"Chandan" handled 21 inch Sirupatis coming.

Kami found some sandalwood (Chandan) and used it to handle four 21 inch Sirupatis made at shop 2. This might sound easy but it isn't. Sandalwood is very hard to come by because it is ground up for use in making incense. The profit margin is much greater doing this than using it for handles.

Because sandalwood handled khukuris are so rare one of these will go into my personal collection. That leaves three. They are in the air now so if anybody is interested in one of these let me know and I'll log you in. I'll post a report when they arrive.

Uncle Bill
 
You are logged in, Greg. Another went earlier so now there is only one left. I hope Kami was able to get a fair supply of sandalwood. It is really nice wood and the very few khukuris I saw in Nepal with handles made of sandalwood smelled like it plus looking really nice. Unless this wood is so old it's lost its aroma (I'm not sure this is possible -- any wood experts know?)it should not only look good but smell good.

Kami ran across this sandalwood accidentally when some neighbors were tearing down an old barn. He bought it up right on the spot.

Uncle Bill
 
Pakcik Bill, Sandalwood (Chandan) as a 21" Sirupati handle ! The smell must be very nice ! BTW, we called Sandalwood as Chendana ! I wonder whether those words ie. Chandan & Chendana might be come fr a single source of langguage which is Sanskrit ?
 
Bill, what is the texture of the grip like? The oak handle on my Sirupati is really nice in that regard as its rough enough to be secure but not abrasive.

-Cliff
 
mohd,

Re: Chandan and Chendada, they're probably the same word. Quite a few Hindi and Nepalese words, when written in English seem to end up with an "A" at the end - I've always wondered why, maybe during the colinial days some translators didn't quite get it right and it has persisted in that form till now.

For instance, you frequently run into words like "Ramayana" or "Mahabharata" - the two famous Hindu epics, when the correct pronounciation is "Ramayan" and "Mahabharat" without the "A" in the end. Same with "Rama" (Ram), "Lakshmana" (Lakshman), "Bhima" (Bhim) - these are names from the Hindu epics. Of course, this is not to say that all Hindi or Nepalese words ending with an "A" are being mispronounced! "Sita" is still "Sita" for instance.

Hope that helps.

- Sonam
 
When I watched the Mahabharat on TV in Nepal that's what it was called -- no ending "a." My Nepali is bad and Hindi non-existent. When I was in India and trying to communicate I'd use a hodgepodge of English and Nepali and amazingly it generally worked. Chandan is what I heard in Nepal so that's what I use. So, nephew Mohd, I think it is probably the same word. Chandan in Nepal and chendana in India -- sandalwood in English. And, thanks for help nephew Sonam.

Cliff, the very few sandalwood handles I saw in Nepal were all very well oiled so it was difficult to tell what the grip would be like in actual use. We will soon see.

Uncle Bill

 
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