Malla and Gelbu Special

miguet

miguet

Joined
Apr 7, 2001
Messages
1,462
Recently picked up one of each. Very similar configuration and handling characteristics. Were these two models primarily designed as working blades or more for ceremony and martial arts? Either would be a first choice if I found myself in a situation requiring the rapid removal of body parts.
 
I sure agree with the projected damage on an aggressor. I like my Malla because it's light enough to carry, has a point for stabbing, and is still stout enough for many chopping chores. A good Cougar blade. (Any more of those protected California cats attacking people recently?) I believe it is a reproduction of an ancient blade.


munk
 
Miguet... I have a Gelbu Special, which was my first H.I. purchase. It is very well designed, and a natural for martial arts. The owner of Himalayan Imports, Pala, reckons the GS as the best all round khukuri... The Malla is similar, and is based on an ancient khukuri. From the H.I. website:

"The Malla khukuri is replicated from an a khukuri found buried under the floor of BirGorkha and identified by HMG Archeological Society (Nepal) as being an ancient khukuri from the Malla era (13th -18th centuries A.D.)"

The Chitlangi, that you'll soon be purchasing :D is my favorite H.I. martial arts blade. :) Use the search function to find out more about it. If you get one, try to find one with the lightest weight. A problem arises when you have to decide between the 18" and 21" versions... :rolleyes:
 
munkus aurelius, recently a cougar killed a foal on the ranch next to my buddies ranch.

stevus biolahaitus excritus
 
So I don't have either. Which is thicker across the spine? The only one of the 2 I have seen was the GS that Roadrunner had at the Khonvention, and I'm guessing that it was over half an inch thick at the spine?
 
Hollow, my Malla is an older Bura and has a tremendous spine, as you say, a half inch thick. It rapidly tapers off.

Do Malla's have thick spines? I hadn't heard this before. It may be the flat spine gives an appearence of more width than it actually has.

munk
 
Both of mine are Kumar made, and of the same length. The Gelbu's spine is slightly thicker down the entire length. The Malla tapers to a narrower point. Different enough to be interesting but functionally - take your pick.
 
Dr. Dan gave the correct origin of the Malla.

The Gelbu Special was designed after a villager khukuri from the village of Udhaipur, currently in my posssession. I've often wondered if this prototype was the work of old Ganga Ram, who hailed from the same village.

Uhudaipurkhuk.jpg


The prototype is very much lighter than the HI Gelbu Special model inspired by its design. It is one of my favorite working blades. After years of use and abuse it has a big epoxy and sawdust patch on the handle to repair a chip where I dropped it on the concrete, and a blob of JB Weld on the butt end where the keeper came off.

I took this to a rendezvous of knife guys and they wanted to see how their various expensive knives (a couple Busse's, some other comparable) compared with chopping. I brought out my khukuris and they wouldn't even let most of them into the competition. They were so obviously choppers that it wouldn't have been interesting. However, they did let the littlest one, the little Udhaipur villager, compete. It was still the best chopper.

You can read about it at http://www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/Styles2.htm . Scroll down to Udhaipur.

The artists at HI obviously took some liberties with the design, beefing it up considerably to become the Gelbu Special.
 
Howard has a lot of insight into the two blades. Not only does he own the prototype of the GS, but who do you think has the first Malla HI ever made.
 
Satori said:
You all have me wanting a Malla now.
Click to expand...
Satori IMO the Malla is a more weapon oriented khukuri than most but on the heavier side compared to a Chainpuri or a Chitlangi, usually that is. The way the weight varies between the same and similar model khuks it's hard to define a purpose for some.:rolleyes:
The unusually thin area above the cho is a source of worry for many as it doesn't appear substantial enough for really severe use but I have yet to hear of one failing because of it.
 
Satori said:
You all have me wanting a Malla now.
Click to expand...
If you don't have a Malla, you are (temporarily) missing out on one of the best HI models, IMHHO.

Check this out: - the pix are still online-
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=337178&highlight=Super+Malla


Shows both reg. & 25" Super Malla- my "spirit blade"- I sleep with it within reach.

Satori, love to see put this one through its paces. I don't have one tree on my property.... but we do have fish. :D


Ad Astra :p
 
DannyinJapan said:
I just made up my mind to order a 25" Gelbu Special.
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That would be a wicked khuk- especially with steel fittings, no-cho creep, wood handle & non-habaki bolster.... I'd want one too.


Ad Astra :eek:
 
DannyinJapan said:
Im going to send an email, want me to stick your name in it too?
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Sure, if it was built like my specs above. I hate brass. By the time it comes, I'll have the bucks. Like growing a tree, the custom khuk takes time.

Personally, I don't know if its appropriate to ask Yangdu for anything special right now. I can wait. But it's likely they would find it easier to make a couple, like the did with the 25" Malla- they made one in wood and one in horn.


Ad Astra
 
hawkwind said:
Thats why I have picked up that beautiful Mala from last daily sales batch. :) Its the vicious looking one. :)
Click to expand...

I was actually at a computer that day, Hawkwind, and don't think that I wasn't looking at that Malla. :)
 
I have two Gelbu's, a 17" horn by Kumar and a 17" wood by Amtrak. I just measured the spines. The Kumar is a max. of .40" tapering to about .25" near the tip. The Amtrak is a max. of .40" tapering to about .20" near the tip. I don't have a postal scale and can't remember their weights. Both say "weapon" to me, but they'd probably also chop reasonably well. Neither is particularly sharp, yet.

The Amtrak Gelbu was my first HI khuk on a UBBB. I believe Bill e-mailed back "Done deal" that day in February (think it was).

Malla's look "sexier" to me. Maybe one day I can have one of those as well.

Jeff

Edit to add that while I like my GS', they don't really speak to me. On the other hand, Sirupate's, which are not much different than the GS, really trip my trigger. I need more Sirupates in my "collection". Khuks. are funny that way.

JD
 
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