Well, I did my first "show & tell" session with the Kukri. A friend came over last night, and although he admires my collection, (which includes knives), he is not himself a collector or a knife person.
Anyhow, the Kukri sparked some conversation that went on for quite some time, as he was facinated about the facts pertaining to the famous Gurkhas and their likely even more famous knife.
He asked some good questions, and it felt good to educate him on the topic.
One particular question brought up by him, was if I used a scuff pad or something on the blade to remove the old gunk. I told him no, and then went on to explain why it's not a good idea to use such materials on an antique, as it can only instantly devalue it, and likely forever continue to affect it's value.
Then he says to me... "But it looks scratched up here and there?".
This is a question that was a fair one, him not fully grasping the fact that as an edged blade carried and used by soldiers, they were going to show the wear and tear of that service they gave. So, I went on to try and explain how most of the scars he was seeing, got there.
I first discussed that the knife was made at a time when these items were still very ancient in their productuon, and that the term "hand made" was extremely fitting to how the knife was produced. The uneveness seen on the blade's surface, (when brought up under proper lighting and angle), was from the blade having been formed by hammer and anvil. That some of the more even scratches along the blade's surface were mostly from the final shaping and finishing of the blade. I also explained that use of the knife would have been anything from the everyday mundane chores, to even being used as an actual weapon, (which the Gurkha soldiers were known to be good at with their preferred knives). I explained that the knives were cared for, but not babied, since they were tools that actually got used when needed. That the small dings and dents on such a blade were likely a combination of the manufacturing process they went through, and the expected scars from being used as tools. I also explained that outdoor conditions were not always ideal, and that carbon steel needs quite a bit of attention to prevent rust. That even though they took care of their knives, they were not going to constantly worry about a little surface rust that may occur from the elements. When the knife showed a little rust forming, they would simply use whatever was at hand at the time to remove it. This was not going to entail a fine steel wool or a fancy polishing compound, but whatever was at hand to scratch off something that may have started developing. So, in other words, some of the blade's scratches were that, basic field upkeep by a soldier to keep his knife serviceable. Then there was it's storage at the Royal Nepalese Armoury, which they were likely kept untouched for many many decades. The initial coat of protection, (grease), that was likely placed onto them when first being stored, was likely the only thing they had done to them. The decades long storage was in a building that no longer offered protection from much of the outside elements. So, yes, some of the scars were from that ordeal, (just another part of the Kukris history). Then there was the packing and transfer out of Nepal of these items back in 2003. Stuff was not treated as gently as one would hope, it was already a daunting task, adding in extremely careful handling during this process, was just not feasible. The Kukri at some point in it's voyage, wound up in an Atlanta Cutlery warehouse, and there it likely sat, (for about 15 years), until they shipped it out to me last week after my having purchased it. It was then that my cleaning off of the grease finally revealed all the scars that she clearly earned during her existence.
Yup, my friend seemed totally riveted to the explaination of my Kukri' saga
I placed the antique Kukri in one of my display cases last night. There really is no rhyme or reason to what's in any given display within my collection, atleast that's how most people likely see it. But, in my eyes, they are all tied in by being items that somehow call out to me. I guess that's why I simply titled it as my "Man Gadget Collection", which helps encapsulate my collection's eclectic nature
In any case, (pun not intended), because the collection is so eclectic, there is always something that sparks conversation with my guests
