giant khukri?

kronckew

kronckew

Joined
Aug 17, 2003
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saw this thread over on the ethnographics site, with a 45in blade engraved khuk that someone paid $1000 for (he says it's been appraised for $1800 but not sure who did that). i suspect it is a tad overpriced, but thought i'd get a second opinion here, he's got pics HERE

one of them:

DSC03486.JPG


could this be a buffalo sacrificial khuk from a temple? odd that one of the medallions says 'NEPAL' in english.

:)

i'd rather have my HI khuk i think.
 
Hey Kronc,

With the "Nepal" medallion on it, I'd bet it was a tourist sale item.

Biggest I remember HI making was one that Dave Rishar has that was a million inches long! OK, maybe not a million, but REAL big. Maybe 40 inches?

And, of course, Norm probably has something of that dimension, just 'cuz.
 
i'm trying real hard not to post over there that he got took ;) more sage minds may recognise it as a $1800 historical treasure....

i remember the picture of dave with that khuk on his belt & the end dragging on the floor! ;)
 
The cho doesn't seem likes it's made to scale, does it? I guess they refused to make a bigger template. :D
 
Ive already answeared this fellow on Sword Forum!

My repley was essentialy.

"Well thats a currently made kukri for sale to tourist in Nepal & available for export, for about $150 to $250, including shipping, depending on which of the 3 main firms make it, & how good a deal you get on the ingraving.{They ingrave any kukri you want.}

The real ones used for beheading buffalo in Nepal are much smaller & lighter than that. & are not coverd in trinkets to catch a westerners eye! Talk about reversing the "beads for the natives" syndrome!

Last perfect one in the same style as the one you show, but with only a 30 inch blade, I saw sell on ebay last year for £36.

A collecter would only want one if they want an example of the largest modern tourist kukri made today. But at the price you friend payed , he best keep it as a lesson to research a subject before waisting his money.

Still it might be best not to tell him hes been ripped off? just tell him to put it on the wall & enjoy looking at it."

Spiral
 
i'm glad you told him, i didn't have the heart to tell him that his buddy's grand went down the plug-hole.........

it's a good reminder tho that these things are out there waiting to grab us.
 
:thumbup: Cheers Kronkrew. I Guess mines got a few scars on it.;) :D

I figure I have to call it as I see it, otherwise they & others who read it might go buy another one & come back & say "Look Ive found another one! realy cheap only $800" :D

So to further the cause of kukri facts & truth, I just lay it on the line evrytime. Good or bad.

Sadley I find its more common to have to point out bad news than to say "Wow,what a piece!"


Spiral
 
Kismet said:
Hey Kronc,



With the "Nepal" medallion on it, I'd bet it was a tourist sale item.



Biggest I remember HI making was one that Dave Rishar has that was a million inches long! OK, maybe not a million, but REAL big. Maybe 40 inches?



And, of course, Norm probably has something of that dimension, just 'cuz.
Click to expand...


Yep, :D I have a 50" one made by NKH. I'm happy to say that it has a beautiful plain rosewood handle (now with Watco satin finish which really brought out the grain) and a fully engraved blade. They call it their "Buffalo Head Ceremonial" kukri.

MSRP is $500, but I would not pay that for what is essentially a conversation piece/wall hanger. (No matter how obscure the HI creation, I think they can all be used if need be.) I got it from a forumite for $200 complete, and think that was a very fair price. It is well made and certainly seems worth that. It's sitting on a Tachi stand that I got from Jerry Mings and customized a bit, and it looks nice in the corner of the "knife" room.

It doesn't have all the brass in the handle, but I prefer the plain wood anyway. At 4' 2" and 154 oz. it could be used on "Buffalo" only by a giant. Like I said, $200 for something fun and unusual is one thing, but $1800? :eek: You could get an Albion for close to that.

Norm
 
A fine wee blade for trimming o' the toenails.

Here the lovely Yangdu Martino demonstrates proper technique.

JanawarKatnekhuk.jpg
 
IIRC the one in Aunt Yangdu's hands is called a Janawar Katne (i.e. Animal Cutter)!

NEPAL HO!
 
Thanks Spiral. Was $500 when I checked a couple of years ago prior to purchasing this, so they must have adjusted downward. I wonder if they have a local distributor now like KH does? At almost 10 pounds I imagine it is pretty expensive to ship.

My first 3 or 4 kukris in late '03 were NKH and I paid an ungodly amount in shipping for them before I found HI and other USA suppliers who didn't tack on so much for S&H (or in the case of HI, nothing! :D). One $75 knife cost me close to $125 after all was said and done! :eek: Needless to say I lost $ when I sold it...

Norm

P.S. Just checked and it makes sense that they dropped the price. Old price would have put it at $630 delivered! Now it's just $410 for the engraved to be delivered to the USA. :confused: I didn't see any choice on the shipping options.

P.S.S. The fine print: "Small order less than (ten pieces) will be shipped through UPS or DHL or SKY NET. Large volume (bulk) order for resale will be shipped by Air freight service (air Cargo, airport to airport service) as customers’ desire."

So at one piece you're stuck at their rate...
 
Yep thats a lot of postage Norm! It was 2 years ago I was looking at them in the various shops in Nepal, They sell them cheaper if your there.{Or did anyway.} Shame an airline tickets about $1200!

The owner of NKH Tilak spends a lot of time in the states organising marketing at arms fairs, but other than that I have no idea.

I guess a couple of those biggies might equal 10 "little ones" when it comes to his profit & airfrieght weights?


Spiral
 
C.S. Graves said:
Ah yes, I recall this very same image in one of Bill's old xeroxed catalogues probably more than 10 years ago. I think he talked my excited young self out of ordering one somehow... the guy had strange and mysterious powers. :eek:
Click to expand...

LOL! He did indeed. He would never put profit over doing the right thing, and slowed me down a few times as well. He gave me fair prices and price breaks even when I was so excited about getting something I would have paid more.

Norm
 
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