I was fortunate enough to have procured this Dukti Sword and will pass on what little amateurish comments, as well as concerns, about it. I guess this is my first review, so be nice...
The Look:
The sword is an amazing piece of art. Seriously, after looking at the workshop that the Kamis work in and seeing the finished product, you begin to see how the will of a human can overcome meager resources and produce work that is stunning.
The handle alone is a work of art. Honestly, if you were to remove it from the sword, it could sell as a piece of art. Now, I have carved handles on the Katana and the Kumar Karda (uh oh...giving away the extent of my HIKV...shhh), but those carvings, beautiful in their own right, pale in comparison to this handle. Truly, the old master must have spent as much, if not more, time on the handle than the sword. A true testament to his skill.
The blade carving does not lag far behind. Metal is obviously a different material for art, but again, the engraving on it is exquisite. It extends the length of the fuller and really gives the blade a look of a sword made for royalty. On top of this, the blade it razor sharp...REALLY sharp.
Overall, this sword is a masterpiece of skill in the artwork alone, never mind the smithing.
The Feel
I declare on the outset that I am not knowlegable in weaponry or martial arts...I would like to change that one day, but please take the below for what it's worth given this information.
The sword it light and it really swings with the utmost of ease. It is not blade heavy, but rather presents itself as very balanced, and therefore very easy to wield. I took a few feeble swings with it outside (in the dark when nobody was looking...NJ does not take kindly to such barbaric behavior) just to see how it handles and it is very light in the hand. It took swinging it for a few minutes with some good strength behind the swings to really develop any fatigue in the arms...a good testament to its balance and agility given that I am no Conan (or even Conan O'brien... :footinmou ).
Overall, very quick, balanced, light and downright dangerous.
The Scabbard
Now, I have some concerns about the scabbard. It is a standard leather-over-wood scabbard, but it is not quite as beefy as the Kukri scabbards. The concern comes in with the blade in that it may actually cut right through the scabbard. So extra care has to be taken to withdraw and re-sheath the sword. One strong push/pull, and the scabbard would probably split, along with about 3-4 fingers.That is worrisome enough to make me consider reinforcing the scabbard (maybe the ol' duct tape will have to be used). The scabbard itself fits wonderfully - not too tight and not too loose. But the durability of it is a concern to me. Not a big deal though, considering the sword without the scabbard is worth it.
Blade Worries
Now, I ain't planning any invasion into or out of Scandanavia or zombie slashing sprees, but I am a bit worried about this blade's durability. I know that Sher Bahadur/Bura Sahib is an excellent smith who has been reputed to be perhaps the only one to master making a thin blade. But given that even the Kumar Karda is a beefy 1/4 inch, I shudder to think what would happen to this sword if it was actually used for say, a sparring match. The base of the blade where the sword is not sharpened (about 1 inch) shows a thickness of 4/32" - something that worries me. I hope that others can put my worries to rest about such a width. Even the Katana and the Napoleon Sword hav a very thick spine in comparison (range of at least 1/4+). So I have my worries about whether this is a "user blade" (you know, when that bear comes lurking around my house with a Kevlar jacket). Perhaps I am just paranoid.
Conclusion
Nothing really to say except a master of artwork by a master smith. My deepest respect for Bura Sahib and the other Kamis, that have fed my appetite of steel with works worth at least double for what they are being sold for. Also, deepest respect for Uncle and Auntie foe being the providers of these great weapons AND works of art.
(P.S. Sahib means Lord and is usually a term of respect in India).
:footinmou 
