Bugs in sheath.....!!!!?????

Orion

Orion

Joined
Oct 4, 1998
Messages
529
OK... here's my story.
(Craig may remember me...)

About this same time last year, my girlfriend was touring in Nepal. She sent me a package containing a few GH Kukris. One of them was a "Jungle" model that is left totally unpolished (blade, handle and sheath).
Lately, I've been toying with the idea of using one of these Kuks (they are all on stands and just for show as far as I'm concerned because of the sentimental value). I have all the prominent models of "production" kuks (CS, Ontario, etc...) and I wanted to see how a "real" one would stand up because I really like the others.
Tonight I was looking through all my models to see which one facilitated "real use" the most. Being the least ornamental, the Jungle model was a no-brainer.
After pulling it off the shelf I noticed some "saw dust" on the stand that looked as if it had come out of the opening of the sheath. I climbed up to look on top of the shelf and it was covered in dust, also. After examining the sheath, it has about 35 tiny holes in the back side of it and the entire back side of the sheath is as if it has rotted. I can squeeze the handle and it just disintegrates inside the leather covering. The leather is still unphased except for the tiny holes. The front piece of wood of the sheath is still solid.
Upon this I decided to investigate further....
On the shelf are about 5 or 6 tiny brown bugs about the size of ants.... all dead.
Logic tells me that this is the cause of ruin to my sheath...
They do not look like termites.
My questions-
Has anyone else experienced this?
What are these bugs?
Did these bugs get shipped from Nepal in the Kukri or did they infest the Kukri once it arrived here?
Why is it just this model? Is it because the leather covering the sheath has not been treated?
If they came from Nepal, are they a symptom of this type of kukri or is this an instance of infested wood being used before hand to make the sheath?
Do these bugs pose as any type of health risk? I only found 5 or 6 dead bugs but there are about 35-40 holes in the sheath... they're not going to burrow into my brain or anything, are they?!?!?!?!? Do they carry any diseases?
I do not really like the traditional sheaths, anyway, and if I choose to continue using this kuk I will probably get a kydex sheath made for it.
I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced this or had any info?

Thanks-
Orion
 
Orion,

The same thing happened to me with an inexpensive Indian khukuri I ordered from one of the mail-order outfits. I tried all kinds of noxious bug killers to get rid of them, before finally burning the sheath. I was concerned about what the critters would eat after the sheath was gone. My house?

I never found any of their little corpses like you did, but the crumbling wood, the sawdust on the blade, and the tiny holes in the leather were the same.

They never bothered the wood of the khukuri handle.
 
Since the bugs don't look like termites, they may be Nepali in origin. One way to sure-fire get rid of bugs is to remove all metal parts of an item and put it in the microwave (microwave on low, or you risk splitting the leather). Now DONT do this with your sheath unless you first remove all metal pins, rivets, and of course, the brass. This is just a tip I picked up from an old book dealer who used to get rid of book worms with this trick. BUT USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Otherwise, you are the first two guys I've ever met with bug problems in your sheath!
smile.gif


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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Adding a partially filled cup of water to the microwave would be a good idea when you are irradiating bugs.

Too much water and metal left in the microwave will result in a small lighting/rain storm.

Will
 
Wow - a virtual primordial soup in your micro. I wonder if the new life forms would somehow grow khukuri-shaped flagelli?

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Sorry for being late on this topic...


Hi Orion,

If you're interested in a identification of your bugs (and still have one or two corpses of them), you are welcome to send them to me. I guess that they most likely are beetles but in my experience descriptions are insufficient to give any educated guesses...
wink.gif


Please seal them in a small plastic bag; cut 0.5" holes in two cardboards, and attach the plastic bag between them so that the specimens won't get crushed (if necessary, attach them with some Scotch Tape inside the bag). Make sure to place the letter for 5 minutes in a microwave at full power before sending it off.

Best wishes,
kai
 
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