Bill, I think it must be time to renew your mordita with the post office.
You mailed my package last Tuesday but they didn't attempt delivery until Saturday. Off to the PO I went this morning & soon had a familiar long box in hand.
Despite their vast differences in size, the Sirupatis have a few things in common. For one they both display the skills of their makers with very good fit, finish, and spirit. In addition, both are 1/2" thick and, somewhat surprisingly, the heft all that steel provides seems to suit them just fine. The little guy's balance & speed do not seem to be adversely affected at all by the thick spine. What is really surprising to me, however, is that the big guy actually has that much thickness and yet maintains such excellent balance & feel.
Another thing they have in common is a small circle immediately in front of the Sword of Shiva. The 25" model has the circle on both sides whereas the 12" has it on the right side only. Is there anything you can tell us about these circles, Bill? I don't have all my khuks here to check but, IIRC, this is the first time I have seen the circle. Anyway, on to some individual comments
12" Sirupati
25" Sirupati
Overall, I am very pleased with my latest selections from "Uncle's Bargain Bin". Now, if the kamis would only do something about improving initial sharpness
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Cheers,
Brian
He who finishes with the most toys wins.
Despite their vast differences in size, the Sirupatis have a few things in common. For one they both display the skills of their makers with very good fit, finish, and spirit. In addition, both are 1/2" thick and, somewhat surprisingly, the heft all that steel provides seems to suit them just fine. The little guy's balance & speed do not seem to be adversely affected at all by the thick spine. What is really surprising to me, however, is that the big guy actually has that much thickness and yet maintains such excellent balance & feel.
Another thing they have in common is a small circle immediately in front of the Sword of Shiva. The 25" model has the circle on both sides whereas the 12" has it on the right side only. Is there anything you can tell us about these circles, Bill? I don't have all my khuks here to check but, IIRC, this is the first time I have seen the circle. Anyway, on to some individual comments
12" Sirupati
- Buffalo horn handle is nicely shaped & fitted but, as Bill had mentioned, does have a few grain lines at the surface that may or may not develop into cracks. At barely 4" long, including the bolster, the handle is a bit short for my medium/large hands. It should be fine for light utility & social work but would be likely to dig into my hand if I were to use it for into heavy or prolonged chopping. Since such a small knife is not intended for that type of use, no handle work is needed at this point. (Khuks really do have a way of changing perspectives, don't they? Imagine calling an 8" bladed knife "little" or "small" in other circles!
)
- The blade is very symmetrical & nicely finished. At 1/2" thick, I think it's up to whatever task I might possible throw at it. Hardness, as tested by running a steel along the edge, seems to be just about right -- slightly softer front & back with the hardest section right at the sweet spot. Unfortunately, it is going to need a good sharpening session until I am satisfied with the edge. It is chopping, but not slicing (forget about shaving), sharp.
- As Bill would say, "the sarkis were sober that day." The overall scabbard fit & finish is very good. My only negative criticism concerns the chakma & karda holes. Unless the tools are shoved firmly in place, they will pop out and the interior nail heads do stick out a bit and would gorge the handles if not corrected.
- The chakma & karda themselves are on the small side, at < 5" each, but this is entirely in keeping with the whole size of the rig. The karda has a small crack right at the blade that will need to be super-glued. It also appears that a portion near the butt may have been filled with epoxy & then polished -- not a perfect repair but very acceptable. The karda is actually almost sharp too!
25" Sirupati
- Wow! What a piece! The American walnut handle was beautifully shaped and expertly fitted by Pala. At nearly 6", it is long enough to allow my hand to choke up for more control or slide back for more power as required. Pala must have definitely had a Westerner's hand in mind when he shaped this handle. It is just shy of a 5" circumference in the thicker area in front of the rings! I don't think that it will prove too big for my hands, but it is right at their outer limit.
- Like it's smaller travelling companion, the blade is very symmetrical & nicely finished. Hardness, as tested by my steel, also seems to be just right. The 1/2" thickness is no where as unwieldy as you might think in a blade of this length (19"). This is not an ultra fast, lightweight fighter, by anyone's standards; however, it is a controllable heavy weight. Perhaps because its balance point is closer to the handle &/or because the blade has less of a drop from the handle, but I am much more pleased by its handling characteristics than those of my 30" King Kobra. Don't get me wrong -- once started toward a target, it wants to just keep going. Nevertheless, with some effort, I was able to harness the momentum a bit & change direction in mid-swing. Also, unlike the KK, I did not experience the blade wanting to twist in my hand on diagonal & horizontal swings. Alas, in spite of all the nice things I could go on to say about the blade, it is going to need to be sharpened. It's better that the 12" & what I would categorize as "slicing sharp"; however, it failed to pop off more than a stray hair or two.
- The chakma & karda that Bill sent along with the Sirupati are the largest I've seen to date -- at 6 7/8" & 7 1/2", respectively. The blades & handles are flawless. Once I put an edge on the karda, it should make a nifty little utility knife.
Overall, I am very pleased with my latest selections from "Uncle's Bargain Bin". Now, if the kamis would only do something about improving initial sharpness
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Cheers,
Brian
He who finishes with the most toys wins.
