Thanks Astro for the 411 on the Sun Mark. I got a picture, but this connection is so &$#&*(* slow that I am unwilling to even try to upload, so I'll do it at home.
Now to more pressing matters. Today my order arrived from the Khukuri House, Panawal Special, and also Mini-Panawal. Both have a full visible flat tang and Buffalo Horn scales (same as my HI CAK). (Next Khuk I get will have to be wood handled, any opinion on which is better?)
They are all very thick heavy well forged blades. Of the three the Mini-Panawal has the thickest spine at 0.410" at the thickest part (measured with a mituoyo caliper). I'm working alone today, so I took all three into the shop to test them out. I used all three to pry boards off of a workbench supporting all my weight (185 lbs) on each blade with no noticable movement. Each passed. Each chop well through oak with no damage to the blade. The point of each was stabbed into oak plank with no damage.
The larger Khukuri House blades have a satin finish whereas the HI and Mini are polished. (I plan to do a hand rubbed satin finish on the other two as soon as I can find out how to do it right. Help?) The KH blades are very sharp on arrival whereas the HI blade needs to be sharpened. No matter there since I plan to sharpen them all myself anyway. There are no makers marks on KH blades, and they don't introduce the Kamis to you like HI does, which makes them less collectable in my opinion.
The fit and finish of the handles on the KH blades is better, but my HI was a blem, and the blem is definitely the handle. I plan to rework it very soon thanks to the rehandling thread I read here. The KH handles are smaller and more oval shaped than round, and they seem to fit my hand better. (Havent done enough work with any of them to really judge.) The pommel and bolster on the KH knives are steel, and very nice, whereas, (and this is my only real complaint on it) the HI is very thin brass. Especially the pommel seems thin and cheap on the HI Khuk (I think they used 0.010" shim stock and I would have appreciated a thicker heavier pommel that could have taken some abuse) I wonder if there is a way for me to beef that up?
Chackma and carda are nice, but not as nice as the HI. Scabbards seem equal.
Anyway, I don't think I will order any more KH khuks because they aren't as collectable, they aren't offered here, and since I have two now I think I have all I need from them. The new routine of waiting daily for Yangdu's pics is too inviting for me.
Have any of you guys tried KH knives? What is your assessment? I didn't see any cracks near the blood dripper as stated in previous threads.
Andy
