Pala rehandles Chandan Sirupati -- pix.

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

Joined
Mar 5, 1999
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<img src = "http://members.aol.com/yangduspag/pict32.jpg">

Here is Pala rehandling one of the Chandan khukuris which had a cracked handle. He brought three or four horn handles with him and has reworked handle and buttcap. He has used some two part, 24 hour epoxy to set up bolster, handle and buttcap. The knife is ready to go and Pala wants to know if anybody wants this "handled by Pala" 20 inch, 1lb, 14 oz. Sirupati for $125 and he will pay shipping.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Namaskar, Pala,
I have the Serial Number 1 Chandan khukuri, and am sorry to hear that one of those lovely handles cracked. Whoever gets the khukuri that you have rehandled will be getting a wonderful knife, though, and a great bargain at the price. Do you have any plans for the cracked handle? I have a 20" village Chainpuri-handled Sirupati that was made in Shop 2 about the same time, and it looks to me as if the handle of the karda is made of Chandan. It is beautiful wood - if you ever have any scraps you can't use, I would like to rehandle the chakma as well. Your jwai thought that you might have found the Chandan in an old barn that was being torn down, as I recall. Now that you have had a little time to rest from your your journey, I hope you will be able to share with us some of the stories about the development of Shop 2 and all the people and events there. There are many of us who are very interested in these things and would love to hear them.
I also hope you will have enough time in this country to do a little traveling, and perhaps meet some of your friends. If you get to Texas, I can promise you a trip to a rodeo (and some Shiner Bock for your jwai!
smile.gif
). You honor us with your presence among us.
Berk

[This message has been edited by Berkley (edited 18 September 1999).]
 
Namaste Berkleyji:

Dheri dhanyabad for your words and offer to take me to a rodeo. I doubt that I will get a chance to come to Texas, though, but I understand your state is perhaps 6 or 8 times the size of Nepal so it must be very large. I have a hard time understand just what a big country this is. My last visit I was able to see some rodeo events here in Reno and found them quite exciting. I do not think I could ride one of those bulls and admire those who can.

You are too late for the chandan wood. I split it and burned it like incense. Had I thought than anybody wanted it I would not have done this.

Shop 2 has been a journey that is still continuing. I am amazed at what progress we have made since starting it. There have been many adventures and I am sure there will be more to come but it is difficult for me to try to pick which adventures would be of interest here and which would not. I will post something this weekend about the Bishwakarma puja we had just today, Saturday, in our shop.

Thank you again for your flattering words.

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Pala (Kami Sherpa)
Owner, Himalayan Imports
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html


[This message has been edited by Kami Sherpa (edited 18 September 1999).]
 
Namaskar, Pala,
I hope the scent of the Chandan incense brought you as much pleasure as I have had from the feel and appearance of my Chandan handle.
I have tried to remember some questions which people have been saving to ask you. A few which came to mind were:
-What are the ingredients and the process for making laha (Himalayan epoxy)?
-What is the tool in the Gangaola/Hanuman tool kit with the small flat round end used for? Is it a button hook or something else?
-What does the word "kothimoda (kothimora?)" mean?
I hope I am not being rude by pestering you with so many questions, but you are the only one who may have this information, and your khukuris have aroused great interest and desire to learn as much as possible.
With all respect,
Berk
P.S. - I think if Nepal could be flattened out it would be the same size as Texas
smile.gif
.

[This message has been edited by Berkley (edited 18 September 1999).]
 
Pala, the last time you came over, you rehandled a 15" Sirupati in oak, leaving the handle a little oversize to the bolster and cap. I love the handling of the 12" Sirupatis, and thought that if I reduced the handle on the 15" to fit my small hands I might find it to be almost as nimble as the little ones. It however was one I sent to Cliff for testing and only got it back a few months ago. I had filed and sanded and stained it when I became ill, then I saw this post.

The final coat on the 15"er's handle is now drying. And it does almost match the handling of the 12", except the wood handle wasn't quite slick as the little one's horn handle, that is it wasn't until now. What a sweet handling delight it is.
 
Pala, --- I thought you said you are fat. You look to be in excellant condition from these pictures.
 
Pakcik Bill.
Insyaa-Allaah! I take it, please ship it to my home address with full value insurance coverage. I'll email you later - Alhamdu-li-(A)llaah!

 
mohd,
You are going to love that Sirupati. If it's like the one I got, it definitely belongs to the "beefier is better" Shop 2 philosophy of khukuri making. Cliff wrote somewhere that Sirupatis are not especially good at chopping. If he had the chance to try one of these bad boys I am pretty sure he would have to modify that statement. Mine also came with what Yvsa calls a "full-body shiver" edge. Like I said, you're gonna _love_ it!
smile.gif

Berk
 
Berk, Mohd -

I brought up Cliff's old "Mighty Sirupati" thread. Take a look.

The 4lb, 20" ( actually more like 22" ) AK is king of the choppers, of course.

The 2 lb. 20" Sirupati though, reminds me of what gourmet/cooking expert James Beard said: " A good hamburger is not to be looked upon with condescention. " Nor is the the Sirupati. Even if it can't do what the AK does, it'll still do more than the uninitiated are going to believe.

[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 19 September 1999).]
 
Rusty,
Many thanks for bringing up the Mighty Sirupati thread - I seem to have missed that one the first time around. This place really isn't the same without Cobalt's posts
smile.gif
.
The Shop 2 Chandan handled Sirupati I got (which I assume is about the same as the rehandled one that Mohd is getting) is at least 15% larger in every dimension than my Shop 1 20" Sirupati. As such it is not useful as a fighter for my 5'6" frame (though it looked just right on an ex-Green Beret buddy who's over 6') but is a heckuva chopper for a guy my size who couldn't lift a 20" AK without a crane
smile.gif
.
Berk

 
Pala is busy putting the final touches on the handle which will go into the air tomorrow, headed for Mohd in Malaysia...said he was to busy to "watch that screen."

Berk, here's what Pala has to say in regard to your questions.

The laha which I prefer to call Himalayan epoxy is collected from trees by what Pala called "jungle men". Pala and almost all shops and kamis buy the stuff commercially rather than trying to collect it themselves. It is basically tree gum. It is boiled and then poured into the desired places of the khukuri. The advantages it has are it sets up very quickly, allowing the kami to continue working on his khukuri without setting it aside for 24 hours to let the epoxy set up, and it is also quite strong.

You guessed correctly about the little Hanuman tool -- supposedly a buttonhook.

Pala said the meaning of kothimora to him and most people was simply "rich man's khukuri". The word refers to the scabbard more than the khukuri itself. The true kothimora will have two, three or four ounces of silver (and sometimes gold)ornamentation on the scabbard. The touristy version has much less and sometimes the "silver" is not silver at all but what the kamis call "white metal" (probably nickle silver.)

Jay, your comments on Pala's physical condition are worth responding to -- the other day we got in a shipment of khukuris, maybe 60 pounds worth and Pala grabbed the box, carried it out to the Toyota like it was filled with feathers. And, he can still walk all day through the Himalayas with no problem. Not bad for a 70 year old. But he is a Sherpa and they are a very strong people. I have seen female Sherpas carry an 80 pound load on their backs all day long and then do the cooking and camp chores in the evening -- day after day after day.

Did I cover everybody and everything?

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Berk & Rusty.
Alhamdu-li-(A)llaah! Thanks for your compliments on "going to be my Rehandled by Pala Beeffy Sirupati"!
this "handled by Pala" 20 inch, 1lb, 14 oz. Sirupati for $125 and he will pay shipping
Click to expand...
I have shop 1 20" Sirupati weighted about 1.5 lbs. Insyaa-Allaah! The moments I read Pakcik Bill's posting (as quoted above), I KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO LOVE IT!It is gorgeous - the weight as well as the offered price!

Berk.
I am fully agree with you that this Beefy Sirupati is just suit our size (how come your "American Height" is the same with my "Asian Height"?) when come to chopping. Heh! heh! It just like 20" AK that just suit Cliff's size for the same purpose - do you remember the joke of a Sasquatch that roaming around the mountainous area with a big knife in his hand!

Harry.
Welcome to join the Beefy 20" Sirupati Club!

Palaji & Pakcik Bill.
Alhamdu-li-(A)llaah! Thanks a lot for this gorgeous offer!
 
Berk and Mohd: so you guys are 2" taller than me. Just keep bragging. vbg

[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 20 September 1999).]
 
Rusty, for whatever it is worth, Pala is 5 ft. 4 inches (I think maybe a bit more but this is what he says) and weighs 170. And he used to chase the border bandits with his khukuri when he weighed a lot less.

Somewhere I have an old pix of Pala and his wife, Dali, when they were young and Pala looks pretty skinny. I'll try to post it if I ever get the time.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Pakcik Bill

When I was in LA - I used to give salam (Moslem greetings) to a few people which I thought were Malays - their height, facial look, body structure and skin colour are exactly similar to Malay's - I just could not understand why they just kept quit! I thought they must be a bunch of very rude Malays!

Finally - one of my friend told me that they were not Malays! He said they were Chicanos! (Sincerely, I hope I am not using a term that offence anybody! Please do advice me if I am using term that offence them!).

Berk, Rusty, Pakcik Bill ... Just take a look at any Chicanos then you are just as if looking at Malays ... one of them might just look alike MOHD! - BUT - Malays are not Chicanos, I guess we are of different culture & characters.

[This message has been edited by mohd (edited 22 September 1999).]
 
Mohd, when we are in Hong Kong everybody speaks to Yangdu in Cantonese. When we are in Japan they speak to her in Japanese. When we are in Korea they speak to her in Korean -- and so on.

Also, the Newaris look just like Malays and Mexicans. When my Newari brother-in-law was here a couple of years ago all the Mexicans spoke to him in Spanish and wondered why he did not respond.

You are not alone.


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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
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