Change In WWII's Blade Shape

Big Bob

Big Bob

Joined
Oct 13, 1999
Messages
1,731
Bill, when I received my uncle's WWII, I noticed that the blade is has a different shape to it than that of my Shop 1 WWII. My 18" WWII also has the different blade shape. Allow me to elaborate:

Shop 1 16.5" WWII: Measuring the blade by measuring along the spine from the bolster to the blade's tip, I find that the length of the blade from the bolster to the point where the spine angles forward makes up roughly 39.6% of the total blade length. The rest of the spine (the part that angles forward) tapers along with the edge. The point where the spine angles forward, along with the line that runs up the middle of the spine are less noticeable (it doesn't stand out as much).

I had sent my uncle's khukuri to him before I did the comparisons, so I used my 18 incher since it also has the new blade shape and the same type of bolster as my Shop 1.

BirGhorka 18" WWII: Doing the same type of measurement, the bolster-to-angling-point part of the blade makes up roughly 44.6% of the total blade length, a 5% increase. The part of the spine that angles forward is significantly straighter and tapers less. Both the point where the spine angles and the line that runs up the middle of the spine are much more noticeable.

Bill, do you know the main reasons for the changes in the blade profile. Do the kamis consider the new profile to be better for performance, more durable, or is it just their interpretation of the WWII models. Sanu made both my 18 incher and my uncle's khukuri, maybe the new shape is just his interpretation. I personally like the older profile better, IMHO it just looks more graceful, beautiful, and more like my personal image of a khukuri blade.

Bob



[This message has been edited by Big Bob (edited 11-10-2000).]
 
Bob, I, too, like the older look. I prefer a khuk's spine to be more gracefully curved and the angles less abrupt.
 
The next time I order a WWII, I'll ask for Bura to make it, since he is a tradionalist. Which gives me an idea for my next acquisition...

Bob
 
Does anyone have an 18" WWII by Sher? Except for being beefier, are his blades more traditionally shaped? About how much could I expect a Sher WWII to weigh?

Bob
 
If I do get another 18" WWII, Sher will be my man. Since I already have 2 WWIIs, I might as well get one for heavy duty chopping. Since my 16.5" WWII weighs about 1.5 lbs, I should be able to handle Sher's model.

Bob

[This message has been edited by Big Bob (edited 11-15-2000).]
 
Thanks for the info, Bill. I won't be ordering anything for a while, so I'll have time to think about it.

Bob
 
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