HIKV, more contagious than anyone thought.

B

bobwill

Joined
Feb 10, 2001
Messages
147
I was showing my dad pictures of the Royal Silver mounted Dhankuta, and he seemed rather impressed with it. This is a man who is very against free trade with developing countries, not because he's a jerk but because he's against the way many countries exploit their labor force plus he doesn't share my feelings about knives and swords, thought that it looked like a very "high quality piece".
Hmmm, maybe he could use a BAS for his birthday. What do you guys think, just in case he ever goes hunting again.
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Check out the HI Kothimoda at the Knife Exchange section of BladeForums.com. It's being sold by rdnzl for very much less than what it's worth.

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Watakushi Wa Shinajin Desu
DeathDancer
 
Thanks for the tip. Way out of my price range, and more than what I suspect my dad would be willing to pay. Who do you think is paying for my college education especially just being 2 weeks after the start of the semester, you know right when the bill was due
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Like I said, he isn't into swords and knives as much as I am.
We were basically gawking at the disparity between the economys of the two countries, with regard to the fact that a beautifully handmade piece done by the man who makes blades for the royal court of Nepal is having his work sold in this country for less than $300. Definately an excellent deal, especially with all the silver work done on it. Besides, I'll have to see how much he likes that GS before I really concider getting him a khuk for his birthday, don't want to give the impression that I was buying a gift for me.
Again, I greatly appreciate the lead. On the other hand, it's only $75 more than what I was going to get that GS for.... I'd have to find out how seriously my dad actually likes these things first.

[This message has been edited by bobwill (edited 02-17-2001).]
 
More to the point, folks, you need to be careful when equating high prices with fairness. Just grabbing numbers for argument's sake, I think that a kami benefits as much from the $10 he makes as an American smith would from the $200 that he would have to charge. Is it immoral for a Westerner to be able to afford the work of a man who makes small amounts of money? I say no, not if that sale helps the kami clothe, feed and better his family there in Nepal. In fact, it is of mutual benefit and therefore entirely moral, as are all non-exploitative transactions. That said, with time there will surely be an upward creeep in price but even that will set its own level if allowed to. Uncle, I think you would agree that if you paid the kamis $150 per blade they would be happy to get it but the net effect would surely be terribly disruptive.

Stephen
 
Oh no, I wasn't commenting on HI at all. I was talking more about Windlass, Deepeeka and all these other firms that basically just put out crap, and sell it for the same amount as an HI, and the smith only gets a small fraction of the transaction. It was not meant in any way shape or form to be insulting to anyone in on this forum, or politically motivated. If I was, or seemed to be, then I apologize. I was meaning to show that even my dad appreciated the fine craftsmanship of HI Khukuris.
Bob

[This message has been edited by bobwill (edited 02-17-2001).]

[This message has been edited by bobwill (edited 02-17-2001).]
 
Bobwill I didn't take your comments in that way and I apologise if my post in any way made you uncomfortable. It was my response, not your post, which was badly written!
I have no idea what the kamis get paid at HI or what Uncle Bill gets and frankly it isn't my business! So my example was only for illustration. But I take your point (that charging for junk and ripping off the kami) is wrong and fully agree. In fact, I watched this forum for quite a while before buying a villager (my pathetic collection of only one khukeri) just to see who was here and what they were about. It boils down to character and finally it was obvious that these are decent people. Your dad is right, to us those fabulous blades and scabbards are a bargain but I remember that they are also darn good bread and butter to the people who make them. I marvel at the pictures and if all I know about Nepal is from the blades, then they are worthy ambassadors indeed!

Best wishes, and again, I sincerely apologise that my clumsy words embarrassed you.

Stephen

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Micah 6:8. Well worth the attempt!
 
No problem Stephen. I've never been good with the written word, too much monologue without the ability to easily convey emotions through text. So, I was a little nervous as to how my message was going to be recieved after posting it. I also wanted to make sure everyone knew, I was not criticizing Uncle Bill's business. In reality I think he and everyone at HI, from what I've read, have put together a model for how business can be done in a poorer country like Nepal.

Bob

[This message has been edited by bobwill (edited 02-18-2001).]
 
I didn't take anything as negative, either.

By Nepali standards we pay our kamis quite well. A hard working master kami can earn three or four times what a school teacher with a degree earns plus there are perks not available to most. For example, the second floor of BirGorkha is housing for kamis and sarkis and Pala told me that currently there are 17 people living rent free on the second floor. And, we try to help with medical expenses when somebody get sick since there is no health insurance available or any sort of government assistance. A project in mind is this: Old kamis often suffer with serious eye problems -- too much eye exposure to red hot steel -- so Gelbu is trying to organize an eye clinic to try to stop the problem before it starts or becomes so serious it is beyond repair. We try but it isn't easy.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (33,000 + posts)

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 02-18-2001).]
 
Uncle Bill, here in the States a decent pair of tinted plastic safety glasses is only a couple of bucks. The shading varies from clear to dark, they look like stylish ski glasses (in other words, they wrap around and give good protection) and they'd ease the glare of staring at hot metal.
If You were willing and the others wanted, why don't we take up a collection, send the kamis a gift from the USA of a dozen or so safety glasses? You can buy them from Home Depot or Ace Hardware any time at all. I myself wear them when forging (not welding) because they reduce the dazzle and yet allow me to see what is going on around my work area. What say?

Stephen


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Micah 6:8. Well worth the attempt!
 
Steven, you are a good guy and many thanks. But dark glasses and tinted protective shades are available. The problem is getting the kamis to wear them.

Gelbu is trying to get a couple of eye specialists to come out to BirGorkha and do some testing and lecturing about eye protection. His thinking is if the doctors recommend wearing eye protection both while forging and grinding (many kamis won't even wear glasses while grinding!) the kamis may listen to the doctors. They will not listen to Gelbu and, in fact, Pala is one of the offenders. When he takes to the grinding wheel he will not wear safety glasses. He squints his eyes and grinds away.

As I said, it is not easy.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (33,000 + posts)
 
I suspect the older kamis are experiencing the formation of cataracts due to infrared radiation exposure from staring at hot metal and coals. This effect has been observed in glassblowers who stare at hot globs of glass for long periods. Shaded safety glasses could go a long way towards mitigating the problem. The ANSI Z87.1 specifications for shade 1.5 glasses specify blockage of 75% of the IR. Those are just lightly tinted and block a significant portion of the harmful radiation.

The other major safety hazard of concern at BirGorkha and most other Nepalese workplaces is earthquake. A large earthquake will occur in Nepal. When it does many of the buildings will come down.

Addressing either of these concerns within the cultural context of Nepal is difficult.
 
Just think, with every khukuri each person buys the kamis get more money. Buying HI khukuris isn't just an insane hobby for the people on this forum, it's OUR CIVIC DUTY!!!!
The first step in addiction is denying you have a problem and trying to justify it.
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Thursday I'm going to order a GS 21"!
Bob
 
:
Bob wrote:
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Buying HI khukuris isn't just an insane hobby for the people on this forum, it's OUR CIVIC DUTY!!!!
The first step in addiction is denying you have a problem and trying to justify it.</font>
Click to expand...

Uh Oh!!! I can see it now. Bob has now provided Jim an out and he can deny having HIKV and claim that he's just buying more khkuris because it's his
"CIVIC DUTY!!!!"
There is now no hope in saving Jim from the river De-Nile.
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Bob you just don't realize the Pandora's Box you have opened!!!!LMRRAO.

Oh wait, somebody smarter than me will figure a way around it.
They Just Have Too!!!!!

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&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;---Yvsa-G@WebTV.net----&gt;®

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
Thanks for expert advice, Howard.

I burned my eyes quite badly when I was a kid using an acetylene welder. I thought only arc welders needed eye protection and learned the hard way. I was shocked to see that welders using electric welders in Nepal used only commercial type sunglasses for eye protection but as you know from experience precaution is a hard sell in Nepal as it is in most third world countries.

I can't even get Pala to use safety goggles when he's using a grinder on a khukuri blade, either here or in Nepal.

And, you're right about the earthquake. The 1934 quake devasted much of Nepal and since they are on top of a very young mountain range that is growing rapidly by geological standards it is only a matter of time until the next one -- and I believe they are past due. BirGorkha will come down along with many, many other buildings in Nepal. There is not an ounce of steel in the walls of BirGorkha -- it is basically brick and mud. Egress, however, is easy both top and bottom so all we can do is pray and hope.

And, Bob, interestingly and perhaps more seriously, the reason I don't chuck it all is because of the "civic duty" aspect. I don't have a backup system for myself -- YET -- and if I quit a 100 people back in Nepal are going to find themselves in very dire straits. There's nothing I'd like better than to spend my summers fishing and drinking beer on Phewa Lake down at Pokhara and the summers up at the ranch in the Solu drinking chang and dancing with the Sherpas and pondering Everest on clear days but civic duty won't allow me to do this -- YET! But it ain't over yet.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (33,000 + posts)
 
Yvsa,
Pandora! Who is that?? Civic Duty!! It is more than that! I'm a person who buys K's & gives them to friends & RELATIVES to help Uncle out! This is NOT that HIKV stuff. Take a POLL in the Cantina, I'm sure the majority of members will AGREE that I DON'T HAVE HIKV!
I am immune, EVEN narrow minded,hard headed Rusty will agree!ask Barb,I know she is on my side!
jim
 
:
Just go with the flow Tsimi.
After all it is your Civic Duty.
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Bro how many are you taking down?!?!?!
If it's a many as I saw at the Reno Khon Tsimi is gonna have a LOT of Khukuri's!!!!
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&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;---Yvsa-G@WebTV.net----&gt;®

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
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