Uncle Bill Especiale -- The unsung hero?

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Well, not any more, I'm here to sing it's praises!!!

This is one blade that definitely has a permanent home with me. I have never been so impressed with any blade either from HI, or anywhere else, as I was when I opened the Uncle Bill Especiale that arrived today.

The balance on this blade is absolutely unbelievable. I think that Uncle Bill said that it weighed just under 2 pounds, which you can tell when you pick it up with one hand on the blade, the other on the handle. That is the only time that you can feel it, however. Once you grab the handle (which, BTW, is over-sized in diameter and very comfortable!), the "magic" begins. It feels as if there is a string tied to the tip of the blade that supports it. I would have to say that it feels almost as light as my 12" Sirupati!
Once you start working with it, the results are no less than astounding. I've only used it for about 15 minutes at lunch time, but man! I chopped everything that I could think of: saplings, willow branches (about 1/8" in diameter, still hanging on the tree), trees, branches, etc., and never, I repeat NEVER once, did I hit a spot on the blade that gave me any negative feedback. I think that this one is all sweet-spot! The forged fullers in the blade look mean, the edge is very tough, the balance is un-real, and the companion knives are absolutely awesome. Uncle told me that Sanu made this one, he has definitely out-done himself. I'm interested to see what other forumites have to say about their recent acquisitions of the UBE as well. As for this camper, YEEE-HAW!
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Rob

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Nothing soothes the nerves like a sharp knife in hand...
 
Thanks for report from the field, Rob. I think the appearance of the knife puts some people off but it does work very well no matter what it looks like.

We like happy customers!

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Rob, congratulations on the Especiale purchase! It sounds like quite a knife. I'd love to see it some time. We still need to get together. My wife and I just had that new addition to the fam I told you about, and I could use all the advice you've got. Kids & khukuris--that should give us plenty to talk about.

Chris
 
Correction, the UBE weighs in at 2 pounds, 8 ounces! It feels lighter than a WWII that is almost 9 ounces lighter! I've had a little more time to beat on this thing (or on my yard, as the case may be
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), and it is wonderful. It handled cutting back my forsythia bush with no problem at all. These are very springy, and a pain to keep under control. Not so with the UBE. Even the thinnest of branches were no match for this knife. The combination of a thin blade profile (at the edge itself) and the 2 'ridges' (Dui Chuirra?) in this blade make it outstanding for many different tasks. I can't believe that this weighs 2 1/2 pounds, it feels light as a feather in hand! Where are you other guys that just got these? What do you think?


Rob

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Nothing soothes the nerves like a sharp knife in hand...
 
Rob,

I just got mine. You said it all. Man, what a knife!

You're really right about the sweet spot. This blade is strong and hard almost from the cho to the tip. I did some chopping with the Uncle Bill Especiale and a 15" Ang Khola and a 20" Ang Khola, and it held its own in terms of power, but was much more forgiving of my less than perfect chops. Sometimes it's hard to get into just the right position because of the target or your position. This blade says just go ahead anyway, I got you covered.

This knife also has a flatter belly than my other khukuris, so it could be used for slicing and carving. This blade will be real handy around a camp.

The thing just doesn't have any weaknesses. I think that what Sanu was thinking to honor Uncle Bill was an amalgam of East and West, Khukuri and Bowie, chopper and slicer, and he pulled it off! Hey, I think that we have overlooked Sanu.

You're absolutely right about how the Uncle Bill Especiale feels in the hand.

A great knife.

Chris
 
I took the UBE out to the garden with me last night. I'm building frames for walking paths out of very hard rough-cut lumber. I had to cut a few to length, so I figured that I needed a work-out, and wanted to see how the edge on the UBE would hold up. The boards were a true 2" by 6". The UBE fared well, there were no dings in the blade, nor were there ANY dull spots either. It looked as though the edge had still not been touched! I purposely tried to hit the wood with all parts of the blade to test the "all sweet-spot" theory, and the result was the same -- this blade does not send any vibrations back to the user, no matter where on the blade impact is made. Sanu definitely did well, I've not even sharpened this knife yet, and it is still incredibly sharp. I still can't believe that it weighs 2 1/2 pounds, there is very little fatigue when using it.


Rob

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Nothing soothes the nerves like a sharp knife in hand...
 
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