First Khukuris arrived today, pics

[falar]

20" Sirupati and Chiruwa Ang Khola

Can anyone ID these Kami marks?

I picked the CAK to be a general purpose knife and the Siru for a weapon. Neither one seems very heavy but suprisingly as the CAK has more weight in the handle it seems better balanced. Swinging the Siru quickly/powerfully and then having to stop (since I'm swinging at air) does put some stress on the old elbow. I think my next order will be for a 15 and an 18 Siru. Maybe a custom 18-20 Siru with Chiruwa style tang would be balanced very nicely? The dark wood on the CAK is beautiful with a great grain IMO, wonder if it shows in the pic. No regrets not going with horn on that one. Now I need to get some wood to go out and see how it chops. The sword of shiva engraving on the spine of the siru is amazing too, it even has some brass inlays. Interestingly the sheath on the Siru has a MUCH thicker attaching loop than the CAK. Really like the leather though.

 

[Steve Tall]

A nice combination of khukuris.

The "beer mug" on the siru is Tirtha's mark.

The trident on the CAK is the mark of Lacchu, the former helper/apprentice of Bura.

 

[falar]

Thanks for the info.

I like that even though Bura isn't making knives anymore at least someone he trained is. It appears Tirtha made knives are well thought of around here also so no wonder I am so happy with these.

 

[falar]

After inspecting both very closely now I have observed some more differences.

I enjoy the feel of the darker wood more. It seems smoother and denser.

The Sirupati's handle isn't fitted as perfectly as the CAK. Lacchu gets the "edge" in this department.

What is the oil that I've seen referenced to in the past on this board for coating the handles time after time to get them properly conditioned?

 

[bric]

Mineral oil (baby oil) is good. You can use the "Search Forum" link to find a wealth of information on use, care and opinions of khukuris.

 

[falar]

Mineral oil (baby oil) is good. You can use the "Search Forum" link to find a wealth of information on use, care and opinions of khukuris.

I seem to have better luck finding stuff on this forum with google searches. I swore I saw a more specific oil recommended than just plain mineral oil or even a wax. I need to learn how to sharpen knives properly though, perhaps I can dig up some good info on that. I discovered a bur on my CAK about 80 percent of the way from the tip to the Cho.

 

[jdk1]

The Sirupati looks like it has neem wood. I have one neem handle and it hasn't needed any treatment so far. I could be wrong, but I believe neem has a high oil content already. My satissal has been treated with Watco's Danish oil and had held up well. I have one chiruwa dhar handle and it's had shrinking issues even though it's been treated with Watco's. Ultimately, the mineral oil is probably a good idea whether the handle is neem or not. If that siru handle isn't just right, work it over with rasp and sandpaper. It's easy and a good way to get to know your new khuk. Just go slow. It's amazing how easy it is to make it fit your hand perfectly. Good luck.

 

[bric]

Mineral oil keeps the wood fresh and moist without really having any lasting affect on the wood (other than preventing the unwanted lasting effects like cracking or drying out). It's a good "regular treatment" after each use or after sitting around for awhile. It's good for the steel and the handle (wood or horn).

If you want something that will "finish" the wood you want an oil that will soak in and harden or a surface coating. For khuks I generally prefer the soak in and harden oils like Tung Oil or Boiled Linseed Oil which leave a matte finish. Superglue or polyurethane are good surface coatings for a shiny finish. Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil has properties of both types (soaks in and has a glossy surface finish). Then you can use the mineral oil regularly on top of these coatings as needed for cleaning or moisturizing.

Some people swear by Ballistol, but I have a hard time finding that.

 

[kronckew]

...
Some people swear by Ballistol, but I have a hard time finding that.

me too.

ballistol is mostly mineral oil by the way. it has some other additives that were designed to remove copper fouling and leading from rifle barrels, so it can discolour brass fittings. i happen to like the patina it gives them. it, like mineral oil is non-toxic, and ballistol can even be used as a disinfectant for wounds.

 

[falar]

I didn't think it would be possible for an oil to do this, but I used FP-10 on these and after wiping it down a few days later it seems that it hurt the polish somehow. It seems to be kind of cloudy and streaky now. I will not use this oil on knives anymore.