Any 15" HI Sirupatis out there ?

Rusty

Rusty

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We've talked 15" BAS; 15" AK; 16.5" WWII. But offhand, I can't recall anyone talking about the 15" Sirupati. The 12" Sirupati, yes. The 20" Sirupati, frequently. I've never heard anyone else mention owning a 15" Sirupati.

Mine was one rehandled by Pala the last time he came over, in oak, that was a bit oversize for my taste, but I've got small hands. I sent it to Cliff to test, and when it got back, put off making it right for me. Well, I'd always suspected if the handle was fitted, it might be special.

I finally did take it down to fit my hand, used Magic Marker ( permanent ink ) to blacken the handle and put a coat of clear paint on it a week or two back. Well, it isn't the best chopper, but....

So am I the only forumite extant to own an HI 15" Sirupati? If you have or used to have one, what did you think?



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I'm thinking, I'm thinking!


 
Rusty,

I own a 20in Villager Sirupti that I bought last month. Love it!! I've been pestering the boss that I want either a 15in sirupti when another shipment of villagers arrive or the same length in the udhaiphur. While I'd love to buy full HI's, my finances currently dictate villagers (and if the HI's are as much better than the villagers from what I read, I'm sure they are worth the extra money!).
 
I have a 15" Sirupati that I got out of the bargain bin when there was worry of tang failure. The finish was rather rough and the scabbard a little loose, but it is such much sweeter to use than my 15" AK. It doesn't chop like the AK, but would make a better camping/backpacking implement if weight is a factor.
 
An HI, a resident kami program, a villager, a chainpuri handled sirupati blade, any of those. I want to know about the 15's, the 20"ers are too big and heavy for my taste.

And thanks to Sutt and Macondas.

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I'm thinking, I'm thinking!


 
Good q, Rusty. In the HI world where "size matters" (!), the lowly 15" Sirupati does appear to be the neglected child. I got one a few wks ago, one of the super-deals whose handles were refixed by Pala (*very nicely* I might add). Only cosmetic damage, nothing to affect its performance... for $60! In fact, the quality of the grind is a little better than my 15" AK. My Sirupati's scabbard has been a bit unusual, but I'll post that separately.

Macondas,
Villagers sound fully worth their price. But keep your eyes peeled for the HI blems -- you can definitely scoop a great deal.

I agree w/Sutcliffe -- doesn't chop like the AK, of course, but I'm more likely to take it camping/packing than the AK. Really light, takes a great edge, just big enough w/great balance to hack thru light/moderate brush. Also, when I bought it, I was mentally comparing it not to other khukuris, but to non-khukuri large knives. Its chopping power, in that respect, is pretty healthy --particularly for the lighter or occasional use while hiking across most terrains in Calif...

Glen

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“The piano has been drinking” -Tom Waits

 
I have a 15" "visiting Kami" Sirupati.
Nice knife. Not for chopping logs (unless you got plenty of time and arm).
Excellent in the kitchen for cutting up whole chickens. Will probably do anything a meat cleaver will do.
If you keep your cutting board close to the edge of the counter, a khukuri can be held up by the spine, ulu fashion, and will work quite well for chopping vegs and such.
Hell, I guess you could use it to stir the soup, too!

The Sirupati may actually be the most useful for everyday chopping and kitchen chores. It is also big enough for self defense, although I would prefer a WW khuk for that (or a 12 guage, or a 1911, etc.)

The chakma can also be used to open paint cans.
A good Sirupati should be in everyone's toolkit!
Oh, and it takes up less room in the saddlebag of the mighty Guzzi than a larger model.


--Mike L.




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Real men ride Moto Guzzis!
 
In the world of HI where we talk about 1/2 inch thick Chiruwas and 4 pound Ang Kholas the 15 inch Sirupati comes off as being puny.

In the knife world in general a 15 inch knife that is 3/8 inch thick and weighs a pound is anything but puny.

It is our perspective that keeps us away from the 15 inch Sirupati but this knife will do a tremendous amount of work and as all have commented it doesn't pull your pants down because of weight on your belt. Not to mention that it is quick and agile.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Now that it fits my hand I like the 15" Sirupati a lot.

For me, the 20" Sirupati is a tool. Way too heavy for defense.

The 12" Sirupati is too spooky for me. It's like a Detective Special or a Chiefs Special. If I had one on my belt and someone pulled a gun or a knife on me, the next thing I'd know was that I was pulling the trigger on an empty gun. If I had a 12" Sirupati and was threatened...

The 15" Sirupati is becoming a favorite. It fits, it moves, it has a spirit different than a BAS or AK of the same length. Sutt, you hit it right on the head, when you said it's sweeter than the AK to use. The BAS is probably better all around, so who cares?

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I'm thinking, I'm thinking!


 
:
The 17" Sirupati I have is nothing like the 20" Sirupatis.
My litte one is the one that make sme want to do odd things with it.-vbeg-

I like the 17" much better than I do my CS Trailmaster and by tweaking where you hold it is just as versatile and a much better chopper.
The actual cutting part of the blade is only about 1 1/2" longer and the total oal is about 4 1/2" over the Trailmaster and the 17" Sirupati is much better balanced.IMO.
I haven't actually done a lot of anything with it yet.I think it would perform as well or better than some of the 12 machetes because of the gentle curve to the blade not pulling material back to you.
The blade isless than 3/8" running mostly about 0.345" average.

Also the little balance Khukuri @ 13 1/4" oal is a better chopper than the CS Trailmaster at 14 3/4" oal.and it is much more fun to play with.The blade length on both of them are just about the same.
The Traimaster feels clumsy next to the Khukuri.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
Cornbread ain't s'possed ta be sweet!....Dagnabit gurl,whut did they teach you way up north in....;) hehehe.

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