- Joined
- Mar 5, 1999
- Messages
- 34,096
The owner of this khukuri prefers to remain anonymous for reasons which you will see but he has given me permission to post the following excerpts from email he sent me which I found most entertaining.
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Dear Uncle Bill
After great anticipation my Gelbu Special #1 arrived on Saturday. I had
been lurking at the mailbox for two days and think the mailman thought
I'd ordered something in a brown paper wrapper.
My first impression was that magic was present as I could'nt get the khukri out of the sheath. When I finally did , and safe unsheathing tecniques be damned , the chakma fell out and stuck in my bare foot. Now
was this a warning or what.
On examination nothing in the way of blemishes was present, no rust that I would find a concern. The shaping of this blade is definately unique. On close examination I see that the hollow ground is indeed forged in, with some power grinding and polishing to completion. It is a superb blade and any irregularity's as in the spine design are as they should be. Indicating made by a person not a machine. Comparing it to the best of my other Khukri's this blade seems brighter and I first thought that maybe it was made from different stock than what is usually used , maybe with a little chromium in the mix. This I found would not be, as the trace of rust at the tip would never happen so soon with
chromium in the batch.
Whatever the reason this is a bright blade and not because of the fine finish. Maybe you should ask Kami why. I know the Kami made the Cho enclosed "'cos he wanted to" but is there another significance such as a historical or religeous reason possible.
Other design features which become apparant on close examination are the transition of the blade into the haft in a manner that blends in the edge ,the blade curve and the choe into the handle in perfect balance.
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A couple of days later I got a call from the owner. He said he had given the knife a severe workout for several hours. After he had cleaned sap, dirt, stains from the blade he checked the edge and his words were "the hair on the back of my neck stood up because the blade felt sharper than when I started my work!" Remember the song of the magic khukuri -- it gets sharper the more you use it!
The owner stated that he had lived in many places around the world, some of which practiced "magic" such as he had witnessed in Africa. He felt this khukuri might well indeed contain some magical properties.
I do not know so I will not say one way or the other. I am only the messenger.
Uncle Bill
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Dear Uncle Bill
After great anticipation my Gelbu Special #1 arrived on Saturday. I had
been lurking at the mailbox for two days and think the mailman thought
I'd ordered something in a brown paper wrapper.
My first impression was that magic was present as I could'nt get the khukri out of the sheath. When I finally did , and safe unsheathing tecniques be damned , the chakma fell out and stuck in my bare foot. Now
was this a warning or what.
On examination nothing in the way of blemishes was present, no rust that I would find a concern. The shaping of this blade is definately unique. On close examination I see that the hollow ground is indeed forged in, with some power grinding and polishing to completion. It is a superb blade and any irregularity's as in the spine design are as they should be. Indicating made by a person not a machine. Comparing it to the best of my other Khukri's this blade seems brighter and I first thought that maybe it was made from different stock than what is usually used , maybe with a little chromium in the mix. This I found would not be, as the trace of rust at the tip would never happen so soon with
chromium in the batch.
Whatever the reason this is a bright blade and not because of the fine finish. Maybe you should ask Kami why. I know the Kami made the Cho enclosed "'cos he wanted to" but is there another significance such as a historical or religeous reason possible.
Other design features which become apparant on close examination are the transition of the blade into the haft in a manner that blends in the edge ,the blade curve and the choe into the handle in perfect balance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A couple of days later I got a call from the owner. He said he had given the knife a severe workout for several hours. After he had cleaned sap, dirt, stains from the blade he checked the edge and his words were "the hair on the back of my neck stood up because the blade felt sharper than when I started my work!" Remember the song of the magic khukuri -- it gets sharper the more you use it!
The owner stated that he had lived in many places around the world, some of which practiced "magic" such as he had witnessed in Africa. He felt this khukuri might well indeed contain some magical properties.
I do not know so I will not say one way or the other. I am only the messenger.
Uncle Bill
