Bonecutter warranted for cutting bone?

Let's get back on topic and please allow me clarify my interpretation:
If the khuk dents from hitting hard bone, it's to be expected - ANY well-made, bladed tool is not going to fair any better, so it's unfair to even expect a replacement when the blade did what it was designed to do. You put the damage there from something I would consider "abuse" (you're hitting something we have said - and that you should know from inspection - to be as hard as a rock) and the knife did what it was designed to do - bend or dent. If this is the case, one should buck up and repair the damage himself. On the other hand, if the khuk chips and a piece flies off from hitting hard bone, I would call that a defect and yes - HI will most likely cover it as that's the fault of an improper heat treat or poor material. Will the blade handle the extreme task if it's properly made? Yes. Will it come out unscathed? No. So logically, I wouldn't want to be hitting hard bone to begin with as larger dents are a pain to straighten and sharpen out.

This interpretation is coming from what Uncle Bill said himself on this page. Jaymo, give this a read as it's what the late founder himself expected of the products his company makes.

Uncle Bill said:
Extreme testing

I sometimes test a blade to see if it chips, fractures or deforms when put to extreme use. I know that I am going to damage the blade so if you are not prepared for blade damage don't do this test. I chop nails and bolts, usually, to see what happens. If the blade chips out or fractures I have usually damaged the blade beyond repair and I really hate to see this. If the blade deforms and can be put back to near original condition with a little work I am much happier. This is what I want to see on the HI khukuris and how they almost always perform.

Hope this info might help in checking out your knives.

Bill Martino
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Just wanna add that I once hacked through a lamb leg-bone with an HI cleaver to fit it into a smaller pot. Didn't phase the cleaver edge at all. Just kinda chopped away at it on the cutting board without worrying about the edge & the edge remained undamaged. I can imagine that one might curl the hardened edge if they hit a bone really hard... but it's not really necessary to sever a bone with one swing.
 
killa_concept said:
Ha - well said. Made me chuckle

Personally, if I don't think an ax or heavy duty knife would fair any better at a task, I don't consider it covered by the warranty. Denser bone can be as hard as rock, and it's structure tends to be less uniform than wood - more laminated/random. This means it doesn't give way for the edge as well as wood of equal density (hard to explain - but it's sort of like how hacking at particle/fiber board will ding up a knife more-so than hacking at hardwood despite the former feeling softer... it has to to with the grain structure). Here's a neat little post by Uncle Bill if you haven't already read it. That said, the best you can hope for from such a heavy impact against such dense material is a pretty decent roll/dent... if you think a kukri, or any knife for that matter, should be able to shrug off something like that, you'll be hard pressed to find a blade that meets your expectations

Also, I don't believe it was HI who came up with the Bonecutter name - if I recall correctly from my readings, it was originally a model by GK Khukuris that a member wanted HI to adopt and improve upon. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will verify or refute this :o
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howdy all,

i'm "the member" that really Really REALLY wanted a Bonecutter, and collected pictures, sketches, specs, and what all and wrote and called Auntie Yangdu incessantly over a good period of time to get things rolling...

Hollowdweller is one of the few people here that have an actual Praj Bonecutter, and can report on usage characteristics... as well, he's one of the final judges on the outcome of the HI project imho... an authority you might say on the originals. someone otter contact him for his opinion on chopping bone. my opinion is below.

Bonecutter - the name - in my NOT so very humble opinion, it's a name. in particular, the name of the old country style of khukri most resembling the original Ganga Ram special (we're talking old old old style), but its own thing. it has certain characteristics which make it unique, and desirable. the current GRS evolved into a different less "leafy" shape.

since Praj dropped off the planet, and getting his Bonecutter model wasn't going to happen, it didn't seem untoward to ask Yangdu to make some up. i came up with specs, lengths, weights, and requested that Sgt Khadka be THE maker, with his known skills with sheath and fitment and attention to detail - this was going to be a very challenging khukri to make. in theory, it's his exclusive to make. in reality, the other kamis made their own interpretations :) go kamis.

one of the more challenging specs: thick spine, VERY wide, yet tapering down to a VERY wide edge profile, at least 1cm, and THIN towards the edge. i also was ADAMANT about a full chiruwa design and i know SK is very good at these things. the edge though, very tricky, and the good SGT has done this before. the models he made for me as the prototypes only showed he was more than up to the challenge. the result: a super THIN, hard edge that eats wood for breakfast.

various characteristics that make it excellent for chopping wood, and throwing chips. it should also be excellent at cutting through meat, even with tough connective tissue, and various hard things found in the body but probably not LIMBS and especially not THIGH bones. chopping up chickens? sure thing. probably should slice right through floating ribs and really hard body tissues like butter. spine? probably. splitting hip bones? with extreme care, maybe. really, one should probably make some notches, and use the spline to BREAK. really. course, i'm not a pro-butcher, so use a saw ;)

with any knife, and any given HI khukri, adjust your edge to the task. if you are going to chop hard stuff, reprofile the edge to full convex. for safety you want might to etch and test the hardness on the sweet spot. i've chipped out a few khuks. it happens. it's not common though.

long story short: chopping bone square on, esp limb bones, ESP ESP thigh bones is tricky territory. it's coming close to abuse. even if it's called a bonecutter, it's a name, not a function.

also: through various learnings, chopping fir trees, esp hemlock, ESP ESP frozen ones (ie: Christmas trees), is asking for it. again, it's a wood, and it might not be considered abuse, but it's a known thing that the knots on those things are like stones (literally filled with silicates) and will BREAK blades and axes.


Bladite
 
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Bladite said:
the edge though, very tricky, and the good SGT has done this before. the models he made for me as the prototypes only showed he was more than up to the challenge. the result: a super THIN, hard edge that eats wood for breakfast.
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It sure does ;)
 
Then I thank you Bladite for the design. I have a very nice one, made by Sgt Khadka I bought from another member and it is one of my favorites. It is a 22" one and it handles marvelously. I will sell of the smaller one I have now that I have the big one as a matter of fact... It is a well designed and made Khukuri.
 
warty said:
Then I thank you Bladite for the design. I have a very nice one, made by Sgt Khadka I bought from another member and it is one of my favorites. It is a 22" one and it handles marvelously. I will sell of the smaller one I have now that I have the big one as a matter of fact... It is a well designed and made Khukuri.
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welcome... my selfish needs help out the many :)

i probably know who ;) that's a nice one, if so... you know were to send later :>


Bladite
 
Bladite said:
also: through various learnings, chopping fir trees, esp hemlock, ESP ESP frozen ones (ie: Christmas trees), is asking for it. again, it's a wood, and it might not be considered abuse, but it's a known thing that the knots on those things are like stones (literally filled with silicates) and will BREAK blades and axes.
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I too have some experience to this effect, sadly. :( Badly rolled one khuk's edge and chipped another. The former was a non-HI Nepali khuk, and the latter a Becker KLO.

warty said:
It is a 22" one and it handles marvelously. I will sell of the smaller one I have now that I have the big one as a matter of fact... It is a well designed and made Khukuri.
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Ahh, the "Keyboard Cutter" if I'm not mistaken. :D
 
I got a reply from Auntie today about this matter, take from it what you will.
I myself am taking it as You should use good judgement, as you would with any blade.
It will however not be warranted for cutting Bone, unless it is a defect in manufacturing or workmanship.

Aunt Yangdu said:
According to father and Sgt. Khadka the bonecutter blade may fail upon heavy duty use like chopping a cow or goat bone. HI better stay with the lifetime limited warranty.
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Is the one I got from il bruche the same one you are both thinking of? The keyboard cutter?

He took my offer and we worked out the details and I bought it from him.

Since getting it, I don't even feel like messing with the smaller one I had before it.
So it must go. :)
 
I can't wait for mine to come in. I have a small tulip poplar tree that needs a good whacking. I also have some sweetgum saplings and privet hedge that have popped up in my back yard that I can't wait to chop.
I wonder how the BC would be at chopping/splitting bamboo?
I bet it will take the heads off of fish like nobody's business.
 
warty said:
Is the one I got from il bruche the same one you are both thinking of? The keyboard cutter?
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That's the one... he once posted a vid where he chopped a computer keyboard in two with it.. if there's any small rolls in the edge, you'll know why! :eek:

Jaymo said:
I wonder how the BC would be at chopping/splitting bamboo?
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I once chopped some dry bamboo with either my BC or Samsher... the edge held up fine, though the bamboo splintered and split instead of a clean cut. The thick edge geometry probably had much to do with it.
 
The edge has one very tiny nick in it, but is otherwise perfect. It was disclosed prior to purchase.

Perhaps then that is the new name of this Khukuri rather than Bone Cutter?
Since we know it will cut a keyboard for sure, we should call them Keyboard Kutters! LOL
 
Well now I suppose I should get with it and post some pix of the thing as it is now. :D
As I said, you really can't see the little nick unless you work hard at it and the rest of it is prefect.
I am quite pleased with it and seeing this only pleases me all the more.
 
I need a HDTV cutter.... Darned thing. I'm gonna treat this thing like the copier on the movie "Office Space".


Kevin
 
Man, if that keyboard is what I think it is in the video, he just chopped up a like $100 keyboard (when it's new). Makes me sad because I have the exact same model and love the thing.
 
Broken Eye said:
Man, if that keyboard is what I think it is in the video, he just chopped up a like $100 keyboard (when it's new). Makes me sad because I have the exact same model and love the thing.
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Video was probably made by a Razer fan ;)
In all seriousness, it was probably a dead one to begin with.
 
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