- Joined
- Feb 23, 1999
- Messages
- 4,855
As I perused the Bladeforum HI archives I saw that although a lot of historical text is there many of the pictures are missing. I have a few on my hard drive so I'll post them here, with some extracted text from the archives. Ganga has passed away but his legacy and craft live on. Perhaps Bill is cracking open a Heinekin with old Ganga now in some land beyond the bardo.
Uncle Bill's words from the March '99 thread https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/boys-meet-a-couple-of-true-master-kamis.125515/
We have just talked about master kamis in the thread relating to that. Now here are a couple in the flesh.
The old kami is 80. The "young" one is 70.
This about that. The old kami has about 75 years experience! And notice they both smoke cigarettes. I would be in good company.
Incredibly, Gelbu did not send their names but I have that knife the old master has in his hand! I got it along with some other village models that Gelbu picked up on his journey.
Gelbu was in the Taplejung area which is heavily populated by Rai and Limbu people and their khukuri of choice is the Sirupati so we got more of those than anything else. They call the horn handled Sirupati a "Himali Sirupati" in that part of Nepal and we have some. I'll be posting pix of knives and a couple more pix of kamis tomorrow so stay tuned. Fun time!
...
I don't know that old kami -- never had the pleasure of meeting him -- but I have his knife and the number he has left in him are limited since he's 80. I want to get his name, put his pix with the knife and stick it under the bed for the dust bunnies.
That old kami is one who could make you a lock and key that would work non-stop for 100 years. They are truly Nepal's national treasure and there are damned few of them left. That khukuri has great sentimental value to me -- worth much more than what the knife would bring on the open market.
...
Many may have a hard time believing this but I called Gelbu last night for more info about this old kami and I will be posting a story about that "large magical blade" that he made for me and is sending. It is a great and wonderful story -- and funny -- and I'm sure everybody will get a huge kick out of it. I know I did!
...
We will wait and see what the "magical khukuri" tells us.
The khukuri Ganga Ram is holding is the khukuri of his youth -- the type his grandfather and father made and I am sure when he was a boy he saw plenty of them made exactly this style and probably tried some on his own. His grandfather's khukuri making days go back 120 - 140 years! Astounding when you stop and think about that.
That saying "they don't make'em like that anymore," certainly holds true in this case.
From the thread https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-ancient-kami-and-the-magical-khukuri.125529/
This is the absolutely true story of the ancient kami and the magical khukuri. His picture is in the thread "Boys, meet a couple of true master kamis."
Gelbu, Kami's youngest son, heard about these old kamis on his journey and made quite an effort to go see them and I think it was worth it. When he arrived Gelbu told them who he was, what he was doing, told of Kami Sherpa, me and my Gurkha brother and of Himalayan Imports.
The old kami who is named Ganga Ram Bishwakarma said, "I've heard of you fellows. That American jwai (son-in-law) is the one who does business with that Gurkha boy down near Dharan." He is referring to Til Bai who is in his 60's as a Gurkha "boy."
The old kami goes on. "Well, you tell that American jwai if he thinks that Gurkha boy can make a good khukuri then he has a lot to learn about khukuris. You tell him I am going to make him a "magical khukuri" (I swear -- this is what Gelbu told me he actually said) the likes of which he and few others have ever seen.
We used to make all our khukuris like this when I was young. My grandfather made them, my father made them, and perhaps I am the only kami in Nepal left alive that can make one. But I will make this jwai such a khukuri. Tell him he will never have to sharpen this khukuri. The more he uses it the sharper it gets. And, he will never be able to break it. This khukuri will outlive him and that Gurkha boy and every other man who is alive in this world today. You come back here on your way home and I will have this khukuri ready for you. When our jwai gets this khukuri have him tell you what he thinks about it and then you come back here and tell me. And, that will be my price for this khukuri -- only that you return here and tell me what the American jwai thinks about this "magical khukuri."
Now, boys, this khukuri should be here in a week or so and it is one I really want to see and test a little. Even if it doesn't get sharper with use it is a khukuri that will go into my collection along with this story and a picture of old Ganga Ram. Of course, I will share pictures, review, and thoughts regarding this khukuri. If this one gets lost I am going to cry.
Now you see why I hold these old kamis so near and dear to my heart. What wonderful people they are! I love them.
...
Boys, I have no idea as to what this magical khukuri is going to be -- style, size, handle -- I'll be as surprised as anybody but if it is half as good and old Ganga says it is we will be ordering more from him.
...
I have spoken elsewhere about the magic the kami works -- he takes a piece of rusty spring, discarded, forgotten, and considered worthless by its previous owner, and through his own brand of magic reincarnates this spring into a new lifeform -- a beautiful and very useful khukuri.
He is showing us in a dirty little shop with a few hand tools the basic belief system of both Hindu and Buddhist in a very basic but also very eloquent fashion. All we need do is look.
I know there will be magic in the khukuri this old one is sending me. It is magic already and I have not yet seen it. I can feel the presence of old Ganga even now and I will feel it more once I hold his khukuri in my hand.
No matter if the knife becomes sharper with use it will still be magic.
...
Uncle Bill's words from the March '99 thread https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/boys-meet-a-couple-of-true-master-kamis.125515/
We have just talked about master kamis in the thread relating to that. Now here are a couple in the flesh.
The old kami is 80. The "young" one is 70.
This about that. The old kami has about 75 years experience! And notice they both smoke cigarettes. I would be in good company.
Incredibly, Gelbu did not send their names but I have that knife the old master has in his hand! I got it along with some other village models that Gelbu picked up on his journey.
Gelbu was in the Taplejung area which is heavily populated by Rai and Limbu people and their khukuri of choice is the Sirupati so we got more of those than anything else. They call the horn handled Sirupati a "Himali Sirupati" in that part of Nepal and we have some. I'll be posting pix of knives and a couple more pix of kamis tomorrow so stay tuned. Fun time!
...
I don't know that old kami -- never had the pleasure of meeting him -- but I have his knife and the number he has left in him are limited since he's 80. I want to get his name, put his pix with the knife and stick it under the bed for the dust bunnies.
That old kami is one who could make you a lock and key that would work non-stop for 100 years. They are truly Nepal's national treasure and there are damned few of them left. That khukuri has great sentimental value to me -- worth much more than what the knife would bring on the open market.
...
Many may have a hard time believing this but I called Gelbu last night for more info about this old kami and I will be posting a story about that "large magical blade" that he made for me and is sending. It is a great and wonderful story -- and funny -- and I'm sure everybody will get a huge kick out of it. I know I did!
...
We will wait and see what the "magical khukuri" tells us.
The khukuri Ganga Ram is holding is the khukuri of his youth -- the type his grandfather and father made and I am sure when he was a boy he saw plenty of them made exactly this style and probably tried some on his own. His grandfather's khukuri making days go back 120 - 140 years! Astounding when you stop and think about that.
That saying "they don't make'em like that anymore," certainly holds true in this case.
From the thread https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-ancient-kami-and-the-magical-khukuri.125529/
This is the absolutely true story of the ancient kami and the magical khukuri. His picture is in the thread "Boys, meet a couple of true master kamis."
Gelbu, Kami's youngest son, heard about these old kamis on his journey and made quite an effort to go see them and I think it was worth it. When he arrived Gelbu told them who he was, what he was doing, told of Kami Sherpa, me and my Gurkha brother and of Himalayan Imports.
The old kami who is named Ganga Ram Bishwakarma said, "I've heard of you fellows. That American jwai (son-in-law) is the one who does business with that Gurkha boy down near Dharan." He is referring to Til Bai who is in his 60's as a Gurkha "boy."
The old kami goes on. "Well, you tell that American jwai if he thinks that Gurkha boy can make a good khukuri then he has a lot to learn about khukuris. You tell him I am going to make him a "magical khukuri" (I swear -- this is what Gelbu told me he actually said) the likes of which he and few others have ever seen.
We used to make all our khukuris like this when I was young. My grandfather made them, my father made them, and perhaps I am the only kami in Nepal left alive that can make one. But I will make this jwai such a khukuri. Tell him he will never have to sharpen this khukuri. The more he uses it the sharper it gets. And, he will never be able to break it. This khukuri will outlive him and that Gurkha boy and every other man who is alive in this world today. You come back here on your way home and I will have this khukuri ready for you. When our jwai gets this khukuri have him tell you what he thinks about it and then you come back here and tell me. And, that will be my price for this khukuri -- only that you return here and tell me what the American jwai thinks about this "magical khukuri."
Now, boys, this khukuri should be here in a week or so and it is one I really want to see and test a little. Even if it doesn't get sharper with use it is a khukuri that will go into my collection along with this story and a picture of old Ganga Ram. Of course, I will share pictures, review, and thoughts regarding this khukuri. If this one gets lost I am going to cry.
Now you see why I hold these old kamis so near and dear to my heart. What wonderful people they are! I love them.
...
Boys, I have no idea as to what this magical khukuri is going to be -- style, size, handle -- I'll be as surprised as anybody but if it is half as good and old Ganga says it is we will be ordering more from him.
...
I have spoken elsewhere about the magic the kami works -- he takes a piece of rusty spring, discarded, forgotten, and considered worthless by its previous owner, and through his own brand of magic reincarnates this spring into a new lifeform -- a beautiful and very useful khukuri.
He is showing us in a dirty little shop with a few hand tools the basic belief system of both Hindu and Buddhist in a very basic but also very eloquent fashion. All we need do is look.
I know there will be magic in the khukuri this old one is sending me. It is magic already and I have not yet seen it. I can feel the presence of old Ganga even now and I will feel it more once I hold his khukuri in my hand.
No matter if the knife becomes sharper with use it will still be magic.
...
Attachments
Last edited:
