It's BEAUTIFUL! but DULL as a BUTTER KNIFE!

I have a 1X30 belt sander I really like I got for 59 bucks but I only use it in extreme situations because generally khuk edges are so uneven I like to do it by hand with a flexible strop and sandpaper.

I would have to say that one of the benefits of this forum, that balances out the credit card debt that came with it is that it got me back into being able to sharpening things really well again and taught me the joy of convex edges and put me into the Carbon Steel underground again.
 
It might be a good idea to send word to the kamis to send the blades over sharp. That's the standard for most US cutlery sales.

The points made about sharpening yourself and putting on the edge you like are good ones - for fanatics like us. However, many customers like to receive their knives already sharp.

I think the modern tools and the buffing to a high finish as a final step is leading to these dull edges. It doesn't have to be that way though. a belt grinder with a slack belt will put on a highly polished and very sharp edge. I wonder if they have one at BirGorkha?
 
As far as I'm concerned they could leave the high polish at the doorstep and just get back to the nitty gritty of making the best khuk in the world. I think its important to learn to sharpen these beasts too. I readily admit my infancy at this. I do get good fast results with my belt sander and strop though. Its when I tinker by hand that I find my khuks getting progressively duller with every stroke. Still learning.
 
I know what you mean about the high polish. With the exception of 1 villager all the edge failures I have had have been on the high polish ones. I always wondered if the polishing got them too hot.

My first khuk was an 18" AK by Shankar. I found it impossible to sharpen, even though I found ones I got later on easy. Finally Yvsa took it and fixed the edge on it. Unfortunately later the edge actually cracked off in a section. Not due to his work but I think it was too hardened in one place and was actually brittle.
 
Once it is sharp, maintaining it is easy. It is difficult to sharpen a shiny khuk when you are new at it because you don't want to scratch it. I rarely do the mousepad method, though it works really well- I am way too impatient. I just grab a 220 grit coarse hone and put a burr on both sides, I use the thin side of the stone to get into that khukuri curve, then I use an 800 grit ceramic rod, then a strop. Hair-popping sharp, but sometimes the edge gets a little ugly because of my clumsiness.
Once it is sharp by a belt grinder you'll just have to steel it and strop it, it will stay sharp for a long time unless you dig for rocks with it. I was cutting down saplings on a steep hill once, so I had to keep stabbing the khuk into the dirt when I lost my balance... that messed up the edge good, but I got it shave sharp again easily.
Once you get it back sharp from Steve, for goodness sake be careful with it. It is fearsome what these blades can do, especially when very sharp.
Even a "butter knife dull" khukuri will chop very well because of the design and heft.
 
The_Shadow said:
Hello to all,
I'm a new HI owner, I ordered and now own a Chittlangi (sp?) that is a really beautiful piece. The gold inlay on the blade is really cool, the sheath is very well made, the karda and chakma fit well in the sheath and are well made. The horn handle is carved with skill.
I do have one problem, though.... it is the dullest piece of steel I have ever seen, and it seems to resist all attempts at sharpening.
Has anybody been able to put a good edge on these Kukuris, or are they pretty much collector's pieces to hang on the wall? It is pretty enough to hang on the wall, but I would rather hang it up sharp, if you know what I mean.
Now, I'm not unhappy, it is a great looking knife. But I thought these were supposed to be functional?
Click to expand...

another thing you can do is tweak out the handle... being that yours is horn, you can carefully sand it with a suitable grit to help retention/grip... i've brought one up to glass like mirror finish and it shines and looks fantastic. it's also quite slippery ;P i used something like 400 grit to bring it back down to something not too shabby, and grippy.

also i used tung oil, over several days (several coats), to help preserve the horn. some folx use danish oil, some like to soak the handle in mineral oil for 3-5 days, then let it drip dry for 3-5 days, and then seal it. search about, there's a thread along those lines in the last month or so - it could be worth it. horn has a grain as well, and the process can really reveal the layers.

a word to those with wood handles... i just used a simple sponge/foam block that comes with sanding like material on it. nothing fancing, home despot sells them. took the rouge/finish off very quickly, while giving me a kind of polish that i don't see with normal sandpaper... cleaned up with a paper towel, and rubbed in some tung oil - wowee - depth and lustre. can't wait for 2 more coats. thar be fine grain under that rouge.

mmm, oh, yeah, if you're gunna be using it, invest in some scotch bright pads to clean the blade now and then too. something i noticed is that a soapy clean blade, you can feel the little blade waves and what not. the fullers on an AK are nifty. my big GRS has like 1/4 fullers. you can't see them, but you can feel a gentle curve along what i assumed was a flat. huh. maybe that's why it's hard to photograph.

read the safety thread. no really. i haven't compared lately, but the outdoors magazine web blog thing has essentially the same safety thread as hi.com and the sticky, but i *think* it's been updated since. safety people? i don't even recall (without looking) who wrote it. it's essential.

bladite
 
Bri, that convex primer is great. Thanks for the link! Yes, this is a style of knife that I have no experience with whatsoever. You kind of have to forget everything you know, since it is different with a kukuri.
 
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