Rambling and Rolling Khuk Thoughts for November R

[munk]

I've had the Sher Special with me for several weeks now. When I'm feeling warm and comfortable, and life is good, I like looking at the metal and feeling the edge with my hand. I even shaved a little hair off with it. This is a well thought out blade. Sher does several interesting things with the design and I hope HI gets some of these made and shipped soon so you can see what I mean.

* It is as light and as slender as 'traditionalists' pine after, yet stout enough and long enough at 18" to really work and carry.

* The handle is belled and very appealing, retaining this traditional feature.

* The cho is gone, and in it's place a flat plane, emphasizing what isn't there. Well, if you are going to depart from the traditional, why not do it with a clean break? And some extra safety too, as this allows the fingers off the grip and forward on the steel, or even fingers to slip forward and still not be cut. I find this safety unneccesary, but some might find it valuable. Certainly removing the cho is work saving. That cost should return to the consumer. This blade may be introduced at the right time, too, because I've noticed HI blades starting to edge upwards in price. Just a little here and there; but the indications are apparent that with shipping and other costs growing daily Yangdu cannot keep us in this bubble forever. We've had it very good and I think she'll keep them down as low as she can for us. But everything goes up, except my bank balance.

* No Karda and no Chakma make for a light and slender carrying khuk. I don't often take the small tools with me on a day hike, and this was a clever move on Sher's part.

The khuk is either on the writing desk or at the bedside, having kicked out the Chitlangi which kicked out the Rose. The Rose will return one day, the Chit...don't know.

My firewood's cut but there's always opportunity for more. When the AK Cleaver gets here we'll see.

Somebody better write one of those warm and fuzzy holiday fireside tales, with a gun dog, a flask of beverage, and a trusty khuk at the table. Naturally, the book under the spectacles is Kipling or Donne or some roustabout.

That's how I feel about the Sher Special- Safe and warm inside for the Holidays.

When I got back from the hospital the house was dark and I thought for a second I saw some light in the yard below. I figured it was just the reflectors on the kid's bikes but you never knew, and with all the commotion and unpacking I didn't have time to fiddle about. I went inside, grabbed the Sher special and belted it on. Only then could I light the fire, unpack the truck, and let the kids in the house warm and safe.

Old Bart Travis said the male Cougar toms crossed over the mountain behind the house. Paranoid or just plain dark out here, I'm glad I have this khukuri.

munk

 

[hollowdweller]

Somebody better write one of those warm and fuzzy holiday fireside tales, with a gun dog, a flask of beverage, and a trusty khuk at the table. Naturally, the book under the spectacles is Kipling or Donne or some roustabout.

munk

How about a goat in the yard:thumbup: , a khukuri, a trishul and a full chillum laying on the table by an opened copy of the Upanishads

 

[Yvsa]

Old Bart Travis said the male Cougar toms crossed over the mountain behind the house. Paranoid or just plain dark out here, I'm glad I have this khukuri.

munk

Down where my brother lives near Tuscon Arizona you don't want to venture outside at night without an excellent set of outside lights on, or a khukuri, Large Bowie, or large calibre pistol!
Quite a while back Bro went out the back door after dark, and when it's after dark where he lives at 40 plum it is *Dark*, for his last cigarette.
After he stood there for a little while smoking his stomach growled and immediately afterward something somewhat large just a few feet out and up stomachs growled too. Bro said the hackles on the back of his neck went up and he immediately went on alert mode and stood up to his full heighth and started slowly backing towards the back door.
It was just a couple of steps away and when he got there he slowly opened the door and turned on the back light.
Whatever had been there had quietly and swiftly disappeared.
It wasn't long after that when Barb and me was there for a visit.
It had rained before this happened to Bro and after he told us the story we were out back looking around.
Barb is quite the tracker and she was walking slowly behind the house which is just a narrow flat area between the house and the small rock natural wall that was created when the bulldozer leveled the ground for the house. It's mostly rocky back there but it had been muddy along the bottom of the wall.
Barb found some cat tracks dried in the mud and they weren't kitty cat tracks either!
There was also a rubbed spot about where Bro said the sound came from and it was only maybe about 8-10 foot from where he had been standing.
We surmise that the cougar had lain there for a while, maybe contemplating Bro for dinner but was having a hard time deciding if he wanted to eat something as big as Bro.
In the area where Bro lives there has been a lot of encroachment on the natural habitat and there are all kinds of wildlife in the area.
Lots of deer, I mean *Lots* and coyotes up the ying yang as well as wild turkey so there's lots of food for predatory animals.
Cougars abound in the area as well and sightings are common oft times in broad daylight!
Besides the cougars and what is really disconcerting is that Jaguars have been seen not too far away in the area.
Where cougars will attack and kill and eat young kids and small women a Jaguar is much more of a threat to dayumed near anyone that isn't well armed and alert.

I was still smoking when we were there the first time and Bro told me to wake him up if I woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to smoke as he didn't want me outside alone in the night even though the veranda was well lighted.
I curbed any desire to smoke at night as I didn't want to wake him and disturb his sleep, besides I didn't care to have any possible excitement at that time of the night any way. There's no telling how long it would've been since I would've been able to sleep again. I have a goodly respect for cougars and a real fear of Jaguars, they are extremely formidable animals!!!!

 

[munk]

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Jaguar follow the mountains into the US.

We had wolves around here before Game and Fish said there were. In fact, I don't think they say they are. And occasionally someone I trust will spot a Wolverine.

You must figure before a species 'comes back' to an area, individuals try over and over again to make it work.

Wish you all could see what a stuffed 170 pound Cougar looks like. It's nothing you want roaming around your camp or home. (well, ok, the stuffed one wouldn't hurt anyone unless it was a zombie.)

A local shop has a pair inside, along with various other permanently preserved specimens, and I like to look in now and again to remind myself how small I really am.

I'd imagine even many of you ex-service, street fighting, martial arts weight lifters would want no truck with a large Cougar.

There just isn't any thing there safe for a feller to get ahold of. That's why I like the idea of a 41 doing the introduction, or the handshake with a nice 18" khuk.


I guess unless it was a true sword with a knowledgable fighter, I think the khuk is the best anti animal weapon for a blade.


munk

 

[Yvsa]

Well I suppose a fit fellow or even a half fit fellow even might be able to defend themselves from a Jaguar with the right khukuri. After all there is the stories from India about men teasing a tiger until it charged and then the story goes, "Jump nimbly aside and sever a paw with their khukuri and while the tiger was angrily and in severe pain thrashing around the man would calmly dispatch the tiger with his khukuri by cutting the tiger's throat."
Right now if I happened to kill anything or even maim anything it would be a pure fluke and a miracle, but I'd dayumed sure try.
You try until you can't try anymore and that's only because you died in the interem.
I didn't mean to make the thread, which khukuri is best for a large cat.

As far as Sher's new model, I can't say that I like it. I'm like the kamis, since it doesn't have a cho it isn't a khukuri, only a khukuri like object.
It may have its advantages but I can't see them. Personally I'd rather see more Falcatas as they are at least historic.

 

[munk]

I think if you'd swung one you'd like it. It is entirely fair to call it a KLO, as you say.

As for Jaguars, I don't want a blade against them. Jack OConnor used to refer to the Cougar as a slob hunter, and I think that's right. But a Jaguar is an entirely different beast.


I want a tool with gun powder if we have Jaguars.


munk

 

[Kismet]

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/agarman/jaguar.htm

 

[kronckew]

them little dinkey ol' jaguar puddy tats wouldn't stand a chance against my dog 'Spot'. here's a picture of him (on left) with his buddy, sam, the newfoundland (on right) when he was a pup.

he's all grown up now and doesn't like puddy tats at all. here he is with uncle bob:

he really likes little children too! here's one we found earlier, just said 'why did you close that door, mister?' - musta had fun tho, we came back later & he was gone, didn't even say 'bye.

i'll bring along his brindle girlfriend too, 'Smillie', she' don't like them lil' spotty puddy tats either.

here's Smillie with a few of my friends, nuthin' like a nice doggie to attract the girls!

if y'all have enuff to make a meal for their son, Percy, we'll come on down. he does like his walkies....

p.s. - don't y'all make fun of his name, he gets reely angry if'n you do. you don't want to see Percy angry now, do you?

 

[Dave Rishar]

You guys need to get some more cats in the house.

Oscar the Attack Cat is by no means a cougar, but occasionally he thinks that he is. When you spend your day being stalked by a cat, you sort of get a feel for it after a while. If you're off your game, the only penalty is a scratch on the leg or a tumble down the stairs.

Good practice, I think. But I'm still afraid of cougars.

EDIT: Never expected to see Tiger Girls outside of southeast asia. Good stuff, Kronckew.

 

[kronckew]

You guys need to get some more cats in the house.

Oscar the Attack Cat is by no means a cougar, but occasionally he thinks that he is. When you spend your day being stalked by a cat, you sort of get a feel for it after a while. If you're off your game, the only penalty is a scratch on the leg or a tumble down the stairs.

Good practice, I think. But I'm still afraid of cougars.

y'all need a good dog, spot & smillie are fixin' to have another litter of pups, if you're interested (see my post just above dave's), the animal control officer said they're called 'Ligers' jes before he disappeared like the little boy, turn your back for a moment & they just disappear, never seen the like. must be my deoderant

 

[Dave Rishar]

For the record, Oscar the Attack Cat has neither killed nor eaten anyone yet. At least, no one that will be missed.

It's a good thing that he's not a hundred pounds heavier, or I would not be posting this. Seriously. He has a bad temper when he gets into the catnip.

 

[Fiddleback]

OK I've got a cougar story. I'll preface it to say I never saw the cougar the day of the story. I did see it while hunting with my grandfather later that season, so I know it exsisted. My grandfather didn't believe my story until that morning, but he had warned me that people said they'd spotted one. Cougars are extremely rare in Mississippi, in fact my grandad had only seen one before that morning, and he grew up on that property.

I was 14 years old, and allowed to hunt by myself for the first time that season. I think everyone was tired of rotating an adult with me for a squirrel hunt on the property. I had been rooting around in new areas that I hadn't hunted before and found this section of hickory trees that was just packed with squirrel. I got up extra early, headed out with my .22, and got to my spot a good 20 minutes before dawn. Now at that age your imagination is way nuts, and its spooky out in the woods by yourself for the first few times. Hell even today my ears are pricked up and I'm ready for anything. I swear to everything I hold dear that 10 minutes into my silent wait for dawn, shivering in the cold, I heard a deep rumbly growl. I froze and for several minutes was almost too scared to breathe. After several minutes the sky began to become grey and a squirrel scurried along a branch not far from me. I raised my gun and shot it, and thats all I know about the growl. It may have been nothing, or my imagination, but later that year on my first ever Deer hunt my grandad and I saw a cougar from our stand. There are cayotes around the place, but I think I would have heard one as it retreated from the shot. Not a sound. To this day I'm convinced it was a cougar, and had it not been for that squirrel, I'd have been breakfast.

Andy

 

[MauiRob]

Perhaps you need to wear one of these....(this is NOT me by the way, just a pic I pulled off of Google)

Cougars go for the neck IIRC...l