Thailand haul

Now that I got them back to the house and laid out I noticed the seller added them up wrong, should have been $38. Just the ones on the right were $23, so I got everything on the left side for $3
 
I love those Thai knives... I have about 6 Aranyik blades that count among my favorites despite their crude construction and total lack of fit and finish....

I'm missing 1 pattern that I always wanted, but it looks like the Aranyik guy is done for good now...so I have no idea how to source it... I do not see them on TheBay and really, no clue as to where else I could look short of making a trip there myself...
 
Unfortunately the ones I've seen have had spotty heat treatment. There was one that was sent to me for thinning the grind on once that had a big circular hard spot in it for some reason that abraded slower than the steel around it to the point where it was clearly visible standing above the surrounding metal. Not even sure how something like that would happen, but it was pretty concerning. Yours are probably fine, but just letting you know as something to look out for!
 
I agree, the fit and finish on these are piss poor but are solid pieces for the US dollar if bought here, $40 for a cleaver stateside not too great of a deal.

I also see a few round hard spots on the grind of the heavy cleaver.

The kukri/E-Nek seems to be finished out much better than the other pieces

But For $26 on the whole lot it’s pretty tough to complain
 
I have one similar to the small one on the top left that I made in Thailand 40 years ago with a little heat treating help from a Thai blacksmith/farmer I worked with. I found a piece of an industrial reciprocating hacksaw blade, then forged the edge which made it curve. I have no idea what steel but it does hold an edge.

I had a hill tribe smith forge out a cleaver from a truck spring, but I never got around to putting on a handle. Probably cost me less than $4.

I just can't resist inexpensive forged knives. The one with the deluxe blue water pipe sheath was about $2. The one on the left in the last two pics was $5. - beautiful hill tribe work. The old one with the dirty wood sheath was free (sis-in-law is a scrap dealer). The incurved one next to the rattan sheath was a gift from my blacksmith. The sheath is for inside the waistband carry. A relative who has a farm store gave me several.

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