- Joined
- Aug 28, 2010
- Messages
- 5,431
(Also with no prior experience)
Other materials used: epoxy, flax oil from the kitchen (for the wood finish)
Background:
In the HI forum archives, I've read good things about the antique Bhojpure khukuris made in Nepal and sold by AC.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309030
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=276101
I bought one of the bare blades with the intention of bringing it back to life by adding a handle and turning it into a working "user" khukuri.
No electricity:
To help increase my self reliance skills, I wanted to ideally do this project with materials I had on hand, using non-electric hand tools. (Can't count on the electricity always being available. Also, the blade was made in Nepal over 100 years ago, when electric tools were obviously not available.)
Disclaimer:
I have no previous experience with knife making or rehandling, and my woodworking skills are pretty basic at best, so don't expect to see great technique. Instead, maybe other beginners will be encouraged to see that workable results can be obtained, even with less-than-ideal conditions and materials.
Wood source:
Several years ago, an old apple tree in my backyard dropped a big limb, which I cut into firewood using a bowsaw. For this rehandle project, I thought I might find some ash in the woodpile that would work, but instead I found a piece of this old apple wood that looked big enough (about 7" or 8" diameter). I figured that it should be dry enough by now.
The piece of firewood was quartered with an axe, and the two largest quarters were squared off and trimmed with a khukuri (removing bark, rot, and insect damage, while trying to get "keeper" sections with relatively straight grain and no knots). The two larger quarters are probably just big enough for two rehandle projects. The smaller of these two was used for this project, and the largest piece was saved for my next project (rehandling an antique "longleaf" blade).
If this piece of wood were larger, I would have been able to orient the grain vertically (which I imagine is the ideal, similar to axe handles). My rationalizations for using the compromised grain are that it's what I had readily on hand, the khukuri handle will not be flexing much upon impact like an axe helve, and the cross grain may better resist the movement of the tang within the handle (since the tang would be pushing against the grain).
This photo shows the quartered piece of wood, and sitting on the stump is the quarter that was shaved down (using a khukuri) for the handle.
No bolster:
I decided to not add a bolster, since I didn't have the materials on hand and I had some doubts about how much benefit it would add. Without a bolster, the wood handle seems more likely to act as a "shear pin", so that if the knife is subjected to excessive chopping force, the handle will fail before the blade fails. I'm thinking that a handle that is starting to crack will be noticed before it breaks all the way, unlike a blade.
I'm interested to hear what others think about this, since the blade metal is old and I obviously don't want it to break and hurt someone (such as me).
The spine of the blade measures 3/8", but it tapers down pretty quickly, so I don't plan to use it for heavy chopping. I'm guessing that excessive impact on the blade would damage the edge and stop the chopping before the tang would break.
Shaping the handle:
Rough shaping was done with a khukuri, followed by a 12" rasp. After rounding and preliminary shaping of the wood, I carefully drilled some holes in the end and carved out a cavity for the tang. A gimlet was used first to make some guide holes at a more easily controlled angle. A small improvised chisel and a flat riffler rasp also came in handy for enlarging the cavity. I slowly enlarged the hole until the blade could be fully seated.
This photo shows the handle with the completed hole for the tang of the blade, along with the blade after its initial cleaning.
During the rasping process, I would periodically put the blade into the handle to check the alignment and make corrections with the rasp. The shaping was done with the blade removed and my left hand holding the extra wood at the tail end of the handle. The extra length was also my "Plan B" for starting over and making a new hole for the tang if I messed up the first hole.
I wanted a handle that would fit my right hand extremely well, with some type of "knob" at the back to keep the knife in my hand. The final shape was the result of continual modifications and readjustments during the rasping process, making the handle feel better and better until it felt great.
I then used a coarse sanding sponge and 60 grit sandpaper on the handle before cutting off the tail end and smoothing the "knob". Finish sanding would happen once the blade was attached and I could hold onto it. This photo shows the handle after the tail end was sawed off.
The blade had arrived covered in dirty greasy sludge, and my wife was grossed out and worried that I would catch some ancient disease from a faraway place. I'm sorry that I didn't take a photo. Most of the grease came off by rubbing the blade with newspaper, and the rest of the grease was removed using liquid soap smeared over the entire blade, a toothbrush periodically dipped into some hot water, and a scouring pad. Sandpaper then took off much of the discoloration and staining, but the best results came when I tried using Sandflex blocks, which are like rubber erasers full of embedded grit. The flexible rubber could be rubbed into the uneven surfaces and pitted portions of the blade. The result is shown in this photo, but plenty of "character" still remains on the blade (though hidden by reflection).
The blade was epoxied in place, and after full curing the pins were added. Since the pins are just reinforcing the hidden tang connection, I kept them small and unpeened. I used two old nails that fit into 1/8" diameter holes. Anticipating the problem of where to drill holes for the pins, I previously traced the outline of the blade on paper so I could locate the tang after it was glued into the handle. The tracing was laid on top of the blade, and the hole positions on the tang were transferred to the handle by poking through the paper with a sharp nail. It worked -- I hit metal when I drilled both holes.
This photo shows my "drill press". The blade was sandwiched between boards and clamped before the holes for the pins were manually drilled.
The nails were cut to length (and the ends were rounded with a file) before epoxying them in place. I didn't mind having epoxy fill the tops of the holes, since it sands down better than the steel nails. Masking tape was used to keep epoxy off the wood, but I still had to scrape and sand off some "boo-boos" after the epoxy hardened. No photos were taken during the epoxy process, as my hands were already too busy.
The handle was finish sanded (I had some 120 and 320 grit sandpaper on hand) while I held the blade in my left hand. Then the wood was finished with flax oil (aka linseed oil) from my kitchen. This edible flax oil has some vitamin E added as an antioxidant, so it probably takes longer to dry and harden, but I'm happy to avoid the solvents and heavy metals typically found in Boiled Linseed Oil. After multiple applications (typically at morning and evening) during about a week's time (rubbing on by hand without rags), this is the result:
The OAL is 18".
Total weight is 23 oz.
Visible blade length is 12".
Maximum blade width is 2-3/8".
Blade-only weight was 18 oz.
Blade-only length with tang was 14-1/2".
Point of balance is 2-3/4" inches in front of cho.
The spine measures 3/8" at the handle.
This khukuri fits in the sheaths sold by Yangdu to benefit the Kami Medical Emergency Fund. The full $20 purchase price of each sheath goes into this fund. Yangdu has plenty available, and you can get one or more for yourself by emailing her. (Shameless plug.
)
Dead tree at dusk:
Sharpening with sanding belt "strops":
After some touch-ups with a file, I was able to put a hair-shaving convex edge on the blade, using only sanding belts (without the belt sander) and long strops made from old leather belts with polishing compound. I loop a 60" or 72" sanding belt around an axe handle and stand on the handle with both feet, straddling the belt. Then I pull it tight and use it like a barber's strop, leading with the spine of the blade, holding a steady angle with quick downward strokes while trying to keep the blade from getting scratched up. The stroke goes from handle to tip, with the tip completely coming off the strop edge at the end of the stroke (which is quicker than ending the stroke with the tip on the strop and carefully lifting it off). I use a progression of grits, from 120 to 800, then I use a leather belt with green chrome buffing compound. I finish by stropping with a plain leather belt, likewise attached to the axe handle. The resulting convex edge can shave bald patches on my arm.
(Inspiration for this sharpening method came from a post from Cliff Stamp in the BladeForums archives titled "Sharpening for Dummies".)
In use:
I haven't put it through its paces yet, but after chopping a 3" branch with ease, the sweet spot on this antique khukuri blade could still shave hair from my arm. I was surprised, and I tried to find a part of the blade that wouldn't do this, but I couldn't.
Conclusion:
This was a rewarding project. I learned by doing and I am happy with how it turned out. I now have a custom grip which fits my hand just right, and I can rasp it down later if it ever seems a bit large in use. My total cost for this khukuri (not including the sheath) was around $40, plus a lot of labor (which felt like a labor of love, since I really looked forward to the times I could work on it). This khukuri has already lasted several lifetimes, and I hope it lasts several more (though I have more confidence in the strength of the knives made by HI). This limited experience has given me an even greater appreciation for the skills and craftsmanship of the artisans at HI.
Other materials used: epoxy, flax oil from the kitchen (for the wood finish)
Background:
In the HI forum archives, I've read good things about the antique Bhojpure khukuris made in Nepal and sold by AC.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309030
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=276101
I bought one of the bare blades with the intention of bringing it back to life by adding a handle and turning it into a working "user" khukuri.
No electricity:
To help increase my self reliance skills, I wanted to ideally do this project with materials I had on hand, using non-electric hand tools. (Can't count on the electricity always being available. Also, the blade was made in Nepal over 100 years ago, when electric tools were obviously not available.)
Disclaimer:
I have no previous experience with knife making or rehandling, and my woodworking skills are pretty basic at best, so don't expect to see great technique. Instead, maybe other beginners will be encouraged to see that workable results can be obtained, even with less-than-ideal conditions and materials.
Wood source:
Several years ago, an old apple tree in my backyard dropped a big limb, which I cut into firewood using a bowsaw. For this rehandle project, I thought I might find some ash in the woodpile that would work, but instead I found a piece of this old apple wood that looked big enough (about 7" or 8" diameter). I figured that it should be dry enough by now.
The piece of firewood was quartered with an axe, and the two largest quarters were squared off and trimmed with a khukuri (removing bark, rot, and insect damage, while trying to get "keeper" sections with relatively straight grain and no knots). The two larger quarters are probably just big enough for two rehandle projects. The smaller of these two was used for this project, and the largest piece was saved for my next project (rehandling an antique "longleaf" blade).
If this piece of wood were larger, I would have been able to orient the grain vertically (which I imagine is the ideal, similar to axe handles). My rationalizations for using the compromised grain are that it's what I had readily on hand, the khukuri handle will not be flexing much upon impact like an axe helve, and the cross grain may better resist the movement of the tang within the handle (since the tang would be pushing against the grain).
This photo shows the quartered piece of wood, and sitting on the stump is the quarter that was shaved down (using a khukuri) for the handle.
No bolster:
I decided to not add a bolster, since I didn't have the materials on hand and I had some doubts about how much benefit it would add. Without a bolster, the wood handle seems more likely to act as a "shear pin", so that if the knife is subjected to excessive chopping force, the handle will fail before the blade fails. I'm thinking that a handle that is starting to crack will be noticed before it breaks all the way, unlike a blade.
I'm interested to hear what others think about this, since the blade metal is old and I obviously don't want it to break and hurt someone (such as me).
The spine of the blade measures 3/8", but it tapers down pretty quickly, so I don't plan to use it for heavy chopping. I'm guessing that excessive impact on the blade would damage the edge and stop the chopping before the tang would break.
Shaping the handle:
Rough shaping was done with a khukuri, followed by a 12" rasp. After rounding and preliminary shaping of the wood, I carefully drilled some holes in the end and carved out a cavity for the tang. A gimlet was used first to make some guide holes at a more easily controlled angle. A small improvised chisel and a flat riffler rasp also came in handy for enlarging the cavity. I slowly enlarged the hole until the blade could be fully seated.
This photo shows the handle with the completed hole for the tang of the blade, along with the blade after its initial cleaning.
During the rasping process, I would periodically put the blade into the handle to check the alignment and make corrections with the rasp. The shaping was done with the blade removed and my left hand holding the extra wood at the tail end of the handle. The extra length was also my "Plan B" for starting over and making a new hole for the tang if I messed up the first hole.
I wanted a handle that would fit my right hand extremely well, with some type of "knob" at the back to keep the knife in my hand. The final shape was the result of continual modifications and readjustments during the rasping process, making the handle feel better and better until it felt great.
I then used a coarse sanding sponge and 60 grit sandpaper on the handle before cutting off the tail end and smoothing the "knob". Finish sanding would happen once the blade was attached and I could hold onto it. This photo shows the handle after the tail end was sawed off.
The blade had arrived covered in dirty greasy sludge, and my wife was grossed out and worried that I would catch some ancient disease from a faraway place. I'm sorry that I didn't take a photo. Most of the grease came off by rubbing the blade with newspaper, and the rest of the grease was removed using liquid soap smeared over the entire blade, a toothbrush periodically dipped into some hot water, and a scouring pad. Sandpaper then took off much of the discoloration and staining, but the best results came when I tried using Sandflex blocks, which are like rubber erasers full of embedded grit. The flexible rubber could be rubbed into the uneven surfaces and pitted portions of the blade. The result is shown in this photo, but plenty of "character" still remains on the blade (though hidden by reflection).
The blade was epoxied in place, and after full curing the pins were added. Since the pins are just reinforcing the hidden tang connection, I kept them small and unpeened. I used two old nails that fit into 1/8" diameter holes. Anticipating the problem of where to drill holes for the pins, I previously traced the outline of the blade on paper so I could locate the tang after it was glued into the handle. The tracing was laid on top of the blade, and the hole positions on the tang were transferred to the handle by poking through the paper with a sharp nail. It worked -- I hit metal when I drilled both holes.
This photo shows my "drill press"
. The blade was sandwiched between boards and clamped before the holes for the pins were manually drilled.
The nails were cut to length (and the ends were rounded with a file) before epoxying them in place. I didn't mind having epoxy fill the tops of the holes, since it sands down better than the steel nails. Masking tape was used to keep epoxy off the wood, but I still had to scrape and sand off some "boo-boos" after the epoxy hardened. No photos were taken during the epoxy process, as my hands were already too busy.
The handle was finish sanded (I had some 120 and 320 grit sandpaper on hand) while I held the blade in my left hand. Then the wood was finished with flax oil (aka linseed oil) from my kitchen. This edible flax oil has some vitamin E added as an antioxidant, so it probably takes longer to dry and harden, but I'm happy to avoid the solvents and heavy metals typically found in Boiled Linseed Oil. After multiple applications (typically at morning and evening) during about a week's time (rubbing on by hand without rags), this is the result:
The OAL is 18".
Total weight is 23 oz.
Visible blade length is 12".
Maximum blade width is 2-3/8".
Blade-only weight was 18 oz.
Blade-only length with tang was 14-1/2".
Point of balance is 2-3/4" inches in front of cho.
The spine measures 3/8" at the handle.
This khukuri fits in the sheaths sold by Yangdu to benefit the Kami Medical Emergency Fund. The full $20 purchase price of each sheath goes into this fund. Yangdu has plenty available, and you can get one or more for yourself by emailing her. (Shameless plug.
)
Dead tree at dusk:
Sharpening with sanding belt "strops":
After some touch-ups with a file, I was able to put a hair-shaving convex edge on the blade, using only sanding belts (without the belt sander
) and long strops made from old leather belts with polishing compound. I loop a 60" or 72" sanding belt around an axe handle and stand on the handle with both feet, straddling the belt. Then I pull it tight and use it like a barber's strop, leading with the spine of the blade, holding a steady angle with quick downward strokes while trying to keep the blade from getting scratched up. The stroke goes from handle to tip, with the tip completely coming off the strop edge at the end of the stroke (which is quicker than ending the stroke with the tip on the strop and carefully lifting it off). I use a progression of grits, from 120 to 800, then I use a leather belt with green chrome buffing compound. I finish by stropping with a plain leather belt, likewise attached to the axe handle. The resulting convex edge can shave bald patches on my arm.(Inspiration for this sharpening method came from a post from Cliff Stamp in the BladeForums archives titled "Sharpening for Dummies".)
In use:
I haven't put it through its paces yet, but after chopping a 3" branch with ease, the sweet spot on this antique khukuri blade could still shave hair from my arm. I was surprised, and I tried to find a part of the blade that wouldn't do this, but I couldn't.
Conclusion:
This was a rewarding project. I learned by doing and I am happy with how it turned out. I now have a custom grip which fits my hand just right, and I can rasp it down later if it ever seems a bit large in use. My total cost for this khukuri (not including the sheath) was around $40, plus a lot of labor (which felt like a labor of love, since I really looked forward to the times I could work on it). This khukuri has already lasted several lifetimes, and I hope it lasts several more (though I have more confidence in the strength of the knives made by HI). This limited experience has given me an even greater appreciation for the skills and craftsmanship of the artisans at HI.
