Questions about my first kukri (15" Ang Khola)

[chrisbrogden]

The 15" Ang Khola that I ordered from H.I. arrived today, and wow, it's beautiful! The balance feels great, the handle is comfortable (if a bit small for my liking), and the weight is perfect. It has the half-moon mark and the initials "L.B.", so I assume it was made by Bora. I'm really pleased with it, but, as it's my first kukri, I have some questions:

1. Should the handle rattle? When I swing or shake the knife, I hear a rattling sound from inside the handle, as if something small were moving within a very short space (~1cm?). I've tried putting pressure on the buttcap and the bolster to hold them in place while moving the knife and I can still feel something moving. Any idea what this is? Is it normal? If not, any idea how to fix it, or should I just live with it?

2. The blade was quite dull upon arrival. Not butter-knife dull, but I can run my thumb along it with light pressure without being cut, and I can't cut the cardboard box that it came in unless I use the tip or a sawing motion. Are kukri blades supposed to be kept this dull so they don't chip as easily, or is it okay to sharpen it up?

3. How firmly should the blades fit in the sheath? When I place the kukri and the two smaller knives in their sheaths without pressure, they sit loosely, which makes me uncomfortable. When I apply a bit of pressure, it feels like the blades push into something, and they're kept firmly in place. Are they supposed to do that, or am I cutting through the sheath itself? I don't want to push a blade into a place where it's not supposed to be pushed and push it right through the sheath.

4. Looking at the diagram here (http://www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/ConstructionMaint.htm), am I correct in assuming that I want to strike with the belly, and not with the recurve part of the blade?

Sorry for what are probably stupid questions, but I want to make sure I understand this kukri better before I use it.

Thanks,

chris

 

[Josh Feltman]

Chris-- glad to hear that you are enjoying your first khukuri. I think I can answer some of your questions.

1. The rattling might be caused by bits of laha, or "Himalayan epoxy" inside the handle. This stuff is used to firm everything up inside the handle, although the tang, which is peened over at the buttcap, is what actually keeps the handle on. If if bothers you, you can try a few things. First, you can briefly heat the handle in boiling water. This should cause the laha to melt and stick back together, stopping the rattle. If you don't want to try that, you can try to squeeze some superglue in there. It will melt the laha and stick the little rattling pieces back together.

2. You can and probably should sharpen it. Do a search for sharpening on this forum and you'll find all kinds of good info.

3. Sheath fit varies. Some are loose and others are pretty tight. If you look in the FAQ on the HI website, there are instructions for tightening and loosening sheaths. If it's not really loose, I wouldn't worry about it. As far as cutting the sheath, don't force anything, and you should be ok.

4. Depends on what you are doing, but in general, if you are chopping, use the belly. Practice will show you where the "sweet spot" is on your particular khukuri.

You'll probably get plenty of advice on how to care for your khukuri. It's also a good idea to search the forum and the forum archives-- many of these topics have been addressed before.
--Josh

 

[wildmanh]

Hi Chris, congrats on your new Khukuri. I'll defer most of the questions to the experts but will say that it is alright to sharpen the knife. My first Khukuri (A 15" AK also) is probably as dull as yours, but it still chops and splits wood really well. Not to mention Arms! So remember to BE CAREFULL!!!!

 

[Kismet]

your choice of khukuris was excellent. AND, it was made by the Master Kami Bura, arguably the best.

Start with the duller of the small knives and run it along the edge of the khuk, do both sides, over and over.... You will see a marked improvement. This is the field tool used to straighten edges which get damaged in use in Nepal.

Many folks here are more-than-experts in sharpening edges. The good news? you can't really hurt it. Sharpening stones, ceramic rods, diamond hones, sharpening steels...all bring the edge up to some level.
Other folks can tell which they prefer.

I use my Bura AK as a work tool around the yard, and when I can get there, a small woods on the property. I have never aspired to hair-shaving sharpness. I used the blade tool out in the field, and a steel at home, with occasional t-v watching sharpening stone touch-ups.

I'm positive you will be delighted.