- Joined
- Jun 4, 2002
- Messages
- 3,930
Thanks to Uncle's wizardry with USPS it showed up on my doorstep yesterday. The box it came in was a regular box, not one of the familiar triangular ones, and hardly looked big enough to house anything larger than a Bilton. When I pulled it out it seemed plumb impossible that a knife this big could fit in a box that small (I sometimes suspect Uncle Bill has a hooded grey cloak and a tall staff with a glowing crystal at it's terminus).
Well now, a little paper tag attached to the scabbard with a piece of string announced that this was a "Ghopte Balance". I don't know what a Ghopte is, or how it achieves balance, but I can tell y'all the duck was right, the only thing "cute" about this khukuri is it's heart shaped cho. This is one scary little devil of a khuk. The handle is pure Kumar, very graceful and wonderfully done, and more importantly, big enough to comfortably accomodate a man sized hand with room to spare. The handle has a pronounced downward curve toward the pommel, but nothing like the curve Kumar put on that blade. I mean it is really curved, think "Hanshee-like" here. Pappy, Rusty, and others will tell you to listen to your khuks and they'll tell you what they want to do. This one told me on no uncertain terms that it wants to fight. I'm telling you this one wants to jump right in the middle of it and lay waste to everything in it's reach. It is, bar none, the meanest little khukuri I've ever handled, with the exception of my supernatural Sirupati by Bura (the Siru voiced it's displeasure at all the attention the newcomer was receiving by casually piercing the tip of my finger right down to the bone with it's needle sharp point. Love bite? 'Tis but a scratch).
I have to agree with Uncle on the fit and finish of this khuk, it's what you expect from Kumar, great attention to detail. Oddly, if you looked at the unmarked side of the blade, and didn't know who made it, you'd fully expect to see Sher's makers mark when you flipped it over. The "almost convex" on this one is more "almost" than most. Took me no time at all to put a scary sharp convex edge on it. It handles like a dream, and the down curved blade bites ferociously when swung at something (so far only wood and cardboard-hee).
Kitchen knife Yvsa? Only if there's a wolf in the kitchen that needs his skull split. This one's going walking in the woods with me, and maybe over yonder where there ain't no woods, if and when the diplomatic flood gates open. Tell me again how I obtained this unique masterpiece in steel for only sixty bucks? Oh yeah, a crazy fellow named Pala and an equally crazy Uncle Bill. May God bless 'em both.
Sarge
p.s.: you were right Yvsa, this thing balances like magic on the tip of my (bandaged) finger
..
Well now, a little paper tag attached to the scabbard with a piece of string announced that this was a "Ghopte Balance". I don't know what a Ghopte is, or how it achieves balance, but I can tell y'all the duck was right, the only thing "cute" about this khukuri is it's heart shaped cho. This is one scary little devil of a khuk. The handle is pure Kumar, very graceful and wonderfully done, and more importantly, big enough to comfortably accomodate a man sized hand with room to spare. The handle has a pronounced downward curve toward the pommel, but nothing like the curve Kumar put on that blade. I mean it is really curved, think "Hanshee-like" here. Pappy, Rusty, and others will tell you to listen to your khuks and they'll tell you what they want to do. This one told me on no uncertain terms that it wants to fight. I'm telling you this one wants to jump right in the middle of it and lay waste to everything in it's reach. It is, bar none, the meanest little khukuri I've ever handled, with the exception of my supernatural Sirupati by Bura (the Siru voiced it's displeasure at all the attention the newcomer was receiving by casually piercing the tip of my finger right down to the bone with it's needle sharp point. Love bite? 'Tis but a scratch).
I have to agree with Uncle on the fit and finish of this khuk, it's what you expect from Kumar, great attention to detail. Oddly, if you looked at the unmarked side of the blade, and didn't know who made it, you'd fully expect to see Sher's makers mark when you flipped it over. The "almost convex" on this one is more "almost" than most. Took me no time at all to put a scary sharp convex edge on it. It handles like a dream, and the down curved blade bites ferociously when swung at something (so far only wood and cardboard-hee).
Kitchen knife Yvsa? Only if there's a wolf in the kitchen that needs his skull split. This one's going walking in the woods with me, and maybe over yonder where there ain't no woods, if and when the diplomatic flood gates open. Tell me again how I obtained this unique masterpiece in steel for only sixty bucks? Oh yeah, a crazy fellow named Pala and an equally crazy Uncle Bill. May God bless 'em both.
Sarge
p.s.: you were right Yvsa, this thing balances like magic on the tip of my (bandaged) finger
..