A khuk I most definitely WILL NOT issue out to the troops

Sylvrfalcn

Sylvrfalcn

Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
3,930
Issued out my "Magic Sirupati" the other day to one of the kids that's Baghdad bound. Sort of upset Steve Ferguson to hear I'd parted with my beloved Siru, so what does he do? He sent me his, dadgummit! Only I don't remember mine ever being this pretty, even brand new out of the box. Steve's "woodchucked" the living daylights out of the satisaal handles on the khuk, karda, and ckakma. I'm telling you, a Rolls Royce doesn't have a finish this nice. Then he went and did some sort of Jedi belt grinder/buffing wheel trick to the blades to where they're just plain dangerous to handle. The maker was Bura, when he was in full stride before his health problems, and it's one fine fighting knife. I don't deserve this khukuri, but I do appreciate it, and one thing I can promise you Steve, this one won't be headed to Afghanistan or Iraq unless it goes there attached to a certain Air Force MSgt.

Sarge

p.s.: what comes around goes around, thanks Steve for also providing me a nice triangular shipping box, Bwahahaaaa......
 
Steve's work is amazing, isn't it? Here is a pic of a little villager I won in a raffle for Ram a few months ago. A beautiful piece of work. The handles on the chakma and karda were not finished so you can see "before and after" when contrasted with the Villager.
 
It looks exactly like mine if you buried it in the ground for a month.

:)

The karda and chakma look like they've been replaced. Or did I get goofy ones? :confused:
 
Steve posted some pics of some tru-oil finished handles a long while back that inspired me to try the technique on my own khukuris. I didn't know wood could look so beautiful. Great work on that villager.

--Josh
 
I guess I'd be safe to say that he achieved a mirror finish too. :D
That's a blindingly bright finish. :cool:
 
Sarge, I hope it brings you good luck.

The true artistry was done by Bura. All I do is shine them up a little. And that I learned from Walosi and Yvsa and others here at the Cantina.

In 1972 when I was 18 I registered for the draft. Back then, there was a lottery to determine who was called up. My number was 5, so I got called up and went for my physical. I passed (they were taking everyone with 2 arms and 2 legs) and got ready to go. Congress stopped the draft that year and I didn't go. In later years I have regretted that I didn't volunteer anyway. This country has given me more than I can repay. Sarge, you volunteered and have gone willingly wherever your country needed you to go.

So I'll keep on shining up khuks and Sarge will keep doing the important stuff.

It is a pretty khukuri. Don't let that stop you from using it.

Steve


Overall

Handles
 
ferguson

I was number 4 on the lottery...I went.

You didn't really miss anything you'd have wanted to see or do.
 
Really nice looking Sirupati.

How long is it?

Nothing looks better than many coats of linseed oil. I have gotten lazy lately, and use a Tung Oil Varnish (Formby). It is easy and only takes about 3-4 coats of oil. It has better moisture resistance (theoretically) than a linseed oil finish, as with Truoil, but does not look quite as nice.

My favorite version of a real oil finish uses 1/3 linseed oil, 1/3 spar varnish, and 1/3 Turpentine. It looks really good, and is more durable than plain linseed oil. It doesn't really require as many coats. It will not look quite as good as your Sirupati handle - nothing I have seen can compare with the look of it.
 
Cliff, of all the guys I've equipped with khuks, both in Afghanistan and Iraq, only one's reported back that he had a problem. Seems his commander made him store it away because, "carrying a knife like that sends the wrong message". Huh? Somewhere in the transition from warfighting to "peacekeeping" and "nation building", he must have gone all touchy feely. It's why I'm kind of glad not to be going this trip, getting too durn political for an old head knocker like me. Just wait 'til the UN rolls in wearing their blue berets. Don't get me started on them, I'll say things not for mixed company. (Yikes, I'm starting to sound like a certain duck)

Sarge
 
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