Foxy folly design origin

Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
468
After doing a little searching,I have been unable to find who designed the Foxy folly.It reminds me of the YCS,which if I am not mistaken,was designed by the late forumite Yvsa. Would you kind folks that have been around HI longer than myself please share your knowledge of the origins of the Foxy folly? And please also add (if you care to)any commentary you may have concerning your thoughts on what the primary purpose of this design was meant to accomplish.Thank you!
 
Hey arbiter the only people that can give you a precise and error free answer are Auntie Yangdu or Karda. Hopefully they will chime in to give you "the facts, just the facts". To me the Foxy Folly seems designed to be a dedicated chopper because of it's dimensions and weight. But I am just guessing. Check out the video below of it in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ifj06KA274
 
...To me the Foxy Folly seems designed to be a dedicated chopper because of it's dimensions and weight. But I am just guessing...

The FF is thin and very fast. Mine rings like a bell if you flick it. It probably would be quickly damaged after a few chops into hardwood. That is not its function.
 
Thank you very much gentlemen! Fascinating information.@sweetcostarica-my thought was that perhaps the larger version(20")could serve as a utility blade,but it did appear to me at first glance as a fighter. I think I will not put mine to that test(woodcutting) when it arrives in the interest of preservation.
 
Last edited:
Fascinating information.@sweetcostarica-my thought was that perhaps the larger version(20") could serve as a utility blade, but it did appear to me at first glance as a fighter.
The problem with the classification here is the different Kamis interpretations. I based my original guess on this 20 inch version that I have read about:
http://zknives.com/knives/fixed/himp/himp20foxyf.shtml
Foxy.jpg
Blade - 381.00mm(15")
Thickness - 6.30mm
OAL - 508.00mm (20")
Steel - 5160 steel at 58-60HRC
Handle - Horn
Weight - Unknown
Acquired - 04/2002 Price - 150.00$

Does the Foxjaw Fighter = the Foxy Folly? If so then I guess it's designer did want a fighter design as Howard Wallace pointed out ("The FF is thin and very fast") and bongofury too with his Tirtha Kami FF:
http://www.ramanon.com/forum/showthread.php?84940-HI-FOXY-FOLLY-by-TIRTHA
foxy naked .jpg
OA Length....17".
Blade Length...11 1/2".
Belly Width.....2 7/8".
Width at Bolster...7mm.
Weight.........646gms (23 oz).
or
Vim Kami's thin Foxy Folly below:
Foxy Vim Kami.jpg
HI 17.5" Foxy Folly khukuri Photo by Venice Will
This one is said to have exceptional balance and cleaving ability.
Weight - Unknown
This is why I always stress checking the source or as close to it as possible for any facts because if it doesn't come from the designer/maker it is just opinion and guesses. My thoughts on the Foxy Folly based on what I heard here is that I like the thin and light concept very much. If you can get the excellent polish and toughness of a Himalayan Imports Foxy Folly at around 22 oz then you could just have the perfect all round Khukuri :thumbup:.

Of Note is a heavier Foxy Folly in today's DOD:
Foxy DOD.jpg
Overall lenght --17 1/4''
Weight -- 27 oz (765 grams)
Spine thickness --1/4''
Neem wood handle
All fittings are whie metal
BY Tirtha Kami
This one (IMO) would lean more toward chopping than fighting.
 
Last edited:
21.5", 695 grams (24.5 ounces). Shaving sharp edge by Steve Ferguson. Rings like a chime when struck with the fingernail.

mue49j.jpg


:thumbup:
 
SCR, this thread is the best justification for owning more than one FF :D
I agree if it will make you happy and support the Kamis in their craft. Because it is all about having fun.
Below: Kukri on Mount Agung or Gunung Agung in Bali, Indonesia.
KUKRI Mt.jpg
Photo by risanto.com
 
Picture posted by Berkley
mue49j.jpg


Wow! That's not a bad weight for a 21.5 inch O.A. Kukri. I would love to get one like that. I tried a to Special Order a light weight HI M43 but the Kamis did not come close to 24 oz. Maybe I should try the Foxy Folly if I can wait another two months and two weeks :eek:. But thanks for the superb example above Berkey.

Question: Is Ferguson an arms dealer? He seems to get all the nice Khukuris.
 
Last edited:
Sweet Costa Rica,

Isn't that a nice hike!

Steve chimes in when there's a riddle. His knowledge on blades, not just khuks are just breathtaking.
 
Yes! I love that picture after that guy made it to the top with his Kukri.
Mount Agung is a stratovolcano (or composite volcano) just like Mt. Fuji in Japan. I climbed Mt. Fuji but not Mt. Agung :grumpy:.
 
Last edited:
After doing a little searching, I have been unable to find who designed the Foxy folly.
In looking harder for an answer to your question I found a tread on The BIG KNIFE Forum. From that tread I deduce that:
1 Simon Hengle (Sirupate) owned a Dui Chirra Kukri (see photo below) and made his own interpetation of it in the Tora Dui Chirra.
2 Simon then sold the Dui Chirra Kukri to Jonathan Sedwell (Spiral).
3 Jonathan through some means introduced the Dui Chirra to Foxjaw.
4 Somehow the Foxjaw Fighter by Foxjaw is introduced and based on that real Dui Chirra Kukri of Simon's.
5 The Foxjaw Fighter design becomes the Himalayan Imposts Foxy Folly through design submission to HI I believe.
And it seems the HI Foxy Folly had two versions: An earlier model (light and thin) which was well liked and a later one (heavier and thicker).

The original and real life model for the Foxy Folly. Below Pictures by Sirupate
Dui Chira.jpgDui Chira sheath.jpg
Specifications;
blade length - 32cm long (12.5 inches)
belly depth - 5.8cm (2.3 inches)
Weight 575 grams (20.3oz)

Below: Older style Foxy Folly in the middle (by Bura Kami) - original dui chirra on top and an early YCS on the bottom. Believe it or not, the HI FF is the lightest Kukri in the photo. Picture by Berkley
HI fullered kukris.jpg

arbiter without the major players commenting on the history of the Foxy Folly this is as close as I could get. Hope it helps.
 
Last edited:
After coming back from Atlanta Cutlery and grabbing a few khuks from the Royal Nepalese armory I realized that the old khuks are completely different in feel to most HI's with the exception of the Foxy Folly (as far as Ive experienced at least) those old knives are made for war while most HI's are made to be heavy bush knives

If I was to label the Foxy Folly with a function (other than looking very very pretty) it would be to cut meat
 
After coming back from Atlanta Cutlery and grabbing a few khuks from the Royal Nepalese armory I realized that the old khuks are completely different in feel to most HI's with the exception of the Foxy Folly (as far as Ive experienced at least) those old knives are made for war while most HI's are made to be heavy bush knives.
Good observation Issun. One that most westerners miss because they have no point of reference. When I bought my first Nepalese Army Khukuri the world changed as I knew it. I thought as a red blooded American: "Give me the biggest, baddest, thickest, and heaviest Khukuri you got". After I bought real historic Khukuris like yourself I realized that a kukri is art, has balance, is usually much lighter than Khukuri House types, and deserves respect because they are made by hard working Kamis whose fathers may have also been a Kamis.
hso's kukris.jpg
Above photo by Berkley

Of course the Kkukuri manufacturers worldwide are in competition for sales and to be fair it is hard these days to get good Kamis and hold them to the old standards of making traditional Khukuri. I don't know all the reasons for this but I bet it is mostly about salary. Other jobs in Nepal may pay more, are easier, and require less skill.

We live in a changing world where western values and tastes are destroying the old traditional ways in almost all developing countries. They call it progress.

If I was to label the Foxy Folly with a function (other than looking very very pretty) it would be to cut meat
Oh, yes it is a fighter. I know this through our forum mates and a little research. In the older model Foxy Folly I see a great knife :thumbup:. Himalayan Imports got it totally right with this one and they should be praised for their efforts and encouraged to do more.
 
Last edited:
Good observation Issun. One that most westerners miss because they have no point of reference. When I bought my first Nepalese Army Khukuri the world changed as I knew it. I thought as a red blooded American: "Give me the biggest, baddest, thickest, and heaviest Khukuri you got". After I bought real historic Khukuris like yourself I realized that a kukri is art, has balance, is usually much lighter than Khukuri House types, and deserves respect because they are made by hard working Kamis whose fathers may have also been a Kamis.
View attachment 286274
Above photo by hso

Thanks for posting the photo by hso showing older, historic khukuris. I've been comparing the blade profiles with the M43 that I just got from Yangdu (18.5", 28 oz with a 13" long blade), and they seem quite similar. This is now my favorite khukuri. At 28 oz it's still heavier than the ones pictured here, but a lot closer than the 39 oz M43 behemoths from a few weeks ago. Even with a good-sized handle (almost 6" long), the 13" blade is imposing and would work equally well for chopping or self defense.

I don't mean to change the subject away from Foxy Folly, but most of the blades in your picture do not have fullers and (apart from the handle rings) could just as well be M43s. At least that's how they look to me.

-- Dave
 
Thanks for posting the photo by hso showing older, historic khukuris....I don't mean to change the subject away from Foxy Folly, but most of the blades in your picture do not have fullers and (apart from the handle rings) could just as well be M43s. At least that's how they look to me.

Glad you like the older styles. The photos, which I took on my kitchen table to celebrate finally getting a decent scale, do contain several kukris with fullers, and only two which could properly be described as M-43 types.

34nrt6a.jpg


From left to right:
Top row:
-19th century Neplese military dui chirra, 21", from which Foxjaw cast the model for the HI dui chirra/ Berk Special
-Early 19th century Nepalese sacrificial, 19.5", unusual grip of partial tang style but with no center ring
-British Indian Army Mk I, scabbard marked 1903, from the collection of John Powell
-British Indian Army Mk II, M43 pattern, unmarked, ex Powell collection
Second row:
_Nepalese military "longleaf" kukri from the Lagan Silekhana Palace in Kathmandu. Spine marked in Devanagari characters translated by Beoram as "Bhairung Battalion, Company 6, Soldier 48/Sri Tin Chandra [Jang Bahadur Rana]"
-"Kubo Valley Military Police Battalion kukri. This unit from 1887 evolved into the 10th Regiment of Madras Infantry and in 1901 became the famous 10th Gurkha Rifles. It is restored. 19". I found this piece in a barrel in an antique store along with a few garden tools and bayonets. It was in [very poor] shape but still had traces of a blued blade and polished metal grip. After much research I found a passage in one old book with a chapter talking about military/police activity in Assam and one sentence described the "fierce" police and the "..white handles of their long knives with black blades made their presence known". Somewhere in my extensive library is that quote (I think) or from a book at the GM. Damned if I can find it. The GM does have a passing reference to some police units having these polished metal grips but I have yet to find a picture. The scabbard is a copy [by Terry Sisco] of the type being used at the time by both Indian and Assam/Burma police (IE: the 11 holes frog with tan straps). K&C are modern replacements [from HI]."- John Powell
-British Indian Army Mk II, early type with rings on grip, dated 1921
_Indian private purchase M43- type kukri of "aircrew" length - 15"
Third row:
-19th century Indian dui chirra with engraved steel grip
-19th century Nepalese dui chirra, 15.5", unusual green buffalo horn grip
-Nepalese military "budhune" kukri from Lagan Silekhana, gift to John Powell from Pradeep Windlass
-Nepalese military "bhojpure" kukri from Lagan Silekhana
Bottom row:
-Nepalese style kukri of civilian type with bone inlaid wooden grip in original scabbard with military frog. Blade marked "K.B. Thakuri & Sons, Ghoom, Darjeeling"
-Indian kukri with Art Deco handle of horn inlaid with silver and bone, velvet scabbard with silver chape
-Nepalese military "bhojpure"
-Early 20th century nepalese military kukri with iron buttplate
 
Last edited:
Back
Top