Restoring an Atlanta Cutlery Longleaf Khukuri Blade.

I think the hardness depends from blade to blade, so it seemed from my research?
 
Not a clue, but I'm just wondering. Read a few articles on how these are made from old nepalese swords and spears after the treaty of Sugauli, so I imagine it IS hardenable.
 
Makes me sad AC is closed through tomorrow. Want to get my hands on this and start a-working. Got a rough idea of how I'm going to tackle this.
 
I'm told patience is a virtue generally acquired with age. I meet the criteria but I don't think there's enough time for me to actually experience it.

I have no idea what patience even feels like. Not one of my stronger traits.
 
It's a virtue lost on me, but I have a few more years till I'm old. Wondering if I should do a 2 part handle, or just burn the stick tang in and finish with epoxy. the bolster is going to be some type of thin metal cold forged and then welded/filed smooth. Handle material is either going to be maple as it doesn't crack too easy with shock.
 
Were it me I'd just drill a hole big enough for the tang, even a tad oversize but not too oversize, perhaps snug at the bolster.

Then I'd fill it with acraglas and let it set for awhile. Probably leave the handle on the long side till everything is set.
Make a reference point so you know where the end of the tang is.

Unless your going to try and peen the end over and make a full tang, then I'd have everything fitting the way you want before you glass it in.

A two piece handle for me would be easier and would work if the tang is fairly robust as they generally are. Then you could pin or blind pin the handle along with the glass and it should be rock solid.
 
Thank's for the tips! I guess my decision for the handle will wait until I have the blade. I want to model the general style after those super beautiful Thamar light Dui Chirras we got around the new year. Something about that curve... On the up and up I DID secure some copper pipe I'm going to shape into the bolster, it's going to need to be cut and welded but I've got the stuff to do that. Got the wood laying out behind the house in log form, just waiting to get shaped. Gonna preserve it with BLO once it's done.
 
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Copper is nice because you can just solder it w/plumbing solder if you can't braze it, and if you can it brazes nicely. You can drill two holes (top and bottom of tang) and then use the drill as a sort of rotary file to open up the remainder. If you burn the tang in (which I do all the time) clamp the base of the blade in the vise so the vise acts as a heat sink to protect the heat treat, and stop matbe 1/8"-3/32" short-then scrape out the carbon with a file tip or chisel. You can also use a chainsaw file to put some small indents in the corners of the tang so the acraglas or system 3 has something to grab.
 
That was my plan! Happy I found that tubing, saves me a tonne of trouble. Depending on the tang width I may drill two holes and pin it, never pinned anything before, will I need any special tools? I have a file, and mild steel round stock to make the pins once I find out how to. I might just decide glass it in. Too many options without the blade in front of me but I like having options. Might put a "general idea" segment on my first post for now.
 
That was my plan! Happy I found that tubing, saves me a tonne of trouble. Depending on the tang width I may drill two holes and pin it, never pinned anything before, will I need any special tools? I have a file, and mild steel round stock to make the pins once I find out how to. I might just decide glass it in. Too many options without the blade in front of me but I like having options. Might put a "general idea" segment on my first post for now.

If it were me, I wouldn't use tubing to pin it.
Any drilling thru the tang could potentially make it weaker, so I'd use the smallest diameter hardened steel pin if youre planning on chopping with this blade. I'd pin and epoxy the blade, in leaving a small amount of pin exposed and then either peen it with a hammer or peen it in the vice and then finish sanding the handle and pin all nice and flush.

The problem with chopping with these short tangs is that the act of chopping puts immense rotational force on that little bit of tang. No matter how well you epoxy it in and pin it, the forces are going to want to make that little stub of a tang rotate inside the handle. It either gouges its way loose or breaks the handle. The harder the wood you can use, the better.
 
Then maple it is! I was planning on using the pipe/tubing for the bolster, actually. As far as pins, I have mild steel I can use if I use it, but from what I've read on these blades (and what you just confirmed) pinning may not make too much of a difference. For my sanity's sake I'll probably not do such unless I feel like it's really needed, but I've heard of these partial tang khuk's having handles last 5-10 years with daily abuse. This isn't something I'll be using for every trek, more or less on occasion. I was a bit weary to drill the tang anyways for it's historical value. You just made me feel better about not doing it, thank's Karda!

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So, Karda, would you recommend I weld a small piece on to the tang then? Something to go all the way through the handle and peen over? Not quite sure I have a piece of copper large enough to use for a buttplate though.
 
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So, Karda, would you recommend I weld a small piece on to the tang then? Something to go all the way through the handle and peen over? Not quite sure I have a piece of copper large enough to use for a buttplate though.

No, I wouldn't. Normally a weld in the tang area does not hold well up to the shock of chopping, no matter how well done. They almost always break at the weld sooner or later. Some survive years, others break straight away. You never can tell with the physics of shock transference.
I especially wouldn't recommend modifying a vintage historical piece like these in this manner due to unknown steel..
These blades were made for war and fighting, not chopping and the stub tang was implemented on them for quick and easy rehandling during wartime. Many of them have served thru multiple conflicts from the Victorian era thru WWII. They've earned their keep many times over. They should be retired and admired and used very sparingly, if at all.
 
Alright Karda! Thank you for that. I wasn't going to use it much, if at all. Purely a display piece that functions as well as looks good!
 
Alright Karda! Thank you for that. I wasn't going to use it much, if at all. Purely a display piece that functions as well as looks good!

I'd rather point out possibilities than have you put in a lot of hard work only to have it break and possibly hurt you.
Rehandling it as a stub tang should hold up to small branches and light stuff and that's about all I myself would want to require of them.
With all that said, it is your blade and you may do with it as you wish.
 
And I wish to take your advice! It is quitd a historical piece so il leave it and making a handle and bolster, and making it a display piece with some use every now and again.
 
Darth, did you see my post on another thread yesterday that I had instructions/pattern for making folded style bolsters?
 
Oh, nope! Sorry, didn't see it. Been a bit busy between tightening up the handle on the blem m43 and gathering supplies for the restoration. Supposed to get about 2-3 feet of snow over the next few days so if my blade get's here I may have quite a bit of time to work. I'll have a look.

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Pour-on bolster sounds wicked interesting! Not sure if I'll do it but I just might. I've got the copper pipe readily available and after a bit of experiment It's fairly easy to work. I'll try the pour on bolster for the next blade I buy, because it's practically guaranteed it's going to happen. I'd have to work out a way to pour the bolster on too. Not the most technologically advanced individual but I can be creative...sometimes.
 
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