Sad report from the field

prn

prn

Joined
Apr 26, 1999
Messages
481
Man, I am badly bummed!
frown.gif


I was out yesterday chopping up some downed limbs and braches, mostly from recent windfall. I was using my Kumar 18" AK that I got not too long ago. When I got it I immediately went out and chopped down a few unwanted trees. I hadn't used it real heavily, certainly not "heavily" by HI standards. It's a beautiful rig. The mirror polish had been lightly scratched, but what the heck. It was always intended to be a user, not a wall-hanger. But it still could have gone onto a wall and looked pretty darn good.

All of a sudden, after I had chopped up a number of small branches and several medium limbs, one chop ended with me holding the khukuri handle and the blade just dropping from the cut to the ground. The tang had snapped off. The blade now has about 1/2" of tang on it.

I'm not a real big guy -- 5'10" and about 190# (with more of that than I like to admit being "surplus") and I don't normally try to overpower the material anyway. I chop like I hammer: give it some snap and guidance and let the weight and momentum of the blade do the real work. I was certainly not trying to break the blade like Novadak's friend in a hilarious post of not long ago.

I guess the only "moral" of the story is that nobody's perfect -- not even Kumar.
frown.gif


I'll be writing to Uncle Bill about what to do with it. I just felt like crying on your collective shoulders. It really was a gorgeous khuk.
frown.gif
I'll miss it.


------------------
Paul Neubauer
prn@bsu.edu
A tool is, basically, an object that enables you to take advantage of the laws of physics and mechanics in such a way that you can seriously injure yourself.
 
My sympathies are with you at this sad moment. Obviously, as you say, nothing can ever truly be 'perfect', man or tool. Still, what a sad thing.
David

------------------
"Old too soon, smart too late"

Uncle Bill M, 2000
 
:
Paul, I really am sorry to hear about the experience you had!!
All is not lost though as it can be "ressurected" to better than new if you wish.
I know that Dan can take the pieces and put Humpty Dumpty together again if he will. Look what Dan did with the Sirupati that Uncle Bill destroyed!!

I would volunteer myself, but I have too many irons in the fire right now to take on another project.
frown.gif

However I would be glad to do it, if later rather than sooner would suffice. I am old and slow and many days can't work on my beloved projects.


------------------
>>>>---¥vsa---->®

"There's no trick in being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you."

...............Will Rogers......

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website
 
Paul, we can do one of two things. Replace or repair. We can send the knife up to DanK and he can fix it better than new at no cost to you. Or, we will replace the knife with one of your choice.

We did not have a tang failure for almost a year and then we had two and may see three or four right in a row. Reason. Hurry!

BirGorkha closed today for Dasein and will be closed until the 14th. The kamis were in a huge rush to get some stock built up before the shop went dark for two weeks. This is what happens when you hurry. We have been through it before.

I'll email the report over but there will be nobody except Gelbu to read it.

Sorry, but we will make it right one way or the other.

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

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
Sorry to hear.

This would make a good entry into the safety thread. Make sure nobody is in harms way if the khukuri lets go or is accidently let go. I had a really tough time controlling my 18" Ang Khola without using my pinky (due to a large blister).

Will
 
Chin up, prn!

It's not dead yet. Only a flesh wound, really.

Soften the tang a bit and weld the whole mess back together again and it'll be right as rain.

Only part I can't figure out is how in the hell they manage to harden the tang in the first place...

-Dave
 
Dave, you are right. If Paul likes that knife we can save it for him and actually make it better than new. Welding the tang back together is not a big deal. Even I can do that job and have several times! A blade failure is usually a disaster but a tang failure can be easily corrected.

The tang is hardened accidentally. When the guys are rushed as they have been the past 2 or 3 months, trying to get some stock built up for Dasein, they accidentally spash or pour water on the tang, quenching and hardening it.

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

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
Paul, I know that your experience had to be upsetting, but at least you didn't get hurt! As Will said, the possibility of a tang failure is certainly something to keep in mind when using a khuk -- especially with other folks around! I, for one, when using my khuks, will certainly be more careful in the future thanks to your sharing your story with us.
 
Sorry to hear about your khuk. I'd never have had the possibility in mind of a failure like that, but will try to do so when swinging them from now on. Look at it this way: you'll be one of the elite few to exercise the HI guarantee.
 
Bummer, the tang failures happened last year at the same time. Anyway, what's the game plan?
Dan
 
Dasein! ... so fast a year to pass by!

What happened last year is rushingly-made Khuks before Dasein and followed by not-so-sober Khuks after Dasein!

Pakcik Bill, Bros & Cuzs --- just remember that they are just as human as we are! Maybe in future we have to be more sensitive & calculative on their events calender!

NEPAL H
cool.gif
!
 
Paul,
I got my Kumar "Lite" 18" AK about the same time as yours. Did standard whack test on receipt and again last night with hand stinging whacks and only damage is a micro-hairline crack in the hill walnut handle. It "sings" as my GRS does to me. Now know why Yvsa speaks so highly of the 18" AK. It has replaced my WWII as grab and go.

Today is a gift, this is why it is called
the present.

Peace and Blessing from So Indiana where the leaves are BEAUTIFUL this year!



------------------

Greg
 
If we can't get caught up and build a little inventory I can see that tang problem being a standard part of Dasein. When things get hurried in the shop this has simply got to happen. As DanK mentioned, same thing happened last year. After Dasein last year we didn't have a tang failure for almost a year and now two in a week and I am looking for two or three more before it is all over.

Anyway, we will make it right so just let us know what you want to do, Paul.



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

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
Bill, last week I sent in an order for a WWII. Its for my uncle's birthday. Should I be concerned about a possibly defective tang? Should I test it first? I was going to let him "christen" it, but I don't want him to suffer a tang failure at an inopportune time.

Bob

[This message has been edited by Big Bob (edited 10-04-2000).]
 
If a tang is going to fail it almost always does it in the first 15 minutes of heavy use.

Best bet is to bang the knife on a log ala RayC, going all 4 directions -l-r-spine, edge, as hard as you can for 15 minutes. If the tang does not fail it probably neve will.

I'd do it myself but do not have enough time or strength to bang the khukuri 5 or 6 hours per day!



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

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
A little perseptive. We have had about 8 tang failures from BirGorkha out of about 3,000 khukuris. I believe 5 of the 8 are repaired and in use today. We would rather see none but must live with the numbers as they are. Interestingly, 6 of the 8, I think, came from Dasein period when kamis were rushing.

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

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino:
I'd do it myself but do not have enough time or strength to bang the khukuri 5 or 6 hours per day!
Click to expand...

That explains the mysterious classified ad that appeared recently in the HELP WANTED - PART TIME section of a local paper:

WANTED: KHUKURI BANGER no experience required, but must be in good physical condition. 5-6 hours per day six days per week -- a great opportunity for a strong fellow with destructive tendencies! Salary and benefits negotiable.

I was wondering what that was all about....

-Cougar :{)

P.S. If the above post is not funny, all I can say is I've been having mysterious computer problems and I've been working on my computer without hardly a break to eat or sleep for almost two weeks and it seems uproariously funny to me. I'm not sure I can tell what's funny and what isn't right now ... so if it isn't funny I apologize.

By the way, I think my computer problems are over now -- I solved them by the simple method of replacing every component in my computer except the modem, the sound card, and the case. It's a good thing I'm a fanatic about backup ... I still have a lot of work ahead of me reinstalling programs and restoring data, but I didn't lose a thing -- and I replaced all the hardware with newer and better. I'm trying to look on the bright side and think of it not as spending money fixing my computer but as an investment -- but even so I am going to be very careful to open up my case a couple of times a year and blow all the dust out of it so it won't overheat again....

:{)


[This message has been edited by Cougar Allen (edited 10-06-2000).]
 
As being a lazy person, I will appreciate if the "bang test" is done inside BirGokha with some cost increase, and a little cosmetic damage.

------------------
(T_T) ...crying
\(^o^)/ ...cheerful
(ToT) ...crying
Mizutani Satoshi
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top