My Great Idea: A Design Competition

C

Craig Gottlieb

Joined
Mar 8, 1999
Messages
1,760
Okay, my brain doesn't churn out new ideas very often, so you might want to listen to this one!

In January or February, GH will hold a khukuri design competition. Although the rules aren't firmly established in my mind, I was thinking of asking people to MAIL their entries to me with drawings, specs, or photos (or all three).

I'd take the designs with me to Nepal, have Lalit and his kamis pic their favorite design, and produce the prototype. Of course, the design winner would receive the prototype as the prize, and the model would then become a normal part of our inventory.

The winner could also have the honor of naming the khukuri.

Some rules I am thinking about:

1) The competition would have a start and end date (advanced planning on your own would be allowed of course).

2) No precious metals or stones could be used (the khukuri as to be sellable to the general public).

3) The design would have to be of an actual khukuri (how do we define a khukuri?).

4) The winner, if he/she used materials not available in Nepal, would have to cough up those materials and send them to me to take with (not that I'm too cheap to buy them, but I wouldn't want to get it wrong and buy the wrong thing, etc).

Any thoughts?

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig I think that this would be alot of fun. I got at least two floating around in my head already. Let us know if you are going to do this.
 
Craig,

This is a great idea. I've come to respect the khukri knowledge and unbidled creativity of your customers as I've worked on the WWIII project.

Keep this up, and you will be the khukri khing, leaving all the other makers and importers in the dust.

Yours in micarta dust,
Bob Couture
 
Well, Craig, obviously your workload has lessened somewhat; you now have time to come up with great ideas. And I do think it's great! I look forward to seeing what evolves.
 
Sounds like fun Craig! I`m game.
smile.gif
Marcus
 
As they say in the USMC, Ohhh Rahh!

I am excited about it too. Basically, I'm lately thinking of ways to maximize my trip to Nepal.

Anybody has any "rules" suggestions for the competition, please add them.

No doubt, all entries will be posted on a forum thread for everybody to admire. I think they'll be anonymous so that we can feel free to comment without bias.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig,

In order to keep this from turning into a "goat rope", I suggest that the designs be within the capabilities of the Kami's using traditional methods and existing equipment.

I'd like to think that the Kami's would find a little more joy than frustration in working with our designs.

Just my 2 cents.

Blackdog


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Visit the GH Forum Photo Gallerys at:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=104694
 
Absolutely - I think I said something to that effect above, but a very good idea. I guess it would be sort of funny if I showed up with some Damascus bars that the Kamis totally destroyed (never having worked with damascus before). That was just an example. I think for this one, people will stick to variations on the basic khukuri design. I guess what Id like to see is some sort of new design innovation within the "confines" of the khukuri concept. If I am sounding too artsy, it is because Im living with a bunch of graphic designers here in Finland. We all wear black and make artistic statements with snow angels, etc.
smile.gif


BTW" It is 3:30pm and it is pitch black outside. Although I have been to Finland many times before, this is my first winter trip and it certainly is fun (all of you Finnish lurkers like Ossi will laugh at me, of course - muta olen Americalainen! (but I am an American).

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
I'd like to wrap a full/slab tang Khuk in the Japanese style with Menuki and all. I suggested this over on the HI forum, but didn't get much response. Please refer to my commentaries and picture of some of my work over on the HI forum, on YVSA's topic: "First Impressions and mini review AK Bowie" I'd love to get some feedback, esp. from fellow soldiers who carry a Khuk into the field like me.
-Redleg out.

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"Blessed is the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle..." excerpted from Psalms 144.
 
Redleg,

Just had a look at your handle wraps. Very, Very nice!! Can I post the picture here as well?

I'm very interested in the wrapped handles but don't have a clue how to do it. I've wrapped one of my Bowies and an Axe, but they didn't come out very well. As a matter of fact, they were downright crude.

I'm working on a design for the upcoming competition that would go beautifully with a wrapped handle. I'll try to get some finishing touches on the drawing and e-mail it to you. I'd like your ideas on how it would look as a finished product.

Blackdog

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Visit the GH Forum Photo Gallerys at:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=104694
 
Blackdog, by all means, feel free to post it here. In fact, I'll e-mail the .jpeg to you. If you follow my commentaries on the other forum, you'll see that I "epoxy" or "resin" the handles as well. In reality, I use an awesome product used in my line of business--aerospace cca-conformal coat/sealant, to seal the handle and provide the permanent non-slip, "cat's tongue grip". As for how to do it, I learned from trial and error and a lot of books. Also, Scott Slobodian was featured in an article in Knives Illustrated several years back and provided a side bar on wrapping. Technically, it's actually not that difficult, but it can be very, very taxing and fatiguing on the hands if you attempt it "freehand" like me. Many use clamps or jigs though. I use cord under wrap because it provides an oval cross-section which fits my hands nicely. I'm going to try same' next, but I will round off the handle slab edges first. RJ Martin uses same' and he makes incredible knives, but I wish he'd round the slab edges off (I know, its just aesthetics!). We're havin' some fun now folks!

-Redleg out.

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"Blessed is the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle..." excerpted from Psalms 144.

[This message has been edited by Redleg (edited 29 December 1999).]
 
Blackdog and Redleg I would love to have a wrapped Kuk!! Also since you already have a plan for a wrapped one I also have an idea but I will email you to see if I am infringing on your idea which is just what I don't want to do. As you can guess it would be quite "tactical".
 
Redleg,

I received your e-mail. Below is the photo of your knives with the wrapped handles. This stuff is beautiful Redleg.

View


Coyote,

Seems there are at least three of us whos tastes run along similar lines. Perhaps we could collaborate on a design or three to send off to Craig for a one-time, custom order.

Thoughts??

Blackdog

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Visit the GH Forum Photo Gallerys at:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=104694

[This message has been edited by Blackdog (edited 29 December 1999).]
 
SLAP! (Sounds Like A Plan!)
This is a great thread! In addition to the typical nylon, I can also use traditional silk wrap. I can incorporate menuki as well. I've done Airborne wings, SF crests, branch Insignia (both military and civilian), or real menuki from Fred Lohman Inc. Nice by-product of cord over cord: vibration dampening!
Coyote and Blackdog, let's pursue this three-way collaboration!
-Redleg out.

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"Blessed is the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle..." excerpted from Psalms 144.
 
Blackdog I finally sent you a reply. Cool, idea. I am really starting to have fun. Redleg I like your work. I will send you a couple of my ideas for you and blackdog to review and we will go from there. Look out world the free knife thinkers just got turned loose, conventional knife lovers will hate these!!!
 
Coyote,

Got your e-mail and will try to send you some modified sketches which incorporate your suggestions.

I have to agree, we'll be going way off the beaten track here. But as the man once said, "Damned the conventional, FULL SPEED AHEAD"!!

Blackdog


------------------
Visit the GH Forum Photo Gallerys at:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=104694
 
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