can salvage this, as the blade and tang are a nice peice of steel. Hell, it's all steel, blade, bolster and both guards.

Thanks very much,

Norm
 
Dadgum, just got back from a camping trip and saw this :(
Steve, I hope you're doing okay, and already started healing. I know that it was a freak mishap, and that the damage to your hand is plenty bad enough. But, I shudder to think what could have happened, and I thank God that things didn't turn out any worse. You take it easy and get yourself well. I'll be praying for you hoss.

Sarge
 
Steve, I'm glad you were not hurt worse than what happened. Catastrophic blade failure can result in serious, if not fatal, injury. I'm glad it did'nt get you in the face or the family hierlooms....
Anyhow, a weapon/tool is never reconized as being very important until it fails, or saves your life. 1/100 or 1/1000 failure to me is still not acceptable. The ABS sets standards for a blade to pass the journeymans test and the mastersmith test. The bending to 45 Degree's without failure, cutting and other tests.
A show knife is one thing, a work, survival or weapon is something completely else.
In closing, I wish you a quick recovery and continued enjoyment of your Kuk's
 
Glad the damage wasn't worse Steve. Prayers from Texas and get well soon.
Terry
 
ferguson said:
Yangdu and HI were never ever in danger of being sued. Let's not even discuss that possibility. I shouldn't even have mentioned a lawyer, as I hate the fact that our society is so litigious. We have become a nation of victims. I'm not one of them.

I collect and use knives and swords. There is inherent risk there. I accept that risk.

These knives are forged from salvaged materials in a manner that hasn't changed much in centuries. The kamis do a wonderful job most of the time. I don't recall any failures like this in the time I've been here.

Andy, I respectfully (and affectionately) disagree on one point. Kumar is responsible for the failure of the knife, because he made the knife. I don't think for one moment that he is negligent though. There's a huge difference in my mind. I suspect that if he thought the knife might fail, he would not have finished it.
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Thank you for correcting me Steve. You are right, and it was well said, and welcome. The physical maker must bear ultimate responsibility. I misworded or misthought. I really respect how you've handled this whole thing bud...:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
I just heard about your injury on another board.

Man, you had a close call. Get well soon, Steve
 
Again friends, thanks for the smoke & good thoughts. Just got back from the doctor. Thumb won't straighten out, so I have to see a hand specialist. There's probably some surgery in my future. That sucks, but it could have been so much worse. Pic below. Don't look if you're sqeamish.
















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Ouch, Steve:(

Man, i leave for just a couple of days and people start nearly losing limbs;) Seriously, mucho smoke and prayers going up from my household. Also, I know Steve is a much smarter man than I will ever be, but a word to the wise....DO WHATEVER THAT DOCTOR TELLS YOU TO DO....THIS INCLUDES NOT DOING WHAT HE TELLS YOU NOT TO DO. I am living proof. Damaged my pinky tendon, had work done on it, didn't listen and now it won't go straight. I could probably get some more movement out of it with months and months of physical therapy or maybe 15 degrees of movement from another $5000 surgery. These are just not in the cards.

Smoke up, Steve. Thank God it was just a gash to your thumb area.

Jake
 
Hey Steve, nice love bite you got there! Thanks for posting up what happened and for the photos:thumbup: Since my meds dumb me down pretty good and I have that small collection of steel that needs be kept clean, I can no longer trust myself when laying down the wax or oil while bare handed with some extreme sharps...awhile back I bought a pair of full 100% kevlar gloves from http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/products/gloves/index.htm a very cheap option...I dont know how many times I could have been cut but was'nt!

fast healing!
 
Geez, after seeing this that's the last time I go wood chopping naked! :eek:

I hope there will be no surgery involved. Especially bad for someone as handy as you are.

Near as I can figure the blade must have done almost a 360 to get you like that?

Hope it heals quick and there is a minimal amount of pain, but I know that's probably not real likely.

Norm
 
ferguson said:
Again friends, thanks for the smoke & good thoughts. Just got back from the doctor. Thumb won't straighten out, so I have to see a hand specialist. There's probably some surgery in my future. That sucks, but it could have been so much worse. Pic below. Don't look if you're sqeamish.
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wow, indeed, nice love bite... pretty neat work on the stitches, though the lower left there looks ragged?

i'm not an expert, but it's possible that since you traumatized the tendon, it shrunk in shock/reflex... bruised and battered. so, it MIGHT respond later and stretch out. unless something else was cut, you can move it both ways? just not fully straighten it out?

as for a specialist, 100% ASAP. demand it right away - get a sports perfectionist - the magic words to say are going to be "i do precision work with my hands, play an instrument, ..." something that gives them an impression that you must have complete range of motion/etc.

then demand proper physical therapy and DO the work - oh yeah (koolaid guy). right as rain soon :)

bladite
 
Sorry to hear about this - sometimes bad things happen for no real reason.

Send it back to the kamis and I think they will worry about it more than we can- it's their livelihood and their pride as craftsmen at stake. They will make things right :thumbup:
 
Those are some neatly done stitches. Mine looked totaly dumb and when I went to the specialist he was irritated about it. That'll help the scar stay small. My scar hurts during the winter as the specialist said it would. Doh!
 
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