My Gelbu Special - No Wall Hanger

B

Bob Irons

Joined
Oct 14, 1998
Messages
1,573
I decided today my Gelbu Special was not going to be a wall hanger. This is a tool which wanted to be used. I decided to do a little tree chopping today with it. I had a 5 inch tree in the wrong place. Didn't take long. Chopping with the sweet spot really takes some huge bites. Actually worked better for me than a hatchet or axe would have.

After whacking this tree down and chopping it into many smaller pieces, I checked the blade for condition. The chopping area was just as sharp as when I started - pretty nice. I did manage to put a tiny ding in the tip and a tiny chip about an inch from the tip. No problem. Took a couple of minutes and the chip and dings were gone. Still looks good too!

Beautiful piece of work Uncle Bill.
 
Bob, many thanks for the field report -- always the best kind. The Gelbu Special is the knife that Pala would give to all Gorkha soldiers if he had his way. He thinks it is the best model for blend of weapon and field use. You have demonstrated its ability as a field tool. I hope you never have to use it as a weapon but just in case you do....

Remember, this is the knife that is supposed to get sharper the more you use it.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Bob,

Careful or you'll collecting them... Soon, you be asking for one to hang around your neck while jogging -- the first ever neck khukuri. BTW, Bill is special ordering a bunch of 6 inchers for the holiday. ALl you need is a kydex sheath...
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sing

AKTI #A000356
 
:
Those are nice hunh Bob?
I haven't had a chance to really work mine out yet,but I did enough to know it is gonna be a nice working blade.
Then again I haven't seen one yet that wasn't.
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Some are just better at heavy chopping than others.

Speaking of the "neck knives."
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Sometime back Uncle you had mentioned getting a few other items.
I think there were some bells,maybe some bowls,and a small dagger type knife called a "Thee." Are you still considering that? I don't know If I would be interested,but some might be.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
Cornbread ain't s'possed ta be sweet!....Dagnabit gurl,whut did they teach you way up north in ....
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hehehe.




[This message has been edited by Yvsa (edited 26 September 1999).]
 
Yvsa, we did get in a few of the Tibetan items but they did not move well.

The thee is Tibetan made and right now this project is on hold. We are trying to get caught up on special orders that kidney surgery has put was behind schedule.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Tibetan items?

Sounds very interesting.

What all items did you sell Uncle Bill?

-Dave

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"I'm not a complete idiot; some parts are missing."

 
I bought three sets of the bells for future Christmas presents. They're not "bells" in the Western sense- that is there is no clapper. They're two sorta thick discs of bronze with a "dome" in the center. Two of them are connected by a thong through holes in the "dome". They chime when you hold the middle of the thong and move it so that they strike each other. There are characters (tibetan?) cast into the bronze.
 
Interesting that the Tibetan stuff didn't sell too well Uncle Bill.

It seems like Tibetan stuff is really fashionable right now. Perhaps the market has achieved saturation, or maybe it is just easier for intersted parties to go to their ever expanding local Tibetan-owned store.

I personally would be very interested in any forms of Tibetan cutlery.

Is this a possibility Uncle Bill?

-Dave

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"I'm not a complete idiot; some parts are missing."

 
I agree with Dave - the market for Tibetan / Indian / Nepali stuff is hot, but it is being handled by little import shops that sell statues of Shiva and Ganesh, and Nag Champa brand incense, and saris and prayer wheels and cheap pana buttas.

Of course since we are both in the Portland area we may just be seeing the effect of the Gifts from Afar chain, your mileage may vary if there isn't one in your area.

Namaste,
jcp
 
Bob,

I received my Gelbu Special today (S/N 121). THANKS BILL
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!!! Happened to have the day off so it worked out great that I was here to sign for the package.

This is the length and feel I've been looking for. As much as I love my 15" AG, it always felt a tad stunted. Comments have been made about the quality of the shop 2 offerings. From going over this one I'd say 95-98% of the workmanship of my AG which is outstanding. As normal I find the top and bottom edges of the pommel to be too sharp so I've rounded them just enough to take the pointy bite out. The horn handle has some lovely white streaks in it. A 1.5" hairline crack exists on the bottom of the handle where it flairs to the pommel. No biggie at all here as some cracking of horn is almost de rigeur. My AG developed a small crack from use and was easily patched. If the GS crackgets bigger or spreads I'll simply do the same thing to fix it
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. Oh, the pommel on the AG has some nice edge scroll work. The GS is plain with a much narrower edge.
The Gelbu Special's choil is of what I think Bill has termed a dove: closed circle with one protrusion pointing down from the top. On the reverse side of the blade from where the customary Nepalese letters H.I. appear, the declaration "Made in Nepal" is handprinted into the steel. All this adds character and individuality to the khukri. The blade itself has a wider spine than the AG but reflects a quick thinning with it's severe concave relief before a slight thickening some 3/8" from the edge.

I went up into the Black Hills National Forest (about 12 miles from my house and around 1500 feet higher in elevation) to sight in my 308 Win rifle and took the GS along. Experienced the first sleet and snow of the season
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! There was some old scrub and a quite large recently fallen victim of a lightning strike to play with. I don't cut anything live in the National Forest.... it's prohibited. The thin edge profile seemed to bite much better than my AG and although the weight is more concentrated in the shorter AG, this puppy chops just fine thank you! From just this short experience I'm already developing a preference for Gelbu Special over my 15" Ang Ghola. I suspect it'd be much harder if my AG were of the 18" variety.

As you've decided Bob, these are no wall hangers! They're definately users and great ones at that!!!


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-=[Bob Allman]=-

I did NOT escape from the institution! They gave me a day pass!

BFC member since day one
AKTI membership pending
VHA and NRA member


 
Thanks for report, Bob.

I may have told you before but some old and dear friends used to live in Spearfish and that's where I would home base when I was scouting the Black Hills -- Paha Sapa in Lakota as I recall. Beautiful territory and full of good vibes.

------------------
Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Bill,

Indeed I believe you did mention that a long time ago
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. That may have been when we were exchanging navy stories as well.

The thread and picture of the Nepal vista with the beautiful mountains and the mysticism it engenders does remind me of the Black Hills (really mountains but why quibble) and their rich Lakota native american history. Now that the Crazy Horse memorial is really taking shape (on donations only... no taxpayer monies involved), I remain convinced that its location is ideal. The fact that it is not only much larger but minutes from Mount Rushmore is an irony not lost on many of us.

But I digress. You are quite right Bill. The vibes here are amazing.

------------------
-=[Bob Allman]=-

I did NOT escape from the institution! They gave me a day pass!

BFC member since day one
AKTI membership pending
VHA and NRA member


 
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