My 18" Kesar Kobra, Nagaina, came in the mail today.
First impressions. This knife is cruder than any of my other HI knives. It is not razor sharp by any stretch of the imagination. The wood used for the handle is an unknown variety. It is not as closely grained as the wood in the handle of my BGRS, and therefore not as polished. It is very lightweight and does not inspire the confidence that my other khukuris do when you pick them up. If I ever bend or break an HI it will be this one.
However, that is not to say that I don't like this knife. This knife has a certain appeal to it. The flat of the blade has hatchmarks that are indicative of its former life as a file. The contrast it creates with the polished bevels is quite nice. The balance is superb. It is incredibly quick, and at 12 ounces (I have rattan sticks that are heavier than this knife) it may just be the fastest HI khukuri ever made. And although I don't think that it is very sharp, I need to remember that it is sharp enough to do some serious damage, a lesson I learned last summer when another one of Uncle's blades hungrily took a small piece of my ring finger.
All in all I think that this blade will make an excellent companion for Nag, my other Kobra, a 20 incher. I actually think that Nagaina will be my most dangerous blade. When I hold her I feel as if she's ready to fly out of my hands at any moment, eager to find her next victim. And that's only if I can get her out of her scabbard. Her home is not that tight compared to other scabbards, yet it seems as if she never wants to leave. And when I take her out it's as if she's fighting me the whole way. I guess I had better be careful around this little khukuri.
