Does HI make a khukri like this?

Dirtbiker

Dirtbiker

Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
1,486
I saw this online and I like the shape. I'm sure HI could make it for me but I'm wondering if they have made one like this before and what it might be called.

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If I'm not mistaken, that's a copy of the Tora Havildar. I believe they even mention the "Tora Military Range" in the description. The khukuri houses (all connected by family it seems) have copied anything and everything from HI and Tora they could, including cutting a pasting paragraphs right from the original company's website.
 
As it's not an H.I., it must move this to the Cantina.
H.I. has made some with more curved handles, although they are few and far between. This kind of curvature is most often done on smaller handled khukuri to make them more comfortable for use or on the hanshee style models. On H.I. khukuri, with their larger than normal handles, pronounced curvature can have negative effects on aiming coordination as much as it can have postive. This one looks like either a nice older specimen or possibly even an older Tora blades khukuri.

EDIT:

Thanks jdk1! I'm pretty sure thats a Tora Havildar.
 
Sorry for the misplacing of the first post.

I'd like to purchase a Tora Kukri but their web site is a joke. Nothing is ever in stock and it just doesnt seem very trustworthy. I know many of our members here have Tora blades, how did you get them?

I love me my HI kukris (12+) but it seems Tora makes a few that are very different than what is readily available from HI.
 
Dirtbiker said:
I'd like to purchase a Tora Kukri but their web site is a joke. Nothing is ever in stock and it just doesnt seem very trustworthy. I know many of our members here have Tora blades, how did you get them?
Click to expand...

Simon has a pretty loyal fanbase, as we do here. Many of his khukuri are snapped up before or as soon as they hit his website. He also sells on his forum, although you have to be even quicker there than you have to be here.
His trustworthiness in regards to sales is impeccable, as far as i know.
I'm assuming,because i don't know specifics, that he is having the same problems as we are....as all nepali knifemakers are having.... dwindling supplies of some materials necessary for khukuri production and shortages of fuel, coal and other supplies. Then the logistics of getting the shipment out of the country to market without too many fingers stuck in the pie.
 
Dirtbiker said:
I'd like to purchase a Tora Kukri but their web site is a joke. Nothing is ever in stock and it just doesnt seem very trustworthy. I know many of our members here have Tora blades, how did you get them?
Click to expand...
I'm a member of both forums. I have bought Khukuris from both companies and love them like a mother with two sons. Each has their own personality and strengths but each are honest and fair identically. You can trust HI and Tora :thumbup:.
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Dirtbiker,

While that Khukuri House copy of the Havildar looks like the original Tora model, I highly doubt (judging by the weight) that it will be similar in hand. Also, without the same quality control it will no doubt suffer from the same issues of sloppy fit and finish, poor hardening of the metal and most importantly, lots of grinding and filing instead of hammering. No doubt one of the kami's that used to work for Tora decided that hammering real kukri was too much work and went to the city and now works in a factory that has lots of grinders. In other words, it will not be a Havildar.

As for the trustworthness of Tora and/or Simon, that has never been an issue as far as I know. The website is lacking only because most of the orders are pre-sold before they are made, leaving no models left to go up on the site. As Karda said, these supply issues are happening to everyone including HI.
 
Thanks, Ive tried to enter their forum but it is down quite a bit. I'll just keep trying, thanks again.
 
nothing against simon or his sight,but i sent out emails last week to tora and aunti yangdau,aunti replied in an hour and a half,i still havn"t heard from tora,i am on their website too.but i wanted a little bigger kukri then my little shuga knife i purchased months back,well a 15" villager angkola should be heading my way soon.she is great to deal with,my wife has been chopping weeds and limbing with my ebay kukri i bought.i needed another. problem solved.
 
Tora Havildar is another model i would like to get another one.
The hollow forged and curved profile do the trick.

It feels like a boomerang.....that doesn't leave your hand.
 
Hey bargs and Dirtbiker keep trying to contact Simon. The Tora Forum is being updated and I think things are all backed up. I tried to email Simon too but no answer. This should be a temporary problem.
 
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thank"s sweet costarica,he got a hold of me.i almost pulled the trigger on a havildar copy on ebay too,had that curved handle.the shipping charges are high.also a hundred dollers in american,i found out is like 63 pounds,didnt know the quid and doller had so much of a differance.himalayan imports took care of what i wanted,,now if my money order will just get there,last weekends three day holiday slowed down the mail i guess.
 
Glad all worked out for you bargs. Getting the right Kukri that you really want is very important. Because the point all of this is about having fun.
 
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