The last WWII

[RL]

Lately I have gone a little Khukuri Khrazy! It all started with this vid from Rocky Handsome appearing on my YouTube feed.

This prompted me to order a mini from Kailash.

In the meantime, I learned the very sad news that Himalayan Imports is closing down and I have always wanted one of their Khukuris. I managed to snag the last WWII that HI had in stock.

In the meantime again, I ordered a Cold Steel trainer.

My three orders arrived in reverse order with the Cold Steel first and the HI today! The Kailash is still weeks away.

The WWII is 16” and 22 oz. I opted for this over an Ang Khola as I wanted something lighter and faster, more for martial arts purposes than for use as a heavy chopper. As I am sure you know, the WWII feels great in the hand!

Thanks for the hat HI!

I wish all the best to Yangdu.

RL

 

[Aardvark]

Nice stuff. The WWII is one of my favorites, too, right up there with the UBE.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

The WWII is one of those great all around khuks. I have always found the WWII to be a model that was a tool that could be a formidable weapon and the M43 a weapon that could be a formidable tool.

I think an 18" WWII was my...third(?) khukuri. I have one in the Trunk O' Knives that I haven't looked at in over a decade. Oddly enough I have a half moon shaped scar on the top of my left thumb from where I wasn't paying attention as I was running that knife down a butcher steel to hone it up. I remember it vividly.

I was watching one of the three TV stations I got in my first apartment back in college. The WWII came down and skirted off the plastic edge of my butcher steel and bite hard into the top my thumb joint between my joint at my palm and my thumb knuckle. Being that I was 21 and had no insurance, a trip to anywhere besides what was in the kitchen drawer was out of my price range.

A couple of paper towels and a quarter of a role of electrical tape later had stemmed the blood flow...mostly. 20 some-odd years on, I still have a reminder about using a butcher steel and a 26oz khukuri while watching syndicated reruns of "Friends".

 

[RL]

thanks all

this is cool, just noticed this on the sheath

based on these markings, who is the maker on mine?

RL

 

[Old Biker]

thanks all

this is cool, just noticed this on the sheath

based on these markings, who is the maker on mine?

RL

If I am reading the Kami mark sticky right. Those marks stand for Uncle Bill, and HI for Himalayan Imports. You should find the makers mark on the opposite side of the blade.

O.B.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Yeah you should see the markings on the other side that should be the symbol and initials of the kami who made it.

 

[RL]

thanks. is this Kumar?

[/img]

RL

 

[AntDog]

Lately I have gone a little Khukuri Khrazy! It all started with this vid from Rocky Handsome appearing on my YouTube feed.

This prompted me to order a mini from Kailash.

In the meantime, I learned the very sad news that Himalayan Imports is closing down and I have always wanted one of their Khukuris. I managed to snag the last WWII that HI had in stock.

In the meantime again, I ordered a Cold Steel trainer.

My three orders arrived in reverse order with the Cold Steel first and the HI today! The Kailash is still weeks away.

The WWII is 16” and 22 oz. I opted for this over an Ang Khola as I wanted something lighter and faster, more for martial arts purposes than for use as a heavy chopper. As I am sure you know, the WWII feels great in the hand!

Thanks for the hat HI!

I wish all the best to Yangdu.

RL

Dude, you look almost exactly like my brother. I was scrolling the thread and froze on your picture. Fookin spooky. Enjoy the new blade.

 

[RL]

thanks...is your dad a billiionaire? if so, i may be your brother's long lost twin

RL

 

[Steely_Gunz]

thanks. is this Kumar?

[/img]

RL

Yeah, a personal favorite of mine. That knife will serve you well a LONG time

 

[RL]

mine too (from what i have seen here). glad i got one of his.

RL

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Here's a fun pic of how it started and how it "ends". I'll see if I can find my WWII today. I'm snowed in, so I might as well dig around for old memories.

The top one was the first khuk Uncle Bill sold to me over 20 years ago. Villager model made by Kumar. 3/8" thick. The bottom may be the finest work I have of his, and I probably have at least 20 works made by Kumar. It's thinner, lighter, and just so refined. The edge on this one sings when you flick it. Not a lot of khuks do they, but this one is special.

The funny thing is that both of these balance at almost the exact same place, about 1.75" in front of the cho. Very neutral in hand.

Kumar's work has only gotten more masterful as the years have gone on. It seems silly, but this newest/last khuk by him honestly feels like a handshake between two old friends who have never met.

 

[Yangdu]

Great pix and post, thank you for sharing

 

[AntDog]

thanks...is your dad a billiionaire? if so, i may be your brother's long lost twin

RL

I wish, but sadly no. I’m not kidding you though… you guys are doppelgängers! I could hang up that picture of you and nobody would ever notice it wasn’t Dave (my bro).