BAS, I'm in love again:

P

Pappy

Joined
Mar 1, 2002
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I was hot, tired, and just about ready for a beer.
When the mail man showed up last week Saturday. He had one of them triangle long boxes. It was opened immediately. The second BAS for me and it was worth going in the hole again. I only found one bit of work to do. The bolster and horn connection was just fine but the horn looked to have shrunk just a bit. I could see just a bit of laha at the end of the horn. Just a bit of permanent black ink and super glue and all is just fine.
Sarge would like this one too. The first thing I noticed about the handle was that it was ovaled enough to feel the difference between it and the older one. The oval gives a grip on the khuk that is out of this world. A man would have to be very tired to lose hold of this one.

There was only a very light touch up with the hard stone and that baby was ready to go out and cut. The karda I really did not have to do anything with. From feeling the chakma with my small file. It would seem that this new Kami took lessons from Bura. The tang was squared before being peened.

With a bit of Chap Stick on the blade. I trimmed a few limbs from one of the younger Pine trees in the yard. Two and three inch limbs were no problem. Anything smaller than two inches never took more than one swing. Thanks for the tip Sarge. The blade cleaned up a lot easier after having the Chap Stick on the steel. No further sharpening was needed. It is on my night stand now and the older one is here by the computer.
The way my computer is arranged in my room I have quick access to six more khucks by just standing up.

The New knife by the new Kami was sell worth the low price. Definitely a bargain. Thank you Uncle Bill. :) :D :D
 
Sounds like a durn good one Pappy, you're right I probably would like it. The BAS is a very useful khukri, it pulls it's weight without weighing a fellow down. I'm no expert, but it strikes me that the khuk you feel most comfortable with is the one you'll use the most. Might explain why my BAS is so well used. Also causes me to suspect that AK lovers just might have one arm bigger than the other:D

Sarge
 
My BAS is still the one I return to. Others get used for specific tasks and such, but that is the one I backpack with. If I could only have one, I guess that would be it. It is like that old trusty rifle or that perfectly broken in pair of boots.
 
With a bit of Chap Stick on the blade.
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I know you love you khuks Pappy, but PLEASE--don't kiss em, even if you DO put chap stick on em first;) :p :D


Just teasin':D Congrats on the new blade---sounds like a beauty!!:)
 
I've used Thompson-Center bore butter on several of my older carbon steel knives with great success. I figured if it was good enough for my Hawken it should work fine for knives too.

At least up until the deer start getting wise to the meaning of the wintergreen scent. ;)
 
Thanks for another tip. I'll have to check that out. I need to get another barrel for mine before I worry too much about rust proofing mine. Sure would like to get it shooting again. :)
 
I could see just a bit of laha at the end of the horn.WHAT IS LAHA ?:D Good idea with the Chap stick.;)
 
I should probably let Uncle Bill answer this but here goes any way.
The easiest way for me to answer this is, it is a home made type of resin glue.. Rather than the commercial types of resins sold in glue departments in department stores. In the US they call it Cutler's Resin, Pine Pitch, Beeswax, and the third ingredient is sort of a toss up. I have read formulas that said Moose Dung, charcoal dust, brick dust, saw dust, and I am going to use carnauba wax. I am going this way because the pitch is hard when cooled and Carnauba is very hard when cool also. Each seperate ingredient seems expensive but there is very little waste. The mixture can be re heated for use again. With the commercial resins once it hardens it's all over what didn't get used just gets thrown away.:)
 
You got it right, Pappy. We buy commercial laha for use at BirGorkha but village kamis make their own and God only knows what all goes into it.
 
The Kami's probably get more than horns from the water buffalo. My wife says that when here daddy in Mexico was making adobe bricks there was a bunch of buffalo dung went into each batch of mud along with the straw. Her and brothers and sisters had the honor of mxing the mud bare foot.:D :D

I still tease here once in a while about the goo between her toes.:D
 
I don't know about dung...but blood, and protein stick. I bet that's why Bill suspected the Kamis put some blood in their Laha. Anyone who's ever had a car or house egged knows all about protein sticking.

munk
 
I'm not going to get into the village kamis recipes for laha. Too early and my stomach is still a little shaky.
 
The BAS is a very useful khukri, it pulls it's weight without weighing a fellow down.
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I just recieved delivery of a BAS. I am quite suprised by the weight, as it seems heavier than the 1.25 pounds stated in the ad on HI's shopping site. I also have a 15 inch sirupati, which is said to weigh around 1 pound. However, when I compare the two, the BAS seems to be alot more than just 1/4 pound heavier than the sirupati. I don't have a scale to weigh the two, but there sure feels like more than 1/4 pound difference.
 
in my small experience, (which may be dead wrong,so why do I even presume to say anything at all?) The BAS seems to have the most consistant weight of the khukuris. Mine weighs 22oz or so. Other's I've read about here seem about the same. Other Khukuri types vary weight from Kami to Kami and depending upon how each Kami made the blade on that particular day.

bottom line; I'd be surprised if your BAS weighs more than most others. I don't find my own very heavy to carry. it would be interesting if you ended up with a BAS heavyweight.

munk
 
Hello munk,

First I should say that Uncle Bill has offered to exchange my BAS for a lighter one.

If your BAS weighs 22 ounces, that is a bit more than 1.25 pounds, so I guess those weights given on the HI website are approximate. What I was expecting was a blade that weighs only slightly more than my sirupati, so I was very suprised at the actual difference in heft. Of course it could also be that the sirupati I have is actually lighter than one pound. If my sirupati is lighter than average and the BAS is heavier, that could explain the significant difference in feel.

Otherwise the BAS is a beautiful knife, as I knew it would be.
 
Used my BAS this morning to harvest some wood. Engineers had knocked a small tree (6" dia.) over while reinforcing some barricades. I passed the little tree every morning and evening walking back and forth to where my sleeping tent is. This morning I could stand it no longer, so out comes the BAS and in short order the tree is cut up, stacked, and now resides behind my supply tent, waiting to be turned into something useful. If you keep it good and sharp, and use it often enough to be "proficient", the BAS can handle an amazing range of tasks. The BAS might not have the awesome "presence" of it's bigger brothers, but you'll have no problem convincing me of it's usefulness.

Sarge
 
I have to say, Amen to your statement Sarge.

I have yet to pull the BAS and have it come up short in the task presented. Both of these that I have are just amazing. The Kesar is the one that just seems to get better as the time goes by and now I have another that is acting the same way. After an initial touch up on the edge, working green wood just seems to hone these things to no end. I have got so I take great care when polishing the sweet spots on these. There is not a doubt in my mind that either of them will take a finger off no problem.

I'm glad that Berkley advised using my Bura knives. I didn't realize until today how much they were missed. That 20" Siru took a snakes head off today just slicker than greased Owl Chit.:D :D :D
 
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