My Antique Kukri has arrived...
- Thread starter PocketKnifeJimmy
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I know that they are all from the same Royal Nepalese Armory cache that AC & IMA got back in 2003, but I think IMA is down further on what's left of their share of the Kukri knives. The IMA website states that they have few Longleafs remaining, and that none of these that remain bear any markings.
Wonder what the reason was for some Longleafs not getting inscribed?
Well, probably something we'll never know.
Wonder what the reason was for some Longleafs not getting inscribed?
Well, probably something we'll never know.
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I noticed that my picture of the Longleaf Kukri knife blade is showing only a side profile of the tang.
Here's another picture of that tang area, but at a different angle. It clearly shows how it's not only triangular in shape when looking at it from the left or right sides, but also has a triangular shape when looking at it from top or bottom.
One can still see small portions of the natural "Laha" tree glue that once held this blade to it's handle. For as weighty as this blade is, it's hard to believe that such a stubby tang, (for such a large blade), can ever be held in place by a glue. I mean, yes, the handle on this one came off at some point, but there are plenty of antique kukri knives out there that remain pretty solidly attached to their wood handles with Laha glue alone.
All of these fancy schmancy modern day epoxies out on the market, but don't know if any would really outperform this Laha stuff. I would love to have a small batch of the stuff for future projects and testing to see what else could be done with it
Well, just googled the "Laha" glue that the Kamis in Nepal use for their Kukri handle adhesive. Seems it has to be heated to something like 250 degrees fahrenheit and then worked with fairly quickly before it sets up hard. I guess I'll let the pro's (the Kamis) do their thing with it, since I would likely just get 3rd degree burns from trying to ever mess with such a thing, lol!
Btw, another thing that this picture shows, is how the blade's spine is shaped. It's like one half of an I-beam (or, let's just say a T).
Here's another picture of that tang area, but at a different angle. It clearly shows how it's not only triangular in shape when looking at it from the left or right sides, but also has a triangular shape when looking at it from top or bottom.
One can still see small portions of the natural "Laha" tree glue that once held this blade to it's handle. For as weighty as this blade is, it's hard to believe that such a stubby tang, (for such a large blade), can ever be held in place by a glue. I mean, yes, the handle on this one came off at some point, but there are plenty of antique kukri knives out there that remain pretty solidly attached to their wood handles with Laha glue alone.
All of these fancy schmancy modern day epoxies out on the market, but don't know if any would really outperform this Laha stuff. I would love to have a small batch of the stuff for future projects and testing to see what else could be done with it
Well, just googled the "Laha" glue that the Kamis in Nepal use for their Kukri handle adhesive. Seems it has to be heated to something like 250 degrees fahrenheit and then worked with fairly quickly before it sets up hard. I guess I'll let the pro's (the Kamis) do their thing with it, since I would likely just get 3rd degree burns from trying to ever mess with such a thing, lol!
Btw, another thing that this picture shows, is how the blade's spine is shaped. It's like one half of an I-beam (or, let's just say a T).
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Triton
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Very cool thanks for sharing that. Soo my other one from IMA came in yesterday. There is some variation between the two. The AC Khukri was 19.25 inches long and 3 inches wide at it's widest point. The spine is 15.5/32 or very nearly 1/2 inch. It weighs in at 1.8 lbs, which is pretty darned heavy form something that is only a little over a foot and a half long. That speaks to how robust these beasts are.
The IMA Khukri is also 19.25 inches long (the pictures below are deceiving which can be seen in the picture where I stacked one on top of the other) but is only 2.75 inches wide at the widest point. However, it is 17/32 or just over a 1/5 inch at the spine. It also weighs in at 1.8 lbs which I guess is a function of more metal in the thickness counteracting less metal in the width.
Balance and weight are not noticeably different between the two. In terms of condition the one from Atlanta cutlery's blade was in better shape, the one I got from IMA looked like someone had decided to chop rocks or something with it with some significant nicks in the edge. I threw caution to the winds and mostly sharpened them out. In doing so I discovered that the blade seems to be quite soft. I was able to easily touch it up with a file. Having a softer blade is good for such a long blade most sword blades are also far softer than knife blades 45-50 RC vs 60-65 RC however this one was so soft that I had to be very careful to not roll the edge. I would give a nickel to know how hard it really is... Oh it sharpened up quite well and I managed to knick myself on the knuckle with the darned thing.
The one from IMA had a better handle on it without so many nicked and broken pieces.
Reports to the contrary this one is also marked with a script and additionally has some English characters on it that say 2RC 619. Momentarily I'm going to try to find out what all the scripting means by checking out that website referenced in the other post.
All in all I would say that there is no real reason to order from one company vs the other except that the IMA piece was a bit cheaper.
Take a look at the pics...
AC blade is on top, IMA is on bottom
Stacked
IMA Spine
AC Spine
The IMA Khukri is also 19.25 inches long (the pictures below are deceiving which can be seen in the picture where I stacked one on top of the other) but is only 2.75 inches wide at the widest point. However, it is 17/32 or just over a 1/5 inch at the spine. It also weighs in at 1.8 lbs which I guess is a function of more metal in the thickness counteracting less metal in the width.
Balance and weight are not noticeably different between the two. In terms of condition the one from Atlanta cutlery's blade was in better shape, the one I got from IMA looked like someone had decided to chop rocks or something with it with some significant nicks in the edge. I threw caution to the winds and mostly sharpened them out. In doing so I discovered that the blade seems to be quite soft. I was able to easily touch it up with a file. Having a softer blade is good for such a long blade most sword blades are also far softer than knife blades 45-50 RC vs 60-65 RC however this one was so soft that I had to be very careful to not roll the edge. I would give a nickel to know how hard it really is... Oh it sharpened up quite well and I managed to knick myself on the knuckle with the darned thing.
The one from IMA had a better handle on it without so many nicked and broken pieces.
Reports to the contrary this one is also marked with a script and additionally has some English characters on it that say 2RC 619. Momentarily I'm going to try to find out what all the scripting means by checking out that website referenced in the other post.
All in all I would say that there is no real reason to order from one company vs the other except that the IMA piece was a bit cheaper.
Take a look at the pics...
AC blade is on top, IMA is on bottom
Stacked
IMA Spine
AC Spine
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Your pics and descriptions are what I was hoping to see.
Good stuff, thank you very much, sir!
Good stuff, thank you very much, sir!
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Btw, I like all those markings on the spine... Just adds that much more "cool factor" to it
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I think you and I are "enablng" each other on these Antique Kukri knives
I should have a Longleaf arriving to me tomorrow from IMA. I will come back here to let you know my thoughts on it after I receive it
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Okay, so I received my order from IMA today.
As I mentioned above, it is one of the antique Kukri knives they call the "Longleaf" pattern.
Here are a couple of pictures of how it looked right out of the box and plastic it was wrapped in, and how it's blade looked after I wiped her down with acetone to degrease her.
Picture showing all the old dirty grease still on her...
Picture showing the grease having been cleaned off the blade with acetone, (not on the handle, which I will later clean and rejuvenate with some mineral oil). Also, again, no abrasives whatsoever were used, just a cloth with enough solvent to degrease her...
I will try to add some more pics in the days to come, including it compared to the Bhojpure Kukri.
As for my thoughts and observations on this "Longleaf" Kukri from IMA?... Okay, here goes...
I simply could not tell through the plastic that it was wrapped in, what condition it was in. My fingers were crossed as I unwrapped her. Once the plastic was off, that same type of "antique grease", (in other words, old dirty gunk), was all over it in the exact same manner that my specimens from Atlanta Cutlery had come with, (which I think is cool). And, as you can see from the "before" picture above, you still don't really know what you have on the blade end of things with all of that grease on her. On the other hand, I could tell the condition of the wood handle, which looked a little worn here and there, but in overall nice condition for it's age. It has no cracks, and no chips worth noting.
Okay, back to the blade... It was time to remove the grease. It really is an amazingly easy task when using acetone, it comes right off with hardly any effort at all. What that degreasing uncovered was an awesome patina, having no active rust, and a blade spine with the inscriptions that we get a kick out of seeing.
The cutting edge has some minor dings that could easily be filed out if I wanted to do that, but for my purpose, (displaying this old relic), they will be left as is for posterity. I'll let the future ponder how they ever got there
I am totally happy with this purchase, and give IMA two thumbs up on the whole experience. Both Atlanta Cutlery and IMA gave me exceptional customer satisfaction. And, IMA did this at a noticeably lower price. I actually paid less for this IMA Longleaf than I did for the Bhojpure I purchased from Atlanta Cutlery.
I believe the diference between AC and IMA for the Longleaf is about $50 less from IMA... So, everthing else being about the same on these purchases, (which is to say, very good indeed), it's kind'a a no brainer that the $50 savings via IMA gives them the title for the better choice between the two, (imo).
Anyhow, this latest Longleaf Kukri is sure to make for one heck of a display piece in my home. It simply has a great patina that can't be faked, and an overall condition that makes me smile
The above pics are of the inscriptions
I'm thinking that IMA's website description stating that there are no markings on these Longleaf offerings, may be because they mean "maker's markings". I say this because they do seem to still be coming through with the blade spine inscriptions
Follow up: After degreasing the blade, I applied some mineral oil to the wood handle, and that's why it may seem shiny here, but it will dull out as she absorbs it. The blade now has a thin coat of preservative oil as well, so my mission of cleaning and oiling her is now accomplished. The blade's surface may look rough, but it is not at all. The steel is actually in great shape, and is smooth surfaced. It's just that she has that old visual patina covering her. I truly find it to be very pleasing on something such as this antique Kukri
If you are wondering what that little knife above it is...
It is a Pearl Lobster pocket knife made and imported from Germany anywhere from the late 1800's to mid/late 1920's for the Vom Cleff Lion Cutlery company in the USA. It has genuine Mother of Pearl scales and a slot to hold that genuine Tortoise Shell toothpick shown in the picture. The main blade and MOP scales are both etched with the words "Bartholomay-Rochester", which was a pre Prohibition Era brewing company that went out of business because of the Prohibition laws in the early 1930's.
Having also been cleaned and oiled, she sits on the counter awaiting it's final display destination like it's big brother beneath it
Just two old dogs being protected by their new master
IMA states on their website that they have few remaining of these knives. I believe they acquired their cache from Nepal back in 2003.
The total number of Kukri knives was 14 to 15 thousand (of various patterns). Of these, both Atlanta Cutlery/Windlass Steelcrafts & IMA (International Military Antiques), had to share this cache, (since they were both involved in the cache's purchase). Through all the sales made during the past 15 years, their attrition was guaranteed to finally dwindle them to the point of all being sold out. In fact, some of the cache's kukri patterns have long been sold out. So, if IMA is running low, Atlanta Cutlery may be getting close to running out too. It's kind'a amazing I still got lucky enough to get in on this deal. Again, the provenance of these is totally legit and easy to prove, I keep the IMA and AC receipts and take pictures of the knives in ways that will help prove what they are in the future, (for posterity).
My recommendation... If you kind'a like the idea of having one of these, don't wait on the fence. I feel the clock is finally running out on having the chance to get in on these Antiques at such a low price. Once the AC and IMA cache runs dry, prices will likely highly increase on the secondary market, and you may not get the provenance security you get from the current original sources (IMA & AC).
Again, if you are thinking of getting one... Don't hesitate
As I mentioned above, it is one of the antique Kukri knives they call the "Longleaf" pattern.
Here are a couple of pictures of how it looked right out of the box and plastic it was wrapped in, and how it's blade looked after I wiped her down with acetone to degrease her.
Picture showing all the old dirty grease still on her...
Picture showing the grease having been cleaned off the blade with acetone, (not on the handle, which I will later clean and rejuvenate with some mineral oil). Also, again, no abrasives whatsoever were used, just a cloth with enough solvent to degrease her...
I will try to add some more pics in the days to come, including it compared to the Bhojpure Kukri.
As for my thoughts and observations on this "Longleaf" Kukri from IMA?... Okay, here goes...
I simply could not tell through the plastic that it was wrapped in, what condition it was in. My fingers were crossed as I unwrapped her. Once the plastic was off, that same type of "antique grease", (in other words, old dirty gunk), was all over it in the exact same manner that my specimens from Atlanta Cutlery had come with, (which I think is cool). And, as you can see from the "before" picture above, you still don't really know what you have on the blade end of things with all of that grease on her. On the other hand, I could tell the condition of the wood handle, which looked a little worn here and there, but in overall nice condition for it's age. It has no cracks, and no chips worth noting.
Okay, back to the blade... It was time to remove the grease. It really is an amazingly easy task when using acetone, it comes right off with hardly any effort at all. What that degreasing uncovered was an awesome patina, having no active rust, and a blade spine with the inscriptions that we get a kick out of seeing.
The cutting edge has some minor dings that could easily be filed out if I wanted to do that, but for my purpose, (displaying this old relic), they will be left as is for posterity. I'll let the future ponder how they ever got there
I am totally happy with this purchase, and give IMA two thumbs up on the whole experience. Both Atlanta Cutlery and IMA gave me exceptional customer satisfaction. And, IMA did this at a noticeably lower price. I actually paid less for this IMA Longleaf than I did for the Bhojpure I purchased from Atlanta Cutlery.
I believe the diference between AC and IMA for the Longleaf is about $50 less from IMA... So, everthing else being about the same on these purchases, (which is to say, very good indeed), it's kind'a a no brainer that the $50 savings via IMA gives them the title for the better choice between the two, (imo).
Anyhow, this latest Longleaf Kukri is sure to make for one heck of a display piece in my home. It simply has a great patina that can't be faked, and an overall condition that makes me smile
The above pics are of the inscriptions
I'm thinking that IMA's website description stating that there are no markings on these Longleaf offerings, may be because they mean "maker's markings". I say this because they do seem to still be coming through with the blade spine inscriptions
Follow up: After degreasing the blade, I applied some mineral oil to the wood handle, and that's why it may seem shiny here, but it will dull out as she absorbs it. The blade now has a thin coat of preservative oil as well, so my mission of cleaning and oiling her is now accomplished. The blade's surface may look rough, but it is not at all. The steel is actually in great shape, and is smooth surfaced. It's just that she has that old visual patina covering her. I truly find it to be very pleasing on something such as this antique Kukri
If you are wondering what that little knife above it is...
It is a Pearl Lobster pocket knife made and imported from Germany anywhere from the late 1800's to mid/late 1920's for the Vom Cleff Lion Cutlery company in the USA. It has genuine Mother of Pearl scales and a slot to hold that genuine Tortoise Shell toothpick shown in the picture. The main blade and MOP scales are both etched with the words "Bartholomay-Rochester", which was a pre Prohibition Era brewing company that went out of business because of the Prohibition laws in the early 1930's.
Having also been cleaned and oiled, she sits on the counter awaiting it's final display destination like it's big brother beneath it
Just two old dogs being protected by their new master
IMA states on their website that they have few remaining of these knives. I believe they acquired their cache from Nepal back in 2003.
The total number of Kukri knives was 14 to 15 thousand (of various patterns). Of these, both Atlanta Cutlery/Windlass Steelcrafts & IMA (International Military Antiques), had to share this cache, (since they were both involved in the cache's purchase). Through all the sales made during the past 15 years, their attrition was guaranteed to finally dwindle them to the point of all being sold out. In fact, some of the cache's kukri patterns have long been sold out. So, if IMA is running low, Atlanta Cutlery may be getting close to running out too. It's kind'a amazing I still got lucky enough to get in on this deal. Again, the provenance of these is totally legit and easy to prove, I keep the IMA and AC receipts and take pictures of the knives in ways that will help prove what they are in the future, (for posterity).
My recommendation... If you kind'a like the idea of having one of these, don't wait on the fence. I feel the clock is finally running out on having the chance to get in on these Antiques at such a low price. Once the AC and IMA cache runs dry, prices will likely highly increase on the secondary market, and you may not get the provenance security you get from the current original sources (IMA & AC).
Again, if you are thinking of getting one... Don't hesitate
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Triton
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Thanks for the very nice write up. I have not yet delved into the book yet. I wonder if it will outline the other potential patterns. The prices have already gone up substantially. I actually purchased one of these years ago for a friend at the blade show for a friend when I was not interested myself. At the time I got a nice clean example for 100 dollars. So maybe 50% appreciation in 10 to 15 years?
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Out of the three antique Kukri specimens I now have, (the Bhojpure, the Longleaf blade only, and this latest Longleaf), it's the latest IMA acquired Longleaf that has the smoothest, almost untampered with, original blade surface finish. It's also the one showing the most stained/patina appearance. It's patina aside, it simply shows little to no signs of having it's surface touched up from long ago maintenance. It's hard to explain, but although it seems to show in pictures as the roughest of my specimens, (because of those mottled stains/patina), it actually has the most pristine surface. If you were to place your fingers onto the flats of the blade, and just feel the surfaces of my three specimens, it's this Longleaf that would feel the smoothest, with the least amount of scratches, pitting, waves, or slight rough spots.
These Kukri knives from the Royal Nepalese Armory cache have so many variations among them, I'm here just wondering how all that happens.
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Alrighty, buddy, here are some pics of my Longleaf and the Bhojpure together. The Longleaf will be the one with the inscriptions on the spine and the darker patina blade...
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And a few more pics.
I don't plan on measuring and/or weighing them, but they are almost the exact same overall length, (at least these two are), with the Longleaf being just a wee bit longer overall. Blades are probably about the same length, but the Longleaf's handle is just a tad longer.
The Longleaf is most definitely the heavier of the two, and it is the obviously thicker blade that explains the reason for that. Looking down at their spines when I hold them side by side, the beefier spine of the Longleaf is very noticeable.
Yup, the Longleaf is undoubtedly the bigger beast in that sense
Hope this helps!
I don't plan on measuring and/or weighing them, but they are almost the exact same overall length, (at least these two are), with the Longleaf being just a wee bit longer overall. Blades are probably about the same length, but the Longleaf's handle is just a tad longer.
The Longleaf is most definitely the heavier of the two, and it is the obviously thicker blade that explains the reason for that. Looking down at their spines when I hold them side by side, the beefier spine of the Longleaf is very noticeable.
Yup, the Longleaf is undoubtedly the bigger beast in that sense
Hope this helps!
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I have thought about getting that book too... But, most reviews make it out to be a picture book, with very little substance in the form of the words written.
I mean, good pics are pretty cool in such a book, but so too is the information put down in writing. I guess if it was mostly pics of the Kukri Knives they purchased, I would be in for one, but, I imagine the pics of Kukri knives will be as sparse as the writing in the book.
In any case, I have not totally decided against getting a copy, so your overall thoughts of it will be greatly appreciated
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Triton
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Thank you for posting all the pictures. They were informative. There is not nearly as much difference between the long leaf and the bhojpure as I was thinking. I still have not cracked the book. I have been keeping it as incentive to finish some other reading I need to do. I will give it a look before the weekend is over however. Did you notice that Atlanta cutlery also has a third pattern that they are calling an "officers Khukris?"
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Yes, I noticed that too. Not sure if they too were part of the 2003 Royal Armory cache, but maybe not. The one they have pictured seems to have quite the spots of active red rust on it... Some work would need to be done on them if they are like that, not just grease removal... Maybe even some Evapo-Rust would need to be done
Hope the book turns out to be a winner. They have the video of the 2003 haul available free to watch online... I found it riveting
You mentioned that your Longleaf's seemed quite soft when you filed out the dings in it's edge. That seems to be a norm with them. They obviously did that whole one at a time edge hardening thing they do with them, and then there is the fact that, although they are made of carbon steel, they will not rate to the levels of carbon that we think of today as high carbon steel. So, what you have is an antique kukri in every way
You drew blood... Darn, it's trying to go back to it's glory days! Btw, you are right, my Bhojpure from the side profile view does not seem much different than my Longleaf, but... when one looks down at their spines side by side... Wow! Yup, not just the Longleaf's markings, but also the Longleaf spine thickness, definitely a different animal there. My "blade only" Longleaf is even beefier than my complete Longleaf.
Atlanta Cutlery sells the basic Bhojpure at $99, and their basic Longleaf at $149.
Ima sells their basic Bhojpure for $89, and their basic Longleaf at $99. They both charge a $10 fee for "handpicked".
The $49 "blade only" Longleaf option seems to have run dry at Atlanta Cutlery, but they have it listed as out of stock. That likely means that if some of their in stock Longleafs have a way too broken up handle, they will then likely just finish removing it and then sell the blade only.
Since IMA is claiming to be running low on their Longleafs, I could see Atlanta Cutlery bumping up their prices even more, since their only competition on these is IMA. If IMA runs out soon, Atlanta will likely raise the price, because they then become the only game in town.
It does make sense that the Longleafs are the next ones to be running low, since there were less of them in the cache than the Bhojpures.
Other than the book, I am likely done with my Nepalese Royal Armory related purchases, but am glad to have the specimens that I acquired
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Well, my antique "Longleaf" kukri knife from IMA has been waiting for my creative juices to flow so that I can display her properly, (meaning, with some style).
While she still awaits that to happen, at least she is now a wee bit less in limbo, my having picked up a front loading shadow box for her today. I was simply perusing one of the local stores in my area, and stumbled upon it. I tend to favor black framed displays, and the burlap background will only add a touch of "old" look to it all. No major creative juices flowing yet on this project, but step one, (buying this display case), has the ball rolling
While she still awaits that to happen, at least she is now a wee bit less in limbo, my having picked up a front loading shadow box for her today. I was simply perusing one of the local stores in my area, and stumbled upon it. I tend to favor black framed displays, and the burlap background will only add a touch of "old" look to it all. No major creative juices flowing yet on this project, but step one, (buying this display case), has the ball rolling
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The burlap background in the shadow box didn't look as good as I'd hoped it would, so I changed it out for something more appealing to me. My "Longleaf Kukri" is now in it's new home
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