I got my Bura back!

Joined
Jun 4, 2002
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Sung to the tune of "I got my baby back". I got my Bura back, Bura back, Bura back......:D

Sorry Steve, the troopie that got my Bura 15" Siru liked the Sher Siru you sent because of the heavier blade. Wanted to know if I'd be willing to swap. Yup, I'm just a nice guy, bwahaha, hee hee.;)

I got my Bura back, Bura back, Bura back...unh huh, unh huh:D :D :D

Sarge
 
I am glad that you have the 15" for a fighter. they are sweet aren't they? In a fight they should be just hell on wheels. Talk about your enemy grinning from ear to ear? Sure will do it. Not too long and hardly noticed till needed.:)
 
the troopie that got my Bura 15" Siru liked the Sher Siru because of the heavier blade. Wanted to know if I'd be willing to swap.
Couldn't be because a certain senior noncom just happened to show him the Sher and say something like "Now this isn't likely to bend like one of those thinner ones".:D
They have a way of finding the right home.
Yep, that lovely Bura siru was meant for you, Sarge.
 
Way to go Sarge, I'm glad for you. Like I told you before, it hur my heart when you gave that blade up.

Don't care who the blades go to, as long as they help the cause:)

Steve
 
Now look here Berk, no such shady dealing as all that, I just let the kid check out the Sher Siru (which is a very sweet blade itself) and draw his own conclusion. However, as you've guessed, my intentions were not entirely pure, bwahaha.

Lord I'm so happy to have this little devil back, it's plumb freakishly natural in my hand. The balance and speed of this knife is such that I can make it whistle through the air like a willow switch, and whatever it bites, well buddy consider it bit. Know those famous triangular boxes? Well how about cutting one cleanly in two at midpoint with a single stroke. No big deal? I didn't think so either until I realized the durn thing was still stuffed full of newspapers, all of which were also cleanly and precisely severed. That sure as heck got my attention! I think I need a beer...................

Sarge

Steve, that youg fellow got himself a dagummed good blade today in that Sher Siru, and I made sure he knew it (don't you start Berk). It was a good swap and a win/win
 
One thing I can tell y'all for certain about blades made by Bura is that the hardening/tempering is exquisite. I've done a lot of experimenting with the lemon juice rub to bring out temper lines, and have observed that Bura does the cleanest, most consistent, "sweet spots" of anybody at Bir Ghorka. He knows his stuff with the tea kettle.;) :D

Sarge
 
Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn
I've done a lot of experimenting with the lemon juice rub to bring out temper lines,
and have observed that Bura does the cleanest, most consistent, "sweet spots" of anybody at Bir Ghorka. He knows his stuff with the tea kettle.;) :D

Sarge

Sarge have you noticed a very slight tendency for all the khukuris having the hardening line going up a little further on one side than the other?
I haven't etched that many of mine, but I can tell a very slight difference in sharpening one side than the other.
Don't get me wrong, both sides are hardened properly, it just seems like one side is a little harder than the other.
IIRC Bill has talked about this a little in the past and it's a good way to determine if the kami is right or left handed.:)
 
Yvsa, now that you mention it I have noticed a slight variation from one side to the other, very slight, but measurable.

Still, that didn't prepare me for what I found on this particular blade. I'm almost reluctant to mention it for fear of being ridiculed and accused of making up fairy tales. Still, here goes. I thoroughly degreased the blade to make sure no contaminants would interfere with the chemical reaction of the lemon juice on the steel. As I got into applying the etch I could not believe what I was seeing. Not one temper line, but three. Each clearly discernable, and the metal contained in the "zone" of each having a different color and quality under the etch than the other areas of the blade. The first temper line extends from 3/4" of the tip, back to the beginning of the reverse curve ahead of the cho. This temper line is 3/8" wide measured from the edge. Above it is the second temper line, 1/4" wide and extending the full length of the "sweet spot" already described.
Above it is the third temper line, 5/16" wide. You can best imagine the transposition of these lines by picturing a rainbow. Each of the three has a different tonal quality from the other, and all three are different from the remainder of the blade. This phenomena is consistent on both sides of the blade. :confused:

I have no idea what I'm looking at, or how and why Bura would have done it, but if I suspected this blade was imbued with magic before, you can imagine what I think of it now.:eek:

Sarge
 
That really doesn't surprise me. When Bura was giving me the lecture and demo regarding giving the blade it's "pine" (= hardness) he said to get it exactly right you had to see the blade pass thru 7 colors. In order to achieve this it seems that Bura poured about 3 times, one side to the other. He is right handed so I'm guessing the temper line (s?) might be higher on the right side of the blade and that the right side might be slighly harder.

It is stuff like this that makes me lose my interest in factory made knives.
 
Thanks for casting some light on this mystery for me Uncle, knowing some of the how and the why takes nothing away from the magic. Modern heating treating equipment is fully electronic and computer controlled. To see a blade with such beautiful complexity in the forging and tempering, and know it was done by a man squatting by a fire with a hammer and a tea kettle, well, at the risk of sounding corny, there's something spiritual about it.

Sarge
 
Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn
To see a blade with such beautiful complexity in the forging and tempering, and know it was done by a man squatting by a fire with a hammer and a tea kettle, well, at the risk of sounding corny, there's something spiritual about it.

Sarge

Sarge-- it doesn't sound corny at all; it's the truth.
--Josh
 
Sarge you got me curious as to what your seeing. Ive etched alota different blades, made in alota different time periods, of alotta different material, and of alota different constructions. Seen alota strange things appear in the steel. Ive seen different alloys pop up (copper, nickel, etc...), construction styles, hardening techs, etc... Would love to see what Bura did with your khuk if you could ever get the chance to take some pics.
 
Fed, I don't have a digital camera with high enough resolution to show the color changes clearly. The lines are clear enough to the eye, but I guess they're too subtle for the camera I tried.

Sarge
 
Sarge even with a good camera its real hard to get damascene patterns to appear in pictures. I remember etching a spear head, had the brightest nickel pamour I have ever seen, the contrasts were quite distinct, but when photographed you couldnt see a thing. About the only way Ive ever been able to show patternings, is by placing the blade on a black and white scanner, and taking a scan. Black and White photo copiers work as well. Its surprising how much detail appears with that method. Not a big deal though, just curious to see what youre seeing.
 
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