Handle help

C

Classics

Joined
Mar 4, 2008
Messages
4
I'm new to the forum, so hello everybody.

I bought a second hand (but hardly used) 15inch AK about six months ago and it's recently started making a "clack" when it's swung, and the blade occasionally moves slightly when chopping.

Has anyone encountered this before/can suggest any solutions?

The blade has S.B., a rising sun and a star (I think) marked on it, and a horn handle.

Any help much appreciated

Cheers
 
Classics said:
I'm new to the forum, so hello everybody.

I bought a second hand (but hardly used) 15inch AK about six months ago and it's recently started making a "clack" when it's swung, and the blade occasionally moves slightly when chopping.

Has anyone encountered this before/can suggest any solutions?

The blade has S.B., a rising sun and a star (I think) marked on it, and a horn handle.

Any help much appreciated

Cheers
Click to expand...

Welcome Classics.

Sorry your intro to the forums could not be on a more positive note. It sounds to me like you have an issue with the laha, a natural epoxy used to bind the blade tang to the insides of the handle. Or, God forbid, an actual break in the tang. The blade and handle should NEVER move independently of one another.
Does the handle wiggle at all? When you strike with the khuk, do you see any movement where the tang is peened at the bottle of the handle?
What you have is a blade of at least 2 or so years old, and probably older than 2005 if "U.B." is not marked on the other side of the blade. The S.B. is the mark of Sher who made your blade. He was known for making a very nice khuk, so your problem is a pretty good sized fluke. The rising sun is actually an oil lamp. It was Sher's mark besides his english initials. The star is actually a sun, and this marks it as an actual Himalayan Imports khuk.

Here's the bummer, HI only warranties the original owner of the khuk. It used to be a no questions asked send it back for a replacement guarantee, but because of places like EvilBay folks were buying HI khuks for next to nothing then destroying them so that they could send them back to get a brand new shiny khuk for next to nothing. Gotta love those that spoil it for the rest of us, right?:rolleyes:

To fix your khuk, you can try a couple of different things. First, you might try boiling the handle for a few minutes. What this will do is cause the laha to remelt and maybe solidify around the tang a bit better if that is indeed the problem. If it is the tang, then your only option is to remove the handle, have the tang welded (actually makes it very, very strong), and refit a handle.

I'm sure experts regarding refurbishments will be along shortly. You can always shoot Yangdu an email at himimp@aol.com to see what she thinks it is. She's seen every problem under the sun. Best of luck, and welcome to the forum.
 
Could also just have "worked loose" from the pein, and peining over the end a little more might fix it. Whatever the problem, I'd bet it most likely due to dimensional changes int he handle as the horn ages, and not a problem with the metalwork.

Definitely email Yangdu (her response will probably be a while as she's on vacation). She may recommend a fix, or let you send it back to be fixed (maybe for a small charge, maybe not).
 
Steely_Gunz said:
To fix your khuk, you can try a couple of different things. First, you might try boiling the handle for a few minutes. What this will do is cause the laha to remelt and maybe solidify around the tang a bit better if that is indeed the problem.
Click to expand...

Aliloff recommended this method to me for handle removal. Might want to put the handle in a plastic bag before putting it in the water. I say this because I've open up a HI khuk to find the bolsters stuffed with newspaper. Wouldn't want to introduce unnecessary moisture to the knife.

I agree that is sounds like possible horn shrinkage or laha failure.
 
ilbruche said:
Aliloff recommended this method to me for handle removal. Might want to put the handle in a plastic bag before putting it in the water. I say this because I've open up a HI khuk to find the bolsters stuffed with newspaper. Wouldn't want to introduce unnecessary moisture to the knife.

I agree that is sounds like possible horn shrinkage or laha failure.
Click to expand...

:o Ah yeah. I forgot the critical part. Always try to waterproof your handle. Sorry, I got into a hurry and left out a lot of detailed steps. :o
 
Thanks for the suggestions.

The handle doesn't visibly wiggle, but when I shake or chop with it I can occasionally feel movement and hear it "click" inside the handle, I haven't noticed any movement at the bottom.

What would be the best way of waterproofing and boiling the handle? I don't know about American plastic bags but British ones would melt pretty much melt instantly if boiled.

Cheers
 
You might look for a plastic bag that is for steaming vegetables. They are pretty new over here, but I would image that if they can handle steam, then they should be able to deal with a little hot water for 5 or 10 minutes.
 
Another possibility is a heat gun. I've melted the laha for handle removal using that method.
 
You can get a heat gun cheap.


Use it on the handle and as it get hotter the filling will bubble. Sometimes you can cool it off and the handle will be solid. Usually there's just not enough in there.


You can file the peened part off the tang, heat the handle, wiggle it off the tang.

Then scrape as much of the laha out as you can. Go and buy you some Brownells Acraglass, mix it up and fill the bolster part way with it. Tape one end of the handle (the part that will accept the tang first) and fill the handle with it and then plunge the handle down over the tang, into the bolster, put the butt cap on and wipe off the excess.

If you do it right it will be sold as all get out.:thumbup:
 
uh...

wait a loooonnnngggg time after you heat the handle before touching it. :)


The laha can get brittle and crack a tiny bit inside the handle of the khukuri. Sounds like that is what happened.

A very small issue, really. Heating it will cause it to melt and resolidify; once again it will become one with the khuk. OOOoohhhmmmm.
 
I have had a little laha come off in the bolster and make a little rattle when ever I swing the khuk. I solved it by heating the blade with a heat gun and that melted the loose laha back to where it was supposed to be.

Then again I have replaced handles entirely...but that is the other extreme. :)
 
I've given it a boil for 10mins and the clacking has stopped, and I'll check to see how it chops tomorrow. The bolster seems fine.

The bag leaked a bit and has taken the shine off the handle, could this have done any damage? I know corrosion can be a problem on HI kuks.

Cheers
 
There shouldn't be any damage if the bag leaked a bit. We covet our khuks way more than the Nepali people do. A little water shouldn't have hurt it. If it is a horn handle, you might try a little hooflex or even car polish to restore the shine if you care to. Personally, if it is a user, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Just been out for a test chop, kuk performed perfectly, no more noise no more mevement.

So cheers very much to Steely Gunz, Cpl Punishment, ilbruche, Aardvark, Darteres, et al. for the tips.
 
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