Anybody want a great deal on this 20 inch Sirupati?

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

Joined
Mar 5, 1999
Messages
34,096
Here is a 20.5 inch Sirupati (ser. 21) from Shop 2. I received it Saturday with a shipment of khukuris from shop 1, the only khukuri from shop 2 in the lot. The blade is excellent quality, handle has some nice streaks, a very solid khukuri which goes with the HI guarantee. Karda is the one Rusty mentioned, 7 inches overall.

Problem: Scabbard is too tight. I left the blade in the scabbard at tightest point for a day and it is still too tight. I do not want to soak this scabbard in water all night and wedge it nor do I care to rout around inside it with a file. So, if anybody wants to deal with this scabbard send an email and I'll ship the knife and tight scabbard to you at a great discount and will also pay shipping.

Uncle Bill

<img src = "http://members.aol.com/yangduspag/pict13.jpg">
 
Uncle Bill, the solution is on the way for you, so check your mail tomorrow. And forumites, better grab that Sirupati now before Bill sees how simple and easy the solution is.
 
Rusty, if you have a quick and easy fix I will be truly in your debt. I have fought these scabbards for years and have run out of patience with them.

Uncle Bill
 
I've just spoken with Bill, and the tight scabbard is about to become my problem (heh heh). If I'm really lucky, it's due to differences in humidity between monsoon-season Nepal and summer in Reno. If so, the scabbard may like the Seattle area better.
 
Bruce now has the problem of the tight scabbard instead of me. But Rusty go ahead and send whatever it is you are sending. I am sure this is not the last tight fitting scabbard I'll have to deal with.

Uncle Bill
 
For what it's worth, my baby Sirupati sheath was very tight and is just fine now after liberal applications of Puritan Canola Oil. No left over residue on the blade either. I accidentally discovered this when splitting cabbage heads for supper.

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Greg


 
Puritan Canola oil. Thanks Greg, I'll remember that. We will see what Rusty is sending up from Hawthrone. Who knows, he may have a "magic" stretching device just like the magic stone the kamis use.

Uncle Bill
 
Tight is easier to deal with than loose.Falling out when inverted is loose.The wood scabard of the 18th.cent. is what it is.The BAS and sirupati were tight.Fine,they loosten.They are snug now;perfect.I tried soaking the WW11 and the AK,to tighten them, but to no avail.A BAS frog would mitigate that by binding.Of course,if anyone is into fast draw,that is how they would like them.As for oil,anything that is non-petrol and won`t turn rancid is fine.Peanut oil is a good choice.

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I don`t see Rusty`s post.To loosen;the blades come with lube.I`ve smelled and tasted it without an ID. I suspect a tallow.Get rid of it with a syringe of dish soap to allow water to penetrate uniformly.Leave blade in bind position.While damp,neatsfoot oil to prevent popping stitches on cover.

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Can't wait til Uncle Bill sees what my fix is. Hey, in the immortal words of Herr Fronkensteen ( in the Mel Brooks movie YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN ) "It could work!!!!"

As Cobalt used to say, "hee hee".

Swamp Cooler going... ahh, what a relief.
 
Glad to hear you are keeping cool, Rusty. I am waiting for the fix.

Uncle Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 30 June 1999).]
 
Clarifying the Canola oil: I coated the baby
sirupati blade and re-sheathed. Noting the dry/drag spot on blade I kept re-applying oil on the dry spot and sheathed/re-sheathed it until it smoothed out. Did this to my other
HI's and they smoothed out also. All I can say is it worked for me.

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Greg


 
Perhaps Uncle Bill is too outraged at the pun-ishment of my solution, or perhaps they didn't arrive. My wife teaches, and did a class project they needed materials for. Tongue ( tang? ) depressors worked perfectly, but I had to buy a box of 200-300 to get the 3 or 4 dozen that got used. So I stuck one into the sheath with the blade and left it a while to stretch. Then when Uncle Bill mentioned it, I couldn't resist sending the rest to him so I could make jokes about how you tell the scabbard ( in devanagari ) to "open wide and say aaaahh!" Hey, it might work out better for him than me, and he can even include a half-dozen with each khukuri so the buyer can "tune" the scabbard. heheheee!!! Rusty. And yes, Bill, I'll go back on my medication now.
 
Rusty, they arrived yesterday and if nothing else the folks at the mailing service got a huge chuckle out of the box. They asked if I had decided to change professions at my advanced age.

Next tight scabbard I'll try one and if it works I may take your advice and send a couple out with each khukuri as scabbard "tuners."

Just had a brainstorm as I hit the button so decided to add this. The tongue depressors might also work at a shim for tightening the scabbards. A little glue on the depressor, press it in place inside the scabbard and presto you have a shim to take up the unwanted space.

Many thanks, Rusty.

Uncle Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 01 July 1999).]
 
I knew that!!! ( far as using for a shim to tighten - and they are long enough and big enough to hold onto as you shave them down to fit just right ). Oh yes, John Powell has already informed me he doesn't need any tongue depressors, thank you very much.
 
The throat is not the problem.Someone shoved a much bigger piece of steel in there than the Cho.

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