And now for something completely different....

C

chetchat

Joined
Jul 15, 1999
Messages
603
Well.. maybe not completely different
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Here're some pics of the first khukuri I ever bought. It's an Ebay special, touted as... well, here's the sales pitch as posted almost verbatim :

This is a Gurkha Khukuri blade with a jeweled silver scabbard. It is from a collection; manufactured circa 1940s. The hilt has a lion's head. The knife has the correct 2 smaller knives - the karda (small utility knife) and the chakma (burnishing tool) - with it. All three are held in a wood and leather scabbard that fits in the jeweled decorative scabbard. The stones appear to be carnelean, jasper or jade and agate. The knife is 9" long with a wood and brass handle. Condition is very good.
Click to expand...

asagi.jpg

asagi3.jpg

asigi2.jpg



A couple of months later I found the HI Forum and found out what a khukuri really is. I used to be a little embarassed that maybe I'd bought a pig in a poke, but without the poke. It wasn't very expensive so I'm not out much. BUT... I wanted to post this for the experienced eyes here on the forum : did I find the proverbial Bentley in the barn, or is this the Indian equivalent of a Statue Of Liberty miniature replica? Thanks!
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Nick




[This message has been edited by chetchat (edited 10-12-2000).]
 
I can't tell you if you got a piece of Pyrite or the real nugget, but I can identify with buying a loser khukuri out of ignorance. Not knowing what to buy or where to look got me twice. The first was a tourist model thing that simply will not sharpen, I got it at a knife store years ago. The second was an Indian government model, which I also got from Ebay, which was better but still no prize. I know where to go for real khukuris now however.
 
In my limited experience, Nick, you may have something here. It does not appear typical of the "tourist or Indian type khukuris" that an unwitting individual may see. Will know for certain once Uncle Bill and the rest of the experten get online.

------------------
Harry
HI Khukuri Range Safety Officer
 
Very interesting -- especially the sheath having a decorative cover. That's unlike most "tourist" khuks, at least in my limited experience.
 
Thanks Harry, Steven - That's encouraging
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The knife is about 2 1/2 inches longer than a kagas katane, but twice as big in "bulk". The back of the ceremonial scabbard has a squared off belt "loop" made of the same metal as the scabbard - pretty sure it's silver or has significant silver content anyway.

Maybe a tourist ceremonial kothimoda?

Nick

[This message has been edited by chetchat (edited 10-12-2000).]
 
Nick,
To quote no less an authority than Kami Sherpa, "amazingly sometimes you can find one of these Indian khukuris that is pretty good and there are village kamis in India that make excellent khukuris." John Powell tells me that these "lion head" khukuris have been made for the tourist trade since the 20's or 30's, and can be dated to some extent by the quality of the buttcap casting. Yours in fact looks quite good - Yangdu once said the new ones looked to her like pig heads, which I don't think was meant as a compliment
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. If your scabbard does have a heavy silver content and semi-precious stones rather than glass, it's obviously a quality piece. Tourist kothimoda is probably a good description, though the only ceremony involved is the ritual exchanging of foreign currency for local handicrafts
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.
Berk
 
I hate to tell you this but I belive this khukuri is a tourist model. The lions head buttcap and the way the sheath is made is a good sign of that. I've seen a few of these and they are all about the same. They put the metal sheath cover on to make it look fancy. If you try to sharpen it it will be very soft and probably chrome plated.
I had a one of the tourist khukuris growing up and it would never take a edge.
Take it easy
Terry
 
In response to Terry's post, I should clarify that I meant a quality piece for display purposes. It didn't even occur to me that you'd try to use it to cut with!
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Berkley,
I didn't read your post until after I posted.
You hit the nail on the head with your description. The khukuri is a better made tourist khukuri. The stones are probably glass though, My buddy has a nepalese khukuri with a brass cover and most of the stones are colored glass.
There are tons of these tourist khukuris out there in quite a few different styles.
So be careful what you buy.
Terry
 
The casting is a red flag. If the knife is a high quality piece the pommel will be hand crafted rather than cast. The sheath also looks mass produced in the pix.

John Powell, our expert on such stuff, is still absent due to family problems.

JJT, our other expert, never posts so we probably won't hear from him either.

But it is still pretty and has a story so what the hell!

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 10-12-2000).]
 
I appreciate the opinions
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At the very least, it makes a nice contrast to the other pieces I own.

And with the info that these had been made since the '20s, the claim it's from a collection and made in the '40s, along with it's aged patina, well, all kinds of exciting and interesting history could revolve around it.... nah, probably not
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Thanks again all!

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Nick
 
Steven "And now for something completely different...A man with three buttocks" is the opening line of, I believe the very first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. With the earlier thread around here somewhere about Zappa's music, I figured there HAS to be a few Pythonites in the Cantina.

Guess I was wrong
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Tom
 
Tom,

*ha* Actually I'm a fan of the Monty Python TV series and the movies - but I tip my hat to you, I didn't recognize the reply you posted. However, I did find this...


Title: The Man With Three Buttocks
From: Monty Python's Flying Circus
Transcribed By: unknown


Eric Idle: And now for something completely different. A man with three
buttocks!

Host (John Cleese): I have with me Mr Arthur Frampton who... (pause)
Mr. Frampton, I understand that you - um - as it were...
(pause) Well let me put it another way. Erm, I believe
that whereas most people have - er - two... Two.
Frampton (Michael Palin): Oh, sure.
Host: Ah well, er, Mr Frampton. Erm, is that chair comfortable?
Frampton: Fine, yeah, fine.
Host: Mr Frampton, er, vis a vis your... (pause) rump.
Frampton: I beg your pardon?
Host: Your rump.
Frampton: What?
Host: Er, your derriere. (Whispers) Posterior. Sit-upon.
Frampton: What's that?
Host (whispers): Your buttocks.
Frampton: Oh, me bum!
Host (hurriedly): Sshhh! Well now, I understand that you, Mr Frampton, have
a... (pause) 50% bonus in the region of what you say.
Frampton: I got three cheeks.
Host: Yes, yes, excellent, excellent. Well we were wondering, Mr Frampton,
if you could see your way clear to giving us a quick... (pause) a
quick visual... (long pause). Mr Frampton, would you take your
trousers down.
Frampton: What? (to cameramen) 'Ere, get that away! I'm not taking me
trousers down on television. What do you think I am?
Host: Please take them down.
Frampton: No!
Host: No, er look, er Mr Frampton. It's quite easy for somebody just to
come along here claiming... that they have a bit to spare in the
botty department. The point is, our viewers need proof.
Frampton: I been on Persian Radio, and the Forces' Network!

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Nick

 
Oy Vey! Excedrin won't even touch this migraine I can feel coming on!

[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 10-15-2000).]
 
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