Question about Bura

Yep, you did and that is like the Bura bending I have had. What he describes. Probably 90% of the people would not bend one cause their khuks just hang out. But when you get into that hard wood then you get it. I have been using my khuks to clear a trail through a bunch of downed timber in my woods, so I have been cutting 6" and up dried pine, hickory, and oak with it. I feel sure if I was only chopping green wood or old punky wood I'd have no problem.

My AK bowie bent back about 2" behind the sweet spot. I beat it back in place with a brass hammer and sharpened it out and so far no more bending. My Ganga ram bent all the way up to the sweet spot. about a 6" area. I managed to get it all pushed back but knocked a chip out of the belly pushing the sweet spot bend back. Not a bad chip though. The worst bends were about 4" off the sweet spot. I got them pushed back, but if you hold it up to the light you can see where it wavered. Most chopping won't affect it, but when you get into that hard sappy pine like you were talking about (Munk) or Oak then I get the waver.

I also have a swastika M43, 18" Whiz AK, Bura Pen Knife, 12" Swastika AK, and so far no bending on them, but they don't chop as easy as the Bura's either so it's a tradeoff I guess. :D

I really love Bura's edges so much I keep toying with the idea of buying another Ganga Ram, taking the blade off and sending it somewhere to be "preemptively tempered" then somehow coating or replacing the handle and filling it with acraglas. Be a lot of work but then I could be pretty sure it would last me. :cool:
 
That just doesn't sound like Bura, Hollow. Perhaps the metal they're working with has changed, and Bura can't get away with as thin an edge, or perhaps Bura is feeling his age.


munk
 
Thanks for the input guys. I had heard of the bending but this is the first I've heard of his blades actually breaking. I have a Kumar Chiruwa AK. First time out I got a little bending & small chip. After working the blade back into shape I've had no problems. I wonder, is this because of removing softer metal & getting down to the more tempered metal? Or possibly some "work hardening" going on here? I like the idea of heat treating a blade from the git go, would be alot of work tho. Again I appreciate the info .
 
I currently have two Khukuri's by Bura, a Wood handled 20" Sirupati and a horn handled 16.5" WWII. Both were purchased April of last year right after I got my income tax return.

Both have been used hard and I have not had a single blade related problem. The Sirupati's handle took a few hits on a trip last summer which chipped out the points on the butt, something I was already thinking of doing so it wasn't that big a deal. I've since filed the butt cap and wood down so that they are smooth, so now a 2 handed grip is more comfortable. The WWII's horn handle is just as nice as the day I got it. Has some pretty grain lines in it that I thought might develop into cracks in the dry heat we have in Utah, but after a year, still no problems. :D I trust both of my Bura made Khukuris, he does good work!

I also have khukuris by "K.S. [Trident]" and K.M. [Star of David] Kamis and have also used them hard. Don't have any complaints about those Khukuris either.

Sometimes the Kamis have "off days" especially around the holiday rush when most of the failures and problem Khukuris apear. But mostly, All of the Kamis do a great job and I would not mind having Khukuris made by any of them.:D

Here are some pics of my two Bura's (click on images for more pictures):



One thing I really like about Bura's work are the Fullers that he adds to some models. Check out the Fullers on the WWII, not a standard feature but definatly a cool one. Looks good and helps with the balance. IMO It balances as a all around Khukuri should. :D
 
nice pics, Heber!

Not sure about that brick though........oh, the shame...:D


:p



:footinmou
 
ernesto said:
I wonder, is this because of removing softer metal & getting down to the more tempered metal?
Click to expand...
I don't recall hearing much support for the idea,
but I think that's often the case.

Overheating the steel -a little- can 'burn off' the carbon
from the surface layers--so softer metal.
On the edge it wouldn't take much to overheat it.
A few sharpenings remove this softer layer.

Work hardening might be a factor as well,
as you suggest.
 
not sure I understand what's going on, but these 2 things remain true:

1 - a hardened edge is hardened all the way through.
2 - soft steel bends, hard steel breaks.
 
pendentive said:
not sure I understand what's going on, but these 2 things remain true:

1 - a hardened edge is hardened all the way through.
2 - soft steel bends, hard steel breaks.
Click to expand...
1- Sort of correct. Dean nailed it. Sometimes when hardening a blade the edge is overheated and all the carbon is burned out. Fileing or honing past this part of the edge restores it back to the carbon enhanced hardened steel. Tim Lively and the Neo-Tribal guys are very familiar with this problem.

2- Spot on!!!!
 
Bill once said that as the edge gets thicker, he would not guarentee it was hardened all the way through. I pestered him about this because I wanted my khuks to last forever. He said he thought we had about a half inch or so to sharpen. I was reminded it would take me a lifetime to sharpen through a half inch.

Yvsa- how much edge will I have left on my 25" AK?



munk
 
Clarification - the hardened part of the blade's edge will be hardened throughout, regardless of surface decarb, etc. We're saying the same thing. Decarb of 5160 takes place at very high temperatures, so might not need to worry about it.

The bending of the blade is due to the bevel being hollow ground. Impact-use knives were never meant to be hollow ground. Flat ground....maybe. Convex ground....yes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top