I received one of these on Friday. Interestingly, I was originally to receive a MamaBura 30 inch Sirupati, but Uncle Bill informed me that due to visual problems, Kumar would be taking over production of these as well. Not a problem as Kumar is noted for doing good work.
The Khukuri:My initial impressions -
Blade: Remarkably straight, given the length of this kukuri. No surface flaws noted in the steel. Edge was SHARP! Did notice on the upper part of the blade, the edge was a bit bumpy(extra steel) in a couple of places. Not a big problem as this can be taken off when sharpening up this khukuri. A very unusual cho which was open and looked like a fleur de lis and Kumar's six pointed star completed the blade. On the HI scale, I'd rate this 9 out of 10.
Handle:Nepali Oak very nicely done; looks like extra care is being used to do these and the handle looks like it has been polished with some sort of agent similar to wood polish. Bolster and butt cap well done. One unusual note is that there are three skull crushers on the butt cap, but for purposes of ensuring that things stay together, this is ok.Length of handle is 7 inches, making for a comfortable 1.5 handed grip. On the HI scale I would rate the handle 10 out of 10.
Karda and Chakma: Each was about 8.5 inches long. Karda was sharp but not hair popping sharp, so will be getting a sharpening in the near future. Both karda and chakma are very well put together. Handles on both are Nepali oak, with a polished appearance as one sees in the picture at the top of this thread. On the HI scale , would rate them as 9.5 out of 10.
Scabbard: Usual water buffalo leather scabbard with HI superfrog. Only flaw noted is that the leather at the mouth of the scabbard was loose, not tacked or glued down. Rate this as 8.5 out of 10.
Feel: Surprisingly well balanced for a khukuri of this length, I would still agree with previous posts that this khukuri is definitely a two hander for practical use. It feels ok with the 1 and a half handed grip, but for safety's sake, would not have objected to another inch on the handle.
Overall, I would rate this khukuri 9 out of 10 and am satisfied with this purchase. Can't wait until it gets a bit warmer to try it out on bush.
As to whether I got a Kumar King Kobra or Kumar's version of the MamaBura 30 inch Sirupati, I am inclined to think that I got a King Kobra/MamaBura Sirupati hybrid.
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Harry
L'audace, toujours l'audace!!!
