What exactly is a Hanshe?

C

Crazyotter

Joined
Jun 26, 2010
Messages
334
Can anyone here tell me what exactly a Hanshe is? A few weeks of surfing revealed little information on these, and I may have bought one on impulse. I expected the hanshe to be a light use thinner "slicing" knife, but that opinion changed really fast ... kind of have no clue what it is now or its intended purpose.

My opinion of it is its a light "heavy duty" knife after batoning through a 4 by 4 and chopping another in half. Yet it still slices down those thin whippy pine branches with a bit of momentum and easily takes down saplings that normally drive me and my machetes crazy. Probably have voided the warranty by now but I don't think that will be an issue anytime soon. :rolleyes:
 
A search for "hanshee" brings up a different blade, unless it's the Rajkumar Hanshee:

Yangdu said:
HANSHEE BY RAIKUMAR THE (PRINCE)

Overall length --15''
Weight --16 oz
Spine thickness --1/4''
White metal bolster, buttcap and tip
Chiruwa style satisal wood handle
Standard leather scabbard
Amazing work by the Prince...
9-08-11%20004.jpg
Click to expand...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/881010-Thursday-Evening-with-Rajkumar-Hanshee
 
Karda and i had a talk about it as this is one of our fav.

ph-0.jpg

5076d1184916481-el-kukuri-anatomia-de-un-arma-del-nepal-rare-hanshee-kothimora-kukris-silver-small-.jpg


hanshee.jpg

From HI website John Powell mentioned Hanshee as "full arc".

This is a very nice example of an early 19th/late 18th century 'hanshee' probably of southern Nepalese origin with a beautifully done gold foliate design along the spine to the end of the double fullers at the shoulder.
Overall size of 15.75" would indicate this was a khukuri for a young man with status or even possibly from a ruling jat. The blade appears to be finely finished and highly polished which would be typical of something like this. JP 06/01
Click to expand...

Some called it the Lambedth whilst Mr.Hengle called it Chettri.

This link here might be helpful (with great addition from Spiraltwista):
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=603

The so called Hanshee is refered to in Nepal as a hand & a half sirupate & double hand sirupate, depending on the length of handle, In Nepali these are Hatrayadha Sirupate & Doharohat Sirupate, respectivly } Further qualifying would be the use of angled , straight , crescent or curved blade.-Spiral
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Also HI used to produce something closer with a very nice touch,apart from the gorgeous Bura Kothi-Hanshee:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLL6rFLXkgY

by our very playful mod.

Karda, if needed this might have to go to the Cantina.
 
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The Hanshee in post #2 looks like it would make quick work of meat and vegetables in the kitchen.
 
Thank you for the info everyone, though I still am sort of confused. I guess what I bought, the Rajkumar Hanshee, was a "modified" hanshee khukri then and not a knife? Does that mean though the entire blade is tempered for use or should I only use the front portion? Thanks.
 
Crazyotter said:
Thank you for the info everyone, though I still am sort of confused. I guess what I bought, the Rajkumar Hanshee, was a "modified" hanshee khukri then and not a knife? Does that mean though the entire blade is tempered for use or should I only use the front portion? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I dont know why theyve called this one a hanshee/hanshe. It is more of a stylized parang. The whole blade should be tempered, but i would not use it for heavy chopping as would one of our khukuri. It is more a small machete/kitchen/hunting knife.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ning-with-Tirtha-s-HI-Parang?highlight=parang
 
Ty Karda, you just completely answered my question. The veering into the hanshee khukri's really threw me for a loop.
 
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