Ah, Uncle Bill, last time I emailed you, you weren't sure if the KS was the new kami or Kesar (I think)--nice to know for sure. Shanker does very nice work. He made my second 18" AK. It is much lighter and quicker in the hand than my other AK, which was made by Sher. My wife doesn't usually pay much attention to my khukuris. She is glad that I enjoy them, but for the most part, they don't interest her at all. When she saw the AK by Shanker, she spent about five minutes looking it over, and announced afterwards that she felt the maker wanted to be recognized someday as the best. She cited in particular his attention to detail--"It's like he wanted everything to be perfect", she said. I have to agree with her. He definitely put something special into my blade, and I can't wait to see how his skills develop in the future.
--Josh