Perhaps a new sticky post?

H

Hawgsnawt

Joined
Aug 16, 2015
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I love Kukris.... I've been fond of them since even before I knew they were called kukris.... bought my first one, made in india garbage kuk back in 1978 at a flea market with 10.00 of my own lawn mowing money..... I spent the next ten or so years trying to chop the world in half with it....or break it, whichever came first.

I have since gotten older.... wiser.... fatter >.> ...... but no less in love with the Kukri....

As many of us have come to understand, Kukris are a lot like dogs.... they come in a vast array of shapes and sizes, but even among the breeds there is a lot of difference between one specimen and the next ..... you could fill my yard with 100 weiner dogs, and I will still instantly know which one is mine at a glance..... yes, they are all wieners, but each one is unique....

The AKC has a websight, easily found, that gives judging specs for each breed.... what you SHOULD expect from any given dog based on its breed.... with some ranges given for hight and weight, and some exceptions made for defining traits.... curly hair, short hair, long hair....

This lets someone kinda get a rough idea for what's out there, but still gives a pretty good overview of what one can expect within certain parameters based on the dogs breed.....

I was thinking of the confusion, and long details extensive posts I've seen over the years here, discussing the differences between say, a Kumar Kobra, and a Chitlange.... or a Bonecutter and an AK.... etc etc....

so.... I'll pitch this idea and see if we can get some traction....

What if we could get a few of the more knowledgeable people... as they have time.... to work up a sticky post for the newer guys, and hell, even some of the older guys.... and give a fairly accurate rough idea of what to expect from each blade.... what makes a WWII different than an M43? what exactly is a Foxy Folly..... how is an Officer model different than any other Kuk?...... a general go to one stop shop for ..... hey, this has a fuller, is it a XYZ or an ABC? and if it IS a LMNOP that's not listed as commonly having fullers as agreed upon by the most knowledgeable of our members.... then it must be a special and unique version of.... a weiner dog with blue eyes and a curly tail!!!

just seems.... like it would be a damn handy reference is all..... I've looked many times just for exactly such a reference hidden away deep within the forum posts, and have not seen one yet.... not a fairly comprehensive " you should expect between 1 and 1.2oz of weight per blade inch, handles tend to run on the thinner side, spine thickness is usually between 3 and 5MM, decretive pommel cap, etc etc etc stuff I don't know but am looking for when trying to narrow down which I'd like to add to the collection next "

ya know? or.....am I crazy?
 
The closest thing to this idea, currently, is at the HI Online Store -- https://yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/ -- which lists 13 different models, with a couple of pictures and a description of each model. The URL is given in the sticky titled "Ordering and Shipping Information".

Perhaps that should be retitled as Models and Ordering Information, or something like that, to emphasize the descriptive contents.

The downside is that it doesn't provide nearly as much information as you and I would like, but it gives an idea of how complicated it would be to do this in a more comprehensive way. If you start a thread titled "HI Models and Descriptions" I would be happy to contribute to it. Perhaps over time it could grow into something more comprehensive as people add their descriptions, pictures and comments. All that information would be in one place, which is convenient, but it would likely grow very large and morph into a discussion thread, which wouldn't be so bad either.
 
I'd like it. I spent a few dollars buying khuks that weren't quite what I wanted.

As for Ww2 vs M43, handle is peened vs riveted. tip of the blade on the WW2 is more upswept (reminds me of a WW2 American submarine) and the M43 is a longer 'leaf' style blade.
 
I took a stab at something like this some time back. Pinning down the khukuri is difficult. It is a cultural expression, much as are the bowie and the dirk. You may be able to find someone who will write a table of khukuri names and specifications, but as you wander the hills and valleys of the Himalayas, you will find that few agree with your table, whatever it says. I’ll point you to a few references Yangdu maintains on the HI FAQ, but the best summary is one that Bill Martino gave: “One thing is certain, necessity is the mother of invention. Nepal ranges in altitude from about 300 feet to almost six miles and the khukuri requirement for people living at the 15 to 17 thousand foot altitudes is much different from those living in the jungle at 300 feet. Khukuris adapted to conditions. This is the reason for many different styles and sizes.

Khukuris as weapons also depended on what job they were supposed to do. Men who defended the wall under siege used very large and heavy blades -- often koras rather than khukuris. Infantrymen whose job it was to strike quickly used lighter and faster khukuris.

A different khukuri for different needs. How many styles and sizes? Like the leaves on trees.”

See from the FAQ:
https://himalayan-imports.com/Styles.htm

https://himalayan-imports.com/Styles2.htm

Main FAQ page - https://himalayan-imports.com/FAQindex.html scroll to the bottom to the “old FAQ pages” section for additional samples of the variety of khukuris.
 
A sticky could be useful to quickly link new people to information on the models and forumite's opinions to help better understand what to expect from each model. I was not even a knife guy when I first learned about Khukuris and Himalayan Imports and the forum. I didn't know a thing about BladeForums. I was completely ignorant about forums at all. I thought people only used forums to diagnose what is wrong with their vehicles and learn how to fix them. Probably because those are the only times Google directed me to a forum.

I liked hiking and camping and was just learning about bush craft and shelter making. I was Google searching these things and kept seeing the word "kukri". After learning about the practicality of khukuris, I started trying to learn more about which ones are good, and what company to buy them from. I kept seeing Himalayan Imports and my internet searches led me to the HI forum. I was unfamiliar how to search for information on a forum. I didn't even know what to search for. I couldn't tell if I was searching the HI forum or the whole BladeForum site. I also thought it was very inconvenient to have to make an account just to ask a question. Now I understand. Being new to khukuris, it seemed difficult learning about the models. Seeing all the names and trying to learn the differences was like learning a new language. Because of that, I just read through the stickys and followed the links to people's posts and reviews and comments. Luckily for me, Bill's genuine good spirit was captured in his writings. Yangdu's reputation for good service, and the kindness, helpfullness, and humor of the forumites kept me interested in learning more and eventually led me to email her for my first khukuri purchase. I didn't take the time to create an account and learn how to post pictures until after I held one in my hands and used it myself. Only after holding one in my hands, and seeing how effective it really was, did I realized that I do believe in magic. Haven't been able to shut up about them ever since.

All that to say, even though we all have our own opinions, and will never truly understand what each khuk is like until we hold it, maybe there is still a way to make use of a sticky titled something like "Models and Reviews" to easier link new people to posts and reviews about specific models without having to use the search tool. This sticky could just be a page with an organized list of model names in bold. Underneath each model name could be a few links to other forum posts or reviews with all the forumite's opinions and descriptions. All of the commenting can take place on the individual forum posts linked from the sticky but not the actual sticky itself. This may be an easier way for someone new coming to the forum that is wanting to get a better idea of what to expect from a model or some comparisons. They could simply click on the MODELS & REVIEWS sticky, click on a model, then be easily linked to a few select forum posts about each model with some good info and reviews. I would imaging almost everything that could be said of each model has already been said on the forum and most questions have already been answered. The sticky would just organize it and make learning easier to for other people, like me, that coming to the forum for the first time having no knowledge of khukuris or how or what to search for on the forum. This is just the humble opinion. I would be willing to help in any way I can to make something like this happen.
 
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Eric,

If you would like to put together an unofficial models/spec list/reviews post we can sticky it, subject to Yangdu’s approval. May go up in the Cantina. All info should be consistent with what is already posted on the HI site and the HI shopping site. Don’t forget the BladeForums archived HI section when searching for reviews. You should also communicate that each khukuri is handmade by a traditional craftsman, using a model as a flexible inspiration. Customers should not expect any particular knife to exactly hit a predetermined list of specs. You can get that from a factory knife, but that is not what HI is doing. This artistic latitude also explains why two knives looking very similar may have different model names. The two kamis making them started from slightly different models, put in their unique interpretations, and ended up in almost the same place.

Don’t underestimate the size of this task. I spent several months on this a couple of decades ago when working on the HI FAQ. Since then Bladeforums has relocated and/or reorganized several times. You can see from the links I provided above that most of my links to reviews did not survive the various transitions.
 
I only wish I could help.... sadly with my work schedule atm pushing 75 hours a week and most days running over the 15 hour mark... I simply can't .....

ugh ....

I'm doing good to make it here to harass folks on occasion lol .....but if you are still working on it this fall, when my season slows down a bit.... maybe I could help then!
 
Any spec list that is included in this project should provide a range of lengths and weights for a given model, so as not to mislead new buyers who might not be aware of the variations in these hand-built blades. For example, an AK can range anywhere from 15" to 20" and 25 oz to 42 oz, or even more. These are not "specs" in the usual sense, where a buyer might expect only slight variations. One of the longer, heavier versions might weigh too much for some buyers to handle. It's even harder to provide "specs" for edge geometry, which is an important feature for, say, choppers versus fighting knives.

It's too bad that the Bladeforums posting format doesn't provide for threads within threads. This project would be much easier (though still complex) if we could have one thread for Models, and a sub-thread for each model type. Is there a way to do that? How about a sub-sub forum, maybe under the Cantina, where each model can have its own thread? I don't know if that can be done, or if it requires special permission from the Bladeforums owner.
 
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davidf99 said:
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It's too bad that the Bladeforums posting format doesn't provide for threads within threads. This project would be much easier (though still complex) if we could have one thread for Models, and a sub-thread for each model type. Is there a way to do that? How about a sub-sub forum, maybe under the Cantina, where each model can have its own thread? I don't know if that can be done, or if it requires special permission from the Bladeforums owner.
Click to expand...

This can be done under the existing structure. The top level index thread is stickied, and contains links to other non-sticky threads. The index thread reads like a table of contents and can have multiple levels.
 
Excellent. So the top level stickied thread can show up in the main HI forum, have one link per model, and each link points to a non-sticky thread in the Cantina.

A good example of this structure would be the existing sticky labeled "Himalayan Imports Facebook and Instagram".

I should think that the top level sticky thread would be controlled by the moderators, while the non-sticky threads, one per model, would be open to postings by members. Each thread could start with an overview posting describing the particular model, and after that might grow into a discussion of the characteristics and uses of that model, including pictures of people's favorite example.
 
Windows friendly comprehensive database is needed. Huge task detailing each individual specifications of known (true) khukuris in existence.
Obviously the basics would be inputted but to what degree would you go to in respect of finer details being recorded for reference. For instance let's say the NATHRI (nozzle) data could have shape, length, upper and lower widths recorded, the CHO circumference size, edge overhang y/n, KHOL (groove) how many, pattern and brass inlay, straight lines or joined (ANKURI!!!)
HANDLE: material, HARHARI (ridge) prominence level? How would this be shown if no standard reference point can be used which can also be said of THE KHUKURI that would be the image plate to judge size differences against.
This maybe somewhat over the top as records go but if a database is going to be built, well....
 
I find the idea rather impossible since by it's very nature Kami's don't really use a spec sheet.
As Howard mentioned they begin with a model plan, add their own artistic personal touches and end up with something that might be very similar to a different model all together.
I find it one of the best things about HI and the Kami's.
Coming up with all these new models and variations is kind of a double edged thing in itself.
So far they have pulled it off and not left tradition behind, especially Thamar.
I love that every knife is kind of unique.

Very difficult to catalog. Some things are nearly always present on model to model but they often times drift considerably.

I can't remember model's or Kami marks good at all, but I got a good eye for what sings and what don't. If it catches your eye you most likely can't go wrong, if it don't fit your current needs you'll undoubtedly fine a use for it, get another one and keep at it till you got it all covered.

I keep thinking I got em all covered but again and again Yangdu post a must have that just sings, even models I already have that just call me. I try hard not to answer but usually can't hold out.
 
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