Oops..welp, that happened! Drop

J

Jamiel

Joined
May 11, 2017
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59
Got my first Khuk and after oiling up the blade, hilt, scabbard/sheath and everything noticed it fit pretty well in sheath when I push it in and then forward in inside. Was showing a friend and obviously didn't push it in enough for the good upside down shake and BAM! on the floor.

Bent the brass and a small piece of wood cracked out. Sanded it down just a bit, and then noticed there is a hairline crack in the wood, is this big enough to warrant a concern? Should I glue it now or is this not really a big enough crack?

Thanks for your time

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Fill it in with crazy glue and sawdust, sand and polish, it'll be like brand new.

I use JB Weld wood putty.
 
Nice. Consider it done. I'll just use some of this nice natural vinegar/fruit/steel wool wood dye after sanding.

Thanks for the feedback
 
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That's how I look at it. :D It will soon know my flaws, as I know it's.

Now if only I could get an AK 15 inch or higher blem deal!
I'm gonna make a custom sheath. Thought I was going to with my BAS, but the scabbard is just so good, how could I ignore that craftsmanship!
 
I'd sand the whole handle down first. There is no finish on the wood, it's just polishing compound.
Sanding gets rid of that compound and you see the real wood.
When you start seeing wood, kind of collect the dust in a pile best you can. Kind of fine tune it so to speak. Then do the crazy glue, gorilla glue, whatever mixing in the sawdust. When it's good and dry, sand it good and smooth, then hit it with the linseed or mineral oil or whatever your favorite might be.

Sometimes it's a whole new handle when you lose the polishing compound and it's kind of a fun project.
 
Thanks Bawanna! I was waiting for some advice, as I've come to know you as the regular go to while stalking these forums lately. haha

I'll definitely take your advice and sand the entire thing down. I'd like to see more of the wood anyhow. I usually just have mineral oil on hand and then finish with a beeswax/coconut/olive triple combo I make to hold it all in and condition the wood.
 
I agree with Bawanna, except that I would sand just from the butt plate to the ring, which is a natural divider. That will save a lot of time. You can always repeat the process for the front half of the handle if the newly sanded part doesn't quite match.
 
I would also wear a dust mask. Satisal/Dalbergia species as oily hardwoods in the rosewood family are known as sensitizers and precautions should be made not to breathe the dust.
 
davidf99 said:
I agree with Bawanna, except that I would sand just from the butt plate to the ring, which is a natural divider. That will save a lot of time. You can always repeat the process for the front half of the handle if the newly sanded part doesn't quite match.
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That's a good solid plan but it won't match, or usually doesn't. You can certainly approach it that way to break up the project and it might even end up with a nice two tone look.
All depends what's underneath. Sometimes it's really a radical change, even blonde or dark with streaks etc. It's like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get.
 
I might even keep going and sand the blade down until I find a new color underneath! :P But yea, I'll start with the butt and see how it looks, I can always continue from there.
 
I dropped my first kukri too, when I first got it. Luckily, because I used my lightning fast reflexes to catch the point of the blade with the top of my foot, there was no damage to the knife, other than some lovely reddish patina from the blood stains.
 
While I'm on the subject, how loose is the khuk supposed to be in the sheath? Its like...really really loose. Is it supposed to be that I MUST press it forward to push into the skinnier section for it to hold? If that is the case then it works fine. I also hit it all with oil and have had almost apocalypse like sun conditions for several days. I will know more when I can set it out in the sun to shrink a bit.
 
In my experience most khukuris "grab" the sheath when you push them all the way in. I think the hibaki (the brass piece covering the blade just before the handle) is thick enough to stick firmly just inside the mouth of the sheath. However, there's a lot of variation from too tight to too loose, and some of the thicker blades catch the sheath with the spine further inside.

If the looseness of your sheath bothers you, there are some ways to fix it. There's a thread somewhere in this forum (by Ndoghouse, I believe) that provides a mini-tutorial. Maybe someone else can provide a link to that thread.
 
Its best if the knife is held along the spine by the sheath. Hibaki only is not good.

kookery said:
I dropped my first kukri too, when I first got it. Luckily, because I used my lightning fast reflexes to catch the point of the blade with the top of my foot, there was no damage to the knife, other than some lovely reddish patina from the blood stains.
Click to expand...

Same here. I had it on my lap doing something with it and forgot I had it there so when I got up it slid off my lap. Luckily my foot saved it from dinging the tip on the concrete. Bloody mess it was too!
 
When it hit the floor, my first reaction was "OH NO!!! NOT THE KHUK!", and my friends was "OH NO..THE TILE...wait..what?"
After a little time in the sun I believe it shrunk down enough for a snug fit. Had it on a hike today, no issues whatsoever, BUT I will be using that trick NoDoghouse did in the future if needed!
 
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