Santosh Bhahadur Kami

Yangdu

Yangdu

Himalayan Imports Owner ~ himimp@aol.com
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I just got a small shipment of knives and found some with an old Kami's mark,
Sher Kami, well-known to most of you as Tiger. Our new Kami, young
Santosh Kami, is the nephew of Tiger and decided to use his uncle's mark to honor his long-time service to HI.

He is well-trained and will be a great addition to our BirGorkha shop. Welcome him:thumbup:

Santosh Bhahadur Kami Mark
Home: Udayapur District, City-Dharan
5-06-10s%20001.jpg
 
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A warm welcome to you, Santosh. Thank you for being a part of the HI tradition and for helping to keep a supply of hand-forged steel coming our way.

Yangdu, I don't know how much you know about him but does Santosh have any specialties? Please fill us in as you see more of his work and get more info from BirGorkha.

Rick
 
Santosh Bhahadur Kami means=Peaceful and Brave Kami
 
Namaste and Welcome Santosh Kami!
You have some large and overbuilt shoes to fill.:thumbup: :D
 
reusing the marks? that's going to confuse the collectors :)

welcome Santosh!


Bladite
 
Bladite said:
reusing the marks? that's going to confuse the collectors :)
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Dear Yangdu, with all due deference, this idea is a bad one!

Admiring his idea, it however will be a nightmare for those of us who collect or are Sher The Tiger fans.

Please suggest a change in Santosh's Kami mark so as to be able to identify the work of this fine and no doubt soon to be regarded Kami.

Namaste Santosh.
 
Bladite said:
reusing the marks? that's going to confuse the collectors :)


Bladite
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I've never been a guy who collects HI stuff for the potential increase in value. These blades are the best value in many terms, hands down, that I've ever seen. I've given away more khukuris than I have left so that others can enjoy what I've found. To me, a kami mark is a way of identifying and explaining a gift. To be able to give a name of a kami and the history of HI to someone in addition to the blade, you give them a small part of the connection that binds me to HI.

By supporting HI, we help good people. In the end, that's what it's all about.
 
Roger Smith said:
I've never been a guy who collects HI stuff for the potential increase in value. These blades are the best value in many terms, hands down, that I've ever seen. I've given away more khukuris than I have left so that others can enjoy what I've found. To me, a kami mark is a way of identifying and explaining a gift. To be able to give a name of a kami and the history of HI to someone in addition to the blade, you give them a small part of the connection that binds me to HI.

By supporting HI, we help good people. In the end, that's what it's all about.
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there is all kinds of collecting.

if one if interested in a particular thing, one wants to know they are getting that thing... the history, the maker, the nuances.

speaking as someone who's fondled more than a few and has a handful of keepers from the multitude which have been set free to others to appreciate.

some of us are fanatical about our favorites, and it's an important thing to know.


Bladite
 
Roger Smith said:
I've never been a guy who collects HI stuff for the potential increase in value.
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Hiya Roger,

My comment was not in relation to financial gain.

Roger Smith said:
To be able to give a name of a kami and the history of HI to someone in addition to the blade, you give them a small part of the connection that binds me to HI.
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Rather this reason you elaborate so well is the root of my concern. How can one correctly attribute the craftmanship of a particular Kami when both have the same marking?

There has been confusion with Kami's having the same, can you imagine the level to which it would soar if markings were identical?:eek:

Roger Smith said:
By supporting HI, we help good people. In the end, that's what it's all about.
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With you 100% on this mate! Many here have not only purchased HI items because of the quality and strength but because HI is a promoter of fair trade policies and and follows "The Dhama Path."

HI provides for and is concerned about its workers as if they were family members. By purchasing HI one does so much more than buy a blade: it opens many avenues which have in the past directly helped improve the quality of life of many Nepali people.
 
Fellas,

I'm not talking about anyone here. Been to enough toy shows and seen enough stuff, (including HI on that famous auction site) that is described in such a way to bring a higher value. Guess I didn't make that clear. No harm intended.

I agree that there will be confusion for us re: kami marks. I doubt the kamis understand our insistence on keeping them clear. We want to make sure we can identify, but to them it's secondary. I have to use the kami marks link to find out who made what, when and even then I'm not always sure.

If anyone was offended by any of this, I apologize. We all agree on the important stuff.
 
I believe that aside from the mark, the kamis also include their initials don't they? I don't see how the reusing of the mark is going to be particularly difficult for collectors...

I for one welcome Santosh to the family and don't mind his reuse of the mark at all. I just hope he builds his khuks thick-spined, well hardened, and with relatively thin bevels like Sher did ;)
 
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I also vote for keeping the Kami marks distinct. In particular, Master Bura and Sher (The Tiger) Kamis have been so special in the hearts of us loyal collectors that I would hate to have their works confused with the the works of late-comers. I am positive that the late-comers are very talented and skilled Kamis, but it would be great and just to have them carve out a following of their own. To use a sports analogy, it would be "having your jersey retired" when someone great moves away. I am sure most would agree that Master Bura and Sher (The Tiger) Kamis in particular deserve such honor. I would like to one day pass one the HI treasures that I've collected to my family and tells stories beside the fireplace about Sher (The Tiger) Kami and how I got started with collecting HI pieces.
 
I'm not going to complain about a young kami inheriting a mark. Not only is it not my decision, but I think it makes perfect sense: a mark is just another part of a shop or a workstation, another working tool in the process. It can be inherited just like anything else. And when, as the site points out, kamis have switched, changed, and/or exchanged marks over the years, it really becomes pointless to protest.
I second the comment that I don't get HI stuff for the collector's value, since I use the heck out of them! And the last thing I want to do is make young Santosh feel unwanted or unwelcome....not that he has to mind my opinion, anyway.
 
Nicholas said:
I'm not going to complain about a young kami inheriting a mark. Not only is it not my decision, but I think it makes perfect sense: a mark is just another part of a shop or a workstation, another working tool in the process. It can be inherited just like anything else. And when, as the site points out, kamis have switched, changed, and/or exchanged marks over the years, it really becomes pointless to protest.
I second the comment that I don't get HI stuff for the collector's value, since I use the heck out of them! And the last thing I want to do is make young Santosh feel unwanted or unwelcome....not that he has to mind my opinion, anyway.
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Agreed - I like to use my khuks, and although I intend to pass them on, I don't plan to do it for potential future value. They're well built tools that will probably last several generations of use, and I intend to test that out.

But if collecting is your intent, here's my take: just as with other items people collect, the knowledge (historical and otherwise) as to how to distinguish between two similar items is part of the game. It's like how an old car collector would be able to tell you that X car was manufactured before Y date because they started using nickel somewhere in 1922 (or something similarly insignificant)... and I highly doubt that the difference will be that particularly hard to spot. Think about it: just because their initials are the same, it doesn't mean that they'll be signed in indistinguishably different manners. When was the last time you saw John Doe and Jane Doe sign their initials identically?

Trust me, it's nothing to fret about and you'd be better off to just be happy that we have a new kami around to help out. I hope the first to obtain a khukri by him will do a decent review - I'd very much like to see what sort of distinguishing features his khuks will have :D
 
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