Does anyone other than HI make custom khuks?

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
5,786
I was just curious if anyone outside of Nepal/India makes custom khukuris? veery now and then I see a areference to an American maker here and there that has made something called a khukuri, but is anyone using the traditional methods (or something similar) to make high quality khukuris outside of Nepal? Also, on a related note, what do you think an American maker would charge for, say, a British Army Service the same way HI makes them? I'm talking hand frged 5160 blade of same dimensions, with the Sword of Shiva, cho, and brass inlay, high polished horn handle, engraved buttcap, and the same high quality sheath. Also the chakma and karda of average quality. My guess for the American maker custom version would be in the neighborhood of $500 for what I described. Any other guesses?

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Chiro I believe you are right on.They may even be more than that.
Iknow I wouldn't be able to afford as many if they were Ameican made.

I didn't want to make a new thread out of some I saw at the Gun & Knife show last weekend,but I have been wanting to comment on them.
These things were made in India and were about 1/4" thick.
They were about 15" to 17" oal and I saw two of them that were just about the same.They were of the Panna Butta style.
I really don't like those anymore since I have seen what is possible.The H.I. ones may be alright,but I haven't seen one of them.
One of the people even tried to tell me it had Elephant Ivory grips.I sai something about the Wildlife Federation and then it suddenly became "Faux" or something else.(VBEG)
Both had some stipple engraving that was fairly nice on the blades.
The carving on the handles were pure crap.I said something to the one that was trying to pass the Elephant Ivory off as real that I thought it might be a real Khukuri at
first.
They said it is a real Khukuri an I said No.It isn't.I have some real Khukuris.
They asked well what does a real Khukuri look like? I told themm that the one they had would have been about three times thicker. and....

I know I made them angry at me,but that's alright.What I found strange was to find simiar ones at the same show.
That means someone is importing some more junk.

What makes me angry is that some unsuspecting adult,Let alone a young boy that's just beginning the trip down the wonderful path of knives and such will get ripped off with one of these and then think that all Khukuris are like that.

I was fortunate in working in the shop all those years.I had one of those thin ones and I still have a couple of the tourist ones I will give to some yung'en I like and be sure they know the difference.
I knew there had to be more to the Khukuri than what I had.


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

If you mix milk of magnesia with vodka and orange juice do you get a phillips screwdriver?

Khukuri FAQ


 
Yvsa :

They asked well what does a real Khukuri look like?
Click to expand...

The answer to this is to simply take the "khukuri", lodge it in something and bend it so the blade faces the handle. You then hand it back and say "It doesn't look like that".

Chiro75, most custom makers who make large knives will make them whatever way you want. The cost however will be significant. There are lots of khukuri-like blades out there. The "Terminator" by Tim Britton comes to mind.

-Cliff
 
Yvsa, you're right about junk khukuris and makers/sellers of them. They disappoint many young people at starting his happy khukuri life.

Still I could find one plus side in it.

They give the only hope for Uncle Bill to have holidays... how few as they are!

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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
Phil stays busy, too. Last I heard the wait for one of his khukuris was a couple of years.

We are running about 98% success with the village models. Losing about one if fifty for one reason or other. We can live with that but I'd rather see a 99.9% success rate.
Problem is we never know for sure what kind of steel the kami used in the village or what the handle looks like inside.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
I would love to see a kamis reaction to Phil's work, before and after you showed them the price tag.

-Cliff
 
And, Cliff, so would I.

I am not certain about the current pricing on Phil's work. It has always been too expensive for me. I got that latest figure from a customer who called me about it a few months back.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
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Cliff I would really like to do something like that.The only problem is the closest thing that would be soft enough to bury the junk khuk in would be the guys head.
smile.gif

On second thought that is probably to hard too.

Satoshi you could be right.
I know Uncle really loves what he does because he is always here.

I'm really glad you were able to get your Khukuri.Now that you got your 1st.one which one are you getting next?
smile.gif



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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

If you mix milk of magnesia with vodka and orange juice do you get a phillips screwdriver?

Khukuri FAQ


 
I don't understand Hartfield's pricing. $7,000 for a bead blasted, chisle grind A2 blade, with no habaki, rough tsuba, fake hamon, and cord wrapped handle? Arrrgh, You can get a real Japanese sword for that price, and truely spectacular American works for $2,000. Comparing Hartfield katanas to the real thing is like comparing the Cold Steel Kukuri to a Himalayan Import.

As for American khukuris. The cheapest I know is Al Massey. He's a talented Canadian smith of Celtic weapons. A khuk would cost about the same as the Shop 1 BAS. But the kardas and chakmas would be extra. And I don't know how he does sheaths.

The ideal American smith for a khukuri IMHO, is Vince Evans. I know a guy who ordered a khukuri from him for $600. He's attention to detail is amazing. Everything from him will be of top quality. Considering his reputation, Vince should be charging more.

Both these guys have their works pictured in the current Knives Illustrated Magazine.



[This message has been edited by tallwingedgoat (edited 29 October 1999).]
 
Here's a little tip for those shopping for custom knives.

Find a reputable smith that specialize in swords. Swords are much more challenging than knives. A sword smith can always produce a good knife, partially because most sword smiths started with making knives.

The reverse can not be said of knife makers.

Top knife smiths may sell a bowie for $2,000. But a sword smith with the same skills will sell a sword for the same. This is because that's all folks will pay for cutlery. If you approach the sword smith for a bowie, he can't very well charge you the same for the much bigger sword.

One ABS mastersmith that is well known for swords will do a camp knife for $400. Any other smith with that kind of ranking wouldn't even fire up the forge for that kind of money.

[This message has been edited by tallwingedgoat (edited 29 October 1999).]
 
I am a german spare time knifemaker. I do make only forged blades. I have read many of your discussions on this forum, which i found by reading the HI homepage. After reading about them good looking khukuris i wanted to have one, but living far from america and knowing about the problems with customs, postal delivery and the taxes i would have to pay for products coming from the states, i decided to make my own. In the past i have made some scramasaxes, which were about the same size and blade thickness, but with a completely different design. I forged and satin finished a blade from a mercedes benz truck leaf spring, but even starting with a piece of spring from which i thougt it may be too short it came out waaay longer than i wanted. The blade is about 18" long. The grip is not yet finished, but it will be made of brass and courbaril wood. The whole knife (?) will be about 24" long when finished. I tried its chopping power on a wooden block and was impressed of the ease of handling even with a blade this long. For me, this will be a user in the garden and the woods.
I know a french bladesmith who made a beauty of a khukuri with a seven strand torsion damascus blade and otherwise very classic construction.
So, as you see, there are other people outside Nepal, who are making khukuris.

Achim
As you can see, there are
 
There used to be a pic of Mr. Hendricksonfs khukuri on a Japanese knife mag about ten years ago. The pic was a small one, mono-colored it could only show its different shape from Indian khuks, and the price tag, up close to $10,000. Today still I wonder if the price reflected that of US or the dealer gave it for rarity.

Uncle Bill, my friends and I always envy H.I. customers in US. While sending the villagers, or H.I. blems into Japan, they lose cost advantage with $41 of shipping cost for each, $45 of wire money, and months to pass the customs.

Cliff, Ifm not a gentleman but just an honest knifenut...would like to see Philfs reaction to kamis – before and after.

Yvsa, I see the same in Uncle Bill. But I had another selfish reason. If HI khukuris get much popular among people, itfll be hard to get, impossible to choose MINE! BTW, how did you know my secret plan for the next khukuri? But thanx for caring.

tallwingedgoat, $7,000 will buy you a decent Japanese katana, but $2,000 American katana sounds great for therefs no way to own, import, manufacture a katana made in untraditional way in Japan. The law says a katana must be made in traditional way by licensed traditional swordsmith or itfll be all illegal.

AchimW, it may sound strange but Ifd like to taste your khukuri to compare to my Ang Khola. Same Mercedes Benz taste? Or would it be different by forging, heat-treating? There are many Benz in Japan, but Ifve never seen a Benz truck here... no chance.


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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
WrongFriend,

I find it truely ironic that currently all Japanese swords must be made of iron sand not modern steel. These regulations are actually put in force by MacArthur's regime as swordsmiths were using modern steel since the 1800's.

The current system limit what Japanese smiths can do, and the smiths themselves also only see a small fraction of the money their swords go for.
 
The swordmasters has come to believe their way is the very best in history, all over the world. They have nothing to compete, nothing to challenge them.

I'm afraid it shows dying of their spirit.

Not only MacArthur made it but also American movie like "Bodyguard" where a katana showed its unreal sharpness as well made it, I presume.


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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
I've found this discussion to be very educational, but will someone please explain the difference between iron sand and modern steel? Thanks.
 
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