This morning, just after 11am, I was returning home on my bicycle, when the mailman called to me: "Aren't you at Such-and-Such Avenue, Apartment #---?"
Before he even said so, I knew I had a package: "Is it in a triangular box?"
I had gotten home from my grocery shopping, just in the proverbial nick of time.......
About 5 minutes later, I was firing up my computer in anticipation, when the mailman came up the steps, and I had the door open before he had even gotten to it! I gleefully whipped out my digital camera (and ironically, another knife), and put "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on iTunes (can you tell that I used to be in the theater?), as I set out to record The Opening of the Box in the photographer's dream:barf: that is my crummy kitchen.
Out came a foot and a half of Get Kami's workmanship, and I knew right away that I was going to get a workout using this thing. It's definitely a short sword, not a knife, and as soon as I can, I'm going to Army Surplus and getting a Sam Browne belt to hold this thing. Hell, I may just carry this on a saddle!
I also am sure that I'll need to do a helluvalotta practice cutting to get the hang of swinging the khuk, including unlearning the "first three fingers" grip that I thought I needed to use. Luckily, I've got a bout a dozen juice bottles ready to be filled with water, and then cut to pieces. My wrists, however, are going to look like tree trunks....
It's heavier, shinier, and straighter than I expected. It doesn't seem to have been made quite as sharply curved as other M-43s. However, there's no denying that it's made right: the smooth way in which the forward, convex 2/3 of the blade sweep into the last, hollow-ground third, is really quite beautiful. And I don't really see the superficial rust that Yangdu quotes on this alleged "blem." (Not that it matters anyway, since I intend to etch the blade.)
Overall, this is a blade I intend to find a lot of use for, on volunteer work days (invasive plants will live in fear), on hunting and trekking expeditions, and if I can manage it, in the kitchen! (Remember that neat YouTube video?) But that wasn't all.
As some of you may remember, I spoke once about getting a longer Karda, one with about 4" blade. When I asked Auntie about it, she was quite willing to not only point me towards an appropriate model, but (and this still blows me away) to throw it in as a freebie, for helping out with the "Missing Pages" thread! At first I thought that I'd have to wait on it, that they needed the piece of wood that I sent, in order to make it. But Yangdu turned out to have a perfectly usable R6 on hand, and when I opened the box, and reached behind where the kukri was, there was my new "deer knife":
It was even better for my hands than I'd been willing to bet on, perfect for the way I hold knives:
I may very well call it, "Baby Bear," because it's juuuuuust riiiiight.
However, there was a funny note: the scabbard had a snap on it, bearing "The Seal of the Great State of Oklahoma." I may also call the knife, "Okie."
In any case, I should probably thank all of YOU, as well, since I relied so heavily on the data that you all recovered from the archives.
That still leaves open the question of a name for the khuk: Sam? (for when I said, "The Eagle has Landed?" Rosie? (For the Rosewood Handle?) Big Bear? (As opposed to the baby one?) I'll have to think about this. But in the end, what it means is, that I'm at last a card-carrying (or rather, khuk-carrying) member of this forum, and not some guy hanging around! I have "khuk cred"!
I had a great time showing the knife to my neighbor, who turned out to have one of his own, which he'd like to learn more about! So expect to see some photos, soon.
Thanks to all of you, to the kamis, and to Auntie Yangdu. I finally feel like a Forumite.
Before he even said so, I knew I had a package: "Is it in a triangular box?"
I had gotten home from my grocery shopping, just in the proverbial nick of time.......
About 5 minutes later, I was firing up my computer in anticipation, when the mailman came up the steps, and I had the door open before he had even gotten to it! I gleefully whipped out my digital camera (and ironically, another knife), and put "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on iTunes (can you tell that I used to be in the theater?), as I set out to record The Opening of the Box in the photographer's dream:barf: that is my crummy kitchen.
Out came a foot and a half of Get Kami's workmanship, and I knew right away that I was going to get a workout using this thing. It's definitely a short sword, not a knife, and as soon as I can, I'm going to Army Surplus and getting a Sam Browne belt to hold this thing. Hell, I may just carry this on a saddle!
I also am sure that I'll need to do a helluvalotta practice cutting to get the hang of swinging the khuk, including unlearning the "first three fingers" grip that I thought I needed to use. Luckily, I've got a bout a dozen juice bottles ready to be filled with water, and then cut to pieces. My wrists, however, are going to look like tree trunks....
It's heavier, shinier, and straighter than I expected. It doesn't seem to have been made quite as sharply curved as other M-43s. However, there's no denying that it's made right: the smooth way in which the forward, convex 2/3 of the blade sweep into the last, hollow-ground third, is really quite beautiful. And I don't really see the superficial rust that Yangdu quotes on this alleged "blem." (Not that it matters anyway, since I intend to etch the blade.)
Overall, this is a blade I intend to find a lot of use for, on volunteer work days (invasive plants will live in fear), on hunting and trekking expeditions, and if I can manage it, in the kitchen! (Remember that neat YouTube video?) But that wasn't all.
As some of you may remember, I spoke once about getting a longer Karda, one with about 4" blade. When I asked Auntie about it, she was quite willing to not only point me towards an appropriate model, but (and this still blows me away) to throw it in as a freebie, for helping out with the "Missing Pages" thread! At first I thought that I'd have to wait on it, that they needed the piece of wood that I sent, in order to make it. But Yangdu turned out to have a perfectly usable R6 on hand, and when I opened the box, and reached behind where the kukri was, there was my new "deer knife":
It was even better for my hands than I'd been willing to bet on, perfect for the way I hold knives:
I may very well call it, "Baby Bear," because it's juuuuuust riiiiight.
However, there was a funny note: the scabbard had a snap on it, bearing "The Seal of the Great State of Oklahoma." I may also call the knife, "Okie."
In any case, I should probably thank all of YOU, as well, since I relied so heavily on the data that you all recovered from the archives.
That still leaves open the question of a name for the khuk: Sam? (for when I said, "The Eagle has Landed?" Rosie? (For the Rosewood Handle?) Big Bear? (As opposed to the baby one?) I'll have to think about this. But in the end, what it means is, that I'm at last a card-carrying (or rather, khuk-carrying) member of this forum, and not some guy hanging around! I have "khuk cred"!
I had a great time showing the knife to my neighbor, who turned out to have one of his own, which he'd like to learn more about! So expect to see some photos, soon.
Thanks to all of you, to the kamis, and to Auntie Yangdu. I finally feel like a Forumite.
himalayan imports khukeri desease im sorry to tell you this its incureable now you will just have to suffer like the rest of us enjoy your kuk
