Opinions Solicited

Instead of a yataghan why not stick more to the region and build a model of a sossun pattah? The blades are very similar and depending on the model you wouldn't have to have the big "ears" made for the yat grip. On a sossun pattah you could have a nice open talwar grip made or a kora grip which is much more basic.
sossun patta.jpg


Has anyone ever done a comparison with an original M43 and the HI model? I'd be interested to hear about the weight and balance on the new knives.
 
Originally posted by Rusty
Besides, it's been done already. I have #3 and brought it to Reno Convention II.

Sorry, couldn't resist a little gloating. :p :p :p :D :D :D
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Gloat away, Rusty, that thing is a beast!:eek: It makes most khukuris look puny.

--Josh
 
Sossun pattah looks good.

I always thought that the "ears" would give the kamis fits, and be prone to breakage. Also, to be somewhat "authentic" in construction, wouldn't a "tang strap" or whatever it's called be needed for a yataghan also?

They already know how to make a tulwar handle. Only question I have is how comfortable is that big wide pommel? Does it constantly dig into the wrist?

Since I'm ignorant and broke, my vote counts as a half-vote.
 
Man, I'd love to see the HI kamis start making koras. Now how I'd justify buying one to mi esposa is a different issue... :D
 
Yvsa, I don't recall why no go ahead for the yataghan. Possibly brought up when no one had money to pay up front for a batch seems logical. Mine seems to anyway.

I should note here that the small Tibetan sword by Bura has seemed to me to follow the general overall outline of the Yataghan shape.

As to the kora I have it's about as useful ( or a little less so ) as one of the Super Salyans.

The more I think about it the more I remember the 458 that I bought.
If I'd started with with light loads, and worked up, I might have had a bit of fun with it. Instead I bought a box of factory full charge ammo. I took it out and fired it several times. Only once did I fire it more than twice on a visit to the range. That time I shot 3 rounds. I didn't know then about the calcification of my neck and upper spine. OUWWWWWCH!!!!!
 
Sossun Patta (or Sosson Pattah)

Image at : http://www.ashokaarts.com/edgedweapons/ew-sosson1.jpg
I'd insert it, but it's a big montage in one picture.

from : http://www.ashokaarts.com/edgedweapons/ew-6.htm
"Fine quality North Indian Sossun Pattah sword. Finely watered mechanical Damascus forward leaning blade with reinforced mounts to forte. Tulwar style hilt of blued steel finely decorated with koftgari gold and silver in patterns of flowers and scrolls, mounts en-suite. Decorated lanyard loop. Originally having a knuckleguard now missing. Very good condition, koftgari unrubbed. Very light and well-balanced weapon. India, early 19th century. "
 
I'd be down for a sossunpattah, though I'd want it at sword length like the one in the Ashoka picture -- around 3'. Somebody start on a wood model. :cool:

PS: Kora and yataghan would be cool too! But a full-length sossunpattah would take priority for me. ;)
 
If someone wants to plane a board down to 3/8 of an inch thick I will get started on a serious hansee with a serious curve. We could call it the hanshee banshee !!

Foxy
 
Aside from defending the porch against invaders berift of firearms or maybe splitting very, very tough coconuts, I can't imagine much use for a kora either. Kinda unique as a decorative item though.
 
Ok, it sounds like we have equal interest in the Yataghan and the Sossun Pattah with serious interest in the Kora.

Rusty, none of these are useful. Swords are obsolete in warfare and self defence. What we will be doing is keeping a cultural heritage alive.
Also, I seriously doubt that a Kora is as heavy as you think, real one handed weapons have to be fast. As you pointed out, you're about average for a Nepali in height. They'd have to swing these weapons quickly in a fight with Gorkhas.
The kamis probably still know how to make this because (accourding to John Powell's article http://swordforum.com/articles/ams/kukri.php) they are still used for ceremonial decapitations.

Having said all that, I'm holding out for a Yataghan.

I'm not sure why some of you object to Devanagari Script on the blades. My blades are marked in Devanagari and English. Do you object to where they put the marks?
 
As I recall Bill did offer a kora long ago. It has a slightly different profile than the pix I put up, but was totally authentic. It also had a wooden 'clamshell' scabbard. As to their usefulness I cannot think of any reason except for aesthetics to have one. Of course they would be great at a big BBQ when you were going to have fresh steaks and needed to dispatch the steer. PETA would love that.

I personally think they have beautiful lines and details and cannot imagine how they were used in combat. Those big round disc guards really prohibit any wrist movement even with small hands.
Stefan at Ashoka Arts always has some great stuff for sale and he puts together some really nice photo montages of the items. A good site and sometimes good reference.

I would push for a sossun pattah with an open talwar grip. It's the one that could be accomplished with the least headaches and design changes (and that is a big guess). You know how these guys like to make them "better" even with a wooden model to go from.
 
" raghorn
I'd like to see a return to the days of no Arabic letters with the kami marks."

Then JDP and Yvsa agree. I'm guessing that Raghorn meant Devanagari.

JDP, I don't think they were swung with a lot of wrist action. Wider sweeping cuts would be very destructive,.
 
Everything should be in Devanagari. No Roman letters or numerals.
 
JDP - this was one of the koras made with wooden clamshell case.

Red - I agree that they need to be quick, and anyone about to use them should do heavy training to enable themselves to make quick and devastating blows.

IIRC, I brought it to the Reno Convention 2, and passed it around. Anybody remember the feel of it's weight? Remember this is not just a kora, it is an HI kora, and thus must be constructed not to break.

An old saying from the early days of the forum goes:

"Sure, you could drive a tank over it, but why would you want to hurt the tank?".

It is HEAVY!
 
JDP's been very good to us but maybe we could get him to put one of his on a scale?
 
Originally posted by Red
Rusty, none of these are useful. Swords are obsolete in warfare and self defence. What we will be doing is keeping a cultural heritage alive.
Also, I seriously doubt that a Kora is as heavy as you think, real one handed weapons have to be fast.
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Red, the koras weren't generally used in conventional hand to hand warfare as I understand it. The koras were used in defence of castle, fort, or stronghold walls that the enemy was trying to breach. They are heavier than you would think and didn't need to be necessarily fast like a regular sword needs to be.
I've had the privilege of getting to handle a "real" one once upon a time. With the tarwar handle it's all moot anyway as the comfort level of these things just doesn't exist. The one I got to handle had a handle so small, read short, that I could barely get my hand in the space alloted. Needless to say it felt very awkward to me as has the other Indian area swords with the same handles I have had experience with.

And that's also the reason the H.I.Khukuri's have such large handles. They're engineered with American sized hands in mind.
 
Originally posted by raghorn
By Arabic letters I meant ABCDEFG...

:footinmou
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ABCDEFG are Roman letters.

You're probably thinking of Arabic numerals (1,2,3,4,5,6) as opposed to Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, etc.).

though, actually, Arabic numerals are ultimately based on Indian numerals. India was apparently the first place to come up with the concept of 0 (zero), and thus the decimal system. Which makes maths rather easier -- have you ever tried multiplying with Roman numerals? :eek:
 
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