M ORE H.I. history and memorabilia

R

RayC

Joined
Mar 21, 2000
Messages
274
Hello to all.
I had to clear out the garage this past Sunday and found a box full of stuff,I had when Bill was in Nepal and I was working for rice as an HI distributer.
I have bills for the adds,receipts for the tables at gun and knife shows,one of the original HI cards with the Alps Ca. address,Letters from Bill while still in Alps and letters he sent from Nepal.I have letters from customers asking for prices and pix,lists of khukuris from orders I sent to Bill.The first HI adds,articals by guys like Greg Walker of Kighting Knives.A map of Nepal Bill sent me with the locations of the kamis that made khukuris for HI(at that time) marked in yellow and Yangdu's family home marked in red.There is also a drawing that was sent to me of a khukuri with a guard on it;the real khukuri was presented to the father of the sender,during WWII.
The dates are from 1990 and 1991.
I also have one card left with my name included.Before I had the card printed I would just write my name and number on a piece of paper,one of those papers a guy that we all might know wrote his name for me the name is Jim Clifton.Was that you Jim?I have not looked at all of the stuff yet but I will bring these things to the Konvention for all to read over.

Just thought some of you would like to know.

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Ray
 
Ray,

I think that this stuff along with other stories, etc. would make a nice book , ie., "The Himalayan Imports Story, from beginning to now..."

Harry
 
Harry,I'm sure there is a book in all that some where.
Bill,you bet I'm keeping this stuff.Since this thread I found a check for 4.00 I don't know how but I never sent that one;I don't think you can cash it now.It was for those four,khukuri pix(the catalog of it's day)
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.

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Ray
 
Oh God,Will you don't expect me to type all that do you
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He mentions Pala,Bill,discribes the khukuris,comments on the handles,blade,scabbards.OK;here is a good quote:
"Bill Martino's Khukuris will infect you with the spirit of the knife itself.When you purchase one of these treasures you are made aware of things about it that make it your knife alone".
Thats one we can all relate to.

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Ray
 
:
We have a daughter in Jacksonville
and were sorta planning a Christmas trip, but since there needs to be some business finished up with Barb's retirement we have postponed the trip.
Perhaps we will be able to make the Florida Khunvention after all.!!!
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How long a drive is it from Jacksonville to where the Khunvention is gonna be held?
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Yvsa. (Who is wondering if he can stand up to that much driving.
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When Ray and I had our HI table at the SOF show in Orlando I think he said it took him 8 hours to drive up from Margate. But Ray knows better than me. It's a far piece from Jacksonville to Margate.

That stuff Ray has is back when we had no real standard models and were taking whatever we could find from any kami that could produce a superior khukuri. I think it was more fun then than it is today because every shipment was a surprise.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
Harry,Greg Walker's words ring true for all of us out here,any one of us could have said that and probably have if not to anyone but ourselves.

Yvsa;The speed limit now is 70mph it would take about 6 hours,a trian might be faster with less stress,but there are flights from there that will take less than an hour.I'll check on it .It would be nice to see you there.While I was looking through all this I found a Fighting Knives from winter of 1989.One of the articals is called Hunting with Knife and Tomahawk.Another is called the Last Moccasin Ranger,it is about Skeeter"Gray Otter" Vaughan a Cherrokee written by the late Ernie Franco.I'll save that one for you,If you don't have it or would like it I'll send it let me know.

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Ray
 
Bill
I have all that S.O.F. stuff.Both name tags they gave us,the floor/table layout,with the table marked on the layout so we could find the table number they assigned to HI and the reciept for the whole thing.
I even have the statments for all the adds run while you were gone.It would be interesting to add up all that it was not cheep and you didn't get any breaks.Bet you wish you had all that money now?
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Ray

[This message has been edited by RayC (edited 12-12-2000).]
 
:
Many thanks Ray!!
I don't have those and I would love to have them. I have an old archery magazine that talks about the effiecincy of the Am.Indin bows and that the popular common view that they weren't much good exploded.<g>
It's not firm yet whether we will make it down or not, but most certainly hoping to.

Snail mail sent by e-mail if you mean to send them that way.<g>

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&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;---¥vsa----&gt;®

Each person's work is always a portrait of himself.

---- Samuel Butler.

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website
 
Thanks for the quick summary Ray. No need to type it all out, that pretty well covers everything.

Will
 
Ray,
Yeah,that was me! I told you I was in at the beginning of HI,Bill, is gonna start with "KARMA" again!We discussed K's at length & had a great time!Looking forward to the Fl. KONV.
jim
 
Hey Jim
Yeah!!!That was you and yes that was very near the begining of HI.That was when Bill was back in Nepal.Looking forward to seeing you again.I should have taken more pix of the shows but who knew that HI was going to come to this point in its history or even have a history.I didn't know and I'm sure even Bill is surprised.Glade I put all that in one place and forgot about it,to me then it was just a pile of paper.Having all these HI Khuk collectors out there that have a direct effect on HI's future and an interest in HI's past,that pile of paper is now thier history too.

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Ray

[This message has been edited by RayC (edited 12-14-2000).]

[This message has been edited by RayC (edited 12-14-2000).]
 
:
You know we have all talked about a book someday and have tried to persuade Uncle Bill to write one even understanding his time constraint's.
I still think a book would be wonderful and Ray since you have found that old history of when HI was first starting out it would be wonderful to have it
included.
Mayhaps at the Florida Convention we could all chip in and get enough Heineken to get Uncle Bill relaxed enough to start telling some tales about his time in Nepal and record
them for when someone agrees to write the book.
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&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;---¥vsa----&gt;®

Each person's work is always a portrait of himself.

---- Samuel Butler.

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website
 
Yvsa
We will not run out of Heineken and Uncle Bill will be relaxed.Some of the letters he sent were a full page and some were short notes,I'm sure he can fill in the gaps.

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Ray
 
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