Karda and Chakma Retrofits

Howard Wallace

Howard Wallace

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Sutcliffe raised the issue of getting a higher quality Karda in the Ganga Ram thread.

I can't afford to buy all of the khukuris I would like. On the other hand, I might be able to upgrade the Karda and Chakma accompanying some of my current favorites with new ones of the quality of Ganga Ram's latest effort. Would anyone else be interested in doing this?

There might be some challenges in a retrofit program. The new blades would have to be of the approximate sizes as the old ones in order to fit in their current sheaths. Customers would probably want similar handle materials to their current knives. It may be difficult to convince the kamis that their efforts with the karda and chakma are appreciated as much as their work with the khukuris. Although I suspect that when they hear of the success of Ganga Ram's efforts they will strive mightily to meet the new standard.



[This message has been edited by Howard Wallace (edited 28 September 1999).]
 
Howard,

I agree with you on this. Viewing the ones that is with Ganga Ram's blade makes me think that he could do ANY knife type object incredibly well! I think doing the upgrades would make the khukuri that much more versatile. I hope he does the same style karda and chakma with the rest of his specials, and is it me, or does it look like an integral bolster on the one on the left? Just imagine, integral bolsters on both the karda AND the chakma! Hmmm....I wonder about an integral bolster khukuri...now that would be a sculpture in steel!
smile.gif
I wonder if Ganga Ram WOULD do an integral version? Bill, what do you think?

Take care,
John Johnson
 
Retrofitting would probably be too difficult as each piece is individual. Also I think that the present slots for the tools would limit the size of any upgrades and therefore the usefulness. I'm content with keeping the tools I have, but would like to see improved ones on future models. Hell, I still have room for 2 or three on my shelf(then there's under the bed!).
Sutcliffe
 
:
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I would Absolutely Love to See a little larger,mostly longer Karda for the 15" and up size.
Something with at least a 3 1/2" to 4" blade for the 15" knives and 4 1/2" to 5" blades for the 18" knives and have them zone hardened or harder than most of them are now.
Actually the longer ones would be the best and perhaps it would be best to have it like 4" +/- 1/4" and 5" +/- 1/4" or so.They could even be +/- 3/8" if that would be helpful.
A more useable length handle would also be very beneficial.IMO.

It would also help to have the QC on both the karda's and chakma's a bit better.A couple of the chakmas have been on the soft side and don't work that well on the hard part of the blade,but like the Nepali's say."You have one good one,why do you need another?"
smile.gif


One of the considerations is that the Sarkis also have to make the scabbard to fit them.The piece of wood on the back has to be longer to accomadate the longer tools.It would probably take a bit more leather.

I wouldn't care to retrofit any I have and I took a chance with the ones I made for my 18" AK. I know that the longer karda will probably eventually wear the leather from the inside and create a hole in the scabbard.I think it could easily be fixed by making a new longer frog for it.
It is longer than the piece of wood that actually creates the space for the little tools.It is a potential problem I am willing to live with.



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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
Cornbread ain't s'possed ta be sweet!....Dagnabit gurl,whut did they teach you way up north in ....;) hehehe.


 
I'll go along with Sut and Yvsa. I doubt that it would make any sense to upgrade tools into pre-existing sheaths, but I'd really like to see some of the newer ones made with better (and bigger!) kardas and chakmas.

My budget won't support buying more khukuris at the moment, but I'm starting to save for something like an 18-20" Gelbu Special. If by the time I'd be ready to pay for it, the kardas and chakmas were upgraded to, say, 4" blades, I'd be real happy. I wouldn't even mind a 3" karda if I could have a 5" chakma blade. The Nepalis who are used to short chakmas may like them just fine, but I'd like to keep my fingers farther away from the edge of the khukuri when I'm burnishing it.
smile.gif
Just tell the kamis that the Americans aren't used to the same things and we need more length to keep from cutting off our fingers. (Or at least speaking for clumsy Paul
wink.gif
) I still have all my fingers despite a few cuts and I'd like to keep it that way.

Just as a point, I was chopping out a few little trees in the ditch the other day with my new villager
biggrin.gif
and after a while got a bit of edge displacement. No chips, but I could see that a bit of burnishing would be worthwhile. I used the chakma and got quite a bit of improvement, but later when I took it in, washed off the sap and dirt and took a regular knife steel to the edge, I could certainly appreciate using that 10" long steel rod to burnish the edge from a safe distance rather than the 2.5" steel of the chakma that put my fingers right next to the edge. The chakma wasn't so bad on the "right" side of the blade, i.e., when the "right" side of the blade was up as I was holding it in my left hand with the edge toward my body. I could then burnish by drawing the chakma (or steel) toward me as it traveled along the edge. But on the other side, with the edge away from my body as I held it in my left hand, I could not readily push the chakma out away from my body and along the edge. It was just too short. Using the longer kitchen knife steel, that motion was quite easy and the result seemed more than satisfactory.
smile.gif


Does that description of my "technique" (if it rates the word) make sense? Anybody have any better suggestions for a good burnishing technique?

I wouldn't look down my nose at a better karda either. I have to say that not only is the Ganga Ram Special khukuri a knockout, but the karda and chakma are too. They are not only beautiful, but they look much more useful than any of the others that I have seen.


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Paul Neubauer
prn@bsu.edu

 
I agree that longer and better kardas and chakmas would be the route to go with HI's. folks have seen such great improvements in the quality of the khukuris and sheaths. Improving the karda and chakma would make HI even a better buy than they already are.

I can imagine someone taking a good karda with a 3-5" blade and making a specific sheath for that just get a ulility piece to carry when not in need of the khukuri.

sing

AKTI #A000356
 
Ha! I actually understood something Ghostsix said! (/me throws confetti all over everywhere!)

He means change hands and steel the other edge of the blade left-handed so you don't cut your fingers off.

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
Bill`s usually on my wavelength,but yes,just push away from the blade with your other hand.Why eat steel?

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I could have said,don`t feed the ravens.Loki made me do it.Someone should pick up on that,but not all.

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Hey...I like ravens.

Us Kruks have to stick together.

-Dave

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"I'm not a complete idiot; some parts are missing."

 
Who told me that a friend had a spear named "Feeder of the Doves of War" ( i.e. ravens )?
 
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