Indian billhook/machete thingy?

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Aug 16, 2011
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I watched that cool Rhododendron honey gathering video Ndoghouse posted, and after it was over I noticed a link to another documentary on "Snake Gypsies" of Rajastan India.

[video]https://youtu.be/aNUYGRn3W9Q?t=2m46s[/video]

I watched a bit of it and noticed the men and woman using a strange edged tool for making a fire. At first I thought it was some sort of billhook but the blade shape seems more like a rectangle rather than curving like a sickle. I took a few screen grabs

indian1.jpgindian2.jpg

Does anybody have any idea what it's called? It looks pretty handy.
 
A couple of months ago I purchased a dow pattern heavy machete (3 lbs) from Wildbillwholesale. It looks like the Rambo 4 machete sold by United Cutlery, however, it's Master Cutlery's version. I've have found it largely useless. My new new 2 lb AK is way more effective. Anyway, I'm considering cutting it into almost the exact shape as the Indian the tool in the video. I think losing the weight toward the handle will made it a much better chopping implement.
 
I guess I should have watched a few more minutes before I posted this. It's apparently called a "koont"
indian3.jpg

[video]https://youtu.be/aNUYGRn3W9Q?t=26m17s[/video]

They're using them to chop up firewood.
 
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That Koont is a really khul design. I like it alot! I bet philllll could make a really nice one!
 
The HI Hasyia is not far from that design. Just need to extend the handle tang.
7-22-15%20009_zpsag8nt0mw.jpg
 
Nice film. The people shown do not have many material possessions but they seem to take care of the family and love their children. :cool:
 
Purely just good observation and not some stranger danger pervert thinking but that's about the cutest trio of indian woman I've ever seen. Nice bone structure in the face.

Oh and I love the knive too.
 
The HI Hasyia is not far from that design. Just need to extend the handle tang.
7-22-15%20009_zpsag8nt0mw.jpg
Hasiyas are quite popular in South India.
Almost every guy selling coconuts uses one. Lots of landscaping workers have them too.
To me they look different than the ones in the video.
 
The video knives are a short depth cleaver with a long handle...save weight, save metal, and easy to make out of much scrap in the world....there are machetes much like them in the west....







 
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The first thing that came to my mind was Sher attitude on a stick. It looks like a really functional and utilitarian tool. Might just make me one:D.
 
The first thing that came to my mind was Sher attitude on a stick. It looks like a really functional and utilitarian tool. Might just make me one:D.

The shape is there alright. A Sher attitude is surprisingly heavy thought. I don't know if the Koont is machete light or Kukri heavy.
 
Pretty sure the thickness varies due to local customer demand....my assumption them forged out of rebar or somesuch rod/bar locally available...nice tool....or sawed out of flat stock depending on what's handy....appears rather thin more as a heavy machete...
 
Now I can see the Attitude resemblance too. :-)

Where a Kukri has more belly the Sher Attitude simply compensates with the lack of any kind of distal taper.
Thus its weight distribution is similar and it handles exactly like a Kukri of similar length and weight even if it looks much lighter in the pictures.
I like my Himalayan Razor. Could probably shave off a few layers of Mt. Everest.
 
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