Khukuri Care Tips for a New User

A

Anthony

Joined
Jun 11, 1999
Messages
47
Hello Everyone,

Well, I finally ordered my first Khukuris...an 18" WWII and an 18" AK.

Can anyone give me some general care and sharpening tips for them?

Particularly the blade and the horn handle.

Thank you for all of your help.

- Anthony
 
Anthony, welcome to the mad house. The others will answer your questions, I just have one.
Why do you want to sharpen the horn handle?
 
Put "goop" on the handle and oil on the blade.

A lot of folks here use some form of hoof conditioner found at farm and feed stores for their horn handles. Hooflex and Corona ointment are two that come to mind. Others use some other form of lanolin based goo for handles. Slather the horn with the stuff and leave it overnight or longer. Some use a hairdrier to gently melt the stuff which they say helps with absorbsion.

For the blade, some use mineral oil, others use automotive wax. Vegetable oils and WD-40 is not recommended.

For sharpening, see some of Pendentive's threads on the subject. He's putting on a convex edge on some blades and taking pictures and videos.
 
Pen's the man for sharpening advice, I would suggest you look for his and Yvsa's posts on the subject. The convex edge may be a bit difficult to learn, but it's very easy once you figure out the principle and it's worth the effort. I just got a good convex edge on my 15" sirupati last night; it took a lot of work but now it's downright dangerous. Just the way I like it. Hooflex treatment is important on horn handles as well, and there are lots of threads out there about improving and maintaining wood handles. You can use kiwi shoe polish to protect the sheath, it also gives it a nice shine. Other than that and using your protectant of choice on the blade, just keep it clean and dry, it should hold up very well for you.
 
Thank you for all of your input, but I really was looking for some specific brands and (if applicable) grades or types so I could buy the items and use them.

Thanks again.

- Anthony
 
Brands/grades/types of what, Anthony? If you give us a list, you'll certainly get specifics.
 
Maintenance supplies...things like the best products for sharpening the blade, maintaining the wood/horn handles, maintaining the sheath, etc.
 
Here's my list of stuff I use most often:

For wood handles: Old English lemon oil
For horn handles: Hooflex
For blades that are used infrequently: Turtle wax carnuba
For frequently used khuk blades: Thompson Center bore butter
For quick blade protection in the field: Blistex or Carmex lip balm
For scabbards: Snowseal

Others will likely add their favorites to this list. Hope this helps.
 
Sharpening:
- severe sharpening: Kalamazoo 1x42 belt sander
- other sharpening:
- ceramic rods
- diamond card
(both available at www.ragweedforge.com)
- 3" leather belt with green honing compound for stropping
(compound available at www.leevalley.com)

Polishing blades: Flitz. 0000 steel wool. Not necessarily, but sometimes, together.
Polishing horn handles: tripoli compound (non-ferrous polishing compound).
Polishing wood handles: Trewax
Preserving horn handles: Hooflex.
 
Remember, when you unsheathe your khuk, always slide it out so that you can feel the back of the blade sliding against the scabbard. Do it any other way and it could cut through the wood/leather and into your fingers.
 
Udder balm for horn handles, and lately for sheath (wiping off the excess makes it supple and shiny...who knew?)

Currently Johnson's paste wax for the blade...or any car paste wax.


Sharpening? (not hair-popper) chakma, stone, steel, ceramic. If the chakma is not sharp enough...I use whatever is around the house in stainless. Actually, kind of a non-issue to me.

GOOP or ORANGE STUFF for cleaning up after greasy work has worked to make leather supple, on sheath and horn handle.


The other guys know more.

(But part of the attraction to me is that khukuris were designed to be low-maintenance tools.)
 
Blade:

1. New Convex Edge

a. grind edge w/ 120 grit belt on 1x42 belt sander

b. polish w/ 220, 320, 400, 800, 15m & felt belts, then buffing wheel


2. Satin finish

a. after getting mirror finish, get a good movie ;) and sit down with some 400, 600, 1200 & 2000 grit paper and sand longitudinally. I finish just a lil' bit before the movie ends. :D


3. Sharpening

a. start with 220 paper and "cushioned" sanding block - run it longitudinally to remove major "dings" and irregularities. (takes the most time)

b. polish with 400 and 600

c. "khuk the strop" instead of stropping the khuk (make sense? strop moves, not the khuk)

4. Protection

a. buffing wheel with green compound (do this before sharpening - it will dull your edge)

b. Briwax - 3 coats first time, once every other time I use it.

c. Marine Tuf Cloth - every time I use it.


5. Cleaning/Removing rust

a. Metal polish

b. If that doesn't take it off, I use a "knock-off" 1x42 belt to remove the rust. Makes scratches equivalent to a 220 grit but doesn't remove as much steel.

c. repeat process for "satin finish"



Handles


Wood:

1. Full finish

a. Clean handle to remove "The Red" ;)

b. Sand down rough spots by hand

c. Take up through the grits, ending at 600

d. Start Pen Special treatment - combination of Tung Oil, Boiled Linseed Oil and Acetone. Minimum 10 coats. Usually somewhere around 20.

e. For satin finish - I use a spray-on polyurethane satin finish.

f. For glossy finish - spray-on polyurethane glossy.

g. A few swipes at the buffing wheel with white compound

h. For that "grippy" feeling - 3 coats of Briwax.


2. Touch-up

a. Spray-on finish (satin or glossy)

b. 3 coats Briwax


Horn:

1. High Gloss Finish

a. Buffing wheel with white compound - turns out amazing.

b. 3 coats Briwax


2. Quick polish - same as above


I'm sure there's actually much more, but this is all I can think of right now...:D

Dan
 
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