12" Sirupati just arrived!!!!

Black Bear

Black Bear

Joined
Jun 25, 2001
Messages
246
Hi All, I figured I had better drop a quick assessment of one of the 12" blem Sirupati's that hung around on the forum for an unheard of length of time. I just opened the package. She's a real beaut. I know that I hesitated ordering one with all the critiques that were heaped on the two poor little orphaned Sirupati's, I know thats a blasphemy on the HI forum, I certainlly had tried for others with out success. Anyway I'm glad I went for one. She will make a great grap it and go blade. Someone else has already written about one this size, sorry I forgot who it was, but I agree with them about a small kuk being a quite handy size for general camp and hiking tasks. And I won't have women and children fainting and running for there lives if I would pull out my 18" WWII or 17" Bura made Gelbu Special. Of course Bella being an exception, there aren't to many ladies around that appreciate a good knife (or sword). Also I have pretty big hands but the handle on this little beauty is fine for general camp type work, it wouldn't get it if it were a larger blade though. I do have one question to throw out there to you all. The blem is a crack at the base of the handle, sort of spider webbish type but tightly closed for the most part. I've listened to several references about super gluing this type of blem, but how do you get the glue into the crack?
 
Gary:

I've glued both wood and horn cracks by putting a drop of glue on either a toothpick or a needle, and drawing the point down the crack. Then, with a lint-free rag,wipe off the excess. The cracks you describe sound like "needle work";) If a "drop" on the meedle seems excessive, put the drop on a slip of paper, and draw the needle through it, until you have "just enough" on the tip. This is trial and error. Any excess on the horn, that hardens, will be next to impossible to get off. If you use too little, there is no harm in letting it harden, and then repeating until the crack is filled. Super Glue "slop-overs" on the first wood handle I glued wouldn't sand, and were almost file proof. The stuff isn't harder than a file, but it dried so slick that there was no place for the file to take a bite. OTOH, if you get a lot outside the crack,and don't get it off before it hardens, see Yvsa about a full Super Glue finish :D
 
Congratulations on picking up one of these little jewels. It's nice to have a good selection of tools for different tasks.

I'll second Walosi's advice. Super Glue is tough stuff. Much better to use too little than too much. It's not an emergency so don't act like it's one. Work slowly and carefully. If you do get glue slopped on the surface, you can get rid of it, but then it's an abrasive fix. Sandpaper and buffing the horn. :( It can be done, but it's much more work than keeping the glue down in the first place.

BTW, we do have several female forumites. Bella is the most active at present, but she's not the only one. Men are certainly overrepresented here, but we're not alone.:) (Not that I ever expect to get my wife to join in.:( Oh well, her (lack of) interest in knives was not why I married her.)

Paul
 
Walosi and Paul thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to be thrifty with the glue. I just bought some excellent one part super glue, two types, one normal viscosity the other thick for actually gap filling. I got it from Restoration Products, I entered a thread in the forum not long ago about them. Its the man that is the importer for Renaisance Wax, he has the best price I've found, and he carries other products for restoration of valuable items like......KUKURIS.
www.restorationproduct.com Thanks again.:)
 
Dunno how well this works compared to other stuff but I have always used baby oil for my water Buffalo horn blades. A good soak does surprisingly alot in its maintence. Though I must agree that superglue does and amazing fix. Congratulations on the siraputi Black Bear.
 
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