- Joined
- Mar 27, 2008
- Messages
- 193
Hey Folks,
Last Friday I got my package form Himalayan Imports, which was very cool since it was my birthday! Inside was my new project blade, an Ang Kola Villager model made by kami Bura, with a 10 blade and 5.5 tang that was just begging for a new handle. It came as promised with a very nice traditional sheath and was well protected tapped up inside many, many layers of newspaper. The finish of the steel was better than I had expected for a villager model, the matte like finish had no deep scratches and the sides were fairly smooth. The edge had only one dull spot and the rest of the blade was almost shaving right out of the box.
Sunday I put the grip on, I used fiberglass strips soaked in resin wrapped around the tang in layers. After it cured I filed down the glob into a usable handle, I used an tear drop shape for the first try I am sure that it will get modified later on with use. The last thing to do was spray the outside with truck bed liner to coat the fiberglass and protect my hands.
Today I went out with my new AK, and my CS Ghurkia Khukuri, and a LTC magnum with a 15 thin blade. To start things off I chopped into some dry Red Oak fire wood with the first two blades, the AK has a 2 shorter blade but it is 3/8 thick and penetrated deeper than the GK, even though the CS version is heavier, and more blade heavy, and has a flat grind.
Next up was trimming some scrub trees around our home. Both knives sliced thru the tree without slowing down .cool.
Then I chopped into a hickory limb that had been destroyed by the ice storm 5 months ago, first chop was the GK, it sank deep, but the AK went a little more.
I then counted the strikes it took to go thru a thicker limb for each blade, but it became evident that it all depended on how well I hit the sweet spot and my own accuracy.
I have a decent elm stump on the edge of our yard that is just the right height for cleaving some wood, so I placed some peach tree limbs that had been cut down about a month ago up on the stump and decided to find out how much wood was too much for these to go thru.
The end result was that while the GK seemed to go a little deeper , the AK pushed the wood apart better leaving a wide gap after the edge was pulled out. The LTC was brought out at this point and with its 15 blade it easily penetrated deeper that the other two blades.
I really like the Ang Kola, it gets sharper for me than the GK and holds it edge, after all the cutting I have done today it is still holding the shaving edge I put on it this morning! I also stuck it into an Oak stump and pulled against both sides as hard as my 190# could muster I didnt try that with my CS. It is not as blade heavy as the other two blades, so it is not as tiring. Also the grind of the AK does not want to turn in my hand like the flat grind of the GK, witch would try to if I did not hold the angle just right.
Without a doubt, I like every on of these knives .but the Ang Kola it defiantly my new go to blade! It is a 10 straight razor built like a tank, but very fluid in the hands. Next I will reshape the grip just a little and make a new one-hand kydex sheath for it. Thank you HI for a great product and fantastic customer service!
Last Friday I got my package form Himalayan Imports, which was very cool since it was my birthday! Inside was my new project blade, an Ang Kola Villager model made by kami Bura, with a 10 blade and 5.5 tang that was just begging for a new handle. It came as promised with a very nice traditional sheath and was well protected tapped up inside many, many layers of newspaper. The finish of the steel was better than I had expected for a villager model, the matte like finish had no deep scratches and the sides were fairly smooth. The edge had only one dull spot and the rest of the blade was almost shaving right out of the box.
Sunday I put the grip on, I used fiberglass strips soaked in resin wrapped around the tang in layers. After it cured I filed down the glob into a usable handle, I used an tear drop shape for the first try I am sure that it will get modified later on with use. The last thing to do was spray the outside with truck bed liner to coat the fiberglass and protect my hands.
Today I went out with my new AK, and my CS Ghurkia Khukuri, and a LTC magnum with a 15 thin blade. To start things off I chopped into some dry Red Oak fire wood with the first two blades, the AK has a 2 shorter blade but it is 3/8 thick and penetrated deeper than the GK, even though the CS version is heavier, and more blade heavy, and has a flat grind.
Next up was trimming some scrub trees around our home. Both knives sliced thru the tree without slowing down .cool.
Then I chopped into a hickory limb that had been destroyed by the ice storm 5 months ago, first chop was the GK, it sank deep, but the AK went a little more.
I then counted the strikes it took to go thru a thicker limb for each blade, but it became evident that it all depended on how well I hit the sweet spot and my own accuracy.
I have a decent elm stump on the edge of our yard that is just the right height for cleaving some wood, so I placed some peach tree limbs that had been cut down about a month ago up on the stump and decided to find out how much wood was too much for these to go thru.
The end result was that while the GK seemed to go a little deeper , the AK pushed the wood apart better leaving a wide gap after the edge was pulled out. The LTC was brought out at this point and with its 15 blade it easily penetrated deeper that the other two blades.
I really like the Ang Kola, it gets sharper for me than the GK and holds it edge, after all the cutting I have done today it is still holding the shaving edge I put on it this morning! I also stuck it into an Oak stump and pulled against both sides as hard as my 190# could muster I didnt try that with my CS. It is not as blade heavy as the other two blades, so it is not as tiring. Also the grind of the AK does not want to turn in my hand like the flat grind of the GK, witch would try to if I did not hold the angle just right.
Without a doubt, I like every on of these knives .but the Ang Kola it defiantly my new go to blade! It is a 10 straight razor built like a tank, but very fluid in the hands. Next I will reshape the grip just a little and make a new one-hand kydex sheath for it. Thank you HI for a great product and fantastic customer service!
