Review : Cold Steel / Himalayan Imports / Gurkha House / Mission / 3V

Interestingly, that HI village model was a reject because it had a fold line in the blade that I didn't like. Not only was it cheap, it was free because I would not sell a knife which displayed such a flaw. I sent it to Cliff for destruction testing. Evidently the flaw was not as serious as it might have been.

Uncle Bill
 
The villager is fairly ugly but it works ok. I will be giving it to a friend of mine (Casey Butt) and he will hopefully post up his opinion after he uses it for awhile.

The Recon Scout is up for grabs and I have asked Mike to do a random draw out of the Bladeforums members for it. The Bhojpure will be going back to Craig and the Trailmaster to Cold Steel. The 3V blade will eventually make it back to Ed.

-Cliff
 
Very good review as usual Mr. STamp. The 3v really suprised me. Sounds like a great steel. The most suprising was the viliager though. It maybe ugly but it sure performs.
Back to the review thoug it was very comprehensive and one could easily compare the blades attributes and disadvantages from it. Thank you for taking the time ti do it.

thanks and take care
collin
 
Collin :

one could easily compare the blades attributes and disadvantages from it
Click to expand...

Which is the exact reason I do it. While it is very interesting to read cross reviews of very similar knives, for example a Recon Scout and a MD ATAK, its is also very interesting for me to see what the different geometries get you.

-Cliff
 
Well, Mr. Stamp you certainly achieved your goal with the review. It is certainly very easy for me to see the pros and cons of all the blades tested. Thank you for doing it. It is something that I can only get here as the mags certainly can't do it.

thanks and take care
collin
 
These tests are great, helps me understand knive making and the metals put into them much easier to understand. Thanks Cliff
 
Cliff: thanks again for your great service to the knife-weilding community. It's pretty clear that Khukuris are the obvious choice for anybody who needs a genuine survival tool that they can have "trust and confidence" in. Now, if we can just figure out why khukuris aren't in every toolbox . . .




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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Cliff, I have a comment and a question. First the comment. Fold lines are fairly common on Nepali khukuris -- it is just part of the forging process and if the kami doesn't pound long and hard enough to forge the fold completely together you can often see fold lines on the blade surface. If you see them on the surface that is a visible warning that a fold line is certainly there and it might possibly run deep and be a serious flaw. Only way to tell for sure is to look inside the blade with sophisticated tools I don't have available. There was what I considered to be a serious surface fold line on the villager I sent you for destruction testing which is why I wouldn't sell it. Since I couldn't see inside the blade I opted for worst case which made me fear that in lateral stress the knife might take a bend at the fold. It didn't which I was relieved to see.

However, you state in your results:

"The Bhojpure bent at about the halfway point with a two handed pull. The bend extended 13 cm back from the tip which was deflected 2.5 cm."

Now the question. I am curious to know if you observed any fold lines in the blade and if so were they near the area which took the bend?

Uncle Bill
 
Thanks for the great, objective reveiws, Cliff.

For years, all I could find in useful blade information seemed to revlove around "edge retention".

Thanks to this formum I have found info, such as what you have provided, regarding "toughness", i.e. what a blade can take from lateral or blunt forces applied before breakage or permanent deformation.

Also the blade geometry and handle comfort
that your have tested play a vital role in the usefulness of the knife "package" given a specific or general tasks.

Good work!
 
Bill :

I am curious to know if you observed any fold lines in the blade and if so were they near the area which took the bend?
Click to expand...

There were fold lines along the blade. A few on each side, running up to 1.5 cm long and being very narrow. They didn't seem to enlarge with work no did they seem to pull apart when the khukuri bent. They were running from tip to handle though. If they were 90 degrees to that I would be more concerned about it.

Ron, thanks.

-Cliff
 
Okay, Cliff. Thanks for info. I thought that perhaps a fold line could have been responsible for the blade taking the bend but evidently it was not due to this.

Uncle Bill
 
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