Chiruwa handle maintenance?

R

Ryan M

Joined
Aug 18, 2001
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I really have no idea, how are chiruwa handles supposed to be maintained? It seems like there's absolutely no way to prevent the tang from oxidizing other than oiling it, which has some very obvious problems. I decided a couple months ago to just let the chiruwa style handle on my Giant Chitlangi oxidize naturally, helped along by skin oils and the ridiculous humidity those of us in the NE part of the country have had to put up with. Rain, rain, and more rain, I don't think it's ever rained this much in one summer before, in my lifetime.

So far, it's forming a dark brown patina, which I'm betting will mature into a nice plum color one of these years. No loose rust or pitting whatsoever, just a deep brown patina, which almost matches the wood. Indicative of a good blade steel, IMO.

What's everyone else do with their chiruwa handled khuks? What's the traditional Nepali treatment?
 
I do the same thing:) Maybe give it a buff with some steel wool every once in awhile.
 
ryan hi
if you clean all the crud? off your handle then coat it in
renaissance wax let it dry then polish with a clean dry duster
you will get a nice shinebut heres the secret when its treated as i said it leaves an invisable barrier on the steel stopping rust tarnish and other nastys
getting to the steel i use it all the time and its what restorers use in museums
on there blades it can be used on vertually anything even leather its exspensive but worth evey penny/cent it wont come off no matter how often
you handle it and can only be removed with white spirits/turpentine
as i said its a permanant inpenetrable barrier and works try it
mick
 
I give many of my wood or horn handles a long soak in mineral oil now and then. I later set 'em aside for the excess to drip off into a jar, then I rub off the slickness with paper towel. This is more for the benefit of the wood and horn than the steel, but I'm sure it doesn't hurt. My old samsher has seen plenty of sweat and choppin' and even rain, but it's still shiny at the tang... and much of the blade still for that matter.
 
I favor the wax method, but I was living in a dry climate when I had my chiruwa. A light coat doesn't make the handle significantly slippery - the shape of the traditional handle is very secure even when the surface itself gets wet or slippery. More challenging environments (humid/coastal) may still cause the steel to patina a bit. If it's a user, that doesn't matter. If it's a wall hanger, use more wax. :D
 
Funny, but my CAK has never rusted on the tang. I've had it for about nine months, used it many times with sweaty hands and it looks the same as when I bought it - shiny and polished.

I put neatsfoot oil on the horn handle about once a month - I suspect this forms a protective coating on the metal that is pretty impervious to salts and oxidation.
 
My M-43's have the chiruwa style handle as well. Since I was living outdoors when I recieved my Nura made M-43 I forced a patina with vinegar. After that just the regular oiling it recieved from my hands when I rubbed boot dressing on the handle has prevented any rust or other types of corrosion.

One thing working in all of our favor with these kukri's is also the steel type. They are forged from a steel with the same or similar properties of 5160. This is an alloy steel and is less suceptible to rust and corrosion than the simple steels such as 1095.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I'll just let mine keep aging, as long as it continues to not produce any "loose" rust.
 
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