Ghopte here(mine!) at last.

Y

youngwood

Joined
Mar 23, 2003
Messages
168
They say good things come to those who wait.

Well I waited, 3 weeks to be exact; last time took 10 days. The good news is I'm now in possesion of a 14" ghopte balance by Kumar. The great news is, it's exactly what I was hoping for. A versatile "carry" that fits me! Already I feel like a 3 yr. old with their favorite "Teddy", (you'll have to pry my fingers off it!).
:D

Handle has 1 1/2" crack from bolster, slight separation-tip of finger nail width. As no one has ever accused me of being "Conan", I'm guessing I'll be okay.
Still only halfway through "sharpening" threads haven't had time to look up "handles", so
Any quick comments or anectodal advice would be appeciated. (i.e. use as is which is what I'm doing, crazy glue?)

Don't want to send it back, this one speaks to me!!!:D ;)

Belly of blade was dull compared to tip so I ...er..uh..."sharpened" it. It's sharper, I'll see if it holds up or I only thought I sharpened it.
(Glad I started with the Karda though!:o )


Shirley
 
Shirley,

Really understand the part about 'thinking I sharpened it'. Been there. Am still there.

There are plenty of threads about fixing handles. I assume that yours is horn? Usually, superglue is recommended, followed by sanding with VERY find sandpaper. Then a treatment of Hooflex or something else with lots of lanolin.

You are lucky to find a khuk that speaks to you so soon. We won't count those that were appropriated (stolen) by your family members, the cads.
 
Originally posted by youngwood
Handle has 1 1/2" crack from bolster, slight separation-tip of finger nail width. As no one has ever accused me of being "Conan", I'm guessing I'll be okay.
Still only halfway through "sharpening" threads haven't had time to look up "handles", so Any quick comments or anectodal advice would be appeciated. (i.e. use as is which is what I'm doing, crazy glue?)
Click to expand...


Hi Shirley, Hope you enjoy your new baby.
:) I've used Super Glue (or any cyanoacrylate like crazy glue) to fix cracks in horn handles. Use the thinnest you can find. Don't try to fill it all at once. Apply it once every night until it fills up. At least that's how I do it. Horn likes lanolin so I've been told, so if you occaisionally put some hand lotion containing lanolin on the handle, it will help it from cracking. If you have a horse or farm store nearby, there's a product called Hooflex, for horse's hooves that some people swear by. It contains mineral oil and lanolin.
I'm assuming that your handle is horn, if it's wood, the superglue will work also. I'm sure that others will respond with some more tips. Enjoy!

Steve Ferguson
 
 
Shirley: gotta stop amnd take you back a bit in time to info on what the kamis use as laha, or what Bill calls Himalayan Epoxy to glue the tang and handle together. It's a form of cutlery resin as used in Europe and all over. A little beeswax, a little dried and ground up tree sap, and some other stuff to increase the bond such as spidet webs. Amazingly, it seems to work well and sets up permanent.

OK: step one, wax, oil or apply electricians tape over the crack, stretching the tape as far and hard as you can. Then cut the crack open leaving the uncracked area untouched to peel off later.

Now, the other thing about the laha is that regular superglue melts laha. Go to the dollar store and you can buy two tubes for a buck. Yes, you can buy better stuff, but I'd rather have excess glue on hand. Get four or six tubes. Squeeze one tube, then another in til it stops taking the superglue. If you keep a close eye on it, you can stop before it fills up the crack, or pour a little back out. Then let it harden a few hours at least.

Now remember that I said superglue melts the laha? Actually it disolves it and then sets back up with the superglue and laha now bonded together. It's a beautiful creation, if your handle crack goes deep enough to get the chance to apply it deep inside the handle where the laha may have gaps and cracks inside. While you're out, get some fingernail polish remover. Same thing as
superglue remover but cheaper and more generous size containers.
Now. If you can, go find a hobby or crafts store, or one that sells all kind of beads. Go in and get some beads or other stuff made of water buffalo horn. When you get home, scrape or file the material ( beads, etc. ) down and pack the crack in your handle with the filings. Pack again. Till it overflows the crack. Apply superglue and repack if needed, and reapply superglue. Let dry.

When it's hardened overnite pull the electricians tape off and file or sand down the handle til you can't see the difference between crack and rest of handle. Polish.

Oh, another thing someone suggested is pick up a tube of lanolin USP ( that's United States Pharmacopia ) at the pharmacy - intended for nursing mothers.
That's 100% lanolin, that ought to really saturate the horn handle.

Next time I'll give you the recipe for my Choji Sutra oil. I'm sorry I didnt take some to the convention last month. That would have put an end to the disbelievers who think I'm pulling their leg. ( I am, but by telling the absolute truth. )
 
Shirley, I seem to always do things different than any one else. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. On the crack you have in the handle I put a bead of glue along the crack and use a rubber glove and force the glue down in the crack. You must keep the glove moving. I roll my finger down the crack and get it up as soon as I can so I'm not stuck to the handle.

Rusty's idea for something to blacken the glue in the crack is fine but for the horn I have better luck with charcoal dust while the glue is still a bit sticky.

One of the ingredients of Hoof Flex is neats foot oil. So a good dose of that on the horn handle will not hurt it a bit. Good for your boots too. It won't waterproof them but it will soften them up pretty good. Enjoy the new knife and good luck with the handle.:) :D
 
All right, here goes, recipe for Choji Sutra oil. Ask Yvsa if you don't believe me.

For taking care of true japanese swords, if you look them up it says they use choji oil. You ask what choji is, and it says cloves in at least one place. So I went out and got a 2 ounce bottle of oil of cloves ( used as toothache medicine ) at the pharmacy. Then, for the :D of it, I added some of the clove oil to some Kama Sutra "Pleasure Garden" massage oil.

Then I found out choji is either clove or camillia oil. Typically, from what I've heard, camillia oil mixed with mineral oil, I guess to satisfy some Japanese urge to show reverence for the blade or something.

But by that time I'd mixed about an ounce of clove oil with 7 or 8 ounces of Pleasure Garden oil and liked the smell. Worked to soften leather ( yes it WAS on black leather, and NO, it was on the sheathe leather and wood and NOT on the kinda stuff they sell at the stores where you park in the back in the dark so no-one sees you going inside ) and seemed to keep the blade from oxidation. And as Yvsa said after I sent him one knife and scabbard I'd slathered with it then sealed in plastic to send him, it does get your attention when you smell it in one of your toolchest drawers amidst the other shop tools.

Anyway, how much of this should you believe? I'll swear on the Family Bible the whole thing is true. Actually, the Family Bible ought to get some attention to it's leather...
 
Ics37:
Oh you're a funny one! (Albeit a very helpful one.)
Did I mention I'm only through half the first list you "helped" me with?:( :)

Rusty:
I'm going to keep yours and study it a good long while. It could be the practical test on my finals(Khuk repairs). If I ever get there!
:( :confused:
Choji sutra oil?
5 lines or less I'd give it a try!

Rubber glove and a bead of glue, that I can handle. But I'm going to use it a bit and see if it goes anywhere(?)

Have hooflex and neatsfoot oil and the horse that goes with it. Now if it's manure could serve some khukuri purpose that would be :cool: !

Thanks all!

Shirley
 
Glad to hear you got your Ghopte Balance Shirley. Surprised you didn't comment on that nice heart shaped cho, I found it to be quite unique and artistic. Have you chopped anything with it yet? Don't be surprised when that little booger bites like a rabid weasel, something to do with the curve of the blade.

I've seen quite a few horn handles with small cracks, all of 'em easy to fix, and none of 'em ever caused a problem. Gives the knife character and prevents natural tendency to want to baby it for fear of boogering it up with little dings and scratches. A well used knife doesn't look pretty, but a pretty knife doesn't hold memories or tell stories.

Sarge
 
Originally posted by youngwood
Rubber glove and a bead of glue, that I can handle. But I'm going to use it a bit and see if it goes anywhere(?)

Shirley
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Shirley if I were you I would at least use the super glue a couple of times just to be on the safe side, whether the crack gets totally filled or not.
You waited long enough for your little khuk and if it were mine I wouldn't want to take a chance of, "it going anywhere."
Remember you said,
"Don't want to send it back, this one speaks to me!!!:D ;)"
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As Rusty said, "The super glue will melt the laha." and it does. This creates even a possible stronger bond than the laha alone did.
The smaller amount of glue you use to seal the crack the better as it's dayumed tough to get the shiny finish back on the horn without a buffing system of some sorts.
I prefer wood over horn as it's easier to repair and IMO not nearly as slick when the hands get all sweaty, but sometimes you have to take what you can get, dayumed kamis.;)
I used Scotch-Brite on my horn handled 18" AK and love the grip it gives me now.
It also seems to bring the grain out better on the horn too.:)
 
When I talk, it's my opinion.

When Yvsa talks, take what he says to the bank.

Funny how my attitude toward respect for my elders has grown in the past couple of years. Yvsa has contributed to the growth of that respect. It's true, so I may as well say it, older brother.
 
Keep at it, Youngwood. there's a lotta metal in a khuk, so it'll take years of sharpening in style. Also, a wider (obtuse angle) beveled edge may not be shaving sharp (like anyone would shave with a khuk) but it will hold up very well against harder targets with little or no damage.

And later Yvsa can teach you how to turn that beveled edge into a convex edge!

Keith
 
Originally posted by Yvsa

The smaller amount of glue you use to seal the crack the better as it's dayumed tough to get the shiny finish back on the horn without a buffing system of some sorts.
Click to expand...

I've used a 3-stage fingernail file to polish up horn nearly back to new. First file is like a regular, rough fingernail file. Next two are very smooth, and give you a good polish.
 
Mine needed a lot of edge work too, I'm still working on it, but it's nowhere near where I want it to be yet. Not for lack of effort, more for lack of skill, but it's improving slowly.
 
Oops, Yvsa saw your post after I got back in.

Used it some yesterday and today - no change in crack. Took down and limbed saplings avg. 2-2 1/2" none bigger than 3 1/2". Need fence rails for critters, to separate the boys from the girls. But shhh, don't tell Brendan I've been talking about separating the boys from the girls.(wink!)

Very respectable chop(slice while you chop as Sarge says) for it's specs. At 3 1/2", I was needing to make my way around the tree; while the Gelbu made better time crossing the diameter. The difference in chop was not at all as great as I first thought it might be. (My BABY quietly impressed me.)
Also debarked decently, even better I bet when sharpened, properly.
Never chakma'd before now I want to chakma everything! Very cool tool.
I'd just use knives till they were too dull then hand 'em over to get sharpened.

How long should a sharpening last? Chakma'd once when chopping, seemed good. End of the day, after chakma edge still seems a little shy of first sharpening.

Is the laha only around the tang in the center of the handle? Would the glue still be a good idea if crack is shallow? Anybody get prolonged use with a cracked(slightly) handle? Just curious.


Sarge
"I LOVE MY GHOPTE"
If you replace the two "o"s with hearts it would read just right!
It's my baby, you hit the mark by me.
Soon as I picked it up, it had that "This is my blade! You're going to have to pry it out of my hand." feel to it.

Saying that, I also have to say:
I brought the first two Khuks to show my Dad, sort of like showing off your first born. I was so impressed with them, even though they weren't mine any longer. He kept looking, commenting and handling them on the table. Didn't take long before he was wandering about khuk in hand looking for something to chop! As he lives in the city, he headed for the freezer. It was there that I had to stop him up short. Assure him they chop "real good", while handing him the sheath.
But I saw the gleam in his eye. That look...that look that makes me say;
Awww......not MY GHOPTE too!

He doesn't live close so I've got some time....
(Actually I'd love to present him with one.(One day) They're so meaningful to me and he's always been there for me.)

Shirley
 
Tell Sarge about it. He keeps finding ones that are special, and just holding the one special one back for himself, and then one of his knuckleheads comes by and they beg and plead him out of the one he had kept back for himself.

It's easier to let go of the ones that don't talk to you. With something like khuks there is an atavistic urge that comes out. You want to give them to people you like and respect so that they can experience the feeling too, but you have to put a limit on it cause the special ones that talk to you don't turn up in every order. Try a BAS for your dad or a comparable one slightly larger than yours if you can find one on the UBBB ( Uncle Bill's Best Buys ). I grab th0ose as they come up til I get a blem or other great deal on maybe two of them, then stick them away til you need one to gift.

A 15 inch BAS, AK, or 18 inch Sirupati or Gelbu special or a 16.5 WW2 are all good middle range khuks that can be given away to someone of most any size. Especially to someone unfamiliar with khuks even the lighter ones can awe a giftee with what a khuk can do.

And if you keep a couple on hand and hidden from the family, if a situation like with your dad comes up, then you can give it to them then and there.

Just a suggestion.:D
 
Rusty,
Thanks, needed to hear that. Wouldn't wish it on anyone; but at times it helps to know your're not the only one in a particular boat. Don't know where else folks would understand how hard yet rewarding giving up khuks can be.:)
I've had my SAK since I was 14(old faithful), been with me everywhere from one end of the country to the other. If I had to give it away, it would just not have that soul wrenching quality(feel).
As I'm new to this about how many do you need to give away?! Before it gets easier?

Good suggestions.
Will recheck specs for lightweight, not too long. He's 70, in the city. Want something he CAN use without thinking twice.
Well, will know what to do, when I get out of hawk for the first ones!;) :)

Shirley

:)
 
Yep. Have an 18" AK with a .25mm crack in the horn handle, it was a blem. Did nothing to it, won't do anything to it until it splits off or widens or something. Most of the hairline cracks you see are from the combination of the kaimi's ultra tight fitting process, and the difference in humidity between Nepal and your home. THey are really surface cracks, but I guess over extreme time (200+ years) they could split drastically. Saw some old horn implements and drinking horns in a Museum in Iceland, and the horn was splitting badly. the horns were over 600 years old, tho...

As fer giving up/away khuks, I try to keep them close by giving to friends I see often! Then I can at least drop in and fondle them from time to time...

Keith
 
As fer giving up/away khuks, I try to keep them close by giving to friends I see often! Then I can at least drop in and fondle them from time to time...
Click to expand...


er...We need some remedial pronoun work. OR, a more explicit description of your relationships.:)
 
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