I recently recieved an older Malla, what we've begun to refer to as, 'pre-stroke' Bura, an expression I probably helped coin and not to my credit.
It is 17 3/4" in length, give or take a fingernail, and weighs 24 3/4 oz. It has a fairly thick spine, 3/8", and the presumed weak point of this design, the distance from the end of the Malla's deep cho to the top of the spine, is 5/8th inch. The Sword of Shiva is cut deep on this Malla, and the plain of metal that emerges towards the blade edge much thinner than the spine, I can't find my caliper, but what this means is the spine is a rail running on top of the blade, 1/8" thick and 5/8" wide. A slender blade underneath the Sword, and a thick rail running on top. This is pronounced, Bura's put angles here intentionally, and I bet this adds to rigidity and strength.
It swings well and quick. The point is somewhat more upturned that that of a WWll. You could thrust easily. The blade after the bend is a fairly uniform One and 5/8" wide. Don't ask me why I spelled it that way.
I tried imbeding it in Ponderosa pine firewood. It chomped nicely. It actually cuts well, it wants to cut, the motion is easy and the results there to see in front of you. So I went to the next step, and trimmed off some 2", 3" and4" branches coming out of some logs. These stumpettes were resiny and tough. The blade went through fairly easily, I don't recall number of chops but the effort was so little it did not make an impression upon my mind.
I swung it hard into the wood to test for edge deformation. None.
All the lines, and wood to metal fit is great. The Karda even has a little brass bolster, just like it's Daddy, and Malla notched cho; a real chip off the old block.
Bill once said Bura made the best small tools.
This is the only HI khuk I've owned or seen that the tools cannot ride easily in their places. This sheath just doesn't fit that well. It's of the old style and has the scrolling marks in the leather. Only the half moon lets you know it's a Bura, and no english letters.
A hiker and camper, not a serious logger. Except I'm thinking Bura knew, and he made this a lot tougher than I'll ever know. Unless I really need it, of course, in an emergency and called way beyond what it should. But then, that's why we go to Himalyan Imports for our tools.
munk
It is 17 3/4" in length, give or take a fingernail, and weighs 24 3/4 oz. It has a fairly thick spine, 3/8", and the presumed weak point of this design, the distance from the end of the Malla's deep cho to the top of the spine, is 5/8th inch. The Sword of Shiva is cut deep on this Malla, and the plain of metal that emerges towards the blade edge much thinner than the spine, I can't find my caliper, but what this means is the spine is a rail running on top of the blade, 1/8" thick and 5/8" wide. A slender blade underneath the Sword, and a thick rail running on top. This is pronounced, Bura's put angles here intentionally, and I bet this adds to rigidity and strength.
It swings well and quick. The point is somewhat more upturned that that of a WWll. You could thrust easily. The blade after the bend is a fairly uniform One and 5/8" wide. Don't ask me why I spelled it that way.
I tried imbeding it in Ponderosa pine firewood. It chomped nicely. It actually cuts well, it wants to cut, the motion is easy and the results there to see in front of you. So I went to the next step, and trimmed off some 2", 3" and4" branches coming out of some logs. These stumpettes were resiny and tough. The blade went through fairly easily, I don't recall number of chops but the effort was so little it did not make an impression upon my mind.
I swung it hard into the wood to test for edge deformation. None.
All the lines, and wood to metal fit is great. The Karda even has a little brass bolster, just like it's Daddy, and Malla notched cho; a real chip off the old block.
Bill once said Bura made the best small tools.
This is the only HI khuk I've owned or seen that the tools cannot ride easily in their places. This sheath just doesn't fit that well. It's of the old style and has the scrolling marks in the leather. Only the half moon lets you know it's a Bura, and no english letters.
A hiker and camper, not a serious logger. Except I'm thinking Bura knew, and he made this a lot tougher than I'll ever know. Unless I really need it, of course, in an emergency and called way beyond what it should. But then, that's why we go to Himalyan Imports for our tools.
munk
