Ugly Villager Knives for 7/12

Yangdu

Yangdu

Himalayan Imports Owner ~ himimp@aol.com
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Joined
Apr 5, 2005
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9,166
UVK#14
Overall lenght --16''
Weight --26 oz
Spine thickness--3/8''
White metal boster and buttcap
Satisal wood handle
$45 *SOLD*

UVK#15
Overall lenght--16''
Weight --23 oz
Spine thickness --3/8''
Brass bolster and buttcap
Satisal wood handle
$45 *SOLD*

UVK#16
Overall length --15''
Weight --22 oz
Spine thickenss --3/8''
$45 *SOLD*
All made by by new Kami Arjun

Email to himimp@aol.com to get any or all
First come first served

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These are so cool. I hope they keep cranking them out. Seems like a lot of demand for them:)
 
Terisha arrived here yesterday. She will stay with aunt Yangdu for summer vacation and learn more about the HI Khukuri business. Warm regards from Terisha to all!
 
davidf99 said:
Looks like #15 might be a photo finish.
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I got it. Sorry, Pete.

I'm thinking of using this one as a test subject for things I don't want to do on a prettier blade. Like chopping up an old dried out lemon tree trunk with roots attached and maybe pebbles or sand embedded in the lower part. Or practicing sharpening skills.

Depending on how it looks and feels in person I might try prettying it up. I like Yvsa's idea of using superglue to produce a hard, polished handle finish. I recently fixed a small area on a satisal handle, about 1/2" diameter with superglue. When I polished it, in steps, up to 2500 grit sandpaper and then rottenstone it looked amazing. Couldn't tell if it would be slippery, since the area was small, but maybe I'll do the entire handle on this "ugly villager".

-- Dave

p.s.: I'm adding a little to my payment for this blade to help with the Yvsa memorial. I hope others will do something similar to honor a man who contributed a lot to this forum.
 
davidf99 said:
I got it. Sorry, Pete.

Dave, I'm happy for you. You certainly do not have to say sorry. Truthfully, if I had gotten them, I was going to ask if you wanted #14. I like the Brass myself, especially with the dark wood. Great idea on the handle.. It will look great with the fittings, and also will keep it looking that way for a long time..
Hopefully, there will be some good deals from yangdu this weekend. Enjoy, and Good Luck with your purchase...
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I received UVK #15 a couple of days ago, less than 48 hours from when I ordered it.

I am really surprised at how good it feels in hand. The combination of length, weight, balance and handle seems just perfect. Another surprise was two long, shallow fullers on each side of the blade. The photo hints at one fuller, but not two. This is really a dui chirra in disguise.

The lines of the blade waver a little in a few places, which is perhaps why it was left as an "ugly villager" and not put through the usual finishing process. I'm not even sure it will be visible after I work on the blade. I plan to bring it up at least to a satin finish, maybe even polished. I suppose that defeats the "ugly villager" concept, but I'm not a farmer and don't chop wood every day.

The satisal handle is nicely shaped and sized. The wood has a nice grain but there are some problems that might become worse if not nipped in the bud. I'm going to give it a good sanding and then try my hand at a super-glue finish that should take care of all the problems.

The brass pommel is rough at the edges where it meets the wood. A little filing and sanding should take care of that. The keeper is smaller than others I've seen, but it looks ok and is held solidly in place by the peening.

This is not only a great deal at $45, but the ugly duckling might become a beautiful swan after some work. It will be fun to try. I'll take some before-and-after photos.

The photos don't really show any of the lettering because of the rough forging scales. I can barely make it out in person, but that will clear up after sanding. Arjun's kami mark looks like a large tulip. It's worth watching for in the future. This guy is good. One more thing: Uncle Bill's initials are done in Devangari, which I much prefer to the standard English lettering.

Luckily, I have a spare KMFR sheath for this UVK.

-- Dave
 
Nice review David.I bought #1 and it is excellent.I put mine to the test by chopping through a 3" seasoned hard maple round.No folding,rolling,bending or even light reflection from the cutting edge post test. You are correct-Arjun does great work and his knives will be worth watching for in the future.
 
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