20" sirupati arrived!

Berkley

Berkley

Joined
May 5, 1999
Messages
3,065
Uncle Bill,
The 20 inch sirupati arrived today just as promised, and I want to let you know how extremely pleased and proud I am to have acquired such a magnificent piece of craftsmanship, or work of art, or fine tool, or princely weapon, or whatever is the most appropriate term to describe it. It took me over 7 months of lurking on your forums, reading your catalog nightly, acquiring a variety of kukris of varying age and quality, and genuine soul-searching to overcome my initial sticker shock and spring for a HI khukuri. By the time I did take the plunge, I had convinced myself that I would be receiving a knife against which all others could be judged.. That said, I still was not prepared for the amazing quality of this knife
---------------------------------------------
Berk just emailed me and told me he could only get his first paragraph to post and asked me to post the rest of his message so here it is. He's a newbie.

Uncle Bill
--------------------------------------------
- an engraved, inlaid design on the blade? Please tell me you made
a mistake and sent me a special order piece (you ain’t gettin’ it
back, ‘tho!). I don’t think I could stand to learn that such a
detail is standard and you don’t bother to even mention it in your
literature.
-the karda is an actual, functional small sheath knife of top
quality fit and finish.
-the scabbard is built to last to the limits of its design-stitched
like a work boot, not a dress glove; I love the heavy-duty pockets
for the karda & chakma, a weak point on every other scabbard I’ve
seen.
I could go on at some length, but hell, you sell them so I guess you
know this stuff already. I just wanted to make the point that if I’d
been able to lay my hands on this knife in person 7 months ago, I’d
have bought it on the spot at full list price - I appreciate the
discount, but the small blemish on the handle doesn’t affect my
enjoyment of the knife at all.
(Did I mention I’ve never seen a heavier spine? My God, the ang
khola really is a hatchet; you aren’t even fibbing to customs.)
As to the khukuri itself, it has the perfect size and balance for me
- feels like an extension of my arm, no kidding.
Sorry this has been so lengthy - but I wanted you to know right away what an
impression this knife has made. Many thanks for restoring my faith
in capitalism, if that’s not a slur on the way you do business at HI.


[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 05 May 1999).]
 
Thanks, Berk. I'm very pleased but not surprised at your reaction. 80% of HI sales go to satisfied customers such as yourself.

Uncle Bill
 
Just imagine Berkley, all the H.I.'s are like that. Wait till you see the BAS with the scrolling on the side of the blade.
 
The best part comes when you put it to use, and find... oh, forget it, you won't believe it til you use it, then you will *know* that it is teaching you how to use it.

Sometimes magic is for real.
 
Cobalt, I wish you hadn't told me about the BAS, 'cause I have a birthday coming up - but the sirupati was already supposed to be my present to myself!
 
Berkley, you cannot go wrong with your selection. The Sirupati is an awesome blade.

Have you seen the Ang Khola? The Ang Khola is to the Khukuri world what the Battleship Yamato was to the WWII dreadnought class of ships. Monstrous!! It is the T-Rex of knives with that evil hump along the spine of the blade. Are you drooling yet?
 
The point that Berkley makes (concerning the detail on the Sirupati):

I don't think I could stand to learn that such a detail is standard and you don't bother to even mention it in your literature.
Click to expand...

Was the same reaction I had, not expected but surely appreciated. The 20" Sirupati is a very nice model, not as strong as the Ang Khola but much lighter in hand which makes a lot of work easier and far less dangerous.

-Cliff
 
The 20" Sirupati is definitely a very excellant khukuri. And the scabbard is narrow so it will fit along side a carbine rifle in a soft tactical case.

------------------



 
Here is a picture I scanned of a BAS which shows the "engraving" Berk is talking about -- I think.

This is just a little scroll work and brass inlay which is standard on some models and not on others. We don't consider it to be engraving and I guess because it's been a standard for so long we don't even mention it. Should we?

Uncle Bill

<img src = "http://members.aol.com/yangduspag/pict46.jpg">

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 06 May 1999).]
 
That's what I call engraving, Uncle Bill, 'tho you can call it "a little scroll work and brass inlay" if you want-it's still a beautiful detail that complements the well-known structural qualities of the knife. I feel like I ordered a Volvo and it arrived with leather, walnut trim and a sunroof at no extra charge. Should you mention it? - Only if you want to sell more of them.
 
Got yourself a real nice knife Berk ! Can't go wrong. I have many different H.I. khukuris and they are all special.

------------------



 
When I get my digital camera I'll take some pix and revamp the website and brochure. The customer is always right and if you say it's engraving then it is.

Uncle Bill
 
Bill,

You've got to be kidding! All this time and you never mentioned once about these beautiful artworks? This could have been the deciding factor on many an indecisive night.

I think you better fess up on what models have the engraving work and how they differ. We may not be able to wait until you get your digital camera
smile.gif


------------------
No, I was never lost. But I was mighty bewildered one time for three days.

--- Daniel Boone


[This message has been edited by tallwingedgoat (edited 06 May 1999).]
 
Let's see Goat. I'm sold out of several models and can't go check so I'll have to try to answer your question from memory.

The BAS, Sirupatis, Dhankutas and maybe another model or two have the "artwork".

Why the kamis do it this way I don't know. They have some reason but I have never asked them why. I guess I still don't consider this artwork to be important but this thread is telling me I could be dead wrong. It won't be the first time, though.

Uncle Bill
 
AARRRRRRRRGH!!!! Dhankuta? DHANKUTA???? When I started lurking in the other HI forum before you got on this one too, I read every single thread back to day 1 you were on KF, and all the HI BF posts. I've NEVER EVER heard of a dhankuta! AIEEEEE!!!! Do you mean to tell me I'm going to have to get 12" and 15" and 18" and 20" of those too? I need to take a day off and drive to Reno to spend about 5 or 6 hours fondling all the stuff you never tell us about. Take pity on me Uncle Bill, JP only has 40 or so and he's been collecting for years. I've already gotten a dozen ( gave two away so I'm down to 10 ) and I only caught khukriholism 3 months ago. You didn't tell us about the chainpuris which seem to be a kind of "Sirupati Light", either. Now I'm in a feeding frenzy!!! I bet I could make the 132 miles to Reno in 2 hours..........
 
Allow me to echo Rusty's sentiments.

Uncle? What OTHER secrets have you been keeping from us? Come clean now...
wink.gif


Seriously...can you compile an authoritative list of all the Khukuri styles you can obtain? I'm willing to bet that if you do compose an exhaustive list that the sufferers of HIKV will buy one of each.

Mike
wink.gif

Muahahahahahahaha.




------------------
Hey! Uncle Sam!

(_!_) Nyah nyah nyah!

Refund! You lose! :)


 
Sorry Rusty. The little deer horn is a Dhankuta style. It'a posted somewhere.

To be honest with you I can't tell the difference in some of the styles. The Dhankuta I mentioned looks like sort of a mini BAS to me but the kamis say it's a Dhankuta style so that's what I call it. The Gangaola looks like a BAS to me with a different handle but the kamis call it a Gangaola. I think they might mean a Ganja wala which would make more sense when you translate. Some of them don't read or write but since they know a lot more than me I take what they tell me and use it. Everything I know about khukuris I learned from kamis and Gurkhas and I figure they are the best teachers so I don't question what they tell me.

As for all the different styles I simply don't know them all. I'll have to wait until the boss gets here to compile a list of what we can get. We will see some different styles when the village khukuris get here. I have asked for the name of the kami who made the knife and his village be supplied with these knives. Whether we'll get it or not I don't know.

Again, my apologies.

Uncle Bill

 
No apologies needed, Uncle Bill. Just teasing.

It's just that I freaked when I thought that I finally had it figured out "...so I could have it all" without getting a divorce too, then you tell us there are even more khuks that I NEED!!!. I may never have heard or known about them, but as soon as I hear about them I **know** I gotta have 'em.
 
Then brace yourself for the arrival of the village khukuris. I'm guessing there will be no two remotely similar but I could be wrong again.

Uncle Bill
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top