Yvsa- anyone know him or can help?

Y

Yvsa's Grandson

Joined
Aug 29, 2016
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25
Hello to all! Thank you for adding me to this forum. My grandad, Yvsa Gigagei, was an active member on this site. He 'walked west' in 2012. He left me many of his prized knifes that I will pass to my son and so on. I am trying to learn about the knives he left. Most of them are custom khukuri with very unique symbols and initials. If anyone knew him or can help please reach out to me. Thank you.
 
He is literally a legend around here, I can't do it justice as I am a new member. He is one of the somewhat few people who had a special knife designed by him. the "Cherokee Rose" if I am not mistaken.

If you will, and I am almost begging you, please post some pictures of his knives. The members here are all profoundly knowledgeable and will doubtless have a lot to say about them.

And, I am sure they are amazing!
 
Thank you so much for the very kind words! You have no idea what it means to me. I have the Cherokee Rose in front of me now. It is a beautiful knife and I know it was very dear to him! And I will post pictures of many of his knives.
 
From what I know it seems he had a keen understanding of the use and purpose of a knife. He designed a gorgeous, balanced, useful, intimidating blade with excellent lines and very thoughtful/well-conceived accessories. It's the only one that I've seen so far with that yin-yang handle inlay. it seems like an excellent fighter, camp knife, and display piece!

Thank you so much in advance!

I never 'met' him but from reading some old posts it seems like he truly has a beautiful soul.

I hope you find some excellent answers here, and I am sure you will find many new friends!
All the best,
Will
 
I have this Cherokee Rose made by Vim Kami. It's 20" OAL and weighs 30 oz.

CherokeeRose20in-Vim30oz-01.jpg

When you post pictures, try to include closeups of the kami marks to help us identify who made each knife. The kami mark is engraved on the blade near the handle, usually on the left hand side, but sometimes on the right hand side for the older blades. (I didn't do that with my photo here because I don't have a good picture of the kami mark.)
 
You should also drop Yangdu a line as she and her husband Uncle Bill knew him well.
 
for Yvsa

as the sun climbs
the sun also falls
it rolls down in the west
that great blazing ball
and it's gone

the darkness surrounds us without a sound
all that once dazzled now under the ground

but the sun also rises as we will some day
in the fields of the lord where together we'll play
 
I am proud to say that your grandfather and I were good friends though we never met fact to face. We emailed and spoke on the phone many a time. He was an inspiration to me on many levels and I called him "elder brother" though I am in my early 60's myself.

He shared many images with me of his ceremonial outfits and taught me a lot about tsalagi.

He was a strong soul and many here, myself among them, miss him dearly.
 
yvsa was a stalwart and guide to us all here, those of us who communicated with him are privileged to have known him. his spirit lives on and guides us here still. many of the custom khukuri and other knives that HI originated in his designs. we miss him still.

if you guide your life with the wisdom he passed on to you and your parent, you will not go wrong. the world is a lesser place since his moving west. strive to live like him and replace and fill some of the loss.

...and you are welcome here. always.
 
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Not sure if I attached pictures correctly?!?!? But this is Yvsa and his personal Cherokee Rose. Thank you for the kind words and warm welcome. I'm fighting a flood of emotions reading each of your comments. Thank you so much is all I can say. I know each of you miss him and his contributions to this community.
 
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I'm really curious about this knife. It seems like a Khukuri Swiss Army knife! Does anyone know anything about it?
 
A very warm welcome indeed to you, and thank you for the great photos.
With respect to names, the Bowie knife designed by your multi-talented grandfather is the Cherokee Rose. The amazing khukuri, also his design, is the Yvsa Cherokee Special, usually referred to in the forum as the YCS.
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The khukuri Swiss Army knife is the Himalayan Imports dui chirra. Based on an old one in my collection, it was sometimes called the Berk Special. The idea for the extra tools originated with the Royal Kami Bura (initials L.B.), who made the first one from a mold sent to Nepal.
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Thank you for the correction. This is why I reached out to you all for the information! Extremely helpful. I also have his Cherokee Rose Bowie along with the below knife. Any idea about it?

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Thank you for posting the picture of your grandfather a true legend around here. I had never seen a picture of him before and I feel closer knowing what he looked like.

So glad you found us.
 
So cool! I can't wait to hear more about the crazy horn handle knife!
I'm completely guessing it is a Kumar Karda?
Someone will know better than me but it always reminds me of the JKM - a derivation of a finnish Pukko knife?
Great utility knife, I love that horn handle so natural!! I am almost certain that there is a LOT more to the story! I'd love a closeup of the markings.

You have a Bura Dui Chirra! WOW. That is something. The YCS is gorgeous, amazing.
 
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I have a sentimental value for these beautiful knives more than anything right now. I know many of you maybe have a different appreciation for them. Here is a close up of the markings on the bone knife. I am intrigued by it. Definitely want to know its history. Thank you.
 
Yvsa's Grandson said:
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I have a sentimental value for these beautiful knives more than anything right now. I know many of you maybe have a different appreciation for them. Here is a close up of the markings on the bone knife. I am intrigued by it. Definitely want to know its history. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I'm not an HI pundit. To me, it appears to be a Kumar Karda with a spotted deer antler handle.
 
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Bigbore577 said:
I'm not an HI pundit. To me, it appears to be a Kumar Kardashian with a spotted dear horn handle.
Click to expand...

Well, it does look a little thick in the grip;)

Yvsa's Grandson, you're grandfather taught me so much about not only Khuks but life in general. He was always a guiding hand and remains one of the most important pillars on which this cozy little forum is built. I am blessed to have known him if only in electronic form.

You truly have a very, very special treasure on your hands.
 
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