Oh My....M43!

jdk1

jdk1

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2010
Messages
2,040
Wow. All I can say is, wow! I have wanted an M43 for awhile. I decided to order one in late August. I specified 3/8ths inch thick blade, Satisal handle, 18-19 inch OAL, white metal, and an ASTK like lanyard hole. I then spent the last (almost) two months wondering which kami would make it, how it would turn out, what kind of satisal would it have, would they be able to put the lanyard hole in, is 3/8th “ too thin, etc… Well, it took awhile, but I could not be happier.

Here’s the specs:

Kami Tirtha
Blade thickness - .370 to .375…..perfection!
OAL – 19”+/- a fraction of an inch
Blade length – 12 ¾”
Blade width – 2.3” at the widest point, as best as I can figure
Handle length – 6 1/2” OAL including bolster
Balance point (on my finger) – approximately 2 ½ “ in front of bolster
Weight – 2.0 lbs. even!

The first thing I saw was Tirtha’s beer mug mark. That made me very happy. But, honestly, all of the current kamis are doing such marvelous work. I could not realistically worry about which one made my M43. The blade is perfection to my eyes. The sweeping curve and ample belly culminate in a pointy, yet ample tip. The bevel is approximately ¾”, which should give it real “bite” while chopping. The edge is very nice and surprisingly sharp from Cho to tip. So sharp, in fact, that I had to put a shop rag over my finger while doing the finger balance thing, lest she bite me! Even the blood grooves, or fullers, are the straightest I’ve seen. In person they appear machined! Tirtha is very talented, to say the least.

The satisal wood handle must be seen to be appreciated. My poor photos cannot do it justice. The grain consists of black lines flowing, curving through a sea of reddish brown. Not too light, nor too dark, but with a strange iridescent glow when rotated. It is a long handle, with 5 3/8” of wood alone. But, it has the aesthetically pleasing (to my eye) two pins. I’m especially pleased with the brass lanyard hole. It’s neat and tidy. Along with the two rivets, it gives the handle a strong, yet uncluttered look. It also has a nice downward sweep, which seems to match the curve of the blade.

This khukuri feels great in my hand. I can’t swing it though, due to a recent rotator cuff rebuild. I really could not be happier with this M43. It was so worth the wait. If it was a ½ incher, I think it would be too heavy. Thirty-two ounces feels so right for this 19” khuk. Everything about this khuk turned out right. I hope more like it come out of the shop. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Take care and God bless.

The handle
M43work1.jpg


The whole package
M43003.jpg


In hand.
M43008.jpg


3/8" Goodness.
M43work4.jpg


The balance shot.
M43work2.jpg


With Tirtha WW II brother.
M43009.jpg


And, with a strange 18" ruler I found.
M43work3.jpg


Thanks for looking.
 
Gorgeous piece of work. Stunning from top to bottom. You gotta family heirloom there, me bucko.
 
jdk1 bet you can't take out that tree in the 3rd picture with one shot:p
When you get the chance please show us some pics of the scabbard.
For raw chopping only the larger AK's and CAK's will out do the M43's but if you get to the point where the difference matters you should be using a chainsaw anyway. I love my M43 I'd sell the 20" AK and the 12" CAK but my son is inheriting the M43.
Let the rotator cuff heal there will be plenty of time for chopping.
 
Great pics jdk1, patience paid off. 32 ounces at 19 inches sounds like an excellent weight-length ratio.:thumbup:
 
My goodness, that things sure is a beauty! (LOL at a convenient 18" ruler just laying around!)
 
7rip13a said:
Great pics jdk1, patience paid off. 32 ounces at 19 inches sounds like an excellent weight-length ratio.:thumbup:
Click to expand...

It doesn't get much better than this. I think M-43's used to be as light and thin only a few years ago, but have been getting progressively heavier lately without a proportionate increase in length (37oz at only 18" OAL from today's DotD). I hope they go back to making M-43's more like this one.
 
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oldschool45 said:
jdk1 bet you can't take out that tree in the 3rd picture with one shot:p
Click to expand...

when you have two shiny khukris, everything starts looking like a target :)

i'm a fan of the M43 because it's long but fast, and sturdy enough with the full tang... but 38 oz? geez, that's a freak. should be an C/AK by then ;)


Bladite
 
looks pretty good jdk1, glad you got the thing in and glad you're happy with it. :thumbup:
 
Gorgeous blade. Nice collaboration between you and Tirtha kami. The spine shot looks like 5/16" which is great as I agree w/ alexs w/ the trend to 'supersize me' while impressive often leads to functional fat in use.

Interesting handle as the profile shot shows very little swell near the bolster. Wondering if a spine view of the handle displays more swell?

Typically nice and way above standard fit and finish from HI. I've gotten a few custom as well as standard design kuks from some 'other' vendors, but the real 'custom' work came in when I spent hours regrinding, reprofiling and refinishing handles, pommels, bolsters and blades. And don't even get me started on the scabbards.:grumpy: Actually kind of fun in retropect, but irritating as heck when you open up the packages.
Not so w/ the HI, its always like Christmas. Just a bit of touch up of the edge perhaps and its time to rock.

By the way, depending what stage you are in your recovery I bet a creative therapist could incorporate yer M-43 into your RC rehab. Just maybe not anything ballistic right off the bat. Fun. Fun.:)
 
Ho ho! You're killing me! I'm waiting for my custom 20" M43 and this has me jonesing even more!

I also specified a thinner spine so i'm glad they're capable of nailing it right on the head. I requested 20" OAL, 4.5" wooden handle (from buttcap to bottom of bolster), between 5/16" and 3/8" spine, traditional grip ring and all steel fittings.

I'm oh so very excited to receive it!
 
moogoogaidan said:
Ho ho! You're killing me! I'm waiting for my custom 20" M43 and this has me jonesing even more!

I also specified a thinner spine so i'm glad they're capable of nailing it right on the head. I requested 20" OAL, 4.5" wooden handle (from buttcap to bottom of bolster), between 5/16" and 3/8" spine, traditional grip ring and all steel fittings.

I'm oh so very excited to receive it!
Click to expand...

Sounds great. Please, keep us posted with pics and a review when it arives. Perhaps one could ask for a fuller too to save more weight and for looks, but, by then, the name would have to change probably.
 
Heinlein, Thanks and you're not being nosy at all, but I don't normally talk about the cost of something like this unless it was advertised, such as DOTD. Mainly due to the fact so many variables can figure into the cost. Could be Auntie wanted to see how something like the lanyard hole would turn out on a non-ASTK. It was very reasonable though. It really isn't very "custom", even though it feels like it is. It maybe an inch longer than standard and thinner than usual, but 3/8" is the original HI spec for the blade. The lanyard hole is really the only true "custom" touch, and I like it a lot:). I didn't ask for such stunning wood, I just lucked into a really nice batch of satisal judging from the recent DOTD.

Oldschool, This one was ordered without a sheath, karda, or chakma. I'm going to make another one of my "expedition" sheaths for it. That has a nice ring to it;). Auntie Yangdu or the shop actually sent it in a blemished, way to short sheath to protect the blade during shipping, which I appreciate. A sheathless CAK arrived with a bent tip in the past. I guess shipping a two pound khuk without a sheath is not so easy. I'll pair it with my ESEE 4 or HEST, if I can figure out how to attach one sheath to the other. My little Live Oaks are treasured. In my town, it's even against city ordinance to trim one without using the paint/tar to protect the wound! Oak wilt is nasty. In a hundred years, this house will have beautiful trees around it!

Bladite, Mine is only 32 oz, the DOTD one is around 37 or so and a bit shorter. 32 ounces seems very reasonable for this OAL. Any lighter and it would be a great weapon, but I wouldn't feel it was right for rough duty. I'd like to get opinions from the "oldtimers" on this thickness for field use. It seems plenty stout to me and seems to be closer the older models.

Thanks for checking it out guys. I'm thrilled with the results, honestly thrilled:D. If enough requests come in for thinner M43s, I'm sure Auntie will take note. I'm waiting for the new release of the original Bone Cutter, back by popular demand. But, I must say, I think this M43 will remain my favorite.
 
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jdk1 said:
Heinlein, Thanks and you're not being nosy at all, but I don't normally talk about the cost of something like this unless it was advertised, such as DOTD. Mainly due to the fact so many variables can figure into the cost. Could be Auntie wanted to see how something like the lanyard hole would turn out on a non-ASTK. It was very reasonable though. It really isn't very "custom", even though it feels like it is. It maybe an inch longer than standard and thinner than usual, but 3/8" is the original HI spec for the blade. The lanyard hole is really the only true "custom" touch, and I like it a lot:). I didn't ask for such stunning wood, I just lucked into a really nice batch of satisal judging from the recent DOTD.
Click to expand...
Thanks jdk1. I didn't have a clue if the premium for custom work was 2% or 200% over stock. You answered my question with enough detail for my purposes and much more subtlety than I used in my question.:thumbup:
 
Thank you for posting that beautiful blade. Now you got me thinking of placing a custom order instead of waiting around for the right DotD :) Heck, I'll probably still do both
 
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