Price of 25" Kobra?

C

chris22

Joined
Oct 29, 1999
Messages
156
Just read Tom Holt's last post. Uncle Bill, what are the specs on the 25" Kobra, and more importantly, how much $$$?

Christian
 
Price is $150, Chris. I don't have exact specs other than weight which is about 1.5 pounds and length of 25 inches. I'm sold out so can't measure up anything. Did Tom post specs? Can't remember without looking. He probably can if he hasn't and we ask him nicely.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Specs for the 25" Kumar Kobra

weight; 1lb 14.5 oz
length; overall 25" (go figure...)
blade 18.5"
width; at elbow 1.6"
at bolster 1.25"
at 3/4" from tip 0.725"
thickness; at elbow 0.345"
at bolster 0.310"
ar 3/4" from tip 0.220"
point of balance 0.625" behind elbow, 62 in front of bolster; centre of percussion 3.5" from tip
handle width at widest point 1.3"
at thinnest point 1.05"
handle thickness at thickest point 1.075"
at thinnest point 0.810".

Two words of advice if you're seriously considering a 25" Kobra; *buy one*...
 
Uncle Bill, would you consider doing a special order like with the chiruwa sirupatis where I could be logged on for a 25"kobra and one day it just arrives at my door? Should I post for other takers? After Tom's thread I'm sure there's an epidemic of HIKV for these.

[This message has been edited by OMRie (edited 05-21-2000).]
 
Still like the inch an ounce, or reasonably close, scalpels.

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Some people are alive simply because it is illegal to kill them.
 
Bill Martino wrote -

"You are hired but remember the pay scale! 40 cents an hour and all the rice you can eat."

Hey, I like rice. Especially with lentils.

As for the 40c/hour, that sure beats writing book reviews for British SF magazines.
 
Tom, I've been looking for something longer and thinner, and I've been waiting to see how the katana develops. i've also considered some modifications to the King Kobra. Both of these are either two handed or 1 1/2 handed blades, however. Now you've got me wondering if maybe the 25" Kobra might be better suited to my lusts, err, needs.

Questions:

1) The king Kobra has been reviewed as being rather heavy for one-handed use. How is the 25"? How is the balance, etc?

2) Certainly the Kobras are not prybars, but how much abuse would you say this one could take? In your other post you say it takes out branches some inches thick. How does it behave while chopping? Any vibrations, etc.? How's the sweet spot? my old 20" Sirupati tended to vibrate/twist when I did things it didn't like, while the mass of my AK simply shrugged it off. I'm a little afraid the kobra might be too prone to "misbehaving" under "machete" conditions.

3) Speaking of which, how is the Kobra for lighter work- sticks, twigs, etc.? The Sirupati was a little too massive and tended to move stuff around rather than slice off lighter brush (maybe it was just me).

4) Combat/fighter characteristics? How does it move when you REALLY need it to move?

Thanks for any input.

Tom
 
Tom F asked -

:

"1) The king Kobra has been reviewed as being rather heavy for one-handed use. How is the 25"? How is the balance, etc?"

I own a King Kobra. When it arrived I thought I'd get used to it, but I have to say I just don't like it (which is just a churlish way of saying it doesn't suit my needs) The King Kobra isn't a one-hander or a hand-and-a-half - not because of the weight (a paltry 2lb 3.25 oz - I may not like this khuk but the skill and design flair that went into it fills me with admiration & envy) but rather the balance, right on the elbow, 8.5" forward of the bolster.

I believe this CoB is further forward, proportionately speaking, than is usual for a sirupati - my other 4 sirupatis all balance a little behind the elbow, ie nearer the hand. More to the point, the CoB on a *sword* of 30" blade or less is traditionally much closer to the hand; between 3" and 5". When you also factor in the drop at the point, you're left with half the weight of the khuk (ie everything from point to elbow)bearing on a centre of percussion travelling in a different plane to the hand. On the 25" Kobra, this translates into positive, useable "aggression". On the 30", it makes the blade twist in the hands almost uncontrollably at times. A heavy counterweight pommel would go some way to solving this in the case of the 30", I believe, thouh it wouldn't solve the associated problems of shudder and twist.

It's worth noting, I think, that the King Kobra is 1.6" longer than the 25" from bolster to elbow, 3.8" longer elbow to point. That's the difference, IMHO, between a truly great blade (the 25") and a citrus fruit

2) "Certainly the Kobras are not prybars, but how much abuse would you say this one could take?"

More abuse than I'm either likely to give it or am physically capable of giving it. The Kobra is rated by HI as a "thin" khuk; but that 0,345" of 5160-grade carbon steel at the elbow is *massive* in comparison with conventional blades. If I wasn't innumerate, I'd look up the tensile strength specs and do the math. By way of comparison; my nihonto katana is 0.310 at its thickest point, and my 1911 US service issue pioneer's cleaver is 0.275"...

I've chopped down 25 year old pine trees with my home-made 5160 machete (1/8" max thickness at spine), used it as a crowbar, hammer, lever, fulcrum, whatever; it never even crossed my mind that it'd break. 5160 is tough stuff. IMHO, the 25" Kobra is damn near unbreakable.

"In your other post you say it takes out branches some inches thick. How does it behave while chopping? Any vibrations, etc.?"

No vibrations, no handshock; it's like using a lightsaber.

"How's the sweet spot?"

Sweet...

" I'm a little afraid the kobra might be too prone to "misbehaving" under "machete" conditions."

Don't be. It stays on line (unlike the 30", which deflects easily; something which might prove a tad hair-raising under certain circumstances...)It's a supremely controllable blade

"3) Speaking of which, how is the Kobra for lighter work- sticks, twigs, etc"

When I used it for a full day, I used it to cut everything from trees to grass... It cuts grass, nettles, brambles, twigs &c like a brush-hook or a bean-hook - keep the elbow still, flick from the wrist, job done. For thick stuff, I like giving it a bit more shoulder - a round-arm swing builds up handspeed, resulting in astonishing cutting power. On a couple of occasions I've used the 25" to strike double-handed as hard as I'm capable of hitting. No ill-effects to the khuk, excellent results, and the length/shape of the grip is delightfully comfortable

I found the 25" Kobra far less tiring to use than any comparable cutting tool I've used for similar work. It's worth bearing in mind that I suffer from chronic tendonitis in both arms - believe me, I notice weight, handshock &c more than most people...

"4) Combat/fighter characteristics? How does it move when you REALLY need it to move?"

My only martial arts experience is in Iaido, and I have no 'live' combat experience (thank God...) so I can't really comment. If you want an uninformed opinion, though; what I like best about the 25" Kobra is the *handspeed* and the *control*. My guess is that you could launch an attack faster than with most swords or big knives, aim your blow with more control, and change direction more easily. It reminds me a lot of a really high-class long wakizashi, but with an extra 'punch' because of the blade profile.

In case you hadn't already guessed, I rather like the 25" Kobra.


 
And Bill, it looks like you've sold another 25" Kobra. THIS is what I've been looking for... So how do I go about ordering one? (Or did I just?) And about how long before I can get my hands on Kumar's masterpiece?
(I know you said you're out of stock now..that's ok. My wallet needs to recover a bit from the Gelbu Special. Whenever you place an order for another half-dozen, please put me down for one!)

Thanks Tom! Your review and comments are music to my ears. You may have found THE ONE for me, too!

Tom
(There's another Tom here in my office, and every time we talk, some smart@$$ walks by and says he can hear the Tom-Tom. Good thing we have a policy against workplace violence...)
 
Bill Martino wrote -

"Tom, you're hired!!!!!!!!!"

What was that about all the rice I can eat?

Tom F; if you enjoy your 25" Kobra even half as much as I've enjoyed mine, you've got a real treat coming. No disrespect to the other HI khuks, but it's in a class of its own.
 
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