the first khukuri I didn't keep

C

Cliff Stamp

BANNED
Joined
Oct 5, 1998
Messages
17,562
Awhile ago I ordered a khukuri from Bill and after going around and around in the mail it finally arrived yesterday. It is this model :

silverdeerhorn.JPG


The one I received has a Dragon on one side and a Pheasant (or Peacock) on the other. It was the first khukuri that I received that I was rather disappointed in.

Some background is necessary for this to make any sense so :

About 2 months ago I started looking for a birthday gift for my mother. I generally look for handcrafted items as her father was a master craftsman so she appreciates quality handmade items. The last things I gave her were a whale carved from soapstone, and a beautiful ship in a bottle blown from glass.

So I am sitting around trying to figure out what I should get her this next year as I am doing some reading on the forums and I come across the above picture once again (I think thats Floyds khukuri) and I decide I have found what I am looking for. A quick email to Bill and one is on the way.

So back to the present I unwrap the khukuri and like I said I am disappointed with the khukuri as there is a part of me that wanted it not to be quite as nice because maybe mom would not be that impressed and I would get to keep it and have to get her something else. No chance of that though, it is a very beautiful piece of work. She loved it and it is now proudly on display whenever she is not carring it around showing it off to all of her friends.

-Cliff
 
I don't know if Bill has model numbers as such. I have seen this one refered to as the Silver Deerhorn. It has an overall length of 12 inches. I'll measure up the specs and post them up. Note that while this is an art quality piece, it is still an actual functional khukuri. The handle is deer horn (hence the name), looks similar to ivory and has a very nice texture.

-Cliff
 
Cliff, I don't have model numbers but something that might interest you and Mom is the fact that this little khukuri is one of four. I should probably start getting them numbered.

The pheasant (daphne in Nepali) is Nepal's national bird.

We are delighted your Mom liked this offering.

Uncle Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 09 April 1999).]
 
Cliff, that is one heck of a nice khukuri. It actually looks like a smaller version of the BAS. Or is it more heavily built?
 
As that picture was loading three words escaped my lips--wow.....man.....WOW! It was like watching a veil being lifted off of a classic Rodin (no not the Japanese monster). I've been trying to decide for a while which HI khukuri I'm going to order and now I'm even more confused. Good confusion though.

------------------
Paul
Keep Em Sharp


 
A classy piece.the engraving looks good.The blade shape is elegant and porportinate.The fit and finish is good.I`d work on the handle to pommell fit,however.

------------------
 
Here's a design consideration that I've not mentioned that some, including Cliff's mom, might find interesting.

Nepal's little spotted deer that supplied us with the horn for these handles is pretty small and so are the horns. I specified that I wanted a 12 inch knife but the horn was only large enough to handle a 9 inch khukuri which is too small for a khukuri in my opinion. So, the kamis created this silver pommel to give them the handle length required for a 12 inch khukuri.

The number of this little deer got critically low some years back and today he is hunted by government permit only or poached. We buy our horns from a professional hunter from Taplejung who is issued four or five permits per year.

Uncle Bill
 
I get back from a trip and find an Email from Cliff that he's gotten the 2 Ontario bowies ( Survival and Marine Raider) and 12" and 15" Sirupatis, finish reading the rest of the mail and go to the forum, and what do I see but this thread! Now I'm starting to get nervous, Cliff... I know you're an honorable man, but we are talking *khukuris* here. I would hate to have to get into a custody battle over my babies, especially in front of Vic, the judge in town who carries a Les Baer 1911 custom 45. I suspect Vic would defer a decision, for oh, say the rest of his natural life. Just keep repeating "These are Rusty's khuks, these are Rusty's khuks, these are Rusty's khuks... ( I'm just teasing you Cliff ).
 
Cliff has ordered four HI khukuris -- now he will have six. Sometimes it takes years for Cliff to complete his testing.

Uncle Bill
 
God, it's good to be back and getting my daily ration of humor off this nutso forum.
Oh, I agree I'm as twisted as the next guy... in fact I used to say that the thing about acting like a fruitcake wasn't so much that it kept you from going nuts, but that when you finally do go crazy, at least you'll be familiar with the territory.
 
Wow, that is quite a beautiful handle. I've never seen bone handles before. I think I'll have to get some of those in. It's interesting that my Kothimora and my Deluxe Presentation Khukuris come with a blade that looks extremely similar to the blade on that beauty. Here it is:

presentation_blade.jpg


I think that I definitely need to order some bone handled khukuris with the engraving. Actually, the reverse of this blade also has some pretty nice engraving. Bill or Cliff: what does the engraved bone handled blade cost?


 
Wow, that is quite a beautiful handle. I've never seen bone handles before. I think I'll have to get some of those in. It's interesting that my Kothimora and my Deluxe Presentation Khukuris come with a blade that looks extremely similar to the blade on that beauty. Here it is:

presentation_blade.jpg


I think that I definitely need to order some bone handled khukuris with the engraving. Actually, the reverse of this blade also has some pretty nice engraving. Bill or Cliff: what does the engraved bone handled blade cost?


 
Actually, the handle is spotted deer horn and not bone. We buy our horn from a professional hunter in Taplejung to make sure the deer horn is not from a poached animal.

Uncle Bill
 
Without a government permit they are illegal to hunt in Nepal so I'm told. I have not been back to Nepal since 1991 and things change but there was a time when it was illegal to export the horn or any of the parts from this little deer because it had become so scarce. At present it is making a comeback thanks to some pretty strict conservation laws.

Uncle Bill
 
Actually Ghost Six, I eat fish in large quantity (they are really swimming vegetables). And sorry to dissapoint your appetite, but you'd have trouble catching me!
 
I'm omnivorous. Actually, when you look at what a human can eat, it puts us in the company of the Rat and the Cockroach, and Pig also. What company we are in, huh.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top