Poor finish on 15 inch AK

alfred tan

alfred tan

Joined
Oct 26, 2003
Messages
53
This was my first HI kuk i bought about a month ago, i thought this was normal HI quality till reading about the blemished kuks sold at a discount with just minor blemishes.

This finish on the butt cap and bloster are quite rough and the horn handle is chipped at the butt. In fact, the first time i picked it up, i got jabbed by a piece of brass sliver (ouch).

What is the best way to fix this? I have a feeling that the rough edges will chew up my hand when i do use this kuk for serious work.

thanks

alf

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Alf,

You can use epoxy to fix the gap at the buttcap. Or if its loose you can unpeen the end of the tang with a file, remove the buttcap and refit it. The glue used on khuks is laha and will remelt with a little heat. As for the roughness or excess at the buttcap or bolster, use sandpaper or a file if its really rough and use progressively finer grades up to 2000 grit or finer. Then just polish it to have it looking brand new. The horn on the handle sands real easily too. This is something to know as the horn will shrink with time. You can get colored epoxy to match the handle.
 
Originally posted by hoghead
Alf,

The glue used on khuks is laha and will remelt with a little heat.
Click to expand...

This isn't always true these days. The kamis have discovered JB Weld and other epoxies. The buttcap on my Foxy Folly was put on with an epoxy, just glad it wasn't a real heavy coat as I was able to bust it loose.
I was scared for a while that the handle had been epoxied on as well, but fortunately for all concerned the kamis used laha on it.
 
Yvsa,

Thanks for correcting me. The Kamis do use epoxy and it is totally different from the laha. Glad you were able to fix that buttcap without too much trouble. Believe they still do use laha. If the buttcap is loose I've used epoxy for my repair. Guess I didn't mention but that khuk looks like a blem to me. Have gotten some with damage before but Uncle always gave me the blem price.
 
Wow, Uncle Bill, thanks for the great customer service, i did not expect you to do anything for me on it.

alf
 
Remember the old Bill Cosby routine about his father when he was a kid with his Dad telling him:

" I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it! " )

And then Cosby as an adult saying:

" This is not the father I grew up with, this is an old man trying to get into Heaven! "

Change the above from "Heaven" to "Nirvana" and you've got Uncle Bill pretty well nailed. :D :D :D

Yes, I've been pulling your leg, Al. And Uncle's too. Uncle is a good man. So is his wife Yangdu and her father Pala ( aka Kami Sherpa, owner of HI ) and brother Gelbu at the shop.

When you are dealing with people, there's no such thing as fail-safe. Consider the last few months:

Pala gets sick on returning to Nepal from the US. ( He's 80 )

It's just me guessing, but son Gelbu probably has his mind on the Nepalese equivalent of the Playboy Centerfold or the Indian Bollywood equivalent of Marilyn Monroe or Raquel Welch or Jaqueline Smith ( pick equivalents from your own era - just remember that hormones are hell ).

Yangdu is going nuts over her dad's and Bill's health. ( Bill is 70 )

Bill goes back home disgusted at the Reno physickians, figuring he'll take his chances with the Kansas doctors, and gets back there just in time for his father's heart attack. ( He's 90 )

They are all good people, the kamis included. But things get through in times like this that usually wouldn't. Those of us who've done business with HI for awhile are going to stick around.
 
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