The ASTK or One of the best ideas coming out of Nepal

So I ran across this bottle of cold blue I bought for a shotgun restoration project and got to thinking....."ya know, I haven't tried bluing a khuk in a good long while. This is a villager with a nice satin (easy to etch) finish."

Pics later today if I get the chance. The good news...confirmed steel bolster:p White metal etches and blues about as good as brass. This turned the same color as the blade. Gonna be a nice workin' weather resistant khuk when I get done with it:thumbup::D
 
OH! I am very excited to see the blued ASTK version. Having no fullers, this must be a mean look.

As for the neutral grip, I agree that it cannot help detract from the pure chopping power of the generally front-heavy kuks, but for purely tactical reasons and thus speed, I would take neutral feel 9 times out 10.

I think I am sold; I am getting an ASTK too one day (that makes my wish list only slightly longer :).

Alex
 
lol, Alex my wish list dates back to 2002 and I still have holes to fill:eek::D

The bluing came out ok. It took it very well. However, i think i'm going to re-etch then maybe buff the edge for a shiny on black Rambo look:p The lighting in here sucks, so between the overhead florescent and the reflection off the blade, the pic came out bad.

DSC02147.jpg

Here it is before


DSC02150.jpg

and after (forgive my big booted foot sneaking into the shot:p)
 
Looks great! My personal preference is towards matte black rather than shiny black, but either way I am sure the finished product would be a great addition to the HI Picture Thread.

Keep us posted,
Alex
 
If weren't a lazy man (and I most certainly am), I would buff the blade again with some sandpaper to dull it up a bit then reapply some blue.

However, I think I might just etch it with acid instead. It tends to "bite" deeper into the finish since the bluing is really designed just to color the surface of guns and not stand up to chopping through wood,
 
That blade and hardware would look sweet polished and blued. That's been my idea for my non-HI khuk for a few years. I, for one, love mirror blue. I think something like Lauer Dura Coat would look great and hold up pretty well if you etch the steel first. You can get in a variety of colors, including gun blue. I may have to try that with one of mine.
What cold blue are you using? If you're not using Brownell's Oxpho-Blue, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. It looks like hot blue, deep and dark.
I told Auntie today that I'm going to have to save up for an ASTK. She pronounced it "uh-mar sing toppa". Apparently the h in thapa is silent, just like the one in singh.
She seems to like the HI products as much as Uncle Bill did. We are very lucky to be able to deal with someone who actually has an interest in the products they sell, and doesn't just think of them as a means to make money. Companies like this are rare and I think we should buy as many HI products as we can afford. We really don't want her to go out of business. Then where would we get our HIKV treatments?

Whoever bought that HUGE ASTK from the DOTD is very lucky indeed. I wanted it but was saving for my forthcoming BC.
 
Jaymo, I actually had a hard time finding gun blue in town:eek:
I mean I didn't look all over, but Walmart didn't have any at all, and my gun haunt only had one bottle of Tru or whatever the $6 cheap stuff is.

I keep hearing about Brownell's. I'll have to invest in some in the near future.
 
Your C bit looks better than anything I've ever blued with the Birchwood Casey Perma Blue. I didn't know cold blue could look like hot blue until I bought a bottle of the Oxpho-Blue. I bought the creme instead of the liquid, on the recommendation of several that had used both. I degrease the piece to be blued, then I degrease some 0000 steel wool. IIRC, the directions call for using a soft cloth for the first coat or 2, then switch to steel wool for the rest of the coats. It's good stuff. I reblued the trigger and hammer of a Dan Wesson revolver with it and they look like they were hot blued. They're also slicker on the engagement surfaces than they were before bluing.
 
it's landed....

HI Amar Singh Thapa Knife (ASTK) by Vin Kami
20.5" length
35oz. weight
15/32" thickness at spine

the long belly should prove to be a formidable chopping area...

:D :D :D
 

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