Anyone CeraKote their Kukri?

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AfghanWarrior

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Feb 3, 2012
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Anyone CeraKote their Kukri?

I am thinking of a Kukri in my BOB, but rust is always an issue. CeraKote would cover 90% and protect it long term. The horn/wood handle is also a question with ceraKote?
 
I'm sure it would work fine, probably any sort of paint that sticks to metal would work as well

though the rust really isn't an issue unless you're either long term storing it in a wet place or you're using it as a dive knife

if you plan on using it for food prep and don't want the bad taste in your food Id suggest using mineral oil and storing it in a dry place outside of its sheath
 
You could put a forced patina on it. It would cost ya almost nothing, it would offer some resistance to rust & a lot of people really like the look.
 
You probably wouldn't be happy with the results if you coated over the top of an existing horn/wood handle. It would look strange and would also trap IN any moisture, etc that may exist already in the handle. You might consider a "through tang" style blem with a bad handle. You could then remove the handle and coat the entire blade. If you look on this forum there's a guy who made a nice handle with some kind of homemade linen micarta. Looked pretty good and would probably look more in line with a coated blade.

(but I'd also vote for a forced patina and occasional inspection/care)
 
I've duracoated four of my kuhkuris. In this You Tube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o78ClNiOUY8 three of them have been duracoated. Later I duracoated the Victor as well. It's pretty humid here in Thailand so even though the kuhkuris have not gotten a workout other than hanging on my walls, rust is still an issue. My last two kuhkuris are Himalayan Imports. I got an M-43 and a World War II, and although I originally intended to duracoat them I didn't have the heart to do it once I saw how beautiful they are. The first four are all KH kuhkuris. Three have the American Eagle or Extreme style handle. The Victor with its 15 inch blade has a comfortable handle with finger grooves. Both my WWII and M-43 Himalayan Imports kuhkuris have horn handles. I keep oil on their blades and have used Renaissance Wax but I'm not so sure about how well the Renaissance wax works.
 
Jack Corbett said:
I .... have used Renaissance Wax but I'm not so sure about how well the Renaissance wax works.
Click to expand...

I started out using Renaissance Wax. It can be used on the handle and blade and leaves the blade looking a lot better than oil, which tends to pick up dust even in storage. I figured Renaissance Wax must be good protection because it's used by museums on their guns, blades and other metal objects.

However, I was disappointed in the Renaissance Wax when one of my blades started to develop rusty pitting in a few places. Museums probably keep their guns and knives behind glass under temperature and humidity control, and maybe under those conditions the RW works well. Or maybe museum staff keep renewing the coating frequently. Regardless of the reason, I am now using mineral oil on the blades and several coats of tung oil on wood handles. For horn handles, I'm trying Hooflex (the paste kind, not the messy liquid form).

The magazine, Fine Woodworking (August 2012, Number 227) did a torture test on twenty types of rust protection. Unfortunately that only scratches the surface (pun intended) of what is available, but their test included Renaissance Wax and it did not do well. The test included a cast-iron tablesaw top and some A2 tool steel samples under a variety of heat, humidity and storage conditions. It's an interesting read.
 
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davidf99 said:
I started out using Renaissance Wax.

However, I was disappointed in the Renaissance Wax when one of my blades started to develop rusty pitting in a few places. Museums probably keep their guns and knives behind glass under temperature and humidity control, and maybe under those conditions the RW works well. .

The magazine, Fine Woodworking (August 2012, Number 227) did a torture test on twenty types of rust protection. Unfortunately that only scratches the surface (pun intended) of what is available, but their test included Renaissance Wax and it did not do well. The test included a cast-iron tablesaw top and some A2 tool steel samples under a variety of heat, humidity and storage conditions. It's an interesting read.
Click to expand...

I am so glad you replied. Bottom line is this....We both have had some pitting on our blades while using Renaissance Wax which is being lauded as the latest and greatest. I asked Mark Morrow, who has made for me a Roman sword and a pillum for his recommendation for a rust preventative and Mark said he uses "Break Free" and he then commented it lasts much longer than the normal oils we are most likely using. I suppose Mark didn't think much of Renaissance Wax. Otherwise he might have even commented, "I have never used it so I really don't know." So as of from now on, I am going to stop using the stuff.

As to my duracoating my Kuhkuri House kukris, the reason I took this approach is I was watching Nutfancy's videos on You Tube and he's a huge proponent of the substance. I feel Nutfancy is very thorough in his reviews and that he usually makes a lot of sense. But again....my two HI kukri's are simply just too pretty to paint over. As for the Kuhkuri House Kuhkuris, I do not duracoat their handes....only their blades and other metal parts which are extremely prone to rusting by the way.
 
Nutnfancy....well, let's just say, use a hefty serving of salt with whatever he feeds you. 5160 is surprisingly rust resistant, given the low chrome content.

I have owned many HI products. I think I've seen small rust spots on two, when they went months in Georgia with no maintenance. I even carried a Chitlangi with me in wet Washington State out in the field, with no problems. A little CLP, and good to go.

John
 
I wouldn't say that. Different texture and composition. Might still work, though it would tend to rub off much easier.

John
 
I live in a fairly humid environment and my blades stay rust free as long as I handle them carefully. I clean/polish my kukris and then wipe them down with mineral oil from tip to tip. I have a M43 that likes to rust on me do to moisture or something in the sheath. I now oil that blade and wrap in Saran wrap (one layer) and it stays rust free in the sheath. I don't have the space to keep the blades separate from their sheaths.

If I were on an extended camp out I would just carry a quality spray oil and a rag. After use just spray on and wipe off. If you buy a villager finished blade they are a little easier to care for as well.
 
Cosmoline: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmoline

One thing this article doesn't mention is that it comes off easily with Kerosene.
Back in the early 80's I used to work for a Mercedes/Porsche/VW/Audi dealer and routinely had to wash cosmo off entire cars coated in it, then rewash with hot soapy water and let dry for a day. Then wax and deliver.
 
FWIW, the Nepal cache kukris sold by IMA and Atlanta Cutlery were coated with some form of cosmoline, and have stood up to 100+ years of storage in pretty abysmal conditions with almost no rust.
After that length of time, the stuff has pretty much petrified. Scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner has proven effective to remove it, but cleaning is not an indoor activity. :barf:
 
If you can find it Du Lite Kwik Seal is great stuff that you intend to store. Many gun manufactures and companies that do Bluing and such use it prior to putting it in the box for shipment to dealers or distributors not knowing how long it will be on the shelf before it's sold.

It says it has a waxing ingredient but it doesn't build up, so if you take your gun or sword etc out and wipe it down with the Kwik Seal, it removes the old and replaces it. I really like the stuff and have no problem with guns rusting in the safe or laying around the man cave.

First thing I do when Yangdu sends me blades is wipe em down (very carefully) with the Du Lite. It works to remove the oil they are shipped in very good too.

Good stuff. Brownell's carried it for a short time, I was so happy and went to order more and they no longer stocked it so apparently not enough demand.
 
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