- Joined
- Jan 10, 2001
- Messages
- 2,618
One of the Maine-iacs ordered on Monday, and got his on Wedensday. Of course, he referred to his carrier as "the Postie". Down here, we get the U.S. Mule. Mine was ordered the Friday before, and just trotted in today.
Rusty blade - Looked more like some sort of acid reaction. There was a very slight build-up near the tip, with light pitting underneath. The rest was a black stain. Everything but the pitting came off with 0000 wool, and a dab of Flitz (like Simichrome).The super fine Cratex tip (rubber, molded with varying degrees of abrasive) and a slow speed on the Dremel, took out the pitting. This is a pure guess (me, trying to think without getting both brain cells together)-the moisture is part of it, but the tanning process in the leather will have some acidic content. Monsoon humidity, long contact in the sheath with an otherwise mild acid. This doesn't require enough metal removal to effect the hardness, even where the pitting occured.
More knowledgeable 'mites than I have written about the Gelbu Special - I can only compare it to my Malla, and they are similar. First impression from a side-by-side is that the GS will not do quite as much as the Malla, but will do it quicker. The balance lends itself to better handling, I think, but the difference is slight. The blade has a bowl (not a butter lamp) or boat, drawn as a crescent. There is a dot about 1/4" above the bowl, as though something else was considered, and then not done (?). The blade and the fittings are perfectly done, so it could be a Bura. The blade an fittings on the Malla are the same, but the mark is definitely one of the KNN. Maybe it's a mystery knife, but whatever fun can be had from that, the marks on the other side say "BirGhorka". It don't get no better than that
Rusty blade - Looked more like some sort of acid reaction. There was a very slight build-up near the tip, with light pitting underneath. The rest was a black stain. Everything but the pitting came off with 0000 wool, and a dab of Flitz (like Simichrome).The super fine Cratex tip (rubber, molded with varying degrees of abrasive) and a slow speed on the Dremel, took out the pitting. This is a pure guess (me, trying to think without getting both brain cells together)-the moisture is part of it, but the tanning process in the leather will have some acidic content. Monsoon humidity, long contact in the sheath with an otherwise mild acid. This doesn't require enough metal removal to effect the hardness, even where the pitting occured.
More knowledgeable 'mites than I have written about the Gelbu Special - I can only compare it to my Malla, and they are similar. First impression from a side-by-side is that the GS will not do quite as much as the Malla, but will do it quicker. The balance lends itself to better handling, I think, but the difference is slight. The blade has a bowl (not a butter lamp) or boat, drawn as a crescent. There is a dot about 1/4" above the bowl, as though something else was considered, and then not done (?). The blade and the fittings are perfectly done, so it could be a Bura. The blade an fittings on the Malla are the same, but the mark is definitely one of the KNN. Maybe it's a mystery knife, but whatever fun can be had from that, the marks on the other side say "BirGhorka". It don't get no better than that
