More questions

[knife_nut73]

Got a few more as I'm new at this style of knife although I read most of the links. I'm wondering what the sheaths are made of and what you use to treat/clean/protect it. I've got the sharpening down pact based on busse sharpening experience. I've also been wondering about tang and strength construction. Are the regular tangs strong enough to handle most tasks? I've got 2 with very beefy-a-bomb-could-go-off-and-it-would-wonder-if- someones-grandma-is-trying-to-work-it-over style and 2 that are hidden it seems. I was wondering if their is a difference in strength. I imagine the full tangs are built like bricks but are the hidden tangs as tough? Should I use them differently?


Probably a lot more questions but I still can't thank enough for new to making this possible and HI for making such a product. I've heard the HI are top notch when it comes to helping out new people and its true. Its been a long time since a knife company has caught my eye and now I can't seem to have enough.

 

[Khalnath]

The general consensus is that both the Chiruwa style tangs and the hidden tangs are both so bulletproof that there may as well be no difference in strength. The only failures I've heard of for either are directly related to brittle steel from spilled water during the heat treat, which will cause either one to break. Hidden tangs in general are often referred to as "rat tail" tangs, but the traditional style HI tangs are more like kangaroo tails. Take a look at some of the recent "handyman special" offering threads from Yangdu to see what the tang looks like. If you can break either I will be very impressed.

The sheaths are made of water buffalo leather. I gather it's a whole lot nicer than the goatskin used on the sheaths of cheaper khukuris.

 

[Wolf_1989]

My first H.I. is a 20" Ang Khola. When I got it I put to very hard work. I'm a big strong guy and have made full-power bows against hardwood with it. It's held up beautifully for years now and it is still my #1 work khukri. It chops like crazy. It's a big powerful beast.

I test all my khukri's by smacking them HARD against downed logs and branches, or even large pieces of firewood. I land blows with the edge, back, and even the sides to test them for strength and for flaws.

Every single one of them has passed the test with full colors. I have full confidence in all of them and - so far - all of them are hidden tang khukri's.

Sure I believe a chiruwa handle would be stronger, but really not by much because the hidden tangs are plenty tough enough to handle anything you need to chop.

The real difference would be in balance. The chiruwa puts more steel in the handle, and therefore a little more weight. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing is your own personal preference.

 

[Mike L.]

The hidden tang models are beaucoup strong. You have no worries.


--Mike L.

 

[ilbruche]

The sheathes are wood wrapped with buffalo hide, The chape is glued on. The leather is stiched and small tacks are also used. They are fairly easy to take apart.

Keeping them dry is essential.

I haven't broken one yet...and my parents always said I could break anything.

 

[kronckew]

the leather covered wood scabbards, like shoes, can be treated with a good wax based shoe polish, or any good leather treatment. i would not suggest the acrylic water based self-shining liquid shoe polishes.

 

[wardenc]

I have used Pecard leather dressing on my scabbards. Used it for years and in my mind the finest there is. It also does a great job softening the leather.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Wow, once again late to the game All the info is spot on.

Just to chime in on tang strength, if a tang is going to fail it'll probably fail with in the first hour of use. If water was splashed on it, then the amount of mass, force, and torque applied to the blade during a good chopping workout is going to bring it about much sooner than later. That is why all user khuks should be put through a "sloppy chop" test. Really bang the hell out flats, give the blade a good twist when recovering from a deep chop into wood, put it between a couple heavy logs or branches and give it a solid pry.

Of course, be careful. Wear gloves and goggles and some padding if you can.

Hidden tangs are plenty strong, BTW. The difference between breaking a hidden tang and breaking a chiruwa is that the chiruwa would probably need a 900lb gorilla to break it while the hidden tang might be broken by only an 800lb one

 

[Return of the J.D.]

What SG means about water being splashed on the tang causing a failure is that, as the steel is being heat-treated, the smith, or "kami", pours hot water onto the red-hot blade, aiming for the edge, especially on the curved part of the blade. This hardens the part where the water hits. Too much of this on the tang would make the tang hard and brittle, instead of softer and tough. This is theorized to be the reason for the few tang fractures that H.I. knives have had from time to time.

The key, I think, is to test the heck out of your specific blade soon after you get it. If it breaks, H.I. ordinarily replaces it. I make a point of doing some serious chopping with each H.I. khukuri i get, also chopping it into a log and leaning on it hard, this way and that, just to see if it'll break. I have NEVER had that happen. I figure that with hand-forged knives made out of springs from worn-out trucks, it's got to happen once in a while, and you'll occasionally see postings here about knives that's happened to. If it happens with yours, the answer is simple: send it back, and H.I. will probably replace it.

The only problem I've ever had with H.I. knives--and it's happened only two times, which is not much, given how many I've had--is excessive bending of the blades. One was a chainpuri, whose tip was softer than any steel I've ever seen, and the other was a tin chirra made by one of the new kamis very recently added to the H.I. shop. The chainpuri's blade was so thin that I'm not sure the problem with the tip was really a problem--it may just be that a blade that narrow and long can't really be hardened very well all the way to the tip without getting too brittle. Because what I use khukuris for tends to be hard chopping use on hard desert woods like olive and mesquite, I was less than confident in the blade, and ended up swapping it with H.I. for a tougher-use knife. So, I'm not sure I'd even call that "problem" a real problem with the knife. Might be that I just initially picked the wrong tool for the job.

The second time, I had a beautiful tin chirra, by Vim, I think, whose edge was developing waves right in the part that's usually hardest, after nothing but some ordinary wood-chopping. At first I tried to imagine it wasn't there, but it really was deforming under that use. With great regret (as it was otherwise such a beautiful knife), I sent it back, also, for replacement with another, tougher knife.

Bottom line: these are great knives, for (usually) great prices. H.I.'s guarantee is good enough that you actually CAN test them hard before you depend on them in the woods. In the very rare circumstance that there's a problem, they'll work with you to fix the problem. So, I have absolutely NO reservations in recommending H.I. khukuris to everybody who will listen.

 

[C.S. Graves]

Of course, be careful. Wear gloves and goggles and some padding if you can.

As an example of what not to do, last summer I was chopping away with my Samsher, and a chip flew up and hit me very close to my left eye. Onlookers advised me to be careful and consider wearing goggles.

"That's okay" I said, "it's softwood."