Khukuri or KLO?

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JayGoliath said:
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I really like these!
 
Bill those appear to be "Budget" Mk. IIs to me. They share the shape, but do away with the little thing like bolster, pommel cap, cho, etc. I would imagine they would be cheap and easy to produce, but the handle doesn't look comfortable to me. I'd love to know how they actually worked out, but being they seem extremely rare (or non-existent), I suppose they may have never even been issued to any real degree. They do, however, demonstrate just how tricky this whole khuk vs. KLO issue is:)
 
That blade design seems as though it was popular back then where it can be seen not only in teh military models but also in village models with stick tangs, full tangs and various types of handle materials. Other models share almost an identical blade profile like the Ganjuwal, Purkhaul and another name that escapes me now.

After three years of attempting to find one, I wouldn't care if it had a barbed wire handle! I just want to use that blade in the field... :grumpy:
 
shortwinger said:
After three years of attempting to find one, I wouldn't care if it had a barbed wire handle! I just want to use that blade in the field... :grumpy:
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Bill, I sense frustration in your voice................:D
 
I know this post started years ago so I apologize for coming in so late but I hope by updating it slightly people new to the Khukuri world may be able to understand more . By the way I am not an expert regarding khukuris but after many years of interest , research , owning and using khukuris in bushcraft situations and listening to people within the khukuri world who have an greater knowlege on the subject , I do consider myself to have a reasonable amount of understanding on the subject .
First and foremost in my opinion khukuris can be broken down into four different stereotypes as follows : .....
For the real purists and many knowlegable individuals and collectors there are the genuine Nepalese made (and sometimes Indian made) antique khukuris that probably mainly originate from the 18th century Anglo / Nepali wars , through the Indian Mutiny era right through both World Wars and into the Malayan emergency (1950s era ) .
Then you have the many reproduction khukuris manufactured in Nepal from the second world war period right up to the present day . Many of these are of poor quality and build ( sometimes overbuilt ) using inferior materials and as such would not stand up to practical use , but on the other hand over the past ten or more years there are Nepalese khukuri manufacturers who have raised the bar to such a level with good weight and balance ergonomics , quality and experienced forging and heat treatment techniques and a lot better fit and finish that it is quite easy now to order a quality practical working khukuri hand made in Nepal which in my view constitutes a genuine Nepalese khukuri !

Then there are what are commonly called KLOs (khukuri like objects ) , which in many cases dont relate in any way to the traditional Nepalese khukuri other than a very basic overall shape with add ons etc ! OK it can be argued if thats what the customer wants then why not make whatever wierd and wonderfull zombie killer blade you can to make a living ! personally I wouldnt even sell them for scrap and I think many khukuri houses and their kamis are doing themselves a disservice to their historical traditions and (in some cases their skills ) . Then why call yourself a khukuri manufacturer if its these and other well known styles of knives such as bowies etc of which there are many many far better and skilled makers ofthis knife around the world , especially in the States that they choose to mimic . I am sure there are skilled sword and knife makers all over the world who could produce a good rendering of a traditional looking khukuri knife BUT it wouldnt be a genuine hand built khukuri made in Nepal , Home to this most iconic and famous knife !
Hope this may help people new to the world of Khukuri make an informed choice .
 
Woo this is an oldie of a thread ;)

I think it's important to point out that kamis aren't just khukuri smiths. They are blacksmiths in general, so while places like HI employee them to make many wonderful traditional khuks, the bowies, swords, etc that they craft are just as well made and of heirloom quality. Kamis in Nepal make all kinds of stuff. Steel is steel, a forge is a forge. If something needs to be crafted that is NOT a khuk, they are going to do it;)

There are all kinds of "traditional" khuks out there, and it depends on the definition of "traditional" you are looking for: cho? teapot hardened? glued/burned in partial tang? Where HI comes in is making an heirloom knife that holds up to western expectations. Overbuilt, peened or pinned, high polish, etc.

To me, a KLO is knife that is an homage to the traditional khukuri: flat bladed and bent. A khukuri is a khukuri ;) Where a sample lies on THAT spectrum is up to the purchaser be it tourist garbage or a one of a kind heirloom. Be it a wall hanger or be it a knife to pack across a continent. YMMV.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Woo this is an oldie of a thread ;)

I think it's important to point out that kamis aren't just khukuri smiths. They are blacksmiths in general, so while places like HI employee them to make many wonderful traditional khuks, the bowies, swords, etc that they craft are just as well made and of heirloom quality. Kamis in Nepal make all kinds of stuff. Steel is steel, a forge is a forge. If something needs to be crafted that is NOT a khuk, they are going to do it;)

There are all kinds of "traditional" khuks out there, and it depends on the definition of "traditional" you are looking for: cho? teapot hardened? glued/burned in partial tang? Where HI comes in is making an heirloom knife that holds up to western expectations. Overbuilt, peened or pinned, high polish, etc.

To me, a KLO is knife that is an homage to the traditional khukuri: flat bladed and bent. A khukuri is a khukuri ;) Where a sample lies on THAT spectrum is up to the purchaser be it tourist garbage or a one of a kind heirloom. Be it a wall hanger or be it a knife to pack across a continent. YMMV.
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Hi Steely_Gunz , Yes certainly is an old thread , and I thought I would try and resurrect it just to let any newbie collectors or users or indeed anyone with an interest in what are termed reproduction kukuris know that since this thread was first posted back in 2012 so 12 years ago now that the world of Nepalese kukuri manufacture has really upped its game with some companies turning out what people have been after for years in a quality made kukuri . I tend to think that there are far too many backstreet blacksmiths in Nepal churning out rubbish for the tourist trade but I suppose if its legal in Nepal who are we to make judgement and yes if they are asked to make the ultimate zombie killer sword of course they will do it to make a living . That being said , on a personal basis I am only interested in what I consider are genuine , hand made (as near as possible to the old traditional methods) traditional style kukuris . Yes it can also be argued that newer forging , heat tretments and quenching techniques are creeping in that maybe do not fit into the original ways of making a kukuri but they are in fact helping to produce in many cases a better quality more robust ergonomic practical use blade which is I am sure what most collectors and users want . You mentioned HI making an heirloom type of kukuri that holds up to western expectations , ie overbuilt , peened or pinned , high polish etc . The overbuilt aspect is one of the reasons I would never buy a HI kukuri plus in most of their models the overall shape does not appeal to me ( that does not take away the fact that they are a well built robust kukuri ) . Today in my opinion there are four so called kukuri houses that I would trust to make a good quality working / practical kukuri with weight and balance taken into consideration to produce an ergonomically made traditional kukuri who all have a good reputation and usually good customer care services , but more importantly understand the ergonomics and feel in the hand of a well made kukuri . as an example , I own a BSI style kukuri from a very well known kukuri house that will probably never break , in fact it lends itself to be a great chopping blade but thats where it ends . It is way overbuilt with a spine that is too great in its thickness , no form of deeper fullers or hollow forging to help reduce and balance out the weight which would make it more lively in the hand , with a cutting edge that is not steep enough to carry out some decent cuts ! These are some of the concepts that make the difference between a good practical working kukuri and a not so good one .
At the end of the day everyone will have their own opinions as to what constitutes a genuine Nepalese kukuri and they will make their choices on their personal knowledge and how the aesthetics of any given kukuri appeals to them and of course what they want to use it for . Good luck whatever your choice .
 
To each our own. As for me (I reside in the Continental USA): HI has the best customer service, and the fastest delivery. I have zero complaints. Great quality, amazing artisanal craftmanship. Superb all around. Yes, there are other makers (I have a couple of one of the makers u mention...took months for delivery). But none have withstood the test of time of HI. And HI has since become an earned tradition. They are not based on a personality, nor they are the new kids in block. If one lives in Europe/UK....maybe there's a faster delivery over there by another decent option. But Himalayan Imports is the one for me.
 
I'm a devout HI fan, done everything I need to do and make everything I like. Best customer service bar none. I've met the key players a few times and nobody could be any kinder, nicer or genuine good people.
Like XelaZela, Hi is the one for me 8 days a week.
 
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