my first khukuri (BAS) arrived! w/pics

David Park

David Park

Joined
Jun 1, 2001
Messages
87
I stopped by the post office this morning expecting to pick up another package, so when I saw the long narrow box I got really excited. It got here really fast from Reno (shipped Thursday). Let me tell you, "torture" is having a khukuri sitting under your desk all day and not being able to play with it. Since I was recently laid off (dot-com in a death spiral), I thought waving a large blade around might make my co-workers nervous.
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Anyway, after I got home and "opened" some junk mail, I took some pics. (Click for larger versions, but some are really big, especially the first.) This is my first khukuri, and I tried to show some of the details for those lurkers out there who haven't bought one of their own... yet.

British Army Service:

<a href="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas1.jpg"><img src="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas1-s.jpg" alt="BAS blades"></a>

The BAS is 15.125 inches long with a 10.125-inch blade. I think it was made by Durba; maybe someone can verify the mark in the large picture. The 4.875-inch chakma is neat, the "blade" has four sides, sort of like two spines. Of course it's not sharp but it seems hard and has a nice point. The karda is about the same size, sharp but not very pointy.

<a href="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas2.jpg"><img src="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas2-s.jpg" alt="BAS scabbard"></a>

Here's the scabbard. I like the design, especially the yin/yang symbol at the top. It holds the khukuri securely, but unsheathing the blade is much smoother than I expected. The tip is not sharply pointed, so I don't think I'll poke myself. I found that although the khuk is light in my hand, it feels much heavier on my belt.

<a href="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas3.jpg"><img src="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas3-s.jpg" alt="BAS scabbard back"></a>

Here's the back of the scabbard, showing how the BAS frog is different from the other HI designs. Despite the holes, I don't think the straps are adjustable, or at least I haven't figured out how it works. The current setup is fine, though.

<a href="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas4.jpg"><img src="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas4-s.jpg" alt="BAS - top view"></a>

Here's a top view. Unlike most knives which have flat spines, there's a convex angle on the khukuri. The blade blends nicely into the rounded bolster. (It might look like the blade curves to the left, but that's due to the camera lens.)

<a href="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas5.jpg"><img src="http://www.sazan.net/dpark/images/gear/hi-bas5-s.jpg" alt="BAS buttcap"></a>

Here's the buttcap. I just wanted to show that the handle is oval, not round. It's very easy to grip. I might want the grip to be a bit longer, but I don't think it's really a problem on this "small" knife.

Thanks to everyone who helped me choose the BAS, and thanks to everyone at HI for the great service. I'm very happy with it and I can't wait to try it out in the woods. Of course, I'm already thinking about what I want to get next, maybe a YCS or GRS. I really need to save my money right now, though, so maybe I'll just get a kagas katne so I'll have a khukuri that I can play with at work.
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Yes that does look like Durba's mark on the blade. It's said to resemble the flag of Nepal. So is that Khukuri about the
size and weight you were looking for? I would
imagine it's a lot more blade than you may have realized considering the way this forum
casually refers to a 18"-22", 2-3 lbs. piece of steel
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Also nice posting with the enlargerable photos and all...You 'dawg! having your own professional web site has it's advantages
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------------------
The khukuri village idiot
 
David,
YOU DO NOT WANT ANOTHER DURBA!!hee!
Get one of the other kami's work, YOU'LL LIKE THEM MUCH BETTER, then call Uncle to trade this "OLD" Durba!Then Uncle will put it up as a UBDOTD & "try' to get someone to take it!Just truing to make you happy,"my friend"!
jim
 
Ignore the words of my fellow floridian, this is typical Durba pefection. Great rig, REALLY nice job by the sarkis on that scabbard I love that tooling.
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Do NOT listen to anyone trying to ecourage you to part with your Durba, especially if the voice has a cavernous sound to it...as if it were coming from...The Tombs...or...A CAVE!
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BTW - you will find a way to afford another...and another. I bought my first (bless Uncle Bill - a Durba from the git-go!) recently "just to see what they were like". I have since bought a fixer-upper locally for my Pop, a super fine village khukuri from The Sarki Shop, and am waiting for my next package from Reno.

It gets clear out of control ...
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Thanks for the comments. I was hoping to get some better close-ups, but my digicam doesn't have macro capability.

I thought it was Durba, but the mark is backwards from the one shown <a href="http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum65/HTML/000340.html">here</a> so I wasn't sure. I guess it depends on which way the wind is blowing?
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And yes, I'm happy with the size. It's big enough for chopping but not so big you don't want to carry it along on a hike. (When my Sifu arrives, it's going to seem so small!)
 
So, is the difference between the BAS and the WW II's that the BAS has a less pronounced belly?

[This message has been edited by Spectre (edited 06-19-2001).]
 
I think the main difference is just size and weight. I initially wanted the WWII, but the fellows here thought the BAS would be easier for me to handle (probably right). The BAS also has a unique frog on the scabbard.
 
I asked this question (BAS vs. WWII) a while back, and I think the consensus was that the WWII had more pronounced forward angle and was a bit beefier, so it's a more powerful chopper.
 
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