30" Ang Khola

TheFlash

TheFlash

Joined
Oct 3, 2000
Messages
507
Placed this post on the "other" forums, too, but wanted to ask here also...

Question for all the Khukri experts (since I'm an HI 'newbie'):

Saw this 30" Ang Khola out on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6593519709

I'm somewhat familiar with the seller and know him to be reputable.
Just want to be 100% certain that this is everything that the seller claims and we can bid with confidence...

Thanks!
Mike
 
Hi there, Mike, and welcome:)

Just from a brief look it does appear to be an HI ANg Khola. However, with 9 days left on it to bid, I would say the $300+ price tag is a little steep. I would talk to Yangdu about the availability of having HI make you one, if she is excepting custom orders right now. It might take a little longer, but i think you would get a great knife AND the warranty that comes with it. Keep in mind the lifetime warranty only applies to the orginal buyer OR the person the the orginal buyer buys it for (as in a gift).
My suggesting is to email Yangdu, ask her what she has or can get. Also, a 30" AK is going to be MASSIVE. So massive in fact that it is going to be almost useless to most. Even the biggest guys around here don't typically tote around more than a 22" heavy chopper (like the Ganga Ram Special). However, as always, Your Milage May Vary.

Once again, Welcome:)

Jake
 
a handful of 30 inch AK's have been made and sold o'er the forum. I think they all were around $250-300, IIRC. So, the price probably isn't too outrageous...especially since we haven't seen one around here for quite a while.

They do tend to be a little impractical...but score high marks for the WOW factor. :D
 
Yup, it's an HI Khukuri. I think the guy is just trying to make some money on the knife as the price seems high to me. I'd do as Jake suggested and give Yangdu a call.
There was an article in today's Tulsa Daily World about some ebayers making over 100K a year, sounds like this may be one of them looking to make a profit but who am I to say.:o
 
I bought my 25" AK on sale from Bill for 200. Regular 250.00 for the 25". 30 incher is probably 300 at least.


munk
 
Yangdu charged me $375 for my 30" AK. Yvsa, are you saying I should ask Yangdu for a refund??

whitie
 
whitie said:
Yangdu charged me $375 for my 30" AK. Yvsa, are you saying I should ask Yangdu for a refund??

whitie
Click to expand...

Guess I was wrong.:o Heck I can't be right all the time.;)
When you're constantly on the forums and used to the DOD or YBBs the going prices for the standard HI khuk's can seem high because of the usual deep discounts on the specials.

I'm just grateful that the HI Khuk's are a lot cheaper now than what they were when I started buying them in 1999.:thumbup: :D
 
While it was a stab in the dark on price, I personally still think Mike should ask Yangdu about having HI make one for him. The asking price for ANY HI khuk is less than half of what it is worth. If i knew nothing about HI or custom AKs then I would expect the price to be at least 600 smackers. I mean 5 or 6 pounds of custom hand-made knife? 600 would be a steal. However, if the price on e-pray is very close to what Yangdu would charge, then why not buy it from Yangdu? One, it is going to directly help the kamis. Two, you have a person that has a proven track record of nearly 20 years of good business ethics at the helm to back up your happiness. Three, you get a full life-time warranty on the blade. If the difference in price was 20 bucks and a 2 month wait, I know what I would take. Besides, Yangdu might have a 30" sucker flying from Nepal to Reno as we speak. Those Kamis are crazy guys. You never know what they're going to come up with:)

Jake
 
I just posted this on the other forum:


This appears to be a genuine H.I. 30" Ang Khola with indian rosewood (saatisal, satisal) handle, made most probably in 2005.
If it is genuine, this is one of the highest quality and toughest modern khukuries available on the market, which was handmade by one of the best smiths (kamis) in Nepal.

I have several suggestions you might consider.

1.) I think, but am not sure, that Himalayan Import khukuries life time warranties apply to the first buyer, or if given a gift, to the first owner. I am not sure if this warranty is still in place after reselling the khukuries.

You should contact Yangdu Martino, the owner of Himalayan Imports about this. I know, that H.I. goes beyond the usual policies, and it is quite possible this khukuri will be guaranteed even after reselling it.

http://www.himalayan-imports.com/

2.) I think, this khukuri was made not by Bura, the Royal Kami, but by Sher, who himself is one of the best kamis.

Bura's mark is a simple crescent moon, and his English initials are L.B.

Sher's mark is a moon(?) or rising sun(?) with rays around on side, and his initials are S.B.

It seems to me that the marking on the top picture and the initials are those of Sher and not of Bura.

http://zknives.com/knives/knimgtmpl.shtml?/images/...

The U.B. marking on the other side of the khukuri is to commemorate the founder of Himalayan Imports, Bill Martino a.k.a. Uncle Bill.
To my best knowledge, these markings appeared after he passed away in early 2005.
We, customers of H.I. and members of the H.I. Forum on Bladeforums.com still miss him very much.

If you want to to learn more about H.I. khukuries or khukuries in general, you might consider to read topics posted on this other forum too.

As for this specific khukuri, even if it is not made by Bura, it is still probably a superb khukuri.
There is a huge following of Sher who is often called by Yangdu "the second best kami in Nepal". Sher is also known to make one of the most heavy duty khukuries.
I have khukuries both from Bura and Sher and both of them make superb khukuries.
 
whitie;
you did fine. I knew the 30" would be a lot higher. They are not only larger, but much rarer.



munk
 
Yvsa said:
Yup, it's an HI Khukuri. I think the guy is just trying to make some money on the knife as the price seems high to me. I'd do as Jake suggested and give Yangdu a call.
There was an article in today's Tulsa Daily World about some ebayers making over 100K a year, sounds like this may be one of them looking to make a profit but who am I to say.:o
Click to expand...

$289 right now on ebay, compared to $400 for this one:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=379909
seems like a bargain to me! even if it went to $300. i'm sure contacting HI would be a better deal though all around, for everyone, except maybe the ebay reseller :>

as for people making a profit on ebay... or elsewhere... why not? for some, it IS their livelyhood and major/only source of income. they collect, evaluate, sell, ship. it's work, not play.

i've noticed that certain folx on these and other forums buy blades from certain places that are known to be "hard to obtain", and buy them in quantity as investments - maybe one to keep (never use of course), and then later turn around and sell the "extras" for profit as "brand new never used". they're exploiting the rareness and "disney release schedule" (limited release, limited rotation, desirable items) and people seem to be willing to pony up and buy stuff - good for them.

many/most of the blades i've seen for sale are so called "safe queens" - never used, and quite likely never will be. i would for sure like to see a couple "used but not abused" and cheap items pop up more often :> some tools are meants to be used (but not used up).

bladite
 
As Bill used to say...the kardas are worth the price alone.

Maybe I was thinking of the 25" AK when I posted above about the price...?
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm for anyone making a profit if they can. It's just that with knives some are worth more than others to different individuals. I might give $200.00 for a 28 ounce 17"-18" Foxy Folly with a guaranteed hard chakmak and karda of a decent size, which they are, size that is, but I sure wouldn't give that much for a 30" AK just because I have no use for it.;)
The Busse line is another example of knives with great resale value but like any other knife again, some are worth more to some people than they are others.
 
This is a little off topic, but- I am to understand that the "lifetime warranty" of a HI product doesnt apply to any resold item? even if that item is unused? So the BAS I got off the forums is not protected by a warranty? That pretty much sucks. :thumbdn:
 
Dunno Rat,

A clearly stated, life-time ownership guarantee to the initial purchaser seems perfectly valid to me.

Bill Martino got gouged quite a few times in the past by folks who bought at discount from the initial purchaser, and then turned around and applied for guarantee rights from Bill.

This is not a World Bank-funded project; this is a small, efficient production and distribution operation established for the improvement in the standard of living of some folks in Nepal.

Seems fair to me.
 
As clearly stated in the sticky topic at the head of the Forum entitled "INSTRUCTIONS FOR ORDERING. Please Read!!!":
10-15-2003, 06:37 PM
Bill Martino
Registered User Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Reno, NV, 89509
Posts: 34,096

Do the "blems" and special deals come with the same lifetime warranty the normal knives come with?

Yes, unless otherwise stated.

Does the warranty apply to the original owner only or does it go with the knife to the second or whatever owner that bought a used one?

Original owner only. It used to go with the knife but crooks who bought the knife from the original owner at a reduced price, destroyed the knife and then asked for the original purchase price to be refunded ended that policy.

Bill Martino
Click to expand...
 
Kismet, and then Berkley, knocked this out of the park.

You know, I read the post, saw at least some logic there, but couldn't come up with a appropriate response. I went away muttering. I really can't catch them all. Sometimes I think I should know what to say but that's not realistic either.

Many thanks for the fine help. We're in this together. The Cantina is in fine hands.



munk
 
well, it sucks that the scummy actions of a few crooks can ruin it for everyone.
I havent ever "ordered", or considered ordering, so I didnt read the sticky. I have purchased only two khuks, one of them being an unused BAS from the exchange, and a Movie Model from the Uncle Bills birthday special. I definitely wont be buying any more second-hand HI products. This seems like the kind of thing that will put a damper on any resale of HI stuff. I know I wouldnt have bought the BAS if I had known about the lack of warranty. The good warranty was one of the main reasons I wanted it in the first place. :(
Oh well, buyer beware I guess. Thanks for the info.
 
Well, kinda sorta sometimes....if a second buyer gets a khuk that has been used and tested, they will have some assurance of quality. We've had endless threads on testing the khuks when you get them- to make sure they are OK.

munk
 
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