I think I just found the closest thing to my Dream Knife... KHHI DBAD Mission 1.

[shane45-1911]

Recycled steel with inadequate cleaning before the re-melt? Undissolved carbon not locked into the steel matrix due to incomplete smelting of the original pour? Just piss-poor quality control?
I don't know, I'm just throwing crap out there, kinda like the foundry that seems to have poured that particular melt.

I believe you are over-thinking it.

Steel in Nepal is simply not the same quality that we are accustomed to in North America.

 

[DangerZone98]

Hey Andrew!

I only have seen this issue with KHHI. I suspect it has something to do with their choice of steel, possibly having contaminants or impurities in it, that the forging process does not eliminate.

Thanks for sharing your feedback on this. My first kukri was from the Khukuri House as well. My issue was that I couldn’t get it sharp for some reason, whereas I could sharpen mass produced blades with better results. The tip was also prone to crumbling.

Could entirely be user error on my part though, since I’m not as used to the fairly thicker grind of the kukri.

 

[Kailash Blades]

Possibly, but I have sharpened it several times with the same dirty results. It appears to be throughout the steel.

Very interesting!
Might I ask what year you bought it? They've done a few steel swaps. They started using CNC cut EN31 (52100 equiv) from india for full tang blades around 2013 but unsure if that's still going on. I know that cast iron self lubricates for drilling with the carbon inside it, maybe the full percent of carbon in 52100 has it a bit streaky? Or maybe they've gone even higher carbon since. I can't imagine the teapot quench could result in the kind of thing you're describing.

 

[Kailash Blades]

Thanks for sharing your feedback on this. My first kukri was from the Khukuri House as well. My issue was that I couldn’t get it sharp for some reason, whereas I could sharpen mass produced blades with better results. The tip was also prone to crumbling.

Could entirely be user error on my part though, since I’m not as used to the fairly thicker grind of the kukri.

Could be that you're not hitting the apex and are just wearing away the sides of the semi convex bevel. Could also be the heat treat- the teapot quench doesn't do an adequate job of hardening the edge. They don't temper the blades so instead they barely quench to keep some toughness.

 

[shane45-1911]

Very interesting!
Might I ask what year you bought it?

The knife was purchased mid-2018.

I believe your comments are correct regarding their steel history, but it is still a mystery to me why their steel is so dirty.

A good rinse with soapy water is all I have ever used for 30 years to adequately clean my sharpening stones after use - until I got this KHHI. Acetone was needed to remove the grime.

Of course, there is the possibility I have an anomaly not representative of their usual steel quality. After all, I am only dealing with a sample size of 1.

 

[MontyMeatloaf]

I ordered one of the Dbad knives and what showed up was the most worthless piece of junk ive ever seen. The grind if you could call it that appeared to be done with a cinder block. It was so dull I could tuck it into my boxers with no fear. I tried to put an edge on it but the steel was so soft it just wouldn't take, also seemed to chip and flake by the edge. No heat treat that I could see. There was no saving it so I just ground it smooth and tossed it into my tool box as a pry bar with a nice handle.

 

[jatt47]

I ordered one of the Dbad knives and what showed up was the most worthless piece of junk ive ever seen. The grind if you could call it that appeared to be done with a cinder block. It was so dull I could tuck it into my boxers with no fear. I tried to put an edge on it but the steel was so soft it just wouldn't take, also seemed to chip and flake by the edge. No heat treat that I could see. There was no saving it so I just ground it smooth and tossed it into my tool box as a pry bar with a nice handle.

I've seen mixed reviews from KHHI as well, but the War Machine I got from them was fine.
I returned it because it didn't fit my needs.
Waiting on an OEF Defender now.
One guy said his came in at 1kg vs the expected 700g but was otherwise fine.

 

[MontyMeatloaf]

I have one more on the way that was ordered slightly after the first so we'll see if it was an anomaly. I will look into Kailash offerings as I'm actually on the hunt for a larger say 13 inch sawback bowie, SOG actually makes a design that's hell on wheels for shelter / trap building but like almost all the other product available these days in that format it's done in a cheesey low grade stainless. I keep waiting for Frank at KnivesbyHand to do a big old sawback right, he did a Smatchet recently that is quite nice.

 

[eveled]

U Uncle Buckmaster

If I had a grail knife, that defined my collecting desires. That I’ve wanted since the 1980’s. $1000 would not be too much to spend.

I know its a lot, but why spend several hundred dollars to buy knives that are sort of close but not really right.

If I were you I don’t see myself being happy until I got a real Lyle Mission Knife. Even if it took a couple years of squirreling money away.

Go for it. Life is short my friend.

I was the same way with a Randall model 1, could never justify the cost. Once I got one I never regretted it.

Same thing with my M1A rifle, it took me ten years to save up for one.

 

[Akeenone]

I had a khukuri from KHHI, quality wasn't great.

How so? I have no complaints about my 13” Raw 3 Chirra Old School Khukuri from KHHI. It requires more frequent sharpening than some blades, but that is due to the traditional 5160 leaf spring steel used. My blade stands up to what I put it through. Of course, I realize that the company has several makers (Kamis), and that quality may vary between them; some being younger, and less experienced, others being much older, and feeble of strength, or vision, while others are in their prime. So, one blade may be excellent, and another less so. What was off about your blade, and what model was it?

 

[MontyMeatloaf]

The update to the double order from KHHI was pretty much as expected. I'll echo what a previous poster mentioned about the steel being dirty AF, like don't use it on an expensive stone cause you'll be scrubbing it all afternoon with a 3m trying to remove the fouling. Steel is butter soft with seemingly no heat treat. I can get an edge on it with a fine jasper stone but won't keep it with even the lightest use. Decided to throw it into a tree until it broke, took 6 throws.
I'll relegate KHHI to KLO status (knife like objects)