- Joined
- Feb 2, 2002
- Messages
- 6
Several weeks, I purchased an older khukri for $15.00. The reddish, wooden hilt appears to be a one-piece carved affair with a brass butt-plate. There is a triangle engraved in the center of the butt-plate and there is small, oval-shaped nut with decorative lines mounted flush on a bolt in the center of the triangle. The bolt comes up through the center of the hilt and is probably the end of the tang.
The blade itself is 13 inches in length and has the following markings: Tempered STFFI Made in India. There is also a 4-inch groove on each side of the blade that extends from the hilt to where the blade begins its downward curve. I first thought blood grooves but they seem to be too high on the blade for that purpose. There is also an M or W shaped notch on the edged side of the blade just past the hilt. There is some discoloration on the blade and I would like to know if using very fine steel wool to remove the discoloration would be harmful?
The scabbard appears to be made of wood covered with black leather and does not have any type of cap on its end. The top 4.5-inches of the scabbard has very tight leather lacings that run through black metal grommets in an X pattern. The back of the scabbard is unadorned but there are two black leather loops braded to the back. The loops have limited adjustability with small silver-colored buckles on the front. Would the loops have connected to a waist belt or to a shoulder/chest harness of some type? I think using saddle soap on the scabbard will help preserve the leather.
On the back of the scabbard there are also two smaller opening to house two smaller knives. However, only one of the original two knives is still inserted into the holster. I have read that the two small knives are called the karda and chakmak. The chakmak is for sharpening the blade and starting fires with flint and the karda is for skinning. However, I do not know which of the two knifes is present.
Any other information that you can provide me will be appreciated.
Thanks,
dglockster
The blade itself is 13 inches in length and has the following markings: Tempered STFFI Made in India. There is also a 4-inch groove on each side of the blade that extends from the hilt to where the blade begins its downward curve. I first thought blood grooves but they seem to be too high on the blade for that purpose. There is also an M or W shaped notch on the edged side of the blade just past the hilt. There is some discoloration on the blade and I would like to know if using very fine steel wool to remove the discoloration would be harmful?
The scabbard appears to be made of wood covered with black leather and does not have any type of cap on its end. The top 4.5-inches of the scabbard has very tight leather lacings that run through black metal grommets in an X pattern. The back of the scabbard is unadorned but there are two black leather loops braded to the back. The loops have limited adjustability with small silver-colored buckles on the front. Would the loops have connected to a waist belt or to a shoulder/chest harness of some type? I think using saddle soap on the scabbard will help preserve the leather.
On the back of the scabbard there are also two smaller opening to house two smaller knives. However, only one of the original two knives is still inserted into the holster. I have read that the two small knives are called the karda and chakmak. The chakmak is for sharpening the blade and starting fires with flint and the karda is for skinning. However, I do not know which of the two knifes is present.
Any other information that you can provide me will be appreciated.
Thanks,
dglockster
