Another HSI In Progress

T

TrailRunner909

Joined
Oct 4, 2021
Messages
9
Took the plunge and ordered an 11.5” HSI to supplement my Becker. In the grinding phase 15 days after ordering. So far love the communication from Bisnu.


g6SeLF.jpg
 
Looking great so far!
What options are you going to have on this guy?
 
Went with what I think are the default options for a HSI: satin polish, medium length horn grip, brass fittings. Wanted to be able to be able to compare it directly against a friends Tora, which I think is a close match options wise, other than the Tora being closer to a mirror polish.
 
Should be good! Our blades are similar to Tora though theirs is a tad thicker stock thickness with deeper fullering to go with. We've had some customers who have owned both and preferred ours but I really think it's down to personal preference. Please let us know how you feel about the pair!
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
 
Looking good!
I love seeing these handles at this rough carving stage. This is a part of the build where the smiths use a khukuri as part of the khukuri making process!
 
jnaught said:
How was the first khukuri made?? Is there an eternal khukuri, the progenitor of all khukuri?
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It certainly begs the question doesn't it!
If you look at the evolution of the blade type it does sort of appear out of nowhere- maybe there is one kukri that ripped its way through a dimensional portal and started the lineage here.
 
Kailash Blades said:
It certainly begs the question doesn't it!
If you look at the evolution of the blade type it does sort of appear out of nowhere- maybe there is one kukri that ripped its way through a dimensional portal and started the lineage here.
Click to expand...

Not to derail this thread too far from TrailRunner's anticipated acquisition, but a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away someone used a khukuri to open a mudhorn egg. Possible origin?
 
I didn' realise there was a kukri in the mandalorian! If you can get a decent screencap of it we might be able to ID it, or if it doesn't exist already then replicate it.
 
Kailash Blades said:
I didn' realise there was a kukri in the mandalorian! If you can get a decent screencap of it we might be able to ID it, or if it doesn't exist already then replicate it.
Click to expand...
I'll see what I can do. It was actually used by jawa, and it's not on screen much, but it was cool to see. Much cooler than Mando's vibroblade.
 
On belt:
VfVwX5N.jpg

Being drawn:
2pLNd7c.jpg

A toy from Hasbro that describes it as a 'kukri':
8IVS7e4.jpg

8nE5lVl.jpg


Couldn't get any better images, but it looks pretty similar to a MK-1. Certainly a similar handle, broad blade, and a continuous curve along the spine (no peak or corner on the spine). Sorry for the large digression, T TrailRunner909 ! Keep us posted on your new knife!

Edited to add: it looks like there is a peak in the spine in the first picture, but I think it is just obscured by the egg.
 
Very interesting! Hard to tell from the photos but I think it can safely said that it isn't a standard nepali model. It looks influenced by bhojpures, mk1s and blades of that era but the slight upwards kick before the tip makes me think it's something that was stitched together by th SFX team rather than sourced from pre existing models. looks great though!
 
Missed updating when it shipped, but my HSI just arrived. Exactly 30 days from when I placed the order. Opened it while on a work call so no unboxing pics.

First impressions are that the HSI is crazy light, and very lively. Only Kukri I have at hand to compare it to is an antique 13" Bhojpure, which by feel must be 30% heavier. The Kailash HSI feels like you could swing it all day, and has a very comfortable forward pull to it. The horn grip is incredibly comfortable, has only one small imperfection, and is surprisingly tacky/grippy. I wear size 9/medium gloves if that helps. The blade shape looks great, maybe the slightest warp/asymmetry to the grind. Also I wish I had opted for the polished finish instead of the satin, as the grind marks (I thinks that's what they are) are quite pronounced. Like catch your fingernail pronounced in a couple places. I may try to refinish using some 100 grit, then 400 grit, and buff with some mothers. That should give me a maintainable satin finish. I will get some pics up soon, maybe a before and after of polishing. Will not be able to get it outside until next weekend, but will update my impressions after that.
 
TrailRunner909 said:
Missed updating when it shipped, but my HSI just arrived. Exactly 30 days from when I placed the order. Opened it while on a work call so no unboxing pics.

First impressions are that the HSI is crazy light, and very lively. Only Kukri I have at hand to compare it to is an antique 13" Bhojpure, which by feel must be 30% heavier. The Kailash HSI feels like you could swing it all day, and has a very comfortable forward pull to it. The horn grip is incredibly comfortable, has only one small imperfection, and is surprisingly tacky/grippy. I wear size 9/medium gloves if that helps. The blade shape looks great, maybe the slightest warp/asymmetry to the grind. Also I wish I had opted for the polished finish instead of the satin, as the grind marks (I thinks that's what they are) are quite pronounced. Like catch your fingernail pronounced in a couple places. I may try to refinish using some 100 grit, then 400 grit, and buff with some mothers. That should give me a maintainable satin finish. I will get some pics up soon, maybe a before and after of polishing. Will not be able to get it outside until next weekend, but will update my impressions after that.
Click to expand...

30 weeks is a very snappy turnaround time, lucky!
Glad to hear you're happy with the blade upon receiving :) You're bang on with the HSI, they're snappy and capable and can be worked for a long time without fatigue.
The rough finish you're describing is a touch concerning- A few months ago I worked with the team to help establish a new process for satin blades that leaves the final result a fair bit smoother. Seems like that hasn't occurred on a few of the blades in this most recent batch. I'll be having a chat with the team about it- sorry your knife has been affected.
Before you go the effort of a full refinish with polish, give it a hit with a scotch brite pad to unify the finish a touch and see if you like the result.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash.
 
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