Overview of the Kami's?

[etp777]

Is there any of our resident HI experts who could do an overview of variations generally seen from the various Kamis? Ie if one kami normally has blades or handles a little shorter, or thicker, etc. I know several times Uncle Bill or others have made references like in today's blems where it says (sorry, can't remember which kami it was for sure and don't wanna restart this post so I can look) something along the lines of "All the normal features of a Sher AK", or something like that. Is there any of our resident experts who could go over what regualr features are for each of the kamis for those of us who are newer? I think something like that, esp. if we keep it tacked to the top, could help new users get at least a rough idea of what kamis they might prefer. Of course, they still should try different ones.

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

Whew, that's a toughie. When subtle nuances occur on a regular basis, they fall into the realm of "normal features". For example brothers Sher and Kumar are known for comfortable handles and fairly heavy blades, except, oddly enough, on the lightweight Kobras which Kumar himself originally developed to be a fast fighter. Sher's edge bevels, while not true convex, are closer to convex than anybody else's. Shanker likes a very hard edge on any khuk he makes, and the handles on his smaller khuks tend to be a bit too small, while on his larger khuks they are quite generous and comfortable. Go figure.
Khuks I've handled from the "Amtrak" kami have all been stout pieces, as if he wants to ensure his khukuris will not fail. His work, like all the kamis at Bir ghorka, is consistently excellent. Bura's blades feel lively in the hand, and he's very fastidious, even a bit mysterious, about tempering his edges. You'll hear stories about Bura's khuks actually getting sharper the more you chop wood with them. I don't know about that, but I do know my sharpest blades have the "crescent moon" on them, they simply take and hold an incredible edge.


The best way to bypass all this careful observation and study, is to call Uncle Bill, tell him exactly what features you're looking for in a khuk, and trust in his experience and familiarity with the kami's work.

Sarge

 

[beoram]

it's not exactly what you want perhaps, but there is some info on some of the kamis here:

http://www.himalayan-imports.com/bio.html