another unique one

John Powell

John Powell

Joined
Mar 9, 1999
Messages
1,440
This is not Nepali made. The excellent blade has a hamon similar to Japanese blades, the cho is not rounded as dictated by tradition, the single fuller is deep and extends into the bolster, the ricasso/cho/edge set-up is weird, the bolster isn't traditional and the scabbard is kind of a mishmash of styles. A well made single piece grip with no buttcap and a non-traditionally designed ring. The cartouche has the numbers 1031, 1631 or 1-31 depending on interpretation but with an armoury mark of Afghan origin. 1lb 4oz and 19.25" o/a. The search begins...
afghan.jpg
 
absolutely delightful! I love it!

Looks like you could "draw it" like an ole kentucky pistol. Feels very "gunnish" to me...

The blade shape is just splendid. I'll have to add this one to my CAD files...

Dan
 
Would most kukri hamons look like Japanese sword hamons if polished/eteched the same way? It is basically the same idea right? Differential hardening causing a line of martensite and perlite on the hamon. Some Japanese swords were quenched without clay, just a controlled plunge into the tub of water.

alf
 
Well thats a strange beast!

If it turned up with the postman I would keep it, but dont realy like its lines myself.

The blade looks good, But To my eye The handle doesnt match it aestheticaly, is it definatly the original handle & bolster?

Either way Interesting, very interesting! I wonder how many of these the Armoury turned out? & for whom?

Alf I would guess you are right myself, Hamons would realy be your field,perhaps you can experiment & see? I for one would like to see the results! Wow! I would love to see a langopate with a fantastic ornate hamon following the curve of the blade! That would look brilliant!

Spiral
 
I have been studying this pic since you put it up JP and cant figure out what it is (apart from all that you mentioned) but something is wrong here. At any rate very very interesting please keep us all informed on your research efforts JP.
 
is it definatly the original handle & bolster?
Click to expand...
Spiral, I had the same thought. That fuller extending into the bolster makes it seem like a re-do, doesn't it. Nice blade, though.
 
not necessarily...

I once had a khuk with a fuller that went under the bolster. The hole was filled up with laha - which could be the case here as well - notice the grunge.

Both the handle and bolster show distressing/wear...doesn't make it original, but not new either.
 
Hi all
,
The thing that strikes me most about it is the grain of the wood where it fits into the bolster, normaly this is selected to be straight running into the bolster {whatever the curve of the handle design.}on this one it is at an angle , that would actualy match if a longer handle was cut across to butt up to the blade/ bolster.

To my eye the handle looks too heavy as well, it is deeper than the blade! And the actual curve seems very suddon to me at the bolster.

The bolster is also deeper than the blade.which is definatly unusual in my limited experince.

JPs the man with the expierence though, I look forward to his opinion on whether like many kuks this has been rehandled with an another already old handle.

Cheers,
Spiral
 
Originally posted by alfred tan
Would most kukri hamons look like Japanese sword hamons if polished/eteched the same way?
Click to expand...
I'd guess it depends partly on the variety of steel itself.
The art of Japanese hamon of course is not attempted by the kamis.
No one in Nepal really would care about such.
Odds are I think that a little work put into
repeated etches & polishes would result in a beautiful
hamon type display, if somewhat plain in design.
 
I reckon that the hamon on new kukris would look like those on WW2 oil temper swords, those were made with homogenous steel and typically quenched in oil instead of water. A hard edge defined by a simple line of nioi (pearlite sp?) with very little activity.

Not sure what a hamon would look like on an old Kukri with non homogenous steel, should be much more interesting.

BTW, i kinda like this kuk, it is unique.

alf
 
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