Did you ever open that triangular box and say to yourself “this is the one for me”? It was like that with this dream knife. The day it was posted I did not even see it until nearly seven hours later. I sent the email anyhow fully expecting that somebody else had already sharked it ahead of me. I was delighted when Yangdu wrote back the next day to tell me that it was mine. I don’t know if it was the weight or the finger grooves that held the sharks at bay but clearly this knife was meant to be mine.
Vital Statistics:
ANG KHOLA BY RAJKUMAR
Overall length--19''
Weight --36 oz
Spine thickness --1/2''
Satisal wood handle with a finger grooves
Standard leather scabbard
Usual beautiful work by prince Kami
Gorgeous knife for your ongoing collection
The first thing I noticed upon unpacking it was how absolutely stunning the finger grooved handle was in appearance. I know that this is not the traditional handle but when I first saw its picture I thought that this might be perfect in my hands. Yangdu kindly confirmed the handle and finger groove dimensions for me so then I knew that it was just the right size. Once I fully unwrapped this gem I held the handle and marveled at the fit and finish of the whole knife. Even the chape on the sheath was nicely blunted so that I don’t stab anything with it. I cannot say enough good things about the workmanship on this knife. Check it out:
One of the striking things about this Ang Khola is having both fullers running all the way back to the cho. To me this seems more in the style of the Dui Chirra instead of the usual Ang Khola styling. I must say that I really like the appearance of this blade. If all my Ang Kholas and CAKS had this look I would not be disappointed one bit. Rajkumar did truly superlative work with the blade and to me it shows.
Did I mention that I like the handle? By itself the handle is a work of art. Check out the carving and shaping. Although hard to appreciate in pictures those handle pins are perfectly flush with the surface of the wood. With the knife in hand you do not even notice the pins because you cannot feel them at all. The finish color of the handle is really eye popping too. Can anybody tell me what they use to achieve that perfect color?
At 5-1/2” long the wood portion of the handle is fairly large. That combined with the 19” overall length and 36 ounce weight makes for a very hefty knife. Since I am not what you would call petite I do appreciate the heft for chopping. Unlike the one seriously larger CAK that I also have this one is actually practical for significant use. In the beginning I was skeptical of the typical ringed handle designs but came to appreciate how they worked. That said this finger grooved version also locks into my hand quite well. The overall handle size and shape along with the perfectly spaced finger grooves makes for a perfect fit in my hand. Your mileage may vary but do consider a finger grooved handle in your collection.
The blade runs really nice and true with the handle. Again this is just another element of the wonderful work by Rajkumar.
This knife just looks great from any angle.
Here is a comparison for scale with a 15” British Army Service and a 26-1/2” Chiruwa Ang Khola.
The real dilemma for me now is that this knife looks too good to use but since nothing is a safe queen for me I am using it. It chops like a demon and the wood chips really fly out while you work. I almost wish that I had a duplicate of this absolutely gorgeous knife. That way I would have a wall hanging backup just in case something unforeseen happens to the original one. At that thought my wallet just sprouted legs and ran into hiding…
If you ever get a chance to shark one like this I wholeheartedly recommend that you do so. There was a similar blem also offered one day soon after but I have not noticed if that person posted any comments on it after they received it. Many others have commented positively on the work of Rajkumar. Now I understand why. His work on this knife was excellent in every way.
Vital Statistics:
ANG KHOLA BY RAJKUMAR
Overall length--19''
Weight --36 oz
Spine thickness --1/2''
Satisal wood handle with a finger grooves
Standard leather scabbard
Usual beautiful work by prince Kami
Gorgeous knife for your ongoing collection
The first thing I noticed upon unpacking it was how absolutely stunning the finger grooved handle was in appearance. I know that this is not the traditional handle but when I first saw its picture I thought that this might be perfect in my hands. Yangdu kindly confirmed the handle and finger groove dimensions for me so then I knew that it was just the right size. Once I fully unwrapped this gem I held the handle and marveled at the fit and finish of the whole knife. Even the chape on the sheath was nicely blunted so that I don’t stab anything with it. I cannot say enough good things about the workmanship on this knife. Check it out:
One of the striking things about this Ang Khola is having both fullers running all the way back to the cho. To me this seems more in the style of the Dui Chirra instead of the usual Ang Khola styling. I must say that I really like the appearance of this blade. If all my Ang Kholas and CAKS had this look I would not be disappointed one bit. Rajkumar did truly superlative work with the blade and to me it shows.
Did I mention that I like the handle? By itself the handle is a work of art. Check out the carving and shaping. Although hard to appreciate in pictures those handle pins are perfectly flush with the surface of the wood. With the knife in hand you do not even notice the pins because you cannot feel them at all. The finish color of the handle is really eye popping too. Can anybody tell me what they use to achieve that perfect color?
At 5-1/2” long the wood portion of the handle is fairly large. That combined with the 19” overall length and 36 ounce weight makes for a very hefty knife. Since I am not what you would call petite I do appreciate the heft for chopping. Unlike the one seriously larger CAK that I also have this one is actually practical for significant use. In the beginning I was skeptical of the typical ringed handle designs but came to appreciate how they worked. That said this finger grooved version also locks into my hand quite well. The overall handle size and shape along with the perfectly spaced finger grooves makes for a perfect fit in my hand. Your mileage may vary but do consider a finger grooved handle in your collection.
The blade runs really nice and true with the handle. Again this is just another element of the wonderful work by Rajkumar.
This knife just looks great from any angle.
Here is a comparison for scale with a 15” British Army Service and a 26-1/2” Chiruwa Ang Khola.
The real dilemma for me now is that this knife looks too good to use but since nothing is a safe queen for me I am using it. It chops like a demon and the wood chips really fly out while you work. I almost wish that I had a duplicate of this absolutely gorgeous knife. That way I would have a wall hanging backup just in case something unforeseen happens to the original one. At that thought my wallet just sprouted legs and ran into hiding…
If you ever get a chance to shark one like this I wholeheartedly recommend that you do so. There was a similar blem also offered one day soon after but I have not noticed if that person posted any comments on it after they received it. Many others have commented positively on the work of Rajkumar. Now I understand why. His work on this knife was excellent in every way.
Last edited:
It must have had my name on it. 
