Thanks for posting the pix, Bill.
The khukuri (if you can call it that...) is 19" overall, weighs 1lb 1.25 oz, uniform spine thickness of 0.225". The idea was to make a partially forward-curving Kobra...
As shown in the pix, the blade is rough-ground after tempering, the woodwork has been rasped to shape before sanding & finishing. Material was old (Victorian) cart spring - horrible stuff, prone to stress-fractures, extremely unforgiving if worked slightly too cold. It cleaned up & finished OK.
I've been in hospital for a couple of weeks since making this prototype. Soon as I'm back on my feet again, I plan on making version 1.1 (basically the same, but more curve & width between 'elbow' and point)
I only had time for a fairly perfunctory test of the "lemmingcobra" before I went in for my op. Bottom line is; I tried to break it but couldn't; it cuts and handles pretty well; I'd reckon that if Kumar made something along the same lines, it'd be a pretty fine knife...
I've asked Bill to send a copy of the snapshot of me bashing steel to BirGorkha; I think the kamis might be interested in the similarities and differences between a traditional Nepalese shop and a fairly traditional Western one. Also, in view of the caste system and its implications, it might amuse them to see that at least one of their customers in the West is proud to hammer hot steel and call himself a smith, for all that his skill is far, far inferior to theirs.
