Karda Suggestion for Small Khuks

Daniel Koster said:
if you want a karda, I know somebody who makes 'em....;) :D :p
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All right Dan, I can take a hint, besides, I reckon I ought to buy one of your knives before you go and get too dadburn famous on us. ;) What's your backorder situation looking like for something "un-fancy"?

Sarge
 
My little 12" Siru is now a happy pup, made it new karda and chakma blades (kept the original handles), and even made it an awl to round out the "team". All blades made from file steel (uh, what else?), made a curly maple handle for the awl.

1st pic, freshly convexed, "hair popping sharp" Siru, along with it's new friends. That burnt looking bit of metal is the original chakma blade.

2nd pic, a shot to show how neatly the whole gang tucks into the scabbard.

Groovy :cool:

Sarge
 

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Thanks Astro,

Karda blade is 3"L x 9/16"W x 3/32"thick

Awl is a chainsaw file, forged to give it a slightly flattened cross section. A round awl bit would allow the tool to spin in it's slot, causing handle to get in the way of karda & chakma handles.

Sarge
 
IMHO, I think a screwdriver, such as a carbon steel square shafted one, would make a good awl since a file tends to break easily under the latteral stresses an awl undergoes.

For a karda or a chakma, I have been rather unimpressed with the hardness of the small tools that the kamis put out. It's like they are made as an afterthought. I can understand worries about over hardnening a khuk, but a karda and a chakma IMHO are better to be too hard than too soft.

I like files for the chakma, and regular temlered knife blades, such as Mora knife blades, for kardas.
 
mrostov said:
IMHO, I think a screwdriver, such as a carbon steel square shafted one, would make a good awl since a file tends to break easily under the latteral stresses an awl undergoes.

For a karda or a chakma, I have been rather unimpressed with the hardness of the small tools that the kamis put out. It's like they are made as an afterthought. I can understand worries about over hardnening a khuk, but a karda and a chakma IMHO are better to be too hard than too soft.

I like files for the chakma, and regular temlered knife blades, such as Mora knife blades, for kardas.
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:confused: Any carbon steel that can be hardened can be tempered, even files. In fact the awl bit I forged from a chainsaw file is differentially heat treated, with the shank being spring steel temper, and the point around 58-59 RC, same as the hardness I usually temper my knife blades.

Sarge
 
cucharadedragon said:
Sarge,
What do you use to make your blades? Belt sander, grinder, file, combination?
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For stock removal I mostly use my old bench grinder, and sometimes use a belt sander to take off the grinding marks, or true up the bevels on a Scandi-grind.

Forging's easier ('specially if you like to leave 'em "rustic" looking), just hammer blade to shape, use a file to draw file the edge/point like you want it while the steel's dead soft, then harden and temper.

Sarge
 
Sarge made some GREAT little chakma/karda replacements for the Pen knife I was fortunate enough to get from him. So good, in fact, I split them up and carry one in each of the scabbords of my other khuks when I use them.

SO sharp! Antler tined. Probably bits of old files. Wunnerful.

Field surgery edges.
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
For stock removal I mostly use my old bench grinder, and sometimes use a belt sander to take off the grinding marks, or true up the bevels on a Scandi-grind.

Forging's easier ('specially if you like to leave 'em "rustic" looking), just hammer blade to shape, use a file to draw file the edge/point like you want it while the steel's dead soft, then harden and temper.

Sarge
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You may have already covered this, but how do you harden and temper them.
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
:confused: Any carbon steel that can be hardened can be tempered, even files. In fact the awl bit I forged from a chainsaw file is differentially heat treated, with the shank being spring steel temper, and the point around 58-59 RC, same as the hardness I usually temper my knife blades.

Sarge
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True you can temper and harden anything to one level or another. The steel commonly used in files is especially suited to being hardened, hence why it can make a scapel sharp knife blade. It's just that IMHO, metalurgy does matter quote a bit also. With something like an awl, you have certain latteral forces on a long skinny surface so you do need some strength properties in the metal that the steel in files may not be optimally suited for. But, if done properly, a file can probably be made to work well.
 
Although a medium carbon steel would make a tougher tool, heat treating is still the key to making a tough tool. Most old files are made of W1, which is very close to 1095 carbon steel in composition (less manganese). 1095 is used for making all sorts of springs, from those used in watches to those used automobiles. W1 can be heat treated to rc 35 up to rc 64, just depends what your application is. Do you want to cut steel, or do you want a spring? A real concern when recycling files can be the teeth that are cut into them: if you don't remove them when forging smaller files to shape, the resulting stress risers and cold shuts can lead to premature failure down the road.
 
I have seen many different versions in the khukuri books.
Some had two kardas.
Some had a relatively large karda and a very small chakma.
Some had nothing.
So, even the historical examples had all kinds of arrangements.
Personally, I would prefer two kardas and to use their backs as chakmas.
I am regrinding the chakmas to that effect anyway.
I bought a large khukuri from a different Nepali-based company recently, and the K and C were both longer by 20% and thinner by 20%.
 
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