My first Nepalese Khukuri, a 20" villager

C

C.Augusto

Joined
Oct 19, 1999
Messages
13
I have an old 12" Indian khukuri that is actually pretty good, but on Wednsday I got my 20" villager utillity and this is the first free moment I have had to put up a post about it. I am enamored with it! I can't put the thing down. I read with it in my lap, if I am watching tv I am usually slowly moving around with it, if I am on the computer I keep it right next to me. I move around with it alot.(good thing I am not married yet, huh guys? I think my girlfriend is starting to get jealous.) I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find that the blade has got some juice, considering how they are made. I wrote Uncle Bill that 2 lbs. doesn't sound like a lot, but that's because I never bothered to weigh my other blades. This is the heaviest blade I own and probably my favorite. I say probably because I am really loyal to all my blades, something I don't tell most people, but I write here because I am willing to bet that some of you understand. I was so happy with it I showed my mom; she winced and told me it looked menacing. My girlfriend shrugged and said, "Well...as long as it makes you happy." Now when I showed my brother(another blade guy), it was a different story, his eyes lit up. Blade people are blade people I guess. I don't think you can explain the beauty of a 2 lb. 20" chopper to a non-blade person. Again, I am sure you all understand. I have to say thanks to the Kamis for being the caretakers of such a beautiful tradition, and thanks to Kami Sherpa, Uncle Bill and all others involved for making it, not only possible but affordable, for people the world over to appreciate the fruits of an ancient tradition.

On a somewhat seperate note, I have been practicing using the stropping method as described on the FAQ to put a "razor sharp" edge on the old Indian Khukuri I have. I want to learn how to strop on the Indian before I have to sharpen my villager. I must be doing something wrong because I actually dulled the blade a little. It was pretty sharp to start with, but not "razor sharp". Admittedly I don't know what I am doing. (This is the first time I have tried to sharpen a blade this way.) Perhaps some of you helpful forumites could offer a suggestion. What are the most common mistakes when using this method? I am using a very tough piece of leather, could that be a problem? Maybe I am just asking to much, does "razor sharp" actually mean sharp like a razor you shave with? I read in a book about carving that carving that "razor sharp" meant you could shave with it easily. I got the Tripoli compound and it was more like chalk than a compound, is that the way it is supposed to be?, could that be my problem? Please reply with any suggestions. Explain it to me as if I were a six year old. Don't be afraid that you are condesending to me, because I am pretty clueless when it comes to this. (Maybe I need "Stropping For Dummies")
 
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Carlos I have found that stroping too much can actually dull a sharp edge that you have already put on.
All you want to do with a strop is drag the edge along it to remove any burr that may be left on the edge.

I made a strop on a 1" - 25mm dia. rod and charged it with jewelers rouge.It works okay,but would have been better had I used smooth leather instead of some rough out that I had.It being on a round dowell maks it a lot easier to use on the recurved khukuri blade.

On another point after I have sharpened any knife and decide to buff and polish the edge on my 3500 rpm wheel I only pass it down each ide twice.Any more than that and it messes up the edge and has to be restned with the fine hone.

That's my experience.Hope it helps.
I have yet to use the rubbing and polishing compunds,but that may be better on my rough round strop than the jewelers rouge.

Now where did I put tha??
----- Hey honeeeyyyy????.
smile.gif


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

If you mix milk of magnesia with vodka and orange juice do you get a phillips screwdriver?

Khukuri FAQ


 
CA:

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"I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that the blade had some juice...."
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Don't feel bad. A certain Indin who just beat me to replying said when he got one particular khukuri, he felt like doing some exotic dance naked with it. I think he said he could feel the spirit of the blade through the unopened package it was shipped in.

It is not at all uncommon to hear that many forumites sleep next to one of their khukuris. Except for Uncle Bill, who keeps his collection under his bed.

I think Uncle Bill would be the first to tell you that reality in Nepal isn't necessarily consistent with reality in the western world.

Anyway, welcome, C.A.
 
Just to clarify, tripoli compound is tripoli mixed with wax -- it sounds like you have powdered tripoli. That should work fine on a strop. (The wax is to make the tripoli stick to a rapidly rotating buffing wheel; you don't need it).

When you strop an edge it smooths out the roughness of the edge and if you're not used to stropping it's not at all surprising you'd think you made it duller ... you're used to the idea that an edge should feel rough. Try cutting things with it and I think you'll find you didn't make it duller at all; quite the contrary.
smile.gif


If the edge is worn much stropping won't help (not in a reasonable amount of time). That's when you have to hone. Read the Sharpening FAQ -- go to the home page at this website and click on "knowledge base" -- that'll take you to the FAQs. (Ignore the info in the FAQ about gizmos like the Lansky; just use a stone.)



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-Cougar Allen :{)
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This post is not merely the author's opinions; it is the trrrrrruth. This post is intended to cause dissension and unrest and upset people, and ultimately drive them mad. Please do not misinterpret my intentions in posting this.
 
I also am the owner of a similar Khuk, and must say that I agree with you about the attraction to the blade.  Mine wasn't quite up to snuff when I got it (cosmetically), so I've taken to it with a vengeance.  So far I've managed to get the blade polished 'real purty' with the aid of a buffing wheel and some polishing compound.  I'm currently re-working the handle (sanding out the imperfections, oiling it up - boiled linseed oil seems to be the preference of the other forumites, so, being ignorant, I'll definitely take their advice).  Next on the list will be adding some epoxy to the butt-cap to ensure that it stays where it should.  It is a little loose from filing it to get the SHARP points off!  I am, however, married, and my wife thinks that I'm crazy!  Oh well, at least there are others out there that share the same disease (HIKV is it?).  I'm looking forward to my 20" Villager Sirupati that should have been here about 3-4 days ago.  I don't like this slow mail from the Christmas rush!  Enjoy your new 'friend', and just don't listen to what they say... It's OK to spend time with your knife.
 

Rob

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'He's losin' it... (Words spoken about me by a visitor seeing me with my Khuk!)
Lucky for them I'm not...
 
If you're going to glue a buttcap on do it before you oil the wood!

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
Removing metal from your khukuri gives it your spirit.
Even my cheap SAK seems got some (for me, at least) after losing half width of its two blades by honing.

BTW, adding glue seems to result in the same...

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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
Uncle, I've always wondered why the edge was so dull compared to such amount of labour...

I guess this is because I believed the edge gets dull in my pocket even if I didn't use it. A superstition! Does any other guy have same superstition?

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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
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