chakma question

fishface5

fishface5

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probably should have checked the spelling on that, but -

received a sweet AK but with 2 chakmas and no karda. Any reason I can't use my belt grinder to grind one of the chakmas into a karda? Just checking with the experts before I do something rash.
 
Huh - that's odd... have you contacted Yangdu about the issue? Was it an error or was it just missing the karda as part of a DotD/Blem?

As for grinding it, I'm sort of torn: On one hand, it seems logical to me that the chakma is hardened to a higher RC than a karda (it's a steeling tool, so it would have to be slightly harder than the kukri's edge it's meant to realign) and might be prone to chipping after putting an edge on it... then again, this could be entirely wrong and it might just be an un-sharpened karda.

Regardless, you should definitely contact Aunt Yangdu :o
 
i wouldn't grind it, but rather, I'd second the motion to use a folder or small knife as a replacement. Think of this as an opportunity to customize, not as a deprivation.
 
I have a Sirupati with two kardas and no chakma.


It could be that sometimes the tribox shifts into a parallel reality during shipping and gets mixed up with a tribox from another dimension. There are sometimes drawbacks to H.I.'s super-fast shipping.
 
This is kind of an interesting thread actually. Can we assume that the accessory knives are not made by the person that crafts the khuk? Maybe they're made by the person that makes the scabbard? I recently bought a great looking M-43. The chakma & carda were nice quality pieces in themselves, although the handles look to be two completely different types of dark hardwood. Are there workers who simply turn out the smaller knives in quantity and in different sizes & handle materials to be matched with the khukri later on?
 
Duzzy said:
I believe apprentices make the chakma and the karda.
Click to expand...

Correct! they're almost always made by apprentices to the Kami. Good practice for when their time comes to make the kukris themselves :D
I personally love the karda though and think as highly of it as I do the kukri! When I go camping, all I bring blade-wise is my 18" Vojpuri on my pack and a Becker BK-2 on the belt. The karda that comes with the kukri is perfect for the smaller tasks that neither my Vojpuri or BK-2 can handle :thumbup:
 
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Regarding the hardness of the chakma, I've heard conflicting reports, personally. Some have claimed them to be quite soft, at least relative to the khuk edges. I've had some success steeling edges on softer blades with them though. If you've got the time and the tools, what could it hurt to grind yourself a karda from the extra chakma? Okay, it could hurt if you don't have a proper face mask/ventilation! :D
 
Yeah, Kardas and Chakmas are apprentice pieces.
Some of my kardas, to be honest, suck. I have a couple, especially the one that came with my M43:
100_0131.jpg


Which is quite nice.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
Some of my kardas, to be honest, suck.
Click to expand...

My experience (which is limited to two kukris) is that kardas receive a very good heat treat - the issue I have with them is the sharpening. The level of care put into it is about on par to that which the kukris receive. While small burs don't affect the kurki's performance chopping performance much, the karda is a slicing tool and small burs REALLY impact it's usability. This really isn't an issue for me as I resharpen anything that isn't up to my high standards (see below), but I can see it being a real issue for those who want good out of the box performance

P1010929.jpg
 
I haven't seen a karda yet that was much sharper than the chakma (okay, I exaggerate).

But one thing I've noticed is the little slots on the sheath are sized exactly for that particular karda/chakma set, to hold the butts lined up. If you swap them, they don't line up.

The sarkis put a lot of work into these, too.
 
I wasn't just talking about the sharpness.

Most are soft enough to sharpen with a file -- never hitting hard metal beneath. Probably not a bad thing for knives that in their native environment will probably be sharpened on river stones and touched up with the chakma.

But also, handle not lined up with the blades, pits int he blades, etc.

To be honest, it doesn't bother me, as I know they are made by apprentices, and they have to practice on something. Plus, most are far too small for me to use, so even if they were made to the same standards as the kukri, I wouldn't be able to use them.

AFAIK, most people replace them with something else, anyway.
 
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