A little praise for HI's kamis and Auntie.

J W Bensinger

J W Bensinger

Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
2,228
Since I got my Gelbu, I have had 3 HI's-that, my Siru 15", and a BAS that has since found it's true owner. I've also been given/traded 4 other modern khuks, from several sources. Every last one of them required tweaking-from minor hilt adjustment, up to removing a twist from the blade that wouldn't let it cut (not fun)to actually having to re harden and temper the blade.(wildly unacceptable). Do I enjoy all of these? Yes-each has something to offer. But if I wasn't a knifemaker I woulda been very angry at the QC department in each case.(note-the ones that required the radical work would have been the most expensive-for $30 i wouldn't expect perfection.)
I have only made one mod to any of my HI's-and that was to reduce the diameter of my Gelbu's grip to suit my preference, which was not necessary at all other than my OCD.
Thanks Auntie, for providing this level of quality on such a consistent basis. And thanks to the guys in Nepal for their skills.
 
Im extremely excited, my first HI´s ( M43 and AKB 12 3/4") will arrive in a few weeks.
I hope I will get a chance to "upgrade" my AKB 12 3/4 order to a AKB 14-15" order with a new blem offer until my order is available ^^
 
no doubt, when you buy from HI you become a customer for life, long may they reign, the best fair trade blades anywhere for any price.-- but it sure helps when knife makers like yourself can vouch for the blades on a fundamental engineering level.
 
what was your method for fixing the warped blades JW as i too have suffered this fate and was wondering the best and safest way to go about it?
 
I clamped the blade at the hilt end in my post vise, and then put a 3' or so OAL twisting wrench on the twisted portion and cautiously bent it back. The really thick ones you're probably outta luck, unless you clamp it in a hydraulic press. As it was I almost ripped the post vise off the mounts. It must be differential hardened- if it happens to be through hardened this won't work.
The one I had to reharden, I clamped heavy steel in front of the bolster for a heat sink and brought the edge up to nonmagnetic with the torch, then quenched in oil and tempered (with a smaller heat sink).
 
As with anything like this, you gotta be prepared for it to break if things go agley. If you can't live without the particular piece I wouldn't try it.
Sometimes the heat sink to protect the hilt/heat the blade to 325f or so thing helps limber things up.
 
Mr. Bensinger, Do you use Brownell's heat sink compound? I use it in the blacksmith shop on the swords I forge and on pattern welded steel.
 
I've used heat sink paste from a couple of sources, mostly for differential tempering through hardened sword blades.
In this case it was two huge chunks of 5160 clamped to the base of the blade- too much heat for the pastes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top