"Kesar Cherokee Special"

Walosi

Walosi

Joined
Jan 10, 2001
Messages
2,618
It came today (record time!, Sorry Brendan, and guys below the equator:)) I've had the YCS on my lust list for some time, as well as an "old style" dui chirra. I think this is a good blend. Several of the kamis did a "make what you want" blade a few weeks ago, and Uncle said Kesar was too steady for that - just wanted to produce pattern blades. The temptation to go on his own may have produced this trio. Whatever reason, the variance from the model did not produce anything resembling a bad knife. Steel fittings, dui chirra blade with deep belly (2 1/2") and a 7/8" spine. The inlays are as advertised, but nothing that I can't live with. One "dot" jarred out of an "eye" inlay has me looking for some 3/16 black nylon rod I saw a month or so ago (damn memory) and one of the kardas took a shot. Nothing that some happy tinkering can't fix. Kesar chose a perfectly straight-grained piece of Saatisal for the handle (better to cut for inlays than burl or heavy sap grain). This is the kind of Saatisal that looks drab, until a few coats of oil light up what is underneath, or causes the heavy black lines to disappear and reappear when the handle is turned ("gotta-be-a-pony-in-there-somewhere" wood).
Balance is just 1 1/2" ahead of the cho. Fullers are regular and uniform, but don't lighten he blade that much - they are well defined, but not as deep as a Chitlangi's or a GS'. The flat spine only tapers from 7/16" to 3/8" at the beginning of the drop, and a gradual taper to 1/4" where the edge bevel comes up to take it to the almost chisel point, making the blade appear massive, but the balance makes it light in the hand. The little Khukuri voice started talking immediately "I like to chop, I like to slice, and I can draw cut better than anyone". And I think it just might be right:D This one could end up in a hand-tooled leather sheath.
 
Them durned khuks show up the way they want to - not as you thought you were ordering them - and they bait you with "I dare you to give me a work out, and then just TRY to send me back!" Khuks is nearly as bad as wimmin that way!
 
...would you send Lauren Bacall back just because she had a little gap between her front teeth :D
 
Wal, I think that you'll find that the thing chops really well. I ordered a plain YCS during the Pala 20% off sale, and Kesar made it. I always thought the kardas quite a bit smaller than they should be and that the khuk was a little more slender and straight than the YCS pictures. I thought that it was just a fluke, or a slip-up due to expedited manufacture during the cash-raising. After seeing the picture of this last batch, and the descriptions, I now know that I have a YCS of the Kesar subspecies. He must have his own image of the knife in his mind, and doesn't consult the model. It's a great knife, and good looking too. Really makes big chips fly when chopping. I wouldn't want to ding mine on a rock, though, the bevel is pretty thin for quite a ways back from the edge. Could be a LOT of work to restore the edge.

If I wasn't nearly positive that it would completely confuse the Nepali end, I'd suggest giving these a name and possibly offering them if there is interest.

Downside is, now I really want a regulation YCS too.
 
...still wanting a YCS. I thought this one might dull my dui chirra/YCS lusts, but it only got the dui chirra part...for now.
 
It's not a bad rig but it's a Kesar YCS and not a YCS. I hope what I'm seeing is Kesar "improving" on a model -- something he has not done to date.
 
There is NO Downside to..

...still wanting a YCS. I thought this one might dull my dui chirra/YCS lusts, but it only got the dui chirra part...for now.
Click to expand...

More specifically, the downside is how long I will still be wanting, unless my finances change. Some say that anticipation adds to the to eventual acquisition....masochists!

BTW, I just waxed a few handles using the Howards Citrus Shield wax I mentioned a while back. Great stuff. I had high hopes when I saw that it was not a completely smooth creamy paste, but seemed to have in some areas some small flakes or scales of wax moistened with the citrus oil. It melts when rubbed in hard and works well with the ArmorAll. Though I used low-gloss formulated tung oil, the handles shine like polished glass, with all the transparency of a just applied and still wet coat of oil. Four coats, with a lot of buffing with brown paper, have even filled in some remaining grain with no cloudiness. Thanks for all the woodchuck help. Now I have to lay off for a while, or I'll get repeatative stress syndrome in my sanding/polishing thumb. Woodchuck's thumb???
 
Yep - I can strike a match on mine (unless I keep it oiled :D).
On your Howard's wax label - do they have any website information? Looked for it today, but didn't have enough time to really search the area.
 
It's not a bad rig but it's a Kesar YCS and not a YCS. I hope what I'm seeing is Kesar "improving" on a model --something he has not done to date.
Click to expand...

Would that be an old kami learning new tricks?

I'm mainly praising the khuk design, which is pretty nicely done, except the bevel is nearly concave, which I suspects weakens the edge some, and the bolster has a pretty wide brazing/solder gap. It handles very nicely. The small tools were a little crudely done, especially the handles. Quite a bit of work and final shaping needed. In my opinion, the extra effort/cost (the kami's and mine) of this karda design isn't really worth it unless it for the full-sized regulation YCS kardas. The business end of the awl is however, excellent. There's a tiny bit of a wasp's waist near the middle so you don't get too big a hole on tough to puncture material. He learned to make good awls somewhere. I still this khuk with the usual karda and chakma might be a good offering.
 
Re Howard Wax

Actual brand name is Howard Citrus-Shield.
also says Natural Paste Wax

I got it at a local Ace Hardware Store. I don't think these are totally cloned chain stores (yet?...:( ) so your sucess may vary. Several Howard products including tinted waxes were stocked. I'd be careful not to get a tinted one by mistake.

No Web info or conventional address on container.
Phone number is on the container:

Howard Products Inc.
(805) 227-1000


Best of luck should you decide to accept this mission....:)

Seriously, the first joint of my thumb is telling me to lay off for a while. Been kinda stiff and "pops" with a bit of discomfort when fully extended. Especially in the morning. I do have a matchstriker callous on the side of the nail though.
 
I've just started taking down the scales on the kardas and awl. The kardas' scales were't fully finished (a little lumpy) but under the rouge and wax is some spectacular walnut, with the usual Nepali twist. Part of one scale sanded white. It looked like bleached pine, on the lower length, but there were darker walnut burls on the upper length. Some fine sanding, and a cloth rubdown, produced a typical greyish grain (usually only seen in walnut in small areas) along the whole of the bottome half of the scale, that turns silver grey when the light hits it right - no oil, just sanding, and it already turns colors. Nepal Ho. Are their any Woodchuck Treks?
 
They have been getting hold of some spectacular wood lately. Maybe they have a new wood supplier. I sure hope so.

Woodchuck trek? Wait until the tredding agencies hear of this!!!
 
I'll bet the agencies could set one up with minimum notice - It would mean a required stop at BirGorkha to pick up Khuks, though. Ain't goin' in no furrin woods with just any knife :D
 
Right now the trekking in Nepal is off by more than half so ANY trek would be a welcome one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top