Got home from a 3-week stint in Dallas yesterday. I'd had word that there was a triangular package waiting for me. I couldn't get out of the airport fast enough.
In that package was the Kumar Hybrid (also known as the M-43i or M-43 improved) that Bill posted the other day. This style was originated by Sher a few months back. It's a sort of a M-43/AK combination with a fuller and convex edge. Of late, Sher seems to be trying to outdo his brother in innovation (Sher Tarwar, M-43i). Kumar then counters with his version - "anything you can do...".
I bought this blade to compare it with the Sher version that I was lucky enough to snag back in the summer. That khuk is perfection, IMO, so Kumar had alot to live up to.
The first thing that I noticed is that the Kumar blade is thicker and heavier than the Sher version. What I find even more interesting is that the belly is wider and the "neck" of the blade (i.e. that part before the bend) is narrower than on the Sher version. That makes the Kumar much more weight-forward than the Sher. But, the Kumar doesn't feel clumsy at all. I can only describe the Kumar as feeling "aggressive".
The handle on the Kumar is more curved than that on the Sher. This contributes to the weight-forward feel. It also makes this blade easy to thrust with.
The fit and finish on this blade are nearly perfect. Kumar obviously put his best efforts into this khuk. Unfortunately, it has the slight bobbles in the grind that Kumar seems to be prone to. The handle and steel bolster are among the best I've seen, though.
The Kumar khuk has one great flaw, however. It has a partial tang, unlike the Sher original which has the usual tapered/full tang arrangement. The Kumar is not pinned, either. Given the experience that I had with a partial-tang villager coming apart in use (think flying steel), I don't know that I could ever really trust another partial tang. I might try drilling and pinning it, but I seem to remember Tom Holt advising against this.
So, this blade falls into a strange category for me. I love it, but am not conviced that it's a user.
S.
In that package was the Kumar Hybrid (also known as the M-43i or M-43 improved) that Bill posted the other day. This style was originated by Sher a few months back. It's a sort of a M-43/AK combination with a fuller and convex edge. Of late, Sher seems to be trying to outdo his brother in innovation (Sher Tarwar, M-43i). Kumar then counters with his version - "anything you can do...".
I bought this blade to compare it with the Sher version that I was lucky enough to snag back in the summer. That khuk is perfection, IMO, so Kumar had alot to live up to.
The first thing that I noticed is that the Kumar blade is thicker and heavier than the Sher version. What I find even more interesting is that the belly is wider and the "neck" of the blade (i.e. that part before the bend) is narrower than on the Sher version. That makes the Kumar much more weight-forward than the Sher. But, the Kumar doesn't feel clumsy at all. I can only describe the Kumar as feeling "aggressive".
The handle on the Kumar is more curved than that on the Sher. This contributes to the weight-forward feel. It also makes this blade easy to thrust with.
The fit and finish on this blade are nearly perfect. Kumar obviously put his best efforts into this khuk. Unfortunately, it has the slight bobbles in the grind that Kumar seems to be prone to. The handle and steel bolster are among the best I've seen, though.
The Kumar khuk has one great flaw, however. It has a partial tang, unlike the Sher original which has the usual tapered/full tang arrangement. The Kumar is not pinned, either. Given the experience that I had with a partial-tang villager coming apart in use (think flying steel), I don't know that I could ever really trust another partial tang. I might try drilling and pinning it, but I seem to remember Tom Holt advising against this.
So, this blade falls into a strange category for me. I love it, but am not conviced that it's a user.
S.
