- Joined
- Feb 1, 2000
- Messages
- 1,370
I've been puzzling over the closeup pictures of the hilt of the M43 that was just on eBay.
Since I don't own any full tang khukuris I can't look at them up close and figure this out for myself. On a stick tang model the brass ferrrule is, of course, a closed ring and the one piece wood or horn grip is shaped to fit over the stick tang (rat tail tang) and into the ferrule along with lahi to make it all solid. On a full tang model with scales for the handle how are the bolsters held on? Are they soldered on prior to installing the scales? The M43 looks almost like the bolsters are integral (being part of the same steel the blade is made of) but I find that unlikely. On normal knife construction such as I am familiar with the bolsters are usually solid brass pinned in place.
That leads to my second question about the M43 hilt, the butt plate namely. There is a picture of it from the end and it does not apear to have any sort of fastening device holding it on at all. Is it perhaps soldered, brazed or welded on to the end of the tang prior to the installation of the scales? The picture was a little dark so it is possible that there were small extensions of the tang through the butt plate that were peened down and filed smooth. Done well the peened areas would blend almost invisibly with the surrounding butt plate.
I really wish I had one to examine, but I know some of you guy's have seen them (and own one or two or a dozen, and we know who that is!
) Can anyone clue me in on how these M43 hilts were constructed?
Guy
Since I don't own any full tang khukuris I can't look at them up close and figure this out for myself. On a stick tang model the brass ferrrule is, of course, a closed ring and the one piece wood or horn grip is shaped to fit over the stick tang (rat tail tang) and into the ferrule along with lahi to make it all solid. On a full tang model with scales for the handle how are the bolsters held on? Are they soldered on prior to installing the scales? The M43 looks almost like the bolsters are integral (being part of the same steel the blade is made of) but I find that unlikely. On normal knife construction such as I am familiar with the bolsters are usually solid brass pinned in place.
That leads to my second question about the M43 hilt, the butt plate namely. There is a picture of it from the end and it does not apear to have any sort of fastening device holding it on at all. Is it perhaps soldered, brazed or welded on to the end of the tang prior to the installation of the scales? The picture was a little dark so it is possible that there were small extensions of the tang through the butt plate that were peened down and filed smooth. Done well the peened areas would blend almost invisibly with the surrounding butt plate.
I really wish I had one to examine, but I know some of you guy's have seen them (and own one or two or a dozen, and we know who that is!
) Can anyone clue me in on how these M43 hilts were constructed?Guy
