Durba Katana

SamuraiDave

SamuraiDave

Joined
Apr 6, 2001
Messages
2,632
The thing screams weapon! Of course that is cause it was designed as one...but regardless.

The handle is perfect, teardrop shaped horn with carved Dragons. The blade has a perfect curve to it. Not too deep, not too shallow, just right :)
The only down side of the blade is about 2/3 of the way up there is a place where someone hit it with a hammer a little too hard and it shows up in the overall finish. The flexibility is great, the blade is thick, and the edge is ground evenly and shouldent take too much before it'll cut you thinking about it.

The blade and handle alone were worth the $175 and then some. This is an astonishing piece.

The down side is that the scabbard looks as if it has been dropped a few times too many, but I planned to rebuild it anyway so it dosent matter.

Woodchucks HO! A scabbard making we go!
:cool:
 
I think Durba found a forging flaw and polished it out rather than hitting it too hard and that's what left the ripple. I don't know what happened to the scabbard but it looks like it got bent somehow, maybe in shipment. Anyway, the dimple made the blade a blem and the bend it the scabbard made it a blem. So, blem price it went for both items.

But, as you said it's well worth the price and will certainly do the job it was designed to do.

Thanks for report.
 
Dave,

Congrats on the Durba Kat :)

But this begs the question. .. WHEN did this one show up??? I really have to pay more attention!

However, I love my kat, and I do not lust after yours. ... really. ... I mean I don't need two Katanas. ... do I? I could only use one at a time. ... and. ... and, then oil and polish the other one afterwards (HEE). ... you know, to show it that I still loved it too. ... Yeah, two katanas would be better than one. ... you never know WHEN you'll need a back up kat. ... hmmm....

Uncle? Are there any DURBA kats hiding under your bed, out in the shed, or anywhere else on this continent??? :D:D:D

Alan
(who has been up WAY too long and shouldn't be taken TOO seriously. ... well, another Kat WOULD be SWEET. ... HEEE!).
 
I hope to grab one of the Dankhuta mounted ones before the sale's over.

I still think they should be called TARWARS instead of katanas. Saves everyone the trouble of explaining why they have funny scabbards, and at the same time gives acknowledgment to Nepal itself. :mad: :cool: But it doesn't seem like anyone else agrees, or cares...:eek:
 
They are Himalayan katanas, they arnt the japanese deal...sorta look like it but they arnt. The difference is that japanese kats are meant to mainly be looked at. They really are works of art, espically at the prices they start at:eek:.

Yes Japanese kats are strong, yes Japanese kats cut, but they developed into a status symbol a few centuries ago and have been seen as one ever since. If you want a sword for iaido, you need to get one of the dull aluminum ones that are intended for this use (speaking of this I am going to have to finance one sometime in the future).

Look at it this way...you can spend 10,000 on a Japanese Kat easy, all the bells and whistles you can think of, all the 'perfect' materials you want. It will be a wonderful heirloom and wall hanger.

But will you ever learn to draw it properly? The fear of cracking the intricate scabbard alone would make me wet myself.

Think of all the great stuff you can get with that 10,000, or even 1,000, at H.I. You are talkin at least a couple of perfectly forged Silver encrusted Kuks and Kats.

If you go with the Basic H.I. Kat you can drop a small fraction of what you would pay for a Japanese kat, beat the ever love of god out of it, and if you bend it hammer it out and go on. Cant do that with any japanese Kat I know.

So it dosent have the wavy clay forged temper line, or the Japanese wrapped handle, or the Japanese scabbard, but it aint Japanese.

Bottom line is that HI has
A. some seriously underpriced items
B. tools that can take abuse head and shoulders above the rest
C.
......wait....
why am I ranting...:confused:
Oh well... :p ;) :cool:

BTW, good to see you around rule!
 
Well said Dave,
I enjoy reading about, looking at, and generally lusting after the Japanese katanas. However, I will not give up my HI kat! There are many clones that cost 10 times as much and really aren't any more of a sword than the HI version. Maybe they look better but just can't afford thousands for a sword to just look at.
 
Hey Dave! It's good to be seen; every once in a while I have to crawl back out into the daylight... :cool:

Let me know about your need for practice iai swords. I have an old pair lying around -- katana & wakizashi pair, + the stand/kake. Blades are some alloy, not sure exactly what, but they look like polished steel. I was looking to unload them for, I don't know, $80? Just so I can have some cash to put toward other needful things, like tuition, or better yet an Everest kat- -- I mean, "tarwar." :eek:

We'll talk. --ruel
 
Dave,

Any chance of a photo or two??? I promise I won't lust after it. ... really :)

BTW. ... how's Jewel? Ashley wanted me to find out :rolleyes:

Alan
 
I am cleaning up the carving in my spare time along with working on Daisen failures. I am taking pics of everything I can think of with my disposable camera and I will get doubles of'em when the roll is finished. Then I will mail'em to Uncle or Yvsa or something.

Also, when cleaning up the "red stuff" on horn, just let a real thick layer of Corona sit on there awhile and use a rag to wipe off the heavy stuff. Then do another layer and go to Q-tips. (I am currently on the 2nd round.)

Alan,
Jewel is wonderful, could not ask more of her. Recently she has become a little...how should I say...rambunxious. I have not had the time at hand to take her out as she likes. (She has this thing about going on walks and talking for hours on end.) I just dont have the time to do that right now.
However she does like to watch me work out when I do so at home (I'd wish she'd spot me on the bench but the heavy iron intimidates her). I really should look into a Cable-TV for her, she isnt too quick with the computer stuff, and I can only pick up 1 channel on my antenna at home.

Uncle,
I now have 2 neighbors that want my sword. I asked one of the 2 and he said that he likes knives "as long it is below $500", the other agreed. They dont have internet access, but I am attempting to transfer HIKV in my little experiemnt. They didnt agree to buy anything from you last night, but they will be over again tonight.;) I will report back what happens.
 
I'd guess about 9 out of 10 HI Katana owners feel like they've got a real deal. After received the blade one guy send an extra $100 to be given to the kami who made it, saying the knife was worth at least $100 more than he was charged. I think it was Sanu who got this bonus.
 
Holy Toledo...Sanu makes these! :eek:

:eek: I'm gonna need another! (There are styles with 2 swords out at the same time, Musashi....yeeeeah :rolleyes: :) )
 
So there IS a reason to have two kats. HOT DOG, now I don't feel so bad!

Uncle, even though I haven't seen Dave's yet, I would really like one someday. Was this one just Durba having a creative moment, or are these going to be a regular item?

I need another katana to go with my Kumar katana! HEE!

:D

Alan
 
I've got one, Alan. Not a fancy Dan like Dave's -- just a plain old BirGorkha version. And debt is good as you already know.
 
Hmmm,

I *thnk* (subject to change at a moments notice) that if I get another, it should be a fancy Dan like Dave's. UNLESS the one you have is a Durba kat. ... then I'll have to re-evaluate :D.

Ahh, how much is the one you have now? IS it a Durba??? :D

Alan
 
Dave,

You have gotta read the Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Mushashi - gives ya all the reason for wielding two katanas in the Niten (sometimes called Nitto) style.

If Malaysian customs didn't require a special permit to import these, I'd get one for myself.

Andrew Limsk

Originally posted by SamuraiDave
Holy Toledo...Sanu makes these! :eek:

:eek: I'm gonna need another! (There are styles with 2 swords out at the same time, Musashi....yeeeeah :rolleyes: :) )
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