First post/question about HI Villagers

T

Thomas Alpheus

Joined
May 13, 2014
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Greetings, all! This is my first post on blade forums, I was thrilled to see that the Himalayan imports community was so active and had such a presence on the internet. I previously owned a 16.5" WWII that I lost a while back when I fell out of a moving boat, that thing was so stout that I have no question that it's doing fine down there somewhere on the river bottom as I write this. Today I decided to order another WWII from HI and Yangdu informed me they were out of stock but that they had a single 15" villager in WWII with a wood handle. My question for you all is this: what are your experiences with the villager models? I have heard that they tend to have a rougher blade finish, that doesn't bother me one bit. I was just wondering if anyone could comment one way or another as to how it would compare to the standard model. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer this rookie! Also if someone would kindly explain how I'd be happy to upload the picture of it that Yangdu sent me, it looks to be a fine piece of work.
 
Many folks prefer the villager finish especially for a user working knife. Not so painful to take that first swing and mess up the mirror polish job.

They certainly work every bit as good and some claim they are better at holding oil for rust prevention. My jury is still out on that one but it matters not.

I'd not hesitate if it's what your looking for other than finish.
 
also it takes an incredible amount of skill to put the satin finish on it proper like they do, its much more difficult than a mirror finish ( my poppa tells me)-- I like them both equally since I primarily have them as collectors items and display pieces rather than working blades-- my working blades are villager utility and an old bura siru ( i know its a fighting knife but its also a good machete , i was young)
 
Awesome guys, thanks for the feedback. I used the hell out of mine, primarily to clear shooting lanes around my deer stands and especially during the early part of the season when brush still has a tendency to grow back after its been cut. Sounds like the villager was the right choice. The only thing that threw me off was that I read on the website where not all villagers were made at their shop. I may have misinterpreted that but it sounded like it to me. The pics I was sent of the knife certainly seem to have the familiar symbols at the base of the blade so I'm not particularly worried about it but what is the deal there?
 
yeah if its not HI you will see no kami mark-- they do buy from other traditional centers of the smithing trade , good examples to sell as HI fair trade items-- these will be called Dhankute, and Chainpur or chainpuri when offered-- I have a horn sheath and handle dhankute display piece with a really nice 5 chirras on it, and it is clearly handmade as there are imperfections in the forging, not flaws but imperfections , so I stand by the other non HI blades HI sells , but like you I do prefer Kami name on my blades.
 
Villagers.

I like them better than the regular HI.

I'm not sure if it is the polishing or what but overall I have had maybe 1 or 2 villager edges fail. At the same time I have probably had between 5 and 6 polished edges fail.

For some reason I get way more handle cracks and also more blade failures on the polished ones.

Another thing for me is often on the villagers the handle is a bit oversized. This allows me to sort of work it and shape it so it ergonomically the way I want it.
 
Hollowdweller, Having seen pictures of you attacking a tree with a Khuk, I was seriously impressed. But to hear you say that you have had a total of 6-8 HI edges fail? WOW, I am to quote Bawanna "Skeeered". I mean, I have chopped up everything I can find and have never even rolled ONE HI blade. What are you doing, forgetting to remove the metal spikes before you chop? Handle cracks with the amount you appear to use them I can understand, but the blades I have I don't think could be rolled by anything normal folks would be chopping. What you got up there petrified trees?
 
I did roll the edge of my siru by chopping that cow skull in half-- but it rolls right back over !
 
Shavru said:
Hollowdweller, Having seen pictures of you attacking a tree with a Khuk, I was seriously impressed. But to hear you say that you have had a total of 6-8 HI edges fail? WOW, I am to quote Bawanna "Skeeered". I mean, I have chopped up everything I can find and have never even rolled ONE HI blade. What are you doing, forgetting to remove the metal spikes before you chop? Handle cracks with the amount you appear to use them I can understand, but the blades I have I don't think could be rolled by anything normal folks would be chopping. What you got up there petrified trees?
Click to expand...

Shavru,

I live in WV and own 85 acres of woods, so I use them a lot for trail clearing. Normally on stuff like evergreens, maple, sycamore no problem. However it's hard for any but the most well tempered khuk to deal with oak.

Also remember I have tons of khukuris and I've used them a lot.

Check this out. Very dried chestnut oak even did one of THESE in!

 
Those are some happy looking goats Hollow. All I can think of is goat cheese, mushroom and chive omlettes. :) Guess I am lucky. No oak in my area. (not much wood at all really but no oak) Mostly Fir trees around here, with the occasional Madronna so nothing hard enough to cause that sort of damage. Though being the wimp I am, I would give up before the khuk would LOL. Come to think on it. If I had an Oak tree I wanted down. I think I would get out the Gransfors Bruks Felling Axe (and hand it to my husband to use ) <Evil Grin>
 
You gotta get out of town Shavru. We got lots of trees, mostly firs like you say but alder, maple, I got a monkey tree in my front yard, nasty beast that is. was little when I planted it.
Cottonwood, bunch a trees.

Got a couple huge maples in the front yard, they are a real chore come fall let me tell ya.
 
Oh I know they exist in the general area Bawanna, I was referring to the ones on my own property that I need to cut. After all, I am a city gal when it comes to needing to chop trees down, if I cut any of those pretty maples in my neighbors yard, or an Apple tree in the park I might get a visit from the local gendarmes*. I do get out of town occasionally and get to see the pretty trees, but so far have never had to cut one down. :D In my yard, I have a madronna (I will match that for a mess in the fall against your maples I think, even the damn bark is a mess) a couple of firs and a holly. I only have a small city sized lot to maintain though it was still covered in blackberries and salal when we moved in. So for me, I doubt I could wear out of use up a single chopping khuk. I use mine for big limbs that need to be cut up to give to my inlaws for firewood. How is this for pathetic, I don't even have a fireplace in my house that will burn wood. Now THAT is the country girl going citi-fied there.

* Yes that is a poke at what I consider the over militarization of the police forces in the area, not a misuse of the word to mean a standard police department.
 
Supposed to be the only tree in the world a monkey can't climb.

I'll see if I can find a picture.

Monkey Tree 1.jpeg
Monkey Tree 2.jpg

This is what mine looks like, about the same size. I did a remodel on a house one time, had a Monkey Tree in the back yard that was probably 80 or a 100 ft tall. Well over a foot through at the base. Big, wish I had it in my yard. Mean though, cut ya long wide and deep.
 
My mother-in-law had one of these in her yard near Tampa, Fla, although she referred to it as a "monkey puzzler tree". It came down in a hurricane, and dealing with the remains was a real PITA. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Araucaria araucana (commonly called the monkey puzzle tree, monkey tail tree, Chilean pine, or pehuén) is an evergreen tree growing to 40 m (130 ft) tall with a 2-m (7-ft) trunk diameter. The tree is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina.[1] Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Because of the great age of this species, it is sometimes described as a living fossil. Its conservation status was changed to Endangered by the IUCN in 2013 due to its declining abundance.[2] It is the national tree of Chile.
 
I think most people just leave out the puzzler tree. Never heard it called that but it makes sense since they can't climb it apparently.

Mine got hit by a truck a year ago, guy next door was working on a dump truck and while he was under it doing something it started rolling, glanced off the monkey tree and stopped at the dirt mound around my big ole Maple. Lucky the guy wasn't hurt. Kind of knocked my monkey tree over but I gingerly tossed a rope around it and pulled it back close to straight.

Neighbor wasn't concerned about it, and since it seems to be doing ok, (they are very hardy) I'm not either I guess.
 
Thats an awesome tree! Looks like a KLVUK tree! I dont think id climb it either and thats saying a lot!
 
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