Questions before buying...

Quarterstaff

Quarterstaff

Joined
Dec 14, 2000
Messages
226
I've got a few bucks left over after the Nimravus so its time to look at kukris But first a few questions:
How do you sharpen a kukri's inside curve?(probly got the wrong terminology there)
What did the Ghurkhas sharpen them with?
Is the edge near the handle have a more obtuse angle than towards the tip?
And a question that'll get everyone started: What kukri to buy first?
smile.gif
 
Welcome, You are about to embark on a great adventure. A first khukuri will depend on what you want it to do. For a fighter or lighter knife you will want a sirupati. For a chopper you will want a ang khola. Then there is the whole issue of custom knives like the Uncle Bill Especiale (UBE) and the Yvsa Cherokee Special (YCS), which do some of both. And there is the classics like the British Army Servie (BAS) and the WWII models, which are all around performers. Most models are offered in different blade lengths. Basically you are going to end up buying a whole mess of them in an effort to find the perfect one or just to have a khukuri for every occasion. This is known as HIKV (Himalayan Imports Khukuri Virus), you can't have just one. Each khukuri comes with a small tool called a chakma with which to steel or burnish the edge and they generally work pretty good. Yvsa had a great post on khuk sharpening which a search should turn up or some more computer savy person can provide a link to. On the khuks I own the edge geometery does seem to change along the edge but I believe this is intentional and part of the design of the blade. Good luck, you won't regret whatever you get.
 
Welcome aboard. As the previous post has stated, you're sure gonna buy a lot of stuff!
This is the HI Website: http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html

Look through all the suggested areas, since it also has links to the FAQs and Khukuri descriptions.

Have fun.

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Watakushi Wa Shinajin Desu
DeathDancer

Movement, transcends movement, transcends thought--Zazen Mantra

[This message has been edited by DeathDancer (edited 03-02-2001).]
 
Welcome!
You are best doing your homework. find out what your needs are and go from there! the H.I. web site is the place to start. As for sharpening I use A medium DMT stone followed by a Fine Spyderco ceramic for use in the field. At home I use a Cardboard wheel with jewlers rouges on a motor rated at 3450 RPM. That polishes the edge to a true razor edge! You can find great sharpening supplies at http://www.treelineusa.com. Good luck!!!

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Chris B.
 
“how do you sharpen a kukri's inside curve?”

Check out the khukuri FAQ. For quick and dirty maintenance, I often use the EZ-Lap folding diamond hone (for tough sharpening jobs). Otherwise I start with the medium Spyderco Sharpener. I think it is about 1” x 4”. It follows all the curves well. Then I finish with the white Spyderco. I use them as files and sharpen the blade freehand. If time permits I follow some of the procedures in the sharpening FAQ to maintain a convex edge.

“What did the Ghurkhas sharpen them with?”

Probably the hone attached to their issued bayonets.

“Is the edge near the handle have a more obtuse angle than towards the tip?”

Usually as the blade is thinner near the handle.

“And a question that'll get everyone started: What kukri to buy first?”

Depends on what you want to do with it. The 18” WWII and GS are the best all-purpose khukuri. I would go with one of these as they look like what everyone expects a khukuri to look like. The GRS excels at chopping and cutting. The Ang Khola splits well and has a re-enforced spine for more lateral strength. Check out the FAQ on different models and read the reviews to get an idea of what to expect.

Will

 
:
Looks like good advice to me, nothing I can add.
smile.gif


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>>>>---Yvsa-G@WebTV.net---->®

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
Only thing I can add is something Yvsa(or was it Rusty in a thread about old timers he knew that would pound farm implements to a sharp edge over and over instead of grinding them away?) told me when I first posted a ? about sharpening. You can use all kinds of sharpeners for really dull khuks, but for touchups the chakma is great because you don't "remove any steel"! This is great advice for someone like me that likes to keep even heavy "user" khukuris very sharp, but would like them to have as much metal left as possible Far into the future
smile.gif
.

Rob
 
Thanks for bringing that up for me, MauiRob. Now if I only remembered that myself.
 
:
Bro & Rob the post is in the link Howard posted.
It was one I wrote that Howard was good enough to put in the Khukuri FAQ's.
smile.gif



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>>>>---Yvsa-G@WebTV.net---->®

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
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