Tang Photo

D

DPris

Joined
Nov 27, 2003
Messages
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Could anybody make my day by posting a shot of a standard HI khukuri "stick" tang, naked, uncovered & totally bare, please?
Denis
 
Not HI's but should give a decent idea
PICT0878-1.jpg


This one from HI site
kami10.jpg


FixedTang.jpg


You can see few tangs on the pics below (Also from HI's site)
apprentices.jpg
 
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Didn't someone have an actual x-ray of a HI khuk? The kangaroo tail if I remember right
 
WWII model by Sher. If this had a handle it would be about 19" long.

View attachment 541462 View attachment 541463

Note the thickness of the tang in the second photo. In most HI models (including this one) the tang goes all the way through the handle and is peened over at the end with a metal keeper.
 
Yeah, the thickness of the full-length rat-tail is what I was wondering about.
I knew about the full-length.

Cul's got me talked into going that route instead of the Chiruwa that I feel more comfortable with, strength-wise.
Still gotta be wood, but looks like I might be able to live with the rats. :)

Thanks.
Denis
 
Rat tails on HI Kuks are very strong, has a better shock absorption and are much easier to redo if needed.
Plus... You only have to file the butt cap a little if the material shrinks.

I've read somewhere that the handles on our Kuks with rat tails may not last a lifetime. They might need to be redone only if you use your kuk on a daily basis as a working tool.
 
I think the lifetime handle issue was more on some of the original kuks. I think most of the modern HI versions with just a tiny bit of upkeep (keep em oiled and nourished) will last a very very long time.

A few may fail, but generally good to go.
 
My two most recent hornies are evenly divided, one's a rat & the other's a Chiruwa.
Both have been repeatedly slathered in Balistol for over a week now & have not grown noticeably.
My first HI from the early 90s is a rat & has shrunk somewhat. Also has a crack.

I like the looks, but horn is not a viable option here. :)

Wood seems to maintain size better, no cracks, I can create file scars that are easy to oil up & make disappear.
Can't file around horn without marking it up, I'm too dis-coordinated.

I do not plan on using any khukuri every day, but I'm currently evaluating the practicality of including one as regular gear on ATV expeditions, either in the break-down bag or on body in some sort of baldric arrangement.

If I make it part of the emergency gear, it HAS to be one that'll hold up.

Also considering gifts for two nephews I explore with. They may or may not choose to carry theirs, but the same principle applies- HAS to hold up if they do. And that means for long after I'm gone, too.
I've slowly outfitted them with miscellaneous "survival" gear to use if we (or someday they) ever break down & need to wait for S&R, and it's all been quality stuff.

So, Cul has me pretty much talked into a rat-tail.
I just wanted to know typically how thick & sturdy they might be.

He mentioned the warranty, but warrantees don't mean anything to me in this context. I'd rather buy "best" up front that'll get me home again than have my widow handle a warrantee claim after the funeral. :)
Denis
 
My widow probably won't mess with warranties, she loves Auntie more than I do and they'll probably grieve together in the Bahamas someplace. I can almost visualize it now, the two of em in lounge chairs on a beach with them girlyman drinks with little umbrella's in em saying what a swell fella I wuz to buy a insurance policy that don't pay nuttin till you walk west. (or roll west I guess in my case)
 
cul4u01 said:
Didn't someone have an actual x-ray of a HI khuk? The kangaroo tail if I remember right
Click to expand...

Yes, I recall some crazy man bribing his cat's vet to X-ray some HI khuks:)

khukX-ray008.jpg


Here's the thread with more pics: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/871579-HI-Khuk-Handle-X-Ray
As you can see, there's plenty of steel under that horn or wood. Even the partial tang Hanuman has a beefy stub in there. And if done right, which it usually is, then it's soft and tough as well. I like chiruwa tangs, but have really come to appreciate what a "rat-tail" tang has to offer.
 
Well done jdk, I looked all over for that but it totally eluded me.

Me bonnets off to ya sir. You might want to hand with Mr. Steve Tall, he's wicked good at finding some of this stuff and quick too.
 
Bawanna said:
Well done jdk, I looked all over for that but it totally eluded me.

Me bonnets off to ya sir. You might want to hand with Mr. Steve Tall, he's wicked good at finding some of this stuff and quick too.
Click to expand...

You're welcome amigo. It was easy for me to find. My vet thought I was crazy:) I thought it was a great way to see what lies underneath and it didn't fail to impress.
 
When you worry about rat tail tangs, remember that every european sword for two thousand years (with the exception of some seax and the Großmesser) have had rattail tangs. You can put a lot of leverage on a tang with a 38" blade...
 
It wasn't so much rat-tail tangs in general as the SIZE of the rat-tail tangs here.
That's why I wanted to see images.
Denis
 
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