Five katanas arrived. Pix and initial review.

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

Joined
Mar 5, 1999
Messages
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I got in five katanas, production numbers 4 thru 8, all made and marked by Kumar. The katanas are indeed coming along and are improving with each run but we are not there quite yet. I thought a couple were up to HI standards and three were not. I'll be selling the three as blems and posting pix later. They all look pretty decent -- good fit, finish and general execution. Scabbards are excellent for a change but the sarkis still cannot seem to get the idea of horizontal carry and continue equipping the scabbards with a frog designed for vertical carry.

The specs are 35 inches overall, 25 inch blade. Blade is 7/32 thick and about 1 & 1/8 wide. The swords weigh about 2 lbs or a couple of ounces more. The steel tsuba is nicely done, about 2 by 3 inches with twin dragons engraved on the forward side. The habaki is brass and is silver soldered in place which is one way of doing it, I guess. The handle is made of saatisal and pinned (steel pins this time in the one I checked with magnet) in two places and is there to stay. A rather substantial buttcap has engraving of Himalayas.

I'll take everything as is but I want the hardening to be improved. It was very good on the prototypes but seems to be not as good on these five production models. I think Kumar may have been rushing the job too much -- and a reminder to this effect has been emailed to Gelbu and read to him in the shop (Kumar cannot read or write). I have not checked the hamon because I don't know how and don't have the acid to do it but my file tells me there is a variation of hardness along the edge and this we asbsolutely do not want. I have already sent Gelbu a message regarding this with which I am sure he is most unhappy. It must be right or not at all.

So, that's the katana update. I'll send the two that I think are up to standards to those waiting for them. The other three will go up today or tomorrow as blems.

Stay tuned.


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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Oohhh kukri number 5 might be a katana!Dont sell them until im out of work tomorrow!Just joking hehe

I like the pic,good looking sword.
 
Uncle, when we meet in August, I can show you how to use the ferric chloride. Or if you want, I could etch them for you and you can see for yourself where the hardened areas are. Then they can be buffed out so the hamon will not show or if they want the hamon to show thats no problem also.
 
All the katanas are gone -- blems and all. The phone started ringing as soon as I posted this and is still ringing.

Those who came in late stay tuned. We have more in the forge and I am hoping we will see improvements with each run.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
what kind of wood is the handle made of?

This thing is just begging to have a wakazashi to accompany it
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Handle is saatisal as far as I can tell and is there to stay.

And, Tom, you are not the only one asking for short swords.

This was our first actual production run and it was not so bad as such but I have sent email to Gelbu and Kumar regarding quality. We want top quality, not 97%. I think they understand but we'll see. If the quality is anything less than 100% the swords will continue to go at blem prices and BirGorkha can decide what it wants to do about a $100 loss for each sword.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Uncle Bill,

Please make sure Kumar knows that he is a very talented artisan, but the path to mastery cannot be rushed. I have a feeling he really enjoys pounding out the blades, but is not as interested in the more aesthetic qualities of the blade. There are a few things I immediately noticed, and I'm far from an expert on swords..

I think the little things (i.e. placing the buttcap on straight, and centering the little pommel on the buttcap) are just as important as anything else. These things look a little rushed. A few things I will probably fix myself.

The blade itself is very nice, and has a good finish to it.

Did Kumar do the engraving? If so, he did a wonderful job all around.

Is it possible to have these katanas easier to disassemble? I didn't expect the tsuba to fused to the surrounding brass (fuchi).

Scabbards are excellent... are the sarkis in a 12 step program?
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My only suggestion is that katanas are traditionally drawn with the edge facing upward. I can move the frog to the other side, but then the ugly side of the scabbard shows.

Now I admit, I'm using an unfair standard by comparing a first run katana made by a khukri company to a $2000 katana one would buy from somewhere like Bugei, but I've come to expect great things from HI
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I think there could be more focus on the "little things" that wouldn't affect the price of these khukris, but would significantly improve the quality.

Uncle Bill, please forward my blessings to Kumar and his family. I can see that one day he will be a fine swordsman
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Many thanks for the report, Tom. We have told Kumar to slow down and have initiated a "bonus pay" program for quality that is above simply acceptable and more on the exceptional level. I think this may work.

I do not think Kumar did the engraving.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
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