Shop 1 knives were made under contract by a place down in the Terai. They combined making other khuks with occasional runs of HI khuks. The runs of HI khuks were only done when the shop owner was present.
The arrangement fell apart when the shop owner needed to go to India for back surgery IIRC. And the healing process was quite extended. That left Pala with nothing to sell so he started Shop 2. The shop I khuks had butcaps plain on top with floral tooling soldered on the sides.
When Shop 2 opened up, the same kind of buttcaps were initially used, but more poorly finished. That was soon chnged to a flat buttcap cover as it remains today. The Shop 2 khuks may have been higher quality in performance, but showed a notable dip in cosmetics. It took some 3 months, maybe more, about the time Bura came along and they moved to their own newly erected shop ( Birghorka ) in the "suburbs" before they approached and then surpassed Shop 1.
Shop 1 blades are pretty but of lower pine ( pine being the Nepali term for hardness ). No kami marks on any of them.
Shop 2 tried numbering them, unfortunately only I guy could recognise the numbers. I believe the numbering stopped before #400. Later #s were marked "made by KGR". Whomever he was. That ended fairly soon. Unfortunately while made tough, they were made to be good enough for government work. Most Shop 2'a are fairly rough. My Shop 2 20" Sirupati sits behind my truck seat. Old ugly but tough. Some better than most villagers, but more like they tried to pretty up villagers with extra polish and buffing. My BirGhorka 20" Sirupati hangs in a cloth shopping bag in the closet alongside other works of art.
Also about the time they moved to Birghorka the maker's marks were assigned. It was culture shock that Americans didn't just want them made pretty and unbreakable, they wanted to know which kami made it. And if it was a good job, they'd ask for more from that kami.
(We ought to send them a videotape citiquing each kami's work and send it back with Pala. Have Gelbu translate. That would be an absolute riot. Especially if the kamis could look over at one another and say - hey, that American was right on the nose on your work! )
Remember these are the untouchable caste - to have person after person get up and talk about good and bad of their work half a world away, and that different customers had differnt favorite kamis because of liking one's style or balance or handles. They'd practically all have near heart attacks.
Wish I could see a video of them reacting to our comments.
Shop I was contract, softer, but well finished.
Shop 2 was it became, an interim shop where Pala and Gelbu and eventually Bura tried to bring things up to snuff. High pine, tough, and blems all over.
Birghorka was where everything came together. The best khuks made in the world, hand forged, and some ineffable spirit in each of them* to boot!
* There is a spirit in each khuk that comes out of Birghorka - but it does not follow that any particular khuk will talk to you. It will find it's place in a trade or swap or as a gift.