curved and straight katanas

P

Pan Tau

Joined
Sep 3, 2002
Messages
750
Hello,

monday I received a HI everest-katana (standard). As I look at it and the one Raghorn shows in his thread, it seems that they are less curved than the ones on the shopping site. Both (Raghorn`s and mine) are made by Bura - maybe that is the solution and there is no deeper meaning in now making straight blades. - However does anyone have experiences if there is a difference in handling a straight single edged sword compared to a (slightly) curved one?

Another question: My katana is the only one HI-katana I have seen so far without the tang being pinned to the grip - maybe the blade is fixed like a tarwar`s blade (they do not have pins too) or a normal rat-tail-tang. I tell myself "well if the tarwar does not need pins your katana does not need them at all" - but deep inside of me I wonder if they forgot to place the pins or if they experimented.

Does anyone have any idea how the blade is actually fixed to the grip or how the tang looks like? (maybe I could set one or two pins myself if I was shure to hit the tang inside the grip - I cant x-ray the grip to see where the tang is, if it is a rat tail tang...)

Does anyone own a everest-katana without pins and has made good or bad experiences?

However - the katana is a real beauty (of course not as beautiful as Raghorn`s carved one - but this one is mine :D ) and I really like it as it is not too heavy and swings very easily (about 1 kg, the balance-point being 10 cm in front of the tsuba). It has this "handmade"-charm that gives it an identity: not perfect and stainless but tough (hopefully even without the two pins), rugged and beautiful in a personal way.

Bye and thanks,

Andreas
 
Bura often "improves" on the design when he is in the mood to do so. The katana is made with a full length tapered tang and since we've been making them never a failure of any kind.

Thanks for report from the field.
 
I own a katana and it has no pins.

Does it make it weaker, I do not think so. I believe the Kamis get bored and decide to make what they feel like that day. HI katanas are made to take abuse, if you think your sword is weak go outside and wale on it. Just be sure that you realize that a sword is not a prybar or a khukri. It will not cut down trees and it will not withstand the sheer idiotic abuse that a khukri can handle. ( In other words, "It is your butt.")

Your Kat is probably just peachy keen, I have trusted the HI kamis many many times, they do outstanding work.

I would not set any pins in your blade because that might cause a unseen weakness in the blade/tang structure and cause a fracture at the place the pin hole is drilled. I have placed pins when attempting to fix friends "Swords", aka. pakistani crap, and those pins have caused the tang to snap.

If you really really feel that you absolutely need a pin in the tang, I would consider sending your entire rig to the Sarki Shop. In order to do a proper job you are going to have to take off the handle to see where the best place would be to drill a hole in the tang. Terry can do this, build you a new handle, and use superior western epoxy to put it back together. (But this costs time and money.)

Try testing it first, my bet is that it will grow on you.:)
 
Thanks Bill and Dave,
that´s a confirmation of what I already thought before - think I needed this as I am one of that 200% guys who sometimes get on other people`s nerves because they are not really shure :rolleyes: . I will go out and test it maybe tomorrow - and I am shure (now 200%) it will perform in an outstanding way.

Andreas
 
Andreas -

Don't worry about the lack of pins. The hilt assembly of your sword is made in the same way that was used by European swordsmiths for a thousand years, to make swords designed to crush and cut mail and plate armour. The kind of forces that would be capable of dragging the peened-over 'button' through the buttcap would shear pins like they were made of boiled macaroni.

Please resist the temptation to insert pins yourself; if you're not spot-on accurate, you'll weaken the tang and risk ruining the sword beyond any hope of repair.
 
... think I am healed

went out tonight and tested the katana and my three brand new HI-Khuks (BAS, Chiruwa AK, 18" AK - yes it was a big first HI package :D) - thought I would not scare anyone if I did it Halloween ;) . So I went to a small forrest nearby where there is a lot of bush and some dead trees.

The katana swings incredible easy - and cuts like hell. I did not give it too much abuse - just a little :rolleyes: and was impressed - until I tested the 18" AK.
I owned a 16,5" Khuk-House Panawal, a Service No.1 (I sold it weeks ago) and a 13" Balance Khukuri before and the Panawal will perhaps stay my user for the "smaller stuff" (until monday I thougt it was huge - now its "one of my smaller khuks") - after I will have ruined the Panawal I will use the Chiruwa which is similar in handling but far more beautiful and a little bit more aggressive.
With this 18-incher I felt that literally nothing made of wood could withstand that blade - its pure force, while the katana is a little less force, but far more elegant. Well the purposes on which I will use them will be different but I think I will never ever wonder again if they "forgot" pins or so at Bir Gorka - the knives and swords they make are really rugged.

Bye and thanks

Andreas
 
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