- Joined
- Mar 5, 1999
- Messages
- 34,096
Shop 2 is making some pretty good progress. They now have ten people working and the hurry problem has vanished and the tang problem is solved -- the oldest kami is 70 years old, straight from the village, youngest is 18, a strong apprentice who can swing a 12 pound sledge with the best of them and 8 more in between.
The priority has been developing methods to produce the best quality blade possible and they are just about there. The Gelbu special which was ser. 96 as I recall was one of the best blades I have seen made in Nepal. A combination of old village kami skills and "high tech" equipment has produced some fine results.
The second priority is handles and fittings. Make them the best possible. But without a good blade to fit them to they are useless so that is why the blade takes first priority.
The third priority is then scabbards and frogs. They are still experimenting in this area.
Things are getting crowded and we may have to take an adjoining room to expand the shop.
We are now offering a "visiting resident kami" program to village kamis who want to come in to the shop and make a few khukuris and then return to their village. This is another win-win-win situation.
These village kamis make an incredible variety of khukuris so styles and sizes will be ever new and the quality will be tops. We supply shop, equipment and materials plus all the strong young men the kami might need to complete his project. We give him room and board while he is working. We assist him in using power tools with which he is unfamiliar. And he earns more than he has ever earned in his life for the making of a khukuri. We win, the kami wins, and our customers win. It is the best of all worlds and I am very proud of and happy with this new program.
Kami tells me he has invested more than 4 thousand US dollars in the shop which is about 30 times Nepali per capita income. I suspect shop 2 is the best equipped shop in Nepal now. We will use all the old world methods and procedures but power equipment will help speed it up and make it easier. A hand drill is easier to use than a bow and string drill, for example, but the hole will be the same. And, of course, the blessing of the khukuris stays in effect. They won't leave home without it!
Kami will be able to supply more specific information upon his arrival -- less than two weeks now. He did ask me to pass along his thanks for interest to all customers, say Namaste to everybody, and that he would welcome any suggestions or comments anybody might have.
Uncle Bill
The priority has been developing methods to produce the best quality blade possible and they are just about there. The Gelbu special which was ser. 96 as I recall was one of the best blades I have seen made in Nepal. A combination of old village kami skills and "high tech" equipment has produced some fine results.
The second priority is handles and fittings. Make them the best possible. But without a good blade to fit them to they are useless so that is why the blade takes first priority.
The third priority is then scabbards and frogs. They are still experimenting in this area.
Things are getting crowded and we may have to take an adjoining room to expand the shop.
We are now offering a "visiting resident kami" program to village kamis who want to come in to the shop and make a few khukuris and then return to their village. This is another win-win-win situation.
These village kamis make an incredible variety of khukuris so styles and sizes will be ever new and the quality will be tops. We supply shop, equipment and materials plus all the strong young men the kami might need to complete his project. We give him room and board while he is working. We assist him in using power tools with which he is unfamiliar. And he earns more than he has ever earned in his life for the making of a khukuri. We win, the kami wins, and our customers win. It is the best of all worlds and I am very proud of and happy with this new program.
Kami tells me he has invested more than 4 thousand US dollars in the shop which is about 30 times Nepali per capita income. I suspect shop 2 is the best equipped shop in Nepal now. We will use all the old world methods and procedures but power equipment will help speed it up and make it easier. A hand drill is easier to use than a bow and string drill, for example, but the hole will be the same. And, of course, the blessing of the khukuris stays in effect. They won't leave home without it!
Kami will be able to supply more specific information upon his arrival -- less than two weeks now. He did ask me to pass along his thanks for interest to all customers, say Namaste to everybody, and that he would welcome any suggestions or comments anybody might have.
Uncle Bill