My first two new khukuris purchases ever, arrived about a week ago with amazingly fast shipping from Yangdu.
I was super excited to get these knives into my hands and was bursting with anticipation. What arrived was a package with a 19.5" Kobra by Vim with a wood handle, and a 16.5" Chiruwa Ang Khola, wood handle, by young Sher from the Uncle Bill Birthday Special.
Right out of the box I was really impressed with the craftsmanship of these knives. What a thick spine! They are well made and clearly made for work, yet beautiful at the same time. The CAK was destined for my neighbor as a surprise gift for being so helpful over the years. I was debating if I should give it to him "virgin" in unused condition but the desire to try it out was overwhelming so I figured one little coconut would not hurt to test it on. I usually open coconuts with a machete and this was a very different experience. The weight of the blade made the work a lot easier and I did not have to come down nearly as hard as I do with the machete. The work went faster and easier than usual for sure.
When I was done and feeling a little guilty for playing with my friends new knife, I checked the blade for any sign of use. Absolutely not a scratch on it. I called up my friend and had him come over so I could give him the CAK and not continue to tempt myself to keep it for my own. He was completely blown away and said, "I own hundreds of machetes and all different kinds of knifes but never anything like this." He was nearly brought to tears and said so himself. He commented on the beauty (nice mirror finish, pretty grain in the wood handle) and quality and said it was the best gift he had gotten in years. It's so pretty he does not even want to use it but he is taking it with him in his farm truck everywhere along with his daily use knives. I think he will find something to use it on.
the Kobra was for me and I decided to test it out on a coconut as well. It had the same quality of making the work easier due to the weight and I found my strikes were much more accurate than the machete. I think the weight helps in this area as well. One task in which the machete was better is prying the husk loose from the side of the nut and this is due to the machetes greater blade width. I checked the Kobras blade edge after opening the coconut and noticed a very small dimple on it which should be very simple to fix. The metal did what it was supposed to do and bent instead of chipping and from what I have read, that signifies it has been properly tempered.
I am already thinking I should get an Ang Kola or Bone Cutter for the coconuts although the Kobra easily handled the task. And I really like the way the weight balances out on the Chiruwa blade I gave to my friend. It really felt like an extension of my arm.
Next I tried out some small 1-2" brush and the Kobra had no problem with that. I found it especially helpful to strike the wood at an angle and I could shear off many of the branches with just one hit.
I must say, I have never been into knives in my life before but these are fun. I even want to learn how to properly sharpen and maintain my knives now. From the moment I heard about Himalayan Imports and before I even saw one of the knives, I knew I had to have a good Khurkuri. But it is not just the khurkuris. I love the quality and beauty of the knives, friendliness of the forum and the ethical company that Yangdu and Bill set up. Thanks!
Now I am also thinking I could use a small 12" Sirupati or a sword, a Bone Cutter, etc..
I was super excited to get these knives into my hands and was bursting with anticipation. What arrived was a package with a 19.5" Kobra by Vim with a wood handle, and a 16.5" Chiruwa Ang Khola, wood handle, by young Sher from the Uncle Bill Birthday Special.
Right out of the box I was really impressed with the craftsmanship of these knives. What a thick spine! They are well made and clearly made for work, yet beautiful at the same time. The CAK was destined for my neighbor as a surprise gift for being so helpful over the years. I was debating if I should give it to him "virgin" in unused condition but the desire to try it out was overwhelming so I figured one little coconut would not hurt to test it on. I usually open coconuts with a machete and this was a very different experience. The weight of the blade made the work a lot easier and I did not have to come down nearly as hard as I do with the machete. The work went faster and easier than usual for sure.
When I was done and feeling a little guilty for playing with my friends new knife, I checked the blade for any sign of use. Absolutely not a scratch on it. I called up my friend and had him come over so I could give him the CAK and not continue to tempt myself to keep it for my own. He was completely blown away and said, "I own hundreds of machetes and all different kinds of knifes but never anything like this." He was nearly brought to tears and said so himself. He commented on the beauty (nice mirror finish, pretty grain in the wood handle) and quality and said it was the best gift he had gotten in years. It's so pretty he does not even want to use it but he is taking it with him in his farm truck everywhere along with his daily use knives. I think he will find something to use it on.
the Kobra was for me and I decided to test it out on a coconut as well. It had the same quality of making the work easier due to the weight and I found my strikes were much more accurate than the machete. I think the weight helps in this area as well. One task in which the machete was better is prying the husk loose from the side of the nut and this is due to the machetes greater blade width. I checked the Kobras blade edge after opening the coconut and noticed a very small dimple on it which should be very simple to fix. The metal did what it was supposed to do and bent instead of chipping and from what I have read, that signifies it has been properly tempered.
I am already thinking I should get an Ang Kola or Bone Cutter for the coconuts although the Kobra easily handled the task. And I really like the way the weight balances out on the Chiruwa blade I gave to my friend. It really felt like an extension of my arm.
Next I tried out some small 1-2" brush and the Kobra had no problem with that. I found it especially helpful to strike the wood at an angle and I could shear off many of the branches with just one hit.
I must say, I have never been into knives in my life before but these are fun. I even want to learn how to properly sharpen and maintain my knives now. From the moment I heard about Himalayan Imports and before I even saw one of the knives, I knew I had to have a good Khurkuri. But it is not just the khurkuris. I love the quality and beauty of the knives, friendliness of the forum and the ethical company that Yangdu and Bill set up. Thanks!
Now I am also thinking I could use a small 12" Sirupati or a sword, a Bone Cutter, etc..
thats you of everyone's christmas card list
