need advice WWI kukri

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kokoek9

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Aug 29, 2014
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Hi, I am looking at this kukri from Atlanta Cutlery, it is from the cashe bout by them from Nepal. I am not familiar with that company. Are they reliable, when kukri is advertised as genuine from that sale is it. I just wonder because they also make replicas thanks Her is the catalog picture

WWI%20kukri_zps1sjjrxnu.jpg
 
I am not sure if posting anything from A.C. is permitted by BF rules, best to check with one of the Mods, Steely, Howard, or Bawanna.
 
There was a thread on this subject that started in 2005: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/340494-No-Insults-to-HI

At the end of this old thread, one of our mods (Steely_Gunz) suggested that anyone interested in the subject start a new thread. So this thread is legit. There have also been other recent threads in which forumites posted pictures and discussed their Atlanta Cutlery vintage khukuris, including discussions of the devangari script engraved on the spines.

I have one of the Atlanta Cutlery Long Leaf knives from the WWI era (or maybe a little older). I believe it is authentic. The Longleaf came packed in a heavy layer of grease that protected it, except for some thin surface rust that came right off. The wood handle was (still is) coated with some clear protective coating, and the wood seems to be very old. The Karda and Chakma were not coated with grease and therefore were very rusty, not even worth cleaning up. The scabbard was old (probably a few decades) but probably not as old as the knife, unless it was stored very well.

Of course that doesn't prove that all the Atlanta Cutlery knives sold under this name are authentic, and certainly the condition will vary from one blade to another. However, I don't think that AC is charging enough for these knives to be worth the labor that would be required to make counterfeit copies of this quality and authenticity.
 
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I don't think Atlanta Cutlery or IMA are direct competition to HI. Being they are authentic. I have a couple too and they seem genuine to me.
 
That is good to know, they claim that these kukri saw service either in Nepal or with the British.Also they have another one that they claim was made for the Assam Rifles by Windlass Steel Crafts during WWII, I was wondering how ligit they are it is easy to write genuine. Am i understanding you right If they say it is genuine it is. Sorry just being cautious, or most likely paranoid thanks Mike
 
kokoek9 said:
That is good to know, they claim that these kukri saw service either in Nepal or with the British.Also they have another one that they claim was made for the Assam Rifles by Windlass Steel Crafts during WWII, I was wondering how ligit they are it is easy to write genuine. Am i understanding you right If they say it is genuine it is. Sorry just being cautious, or most likely paranoid thanks Mike
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My WWI era Longleaf khukuri has lots of small nicks and dents, suggesting that it was used at some time, and then returned to the armory. That doesn't necessarily mean that it saw combat, but it probably was actually issued and put to work rather than just made and stored. As far as age is concerned, there are many indications that it really is from that era.

The WIndlass Steel Crafts blades might be another matter. You should read the fine print or ask questions before purchase. From what I understand, Windlass did make blades for the Assam Rifles during WWII, and still makes those blades (or something similar) to military specifications. However, if you buy one today you might be getting a new (or recent) blade rather than a vintage blade that was actually issued during WWII. I don't know if that distinction matters to you.
 
thanks that makes me feel safer, they don't claim combat only that they saw service that is ok for me. The add for the 1943 said they were genuine but that moot I can't find the add so maybe they are sold out. question do they come packed in grease and what is the safest way to remove it, Is mit worth is to pay the extra to have them pick a good one thanks Mike
 
AC did indeed buy a whole nepali govt. armory a few years back, including khukuri and rifles. they have been selling them in various grades, ie. siru or bhojpore style (fat or skinney profiled blades), hand-picked or random picked, with or without a fitted scabbard, etc. most of the good ones have already been 'hand picked' & i suspect the remainder all have various defects which kept them from previous pickings. they must be near the bottom of the barrel by now.
 
Yep they are authentic. You prolly talked to Mary unless she left them. I think that was her name? They are really cool blades. I last talked to her about sheaths for them and said they were no longer available. They had gotten worm eaten and were not even recognizable anymore. They do sell new sheaths for them but im not fond of them myself. Here's a "Longleaf" as they call them.
ebd9d9f22dc095ba317d0c642e959c6a
 
thanks, the review were not to bad either so I bit the bullet and bought one Ill let you know howm it is when I get it. This is what I should get. I read they are packed in cosmoline, any suggestions on how to get it off besides gas thanks Mike
knives_traditional-bhojpure-kukri_732_zpslpe1oluf.jpg
 
It will wipe off pretty easy. Any specific concerns on gas? Might try lighter fluid, kerosene, Dawn dishwashing liquid, alcohol, Brake parts cleaner, Electrical parts cleaner, veggie oil, coconut oil, ...I could go on and on. Aint much that will harm it long as you wipe it right off and recondition it. Its been sitting in a pile with its brothers and sisters packed in cosmoline for the last 100 years plus so dont worry too much. I poured gasoline down the blade tip down and it came very clean then wiped the wood and bolster clean with a gas soaked rag then wiped it dry. Then wiped it down with mineral oil and all was good. Fine tune it later with your favorite wood conditioner or whatever but its really no biggie. Be sure to post your spine inscriptions so we can decode them.
 
In my experience nothing works as well as gasoline. I've cleaned many surplus firearms encrusted in it. Most notably a few 1903 Sprinfields that had been sealed over 60 years and it had turned very hard. It melted away with gasoline and I'd tried many other solvents. Of course, a well ventilated area is a must.
 
I can't guarantee anything but, it never did any damage to ANY of the stocks on the firearms I've ever worked on. It actually helped leech out the cosmoline making it more willing to except the proper finish.

PS:
DON'T SMOKE.:)
 
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I wrote earlier that my Longleaf came packed in grease. I think, actually, that it was cosmoline. But the blade was well wrapped and none of the cosmoline got on the handle.

I'd be careful what you do with the handle. Until you get the knife there's no way to predict what kind of shape it will be in. The possibilities range from having to completely rehandle the knife, to having to do nothing. I was lucky with mine and had to do nothing. The handle had a rough texture but was coated with some clear, hard protectant that did its job so well that I just left it alone. The handle is very comfortable and grippy. It's a lot shorter than the handles on most HI knives, but the shape is so well designed that it feels good in my hand even with a rather long blade. The overall length is 18.5" and the handle is about 3.5" and is completely covered by my average sized hand.

If I did decide to "clean up" the handle, first thing I would do is sand off the outer coating and try to expose bare wood. Any solvent that you apply might react unpredictably with whatever "stuff" was applied to the handle 100 years ago. I don't know what gasoline does to wood, since I haven't tried it, but fine sandpaper is safe and effective, and pretty quick too, on something as small as a handle. Once you get down to bare wood there are all sorts of protective finishes you can apply. I'm assuming the handle will be wood. If it's horn and needs work that's less familiar territory to me, but sandpaper will still work.
 
I agree with davidf99 100%. Unfortunately, ten years later I'd still be standing.

(sanding)
 
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Back in the 80's I worked at a gun store. when we would get old Military Rifles, Bayonets etc from around the world that had been packed in Cosmaline and sometimes I'd swear Bear Grease:eek: It had dried or almost crystalized sometimes. The Chinese stuff was really weird.:confused:

Anyway, Brake cleaner was the best we found, cause we didn't want to add the scent of Gasoline. better than Gun Scrubber even.

Do it outside in a well ventilated area.
YMMV but I found it worked the best without making the wood funky or smelly

.
 
Bigbore577 said:
I agree with davidf99 100%. Unfortunately, ten years later I'd still be standing.
Click to expand...

I wondered why you'd be standing so long, then I realized that you must have meant sanding.

I did spend several years on a wakizashi that I made entirely from a piece of ironwood (lignum vitae). I could only use sandpaper and files for most of the work because that wood has an intertwined grain and is impregnated with amber, so planing causes tearout. In fairness, I put the project away for a couple of years between the start and the finish, so it's not like I worked on it the whole time. This was the result:

P8290011.jpg P8290012.jpg View attachment 649736
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
Back in the 80's I worked at a gun store. when we would get old Military Rifles, Bayonets etc from around the world that had been packed in Cosmaline and sometimes I'd swear Bear Grease:eek: It had dried or almost crystalized sometimes. The Chinese stuff was really weird.:confused:

Anyway, Brake cleaner was the best we found, cause we didn't want to add the scent of Gasoline. better than Gun Scrubber even.

Do it outside in a well ventilated area.
YMMV but I found it worked the best without making the wood funky or smelly

.
Click to expand...

That's one I never tried but sounds like a grand approach.
 
thanks for the suggestions and warning, not to worry I don't smoke, Ill let you know how thing turn out
 
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