I am reminded of what an old acquaintance said to me once when we were talking about handloading .44 Rem Mag for a Ruger revolver. He made me up some hardcast 300 gr. SWC loads for pigs, and marked everything he loaded for my Old Model 3-screws with the words "For Ruger Revolvers Only!", and told me (correctly in my opinion) that you could put loads into a Ruger that would "scatter a Colt across the countryside."
Well, I own 3 Tora's, fifty times that in HI products, and 15 NKH blades, and think of this comparison often when matching HI against everything else. The Tora Tin Chirra I bought was a pretty copy of the exact knife offered by NKH, which I also have, with a thin non-brass buttplate twice as thin as anything you have seen on an HI knife, which quickly loosened after just a few chops on a 4X4. The worst beater POS HI abortion I have ever seen that shipped accidentally out of BirGhorka would chop rings around it, and my very first HI blade, a 21" Chitlangi, is more of a "fighting" knife than anything Tora ever made on their best day. As is any Chainpuri, Malla, Junge, or Samsher. Yes, I guess my chitlangi is useless "traditionally" because it has a habaki bolster, but I'll suffer through the crushing disappointment somehow.
Also note that every single HI knife I own has a spine of moderate width, while the Tora blades are very thin, like the last run of Foxes Folly's. The only thick spined knives I have are 3 Shop 1 AK's, and a BirGhorka Gelbu Special. Nothing currently manufactured by HI could be described as overly thick at all. Incidentally, since Tora embraces tradition so much, I am curious as to why none of their knives are offered with carved handles or inlaid swords of shiva, at least that I recall. The carving on the lowliest chandan kumar karda is obviously beyond the skill of their kami's. Finally, offering just 7 or 8 models must make things easier. I just jumped over to my spreadsheet of HI knives and in 2 minutes roughly counted SIXTY-SEVEN separate Himalayan Imports models. That isn't counting at least 8 or 10 out of production knives I don't have. You would have to go to a modern folding knife manufacturer like CRKT to find even close to that many models offered from one company.
I think I know what Uncle Bill would have done. He would have made light of Simon's post, tried to minimize any posts criticizing Simon while skillfully redirecting the conversation, would have forgiven him in his heart, and sent up smoke and a prayer wishing him peace and understanding.
For his sake and the positive impact he had on my life, I will try to follow that example.
But, if it's all the same, while I'm trying to do that to honor Uncle Bill, I think I'll spend the $ I had set aside for a Tora M-43 on one of the junk touristy HI Salyans coming out. At least I won't have to pay $60 shipping on it!
Thanks & regards,
Norm