Khukuri collectors may want to see this

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
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I was perusing Ebay just now on my free time and spotted an interesting khukuri. It is advertised as a Blackjack Reinhardt combat khukuri, but I am pretty umfamiliar with most of BJ's models. The sheath looks pretty cheesy, as does the knife itself, but I figured the guys compiling the Khukuri FAQ or collector's in general may be inetersted, esp. if BJ is no longer in production. BTW< I don't know the maker or anything. The URL is: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=202534052


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I'm not a collector of them but Blackjack Knives was a pretty darn good quality maker of "clone" knives. I have a #1-5 that cost under $100 and seems about 90% of the quality of the Randall it mimics. They also bought out EK Commando knives, and those ( Ek ) went way down in quality before Blackjack folded. Don't know if the regular Blackjack line degraded at the end though. I think that Tom Carey's been trying to start a Blackjack collector's club.

The Reinhardt part comes from the man attributed to having designed it. Hank Reinhardt, of Atlanta Cutlery and Museum Replicas Ltd. Apparently a few years ago he sold AC and MRL to Windlass Steelcrafts of India who make the despised "Official Gurkha Kukri", but remains as a figurehead/spokesman for AC and MRL. Hank either founded or played a great part in founding the Historical Armed Combat Assn.
http://www.thehaca.com

Apparently an afficionado with great fondness for most edged weapons, esp. khuks.

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Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.

 
I have had one in that past. If you are collector it maybe something to have although I do not plan on keeping one myself. It was fairly well made in all honesty. In my view it is pretty much on the same level as the Cold Steel Khukuri. Something to look at with a serviceable but cheesy sheath as Chiro said. I will stick to HI's products for any real use. Also those were made in earlier in BlackJack's history before the Randall copy's came out.

Regards,

Tom Carey
 
Dear forumites.

Please do correct me if I'm wrong!

I saw the pix in that ebay website - I conclude that it is not a Khukuri but just a knife with a slight curvy similarity with Khukuri! Anyhow - it is a beautiful knife ... yes! a beautiful collectable knife!

NEPAL HO!
 
I don't know if you have it right. I see it different, maybe neither of us is right. Who cares as long as it leads to more learning and more interesting discussion.
Anyway, no it doesn't have a cho. Thus Nepalis wouldn't consider it a khukuri.

What fascinates me is the earlier discussion on the forward curving thread about it being more fighting oriented than chopping oriented. As Ghost said a combat knife that can chop. And now here we see a "Combat Reinhardt Kukri". Hank Reinhardt reputedly loves khuks. He apparently knows to go forward curving rather than angled to increase penetration and use of the tip, and he has straightened the thing out more on the lines of the Sirupati than the 18th century. At least he gave it a convex edge, unlike the Cold Steel.

It would very much intrigue me to see a bunch of forumites evaluate this one. Maybe, just maybe, the reaction might be that it needs a half round file to create a cho on it.

Hey, maybe by the time this thread's over we'll all know more of what constitutes a khukuri courtesy of Pala, Uncle Bill, and John Powell.
 
Well... I don'tknow what to say about the knife other than Blackjack has had, in the past, a very good reputation as a knife-maker. They came out with a blade called the "Mamba," which was rather nice. The only thing I can say for certain is that the sheath has a JSOC patch sewn onto it. That seems just a bit incongruous to the spirit in which the Khukuris are forged, does it not? I don't know, maybe it is a well made knife... It just struck me as a bit cheesy.

David
 
JSOC??

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Cheers,

--+Brian+--

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket, Babe, but at least I'm enjoyin' the ride.


 
Thanks, John. So many acronyms, so little gray matter.
wink.gif


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Cheers,

--+Brian+--

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket, Babe, but at least I'm enjoyin' the ride.


 
The Reinhardt Combat Kukri is a little known piece of BJK history. Pretty rare for production, only a few thousand (1500 or so) were made.

Early sheaths were leather, later ones were nylon (and cheesy).

Steel is a mediocre AUS8.

The handle is very well shaped, but is molded of dreaded kraton (blister grade)

I have one. Its a well made kukri.

Its not the best user out there by any stretch.

It was the forerunner to the BKT (made by BJK) Combat Kukri which was very thin, light, and used the excellent BKT handle.

A.L
 
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