Villagers RULE!

S

Steven F

Joined
Oct 12, 1999
Messages
1,237
I have a word of advice for the newer members of the forum: If you don't already own a villager, by all means get one! (I'm assuming that all "old-timers" already have at least one.) Only rather recently have I become a village idiot (villager convert). For the longest time I thought HI blems offered the better bang for the buck. I stayed away from villagers because I thought that they might be of inferior quality since they do not have to conform to BirGhorka's quality-control standards.

Well, I now own a couple of villagers and I am extremely pleased. My first villager, and my favorite, is the khuk I most often take on camping trips because it'll chop all day and never loose its edge. Now don't get me wrong, it's nothing to look at. It's uglier than home-made sin -- the handle is rough, half rotten, and has several major cracks in it and, like the buttcap, it has gotten quite loose. But I've put this 18 incher through hell and it hangs in there like a champ. In fact, it retains an edge better than most of my BirGhorka-made khuks, most of which cost two to three times as much as it did. Its edge-retention ability is truly amazing.

I'm convinced that every serious khuk knut needs at least one villager. And I'm also convinced that shortly after you get one you'll be thinking about getting another -- the ol' HIKV mentality of "the more the merrier."
 
I'll second that! And add that another great feature of the villagers is that you don't feel like a vandal when subjecting them to hard use. I keep my Bura banspati right here on my desk where I can admire it. When I have taken it out for some exercise chopping and clearing, I can't help but feel somehow as tho I'd purchased a Picasso and then used it as a table tray at a big messy dinner party. But maybe that's just me. I will say, however, that it outperforms my villagers. It's a monster chopper. But I find myself fretting over the resultant nicks and scratches, silly as that would no doubt seem to Bura and the other kamis.
 
Every now and then you get a villager that's been made out of bedsprings or something that doesn't work well but that is a great exception. Most of them, though generally ugly, are great workhorses and a very good buy. Dollar per chip of wood I don't think there's anything around that will beat them.

And, some are coming.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
:
Have I told eveyone how much I like my 17"steel mounted villager that stays in our truck? And also the little brass mounted one I keep in the car?
biggrin.gif


And Steven if you'll pin that handle before it becomes any looser it will last almost forever. None of mine haven't came loose, but then they haven't seen that much work either.


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

Each person's work is always a portrait of himself.

---- Samuel Butler.

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website
 
Have to agree, a HI Villager is a best buy. My favourite is a Bhudhuni Villager that has never let me down. An outstanding chopper and slicer for anyone that is looking for a good working khukuri.

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Harry

[This message has been edited by Apothecary (edited 11-21-2000).]
 
I'm kinda curious about the terrific edges on my villagers considering the steel that they're probably made of. I assume that most village kamis don't have access to auto springs so use more readily available, lower quality metal. If that's the case, then how can they put such durable edges on them? Is there a difference in the way they temper the blades? Thanks in advance for any insight offered.
 
Another villager fan here. I've had a couple & they are both tough as could be. Remember, it was a villager that faired very well against the product of a modern cutlery factory in my performance comparison between a Machax & a khukuri.

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Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.
 
Steven, not sure where the village kami get their steel, but I would think that they try to get the best possible for their money as if they used poor steel, they would soon be unemployed as word got around. As their source is likely not going to be reliable, they may get the occassional piece of steel that results in a poor blade. How they then deal with this would depend on the integrity of the individual kami. Of course, one also needs to look at the skill of the kami in making the blade as well as their skill in selecting good steel.

Harry

[This message has been edited by Apothecary (edited 11-21-2000).]
 
The blades are not tempered.
Some time back I had started a series on this whole business about blades, steel and heat treatment, I'll continue when I start to feel human again.
Dan
 
Uncle Bill has addressed this.

The blades are zone hardened, but not tempered by a second drawing at a lower heat. Due to the blade thickness of the khuk, the kami can quench the edge with water and rapidly cool ( harden ) the thin edge. the farther from the edge the thicker and the more slowly and softer it is hardened. Finally, there may be some heat flowing back into the hardened area from the still hot spine area. Oh well, however they do it, it works.
 
I wanted to share with everyone that i wrapped a village sirupati handle in leather and it now fits my big hands perfectly! very comfortable too! I also took the opportunity to add a lanyard without drilling holes in the handle.

Brent
 
Way back Unc told of a kami who said he could tell good steel by it's taste. The consensus after lots of debate was "maybe he could".
 
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