The fabled white metal handle. Pix. (I think)

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

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Mar 5, 1999
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It's nickel silver I think. Not solid. Silver soldered buttcap. Two piece construction soldered just below the center ring. Looks like Bura has soldered handle and bolster together, too. Excellent workmanship by Bura.
 
Very clean work. Looking forward to it. Even with the banana slug that someone stabbed with it.
 
Even with the banana slug that someone stabbed with it.
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:D

For those unfamiliar with these critters, here's a pix of one. They can get up to 10 inches long. That is a lotta slug.

107_36.jpg
 
Originally posted by firkin
:D For those unfamiliar with these critters, here's a pix of one. They can get up to 10 inches long. That is a lotta slug.
Click to expand...

Firkin are the slugs toxic/poisonous? Many times the bright colored species are to warn other species that they should be left alone.

We have a daughter that works at the Tulsa Zoo and is in charge of the reptile/amphibian species.
The zoo has a building that is a replica of a South American Rainforest with many of the species found on display there and with a few others allowed to roam/fly/crawl/hop free.
She was telling us that some of the poisonous rainforest frogs had escaped into the main enviroment of the building.
There has been some discussion whether the frogs had regained their poison from eating the local ants that have taken up residence in the enviroment.
When the frogs aren't fed their natural food they become non-poisonous.
One day while I was standing quietly beside a mid-torso heighth wall I spotted one of the escaped frogs within arms reach.
I was tempted to see if I could catch it and lick its back to see if it had indeed regained its potencey, but I was afraid of the reaction I might have if it had, especially in public.;) :rolleyes: :eek: :D
 
Never mind, did a search.:)

"A second function of the slime is to protect the slug from predators. They simply hump up their body to make a bigger animal and produce a thick milky mucous. Most animals and birds do not like the slimey texture and the fact that it gets goey-er when it is put in their mouth. Also, when the slime comes in contact with a moist surface, it contains an anasthetic which temporarily causes the membranes to go numb. Raccoons will eat slugs but roll them in dirt first to bind up the slime. Garter snakes, ducks, geese and some salamanders will also eat them too. Baby slugs are eaten by shrews, moles and birds."
 
I was tempted to see if I could catch it and lick its back to see if it had indeed regained its potencey, but I was afraid of the reaction I might have if it had, especially in public
Click to expand...
:D
 
Ya know, that banana slug is beginniing to sound more and more like my grandmother who died last year. Nah, with her karma being reincarnated as a banana slug would be way too high up the scale to hope for. Sure does look like her though.
;) ;) ;)
 
" The fabled white metal handle. Pix. (I think)

It's nickel silver I think. Not solid. Silver soldered buttcap. Two piece construction soldered just below the center ring."

I've been wondering about this. Metal over wood? Hollow? I can see how a solid metal handle could throw off the balance. But the tang is glued to something inside isn't it?
 
Firkin,
A combination of materials depending on when the grip was made. The only "solid" metal grips I guarantee are pure metal are the scale type grips found on the Maharaja of Jodphur kukris of WW I and the rare M43 with an aluminum grip.

Most others seem to be metal over a wood core and very well done. I also have some WW II pieces that feel solid, but these were principally used by the pipes and drum unit rather then in combat. The bright metal handles were also used by police forces to make their kukris even more obvious. Most have a full length tang as indicated by the keepers at the pommel.

I have an early steel handled piece used by the Kubo Valley Police in Assam that has a brightly polished grip and a dark blued blade. A very sexy and good looking kukri from around 1870. I think this may be a solid grip with the tang running its length and with a diamond shaped keeper and peened over tip.

Then there is the question of Indian talwar handled pieces and kora style grips. Depending on age some are wood filled and some are solid. I know that's not very dfinitive, but it's the best I can do w/o making this a book chapter.

Finally there are the "engraved" kukri grips that come in a variety of metals including silver, brass and gold washed nickel. These usually have a wood base and the sheets of "engraved" work are wrapped around the core and expertly soldered together with a pommel cap being soldered on last. They are not engraved, but the sheet is pounded over a form and then detalied once they are attched to the core.

I will try to get a pix posted that shows a variety of the metal grips discussed.
 
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