Heavy Duty (sic) Kobra

D

DeathDancer

Joined
Dec 20, 2000
Messages
578
I posted some thoughts I had while swinging the 20 inch Sirupati the other day. I mentioned that the Kobra and Sirupati often cross over in their characteristics and aplications. After some thought, I posited what might be a neat special order item, since Bill's brochure says that "if you want something you do not see .....if we do not have it there is an excellent chance that we can make it." Rusty said go for it.

What would a Khukuri be like, 20 to 25 inches in length, blade spine thickness at 1/2 to 9/16 inches, and a blade width of about 1 7/16 to 1 1/2 inches? It would have appreciable strength because of the spine and lightness because of small width of blade. First thing I see is problems keeping the blade from warping or twisting. Possible other problems...?

Since I'm sort of new, this idea might have already been talked over, and if so, I'd like to know where the threads are so I can see opinions and ideas. If not, maybe some opinions and ideas now?

Sort of a Nepal rendition of a Yatigan? Not a chopper per se, but a mean little (or even big) short sword.

------------------
DeathDancer
 
Part of the appeal of the Kobra lies in its lightning fast quickness. Making one heavy duty would defeat its original purpose. Plus, as you've said before, the Kobra and Sirupati are very similar. A heavy duty Kobra may just be a Sirupati by another name.
 
I agree with what you say about the quickness and lightness being the main appeal of the Kobra. But part of that appeal is accomplished by reducing the thickness of the spine. What I was proposing was to maintain the heavy duty spine and maintaining a blade width more in line with the smaller size blades--maximum width of the blade being 1 1/2 inches along its full length.

But, as you said, heavy duty Kobra = Sirupati.

Thanks for the input.

------------------
DeathDancer
 
All it takes is for someone to say the word 'yataghan'around here, and I pop up out of the woodwork...

Dancer; a while back we were considering the practicalities and demand for a HI yataghan, in this very forum... I think the upshot was that we couldn't roust up enough interest to make the project a paying proposition.

As part of the research, I made a couple of prototypes, and one of the problems I addressed was that of persuading the kamis to make a blade with a *thin* enough spine to handle the way a yat should. The solution I favored at that time may, I think, be helpful for your project ie a heavier-duty Kobra

(Please note for the record that I can't see the need for the Kobra to be heavier-duty than it already is... I have a 25" Kobra that I use at least once a week for extremely heavy-duty chopping of brush, lumber &c, and it's my personal belief that the thing is unbreakable in any conceivable application it might be used for)

Just down the road from Nepal as the Concorde flies, bladesmiths in what's now Pakistan made a widened version of the yataghan, usually known in the west as the Khyber knife. A feature of this design, which gave it quite remarkable strength and toughness for a relatively thin blade, was the spine, which was hammered into a T-section, like the top half of a modern I-beam girder. Using this method, you can have a blade a 1/4" thick with a 1/2" thick spine; a fine compromise IMHO, between lightness/agility, and strength.

I achieved a T-section spine by heating the back of the blade to bright orange, clamping it *hard* in a leg-vise, and upsetting the back with a big ball pein hammer.

I tried very hard to bust my prototypes made in this fashion, and failed. Those NW frontier smiths of the 18th and early 19th centuries surely knew a thing or two about design.

I would imagine that a Kobra with a T-section spine would be very strong and rigid, without sacrificing the lightness and agility that distinguish the Kobra from the regular sirupatis.
 
Tom,

Wow! I like this idea. Stupid me, I own a Persian Kard, a dagger that is built along these line, a very heavy spine (though not the traditional "T" of the Kyber), but much heavier than the blade proper. Light weight, with extreme rigidity and strength.

I'm not trying to replace anything. I have just always been fascinated with sabre type swords. Almost 20 years ago Museum Replicas offered an "Anne Bonney" Sabre, with a blade 37 inches long, the entire outfit, including steel guard and grip, weighing in at 1.25 pounds. I was too poor at the time to afford one, and by the time I was making money, they no longer were being produced. Blades were actually being produced in the United States.

So, where can I buy a Yatagan?

------------------
DeathDancer

[This message has been edited by DeathDancer (edited 01-01-2001).]
 
Okay, all you Himalayan risk takers and adventurers
eek.gif
!! Me and Tom, we have two people with me. Another new item to grace your shelf from your favorite "Kamis" (isn't strange that the Japanese word for spirit is KAMI). We only need three or four more people to make this happen
biggrin.gif
!! After all, it's only starvation
biggrin.gif


------------------
DeathDancer
 
Have Sanu or Kumar make them, and put a wood handle on mine, and I'm in!!!!!!!


[This message has been edited by rdnzl (edited 01-01-2001).]
 
Dancer -

If you're after an antique yataghan, www.antiqueswords.com seems to get them fairly regularly, tho' they seldom hang around; and you've got the choice between a bent, scruffy example at an affordable price or a good condition example that'll cost you maybe 5 times the price of a Kobra...

A while back I had occasion to remodel the tang/ricasso area of my 30" King Kobra; and while I had it hot in the fire, I toyed with the idea of straightening out the blade, moving the 'elbow' forward an inch or so before putting the concave profile back in, and recurving the tip just a tad, to make it a pretty fair yataghan.

I chickened out, being unwilling to risk screwing up Kumar's masterly workmanship with my amateur fumblings, and stuck to what I'd originally set out to do. But it wouldn't take Kumar or a kami of equivalent skill very long to adapt a Kobra at the pre-heat-treat stage.

If enough takers can be found this time round, I'll happily make up a wooden model, such as the kamis prefer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top