I've been buying khukuris for eight years now. When I first started, Himalayan Imports had already been in business for eleven years, but was experiencing some competition from the now defunct Gurkha House (the source of GH's khukuris was Khukuri House). GH and HI were both head and shoulders better than my first two khukuri shaped objects. HI's knives had better fit and finish, but GH's products were cheaper so I bought knives from both companies.
Over time though I picked up more and more knives from HI and stopped buying them KH products. The main reason was convenience. I can buy a knife from Yangdu and have it at my door within a few days. I haven't bought a knife directly from KH, but I'm pretty sure that it'll be a longer wait since their knives are coming from Nepal. Furthermore shipping from HI is free if you live in the US. KH's shipping fees are therefore quite high in comparison. And if you add the cost of shipping to the cost of the knives themselves then you quickly realize that KH isn't quite the bargain you thought it was.
Another reason that I like doing business with Himalayan Imports is its ironclad warranty. If your knife is faulty, they'll take care of it. I never thought that I would ever need to use the warranty on a khukuri, but an experience I had a couple of days reminded me that you just never know. We moved this weekend and needed to break down some old broken down furniture. For this task I chose my HI BGRS and my GH WWII. Both knives are 16.5", but the HI is a heavier and stouter knife. I didn't think it would be an issue however because the GH was plenty stout and it sported a thicker, more traditional convex edge than the one the BGRS had.
My brother took the WWII and I took the BGRS. We then split up the work and I took aim at an old desk while he proceeded to destroy some shelves. I was surprised to find that the desk was actually made of real wood. It took a while, but I managed to reduce it to kindling. Afterwards I examined both knives. The BGRS suffered no damage. I wish I could say the same about the Khukuri House blade. Despite the convex edge there were three large chips in the blade. The handle also cracked and the bolster was destroyed, having come apart at the weld. I think my brother hit some screws accidentally, but I'm still upset because I don't feel that this knife should have suffered such gross damage. I was watching him the whole time and he was only taking half-power swings from a very awkward position. Keep in mind that my brother is an accountant, not some lumberjack. If the KH knife had been constructed properly it should have suffered only minor damage. This wouldn't bother me if this was an HI because I know Yangdu would make it right. As it is I am now the owner of a worthless khukuri shaped object with no recourse. I'll chalk this one up to inexperience and part of the cost a person has to pay when learning about knives.
