Recieved my 1st HI khukuri, BUT, whats this.........please look

L

Llamedos

Joined
Jul 14, 1999
Messages
352
Hi Uncle Bill and everyone. Today I recieved my 1st HI khukuris (2 BAS models, 1 for a friend). Wow, what can I say, they are fantastic. Now I know what everyone is talking about. I definately see that there will be more coming my way in the future
smile.gif

Thanks Uncle Bill.

So, they are great, BUT, they both have some 'black spots' on certain areas of the blade and spine (near the tip). These sections are not very big, maybe 0.5cm x 0.5cm.
I was just wondering if anyone had any idea what these might be ? Is it rust ? Can they be gotten rid of, and if so how ?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

JD

PS:- I got completely forked by customs. I was charged £63.16 for the package at this end. Thats approximately $95.86
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, virtually the price of one of the khukuris.
 
Hello James, Could be tiny rust spots. Try some pretty fine grit sandpaper and see if you can remove them.

I'll be back in Reno next week. Keep me posted. We will find a way to get rid of the spots. They should not be there.

Glad the knives made it safely and sorry about customs.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
The black spots on your khuks may be scale inclusions - that's where scale (a deposit of impurities produced by the charcoal in the forge fire) has been hammered into the steel during the forging of the blade.

(To judge by the examples in my collection, Kumar's khuks tend to exhibit this fault occasionally. It's also a fault that I'm usually guilty of, to a *much* greater extent than Kumar, in the blades I make. Usually it's the result of carelessness - not taking the time to clean the scale off blade and anvil before starting to pound the hot metal)

If the black marks are in or under the surface of the blade, my guess is they're scale inclusions rather than simple rust. Another possible cause is deep rust pitting in the original truck spring which is forged into the blade when it's shaped on the anvil(again, I've been there and done that)

Both problems are purely cosmetic and won't affect the strength of the blade. There's not much you can do about them, short of regrinding and repolishing the blade
 
You have Bill's word - it'll get straightened out to your satisfaction.

It's a shame though, your first HI khuk should be perfect, just like your first... um, lets get back to the subject. A true HI khuk should be a work of art, razor sharp, a ferocious weapon, and a tool that can't be broken. Not a toy, not a wallhanger replica, the actual real thing handmade made and with a spirit meant for you only.

After the first it's like girls: blonde, brunette, redhead, raven tressed beauties, all delightfully different.

See if you can get us pictures - close ups so we can see the problem.



------------------
John Moses designed it, I trust it, and that settles it.


Himalayan Imports Website
 
Thanks for the info so far guys.

Uncle Bill, what type of sandpaper do you recommend ? (I've never used it before)

Also, they are not very sharp at all, as they wont even cut paper. What do you recommend for sharpening a khukuri ?
I'm gonna search the archives as well for some additional information.

Thanks

JD
 
Hello. I have/had the same problem with a Gelbu Special. There are dark grey/black areas that don't seem to come out no matter what you do. But, as already mentioned, there might be several reasons for the spots. So first of all, start with the gentlest cleaning you can do, then work your way up. That way, you do only the amount of "damage" to the blade that is needed.

Start with some Flitz or some other aggressive (chemmically aggressive, not abrasive) polish. This will remove the spots if they are simply surface oxidation, or they may lighten them enough so they don't bother you.

If that doesn't do it, then move on to a mild abrasive. I have found that an abrasive bathroom cleanser such as Comet works well, as it also has some chlorine (be sure to remove ALL the cleanser and oil the blade thouroughly after. Chlorine is VERY corrosive to iron). Failing that, try some very soft abrasive pads such as kitchen scouring pads, 0000 steel wool, Scotchbrite, etc. If that still doesn't work, then go to no coarser than 600 grit sandpaper. Then try 400. By this time you'll be removing quite a bit of metal, so be careful and go slowly.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 
Thanks Tom. This doesn't sound like something Uncle Bill would let slip thru pre shipment qc - unless they were sold as blems? But I cant recall any blems described that way. A fold or two maybe.

The old social worker in me just can't resist asking:

So now, what are YOU going to do about YOUR problem, Uncle Bill? LOL
 
The black spots are the residue from polished off rust, and therefore wouldn't have happened during shipment.

Whenever we get a shipment of khukuris in, one or two out of a hundred have a tiny spot of rust. We remove it with a buffing wheel, but sometimes, there's a black shadow that remains. To date, I have been unable to figure out a good way to remove it. You CAN grind the blade and then repolish it, which would take care of the problem.

We usually end up sending said khukuris to one of our wholesalers, who is a professional knife maker and who can take care of the black rust residue in about 15 minutes.

Hope that helps.



------------------
Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Black rust does not "grow" like orange rust does because the chemical reaction does not cause a volume expansion. There is no reason except the visual to remove it. It fact it will actually prevent orange rust from forming.

-Cliff
 
Hi Rusty, no they were not sold as blems. Let me try and describe the marks a bit more acurately.

  1. On one of the khukuris there is a small cluster of little black dots in a tight group. My initial post mentioned that this was about 0.5cm x 0.5cm. This size was just a guestimate and now I've measured them this figure is innacurate. The 'patch/cluster' is about 2.5mm x 2.5mm (Not far out, time to get my eyes tested, lol).
    This blade also cannot cut paper at all.
  2. On the 2nd khukuri there are more little black marks but not in a round like cluster. These are on the spine just above the bolster (about 1cm long, a thin slither, not many at all quite spread out - just enough to bug me), same as above on spine near the tip, and some lines of the black dots going over the engraved part of the blade.
    This khukuri is only sharp for about 2 inches coming back from the tip. The rest will not cut paper at all.[/list=a]

    One also had what I would describe as scratches on some portions of the blade. I dont mean 1 hairline scratch but a cluster about 1.5cm wide and a good couple of inches long.

    Dont get me wrong, I like the khukuris alot, but I guess my expectations were too high. I was expecting flawlessness (smooth finished blade, sharp etc...), especially from Bura.

    This was the 1st time I've ever even held/seen a khukuri before, so they may all have minor flaws like this. It is fine by me if they all have minor imperfections, after all I'm amazed at how good it is using the equipment they use.

    Rusty, what is a fold ? How do I know if I have one ?

    And as far as this comment:
    ...So now, what are YOU going to do about YOUR problem, Uncle Bill? LOL
    Click to expand...
    Unfortunately I live in the UK so returning them is not an option. Perhaps I'm being too picky. To another person these may be really trivial issues but I dont mean to offend, I'm just stating what bothers me

    I really appreciate all of the help so far guys.

    JD
 
One thing to remember is that these knives really can't look as good as a high-end custom from an American or European maker simply because they don't have the tools. Or the time for that matter. Many custom makers do it in their spare time for a hobby or as supplemental income (I know one such personally). They can afford to spend days, sometimes weeks making a blade. The kamis can't really, since for them it's their full time job, and they get paid by the knife, not the hour. This is not to say they are rushing things, but go back and read some of Bill's posts about the time BirGorkha started. The kamis were only interested in volume production, never mind appearances. The fit and finish of HI blades has gone up quite a bit in the last year.

Also remember, these are FORGED blades, not stock-removal. That means they inherently have more "flaws" in them such as fold lines (which look just like your black spots, but they are lines. Imagine a black hair on the blade which you couldn't get rid of) and "dents" from the hammer. once you've been around khukris for a while, you can see these as the art and character of the man who stooped in a small shop halfway around the world and beat this **** piece of metal into a working blade (emphasis on working. For the Nepalese, these blades are live-saving necessities).

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm getting on your case, because i'm not trying to. I think what you are experiencing is a sort of culture shock. I had it the first time I got a kukhri. I thought, sheesh, any $4 kitchen knife doesn't have these dings and dents in it. THEN I realized what those dings and dents really are...
www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum26/HTML/000262.html

Your expectations aren't too high, they're just different. Just play with it for a while. I promise it will grow on you. (Then you'll be infected with HIKV like the rest of us).
smile.gif


Tom
 
Llamedos asked; "what is a fold ? How do I know if I have one ?"

You'd know if you did... A fold is, quite simply, where a small section of the steel has folded over on itself during forging. It's most likely to happen during the drawing-down process, when the flat spring stock is hammered on the flats and edges to move metal to where it's needed (a bit like squidging toothpaste in a tube). When the flat rectangular spring is hammered on the edge, there's a tendency for it to curl over. If the curl is then inadvertently forged in, that's a fold.

I learned about folds and how the occur the hard way ie by making this mistake myself, a number of times...

Folds can look pretty alarming; at first sight you can mistake them for fatal-looking cracks. In nearly every case, however, they're a cosmetic problem only and won't affect the working qualities of the blade or its strength.
 
Llamedos, I apologize if what I said bothered you. I was NOT making light of your feelings. I can and do understand the part about something not feeling quite right and not knowing if it's something to make a big deal about, or not. I didn't mean to step on your toes or any sore spots, and I'm sorry.

I know Uncle Bill makes good on his promises. It's just that international shipping sounds like a job I'm glad I don't have to deal with. These kind of things make him pull his hair out. Therefore I was teasing him that it was up to him.

I wish I could, but I can't speak for Uncle Bill. He will be back after a long weekend. Don't let it get you. Even if it does feel like being a five year old at Christmastime, getting exactly what you dreamed of, and then having your little brother bust it. You know it'll get replaced ( correction- it'll get made right some way so you are fully satisfied ), but it aint no fun to wait.

------------------
John Moses designed it, I trust it, and that settles it.


Himalayan Imports Website

[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 06-30-2000).]
 
You can make the whole blade black with gun blue if you want. I love a blued blade but it's a matter of taste....

Reminds me of a friend of mine who spilled coffee on a wicker rug. He couldn't get the stain out, but the dark brown stain really looked better than the rest of the rug -- so he brewed up a big pot of coffee....

-Cougar :{)
 
Oh Lord it's Friday nite at the Cantina again. Please God, don't let it be a full moon too!

------------------
John Moses designed it, I trust it, and that settles it.


Himalayan Imports Website
 
Originally posted by TomF:
One thing to remember is that these knives really can't look as good as a high-end custom from an American or European maker simply because they don't have the tools. Or the time for that matter
Click to expand...
Tom I fully understand this. I really am truly amazed at just how good they are.
I think what you are experiencing is a sort of culture shock. I had it the first time I got a kukhri.[/quote}
I think thats what it was. I've now had it for a couple of days and love it even more. I never wanted to send it back in the 1st place. That post that you linked to said it all
smile.gif

Just play with it for a while. I promise it will grow on you. (Then you'll be infected with HIKV like the rest of us).
Click to expand...
I have and it has. I already want more
smile.gif
Something bigger methinks (when I've recovered from the customs hit
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)
RUSTY,
Llamedos, I apologize if what I said bothered you. I was NOT making light of your feelings. I can and do understand the part about something not feeling quite right and not knowing if it's something to make a big deal about, or not. I didn't mean to step on your toes or any sore spots, and I'm sorry.
Click to expand...
Rusty, No need to apologise. None of what you said bothered me. It didnt come across that way at all.

If anyone should apologise its me. I see how I may have come across as a bit of an a***hole but this was not my intention at all. It may have sounded like it but at no point was I wanting to send it back. I think it is absolutely fantastic with a couple of minor niggles, but looking at it now I dont see what I was fussing about. Reading Toms link above was like how I feel. The Kamis really are remarkable, and one day I would love to go to Nepal and meet them, if I'm welcome.

In closing, I'm sorry if I came off sounding like an ungrateful b*****d, but I really do love my khukuri and fully understand what went into it.

Uncle Bill, I really admire you and you do a fantastic job. This forum is my favourite place to hang out and I would hate to think I've done anything to jepardise my welcomeness.
I will definately be a long time customer.

Regards,

James


[This message has been edited by Llamedos (edited 07-01-2000).]
Click to expand...
 
Hey, it's the intangibles and difficult to pigeonhole feelings that sometimes are the most important.

To me there's something of a spirit or force to these khuks.

Believe it or not, I've only returned two Bill sent out of maybe two dozen. Get this - one was one of Bura's Ganga Ram Specials, the other a 27" Banspati. Neither had the slightest flaw, but like Sleeping Beauty, they needed to be kissed by the proper prince for their spirit to be awakened.

I was like you initially. Now I buy blems and multiple problem ugly ducklings to minister to gently and rehabilitate them.

( how did that saying go: they don't yell, they don't tell, they don't swell, and they're grateful as he--? )
------------------
John Moses designed it, I trust it, and that settles it.


Himalayan Imports Website

[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 07-01-2000).]
 
You probably have a cosmetic blemish.It`s hard to screw up 1060,or 5060,5160,5150 whatever the spring makers call it now.There are slight differences in heat treat.It`s forgiving.You can even re-forge it.However,it can have occlusions caused by grit in the forging.Or,the ogiginal roll.The kami didn`t clean it or beat it out.




[This message has been edited by FNG (edited 07-05-2000).]
 
I miss some minor cosmetic blems because I don't always wear my magnifiers. I wish I could see these khukuris again so I might know what we are dealing with for sure.

I don't want any unhappy customers so if these cosmetics are bothersome to you, James, let me know and I will pick out a couple of khukuris while I'm wearing my glasses and send them over to you at no cost. And, don't be bashful about it. The fault is mine for not wearing my mags when I was checking the knives.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Hi Uncle, how was your trip ? Did you have a good time ? I hope so.

Whilst your offer is extremely generous, I'm having none of it.
I'm far from an unsatisfied customer and have fallen in love with my first khukuri. It's fantastic.

Trust me Uncle, its nothing to worry about. I believe that it is rust of some sort as another couple of tiny dots have popped up. I've used Marine Tuff Cloth on it. Anybody have other suggestions ? This would be most appreciated.

Anyway, as soon as I've recovered from the customs hit and rebuilt my PC I will be placing another order
smile.gif


Thanks again,

James

[This message has been edited by Llamedos (edited 07-06-2000).]
 
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