A Dry Khuk is a CRACKED Khuk, and Boy, I feel like a dope!

G

gunhou

Joined
Jan 20, 1999
Messages
199
After posting on handle care with such smug authority in the 'Varnished' topic, below, I went to take a look at my Sirupati '204' last night. Felt a rough spot on the handle...oh boy, where I had filled last year's crack with super glue had opened up a big fissure again, almost all the way from the ring to the butt cap. Time for scraping and filling! After dumping a half a tube of s.g. down the chasm (it seems to go through to the core) I let it dry and just taped up the whole thing. Darn dry heat in here really got to it. I think I'm gonna have to rout it out with the Dremel tool and resort to fiberglass body filler!!!!!

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The sword cannot cut itself, the eye cannot see itself.
 
:
Gunhou before I went that far I would get the handle as full of moisture as possible, perhaps holding over a steam source high enough to moisturize without getting it too hot?
Might take a while, but may be worth it.
I am fortunate to have one of those Visegrip® Chain wrenches that can put a tremendous amount of squeeze on things and that's what I used to draw my Salyan handle back together after super glueing it.
It hasn't came loose yet and I don't think it will.
If you have access to something like it you may be able to get it close to what the minor crack was.
And yes the dry winter air is the worst.
I had better check mine out again, hadn't had anymore problems since the Salyan, but ya never know and now you got me wondering.


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

Each person's work is always a portrait of himself.

---- Samuel Butler.

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website
 
You may want to try a light oil. I wouldn't use the steam. It will work for a little while but can may also start some unwanted rust under the handle. I use gun oil on my stocks and since most of them are more than 40 years old I like to take care of them. I have known people that use wd40 or even peanut oil. Liquid gold is also good which is a polish/oil for wood. For leather you may want to try Neets foot oil (made for shoe leather) but it is hard to find. Mink oil or my preference SNO seal after the neet's and at least 3 applications. Do that about once a year and you should be good to go. Just my 2 cents.
 
Just checked my horn handled khuks after reading this and Disaster struck! All 4 of my handles had cracked
frown.gif
2 of them from buttcap to bolster almost, and WIDE. I just don't see the point of horn handles--they're slipprier, they crack... Anyway, I'm just upset and venting: I had PERFECT 12 Sirupati (Rusty will feel for me on this one), and the handle is cracked open/ also I had a near perfect Gelbu special with a mostly grey handle that I loved and that one is cracked really bad! NOt a good day
frown.gif


Rob
 
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Well dayum Rob!!!! That is Not a good day at all.!!! I really feel for you guys. I know how I felt when the wood handles cracked on my Salyan and GRS whenI was cutting them down without benefit of oiling them well first.
frown.gif

Athough it was raining and damp outside they came out of a warm dry house last winter on a mild day to be worked on outside n the front porch.

I had forgotten about checking my horn handles the other day when I 1st read about the cracked horn again this winter.
I went and checked mine after reading your post and thankfully they're all okay.

I wonder if where they're kept in a house makes a difference?
Mine are leaned up against an outside wall behind the door in our bedroom. There is a Very Noticeable temperature drop on the outside wall than the rest of the room.
Barb keeps her's on a corner shelf next to the bed which is also an outside wall.
Both walls are predominately North exposures with one west wall on Barb's side.
And that's where the wind usually comes from in the winter months.
That area being cooler than the rest of the room and house may be why mine hasn't cracked.
I did notice my Gelbu Special had a loose butt cap though.
I will super glue it and oil them all down with Ballistol-Lube tomorrow.

I still haven't noticed any etching or other undesireable traits with the Ballistol-Lube and I am still very confident in its abilities.
smile.gif



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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

Each person's work is always a portrait of himself.

---- Samuel Butler.

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website
 
When I got my old ivory handled khukuri the handle was perfect. Two years in no humidity Reno put a crack in it -- after 130 to 140 years!

No or low humidity will take all the moisture out of a handle that is not synthetic unless you put something on the handle to prevent it drying out. Boiled linseed oil for wood, lanolin based stuff for horn, but I don't know what is good for ivory.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
What is the name of the lanolin-based product? I want to put some on my HI BAS before any cracks start. I have a horn handled GH khukuri that has a small crack on it that I noticed a couple of days ago.


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K. Williams
Modern Arnis Student
AKTI Member #A000978
 
Yvsa,

There is a good correlation between temperature with horn handles cracking. At a lower temperature the vapor pressure of water is lower. There is less driving force for the water to leave the handle.

In the winter we heat the air. When the cold air is heated it can hold more moisture. The air will now tend to draw moisture from places such as wood and horn. A properly running humidifier would help reduce drying.

K. Williams

The lanolin based sealant is Hoofflex. I suspect many beuty care products and hand creams that contain lanolin would work just as well. Also lanolin can be purchased in bulk (I found this out from a friend who wants to use it for lubricating and gas checking lead bullets).

Uncle Bill,

Hoofflex would likely work on ivory too. Hopefully somebody can verify this as ivory is a bit expensive to experiment on.

Will

[This message has been edited by Will Kwan (edited 12-17-2000).]
 
Try Amazon Premium Golden Teak Oil (800.832.5645). It is a penetrating and sealing oil (blend of tung and castor oils) and keeps wood safe from cracking a long time. It's also non-toxic.

I have been using Kurobara oil (made from camelia fowers and available from The Japan Woodworker ) for my horn handles. They are all siruwa style so I'm oiling the exposed tang with it anyway. It seems to be working fine so far.

I keep a humidity gage in the room where my collection is. I can keep track of when to take action for my horn and wood handles (and blades). Between 40% and 60% is good to shoot for.

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"To know and to act are one."

[This message has been edited by Finnean (edited 12-19-2000).]
 
A hair drier will soften the hooflex up if required. Anyways the poors tend to draw the stuff in.

Will
 
I use teak oil on my unfinished(no varnish or polyurethane) hardwood Arnis sticks probably three times a year. I apply the oil liberally and let it soak in overnight. Then I wipe off any excess oil.


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K. Williams
Modern Arnis Student
AKTI Member #A000978
 
K,

I also apply very liberally and let soak at least overnight, or until I next use the piece. The first thing I do when I get a new khukuri with a wooden handle from Uncle is apply the teak oil to the handle this way. It also brings out the beauty of the wood grain and gives me one less thing to worry about.

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"To know and to act are one."
 
Guys, I've always used baby oil on horn and ivory. I've never had a major crack and very few minor ones. My 0.02 worth.
 
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