Why We Love HI

R

Radrunner

Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Messages
234
Cliché thread, i know. And i'm sure a few of these have gone up before.

But i was sitting at my desk, procrastinating my thesis (and continue to do so), and couldn't help but look at the two amazing Kuk's i have managed to acquire so far.... One a 15" BAS, the other a 12" UBE.

And it occured to me that neither is perfect - the wood has shrunk away from the butt cap since i live in a freakishly dry climate, the etching on the blade aren't even, some epoxy is showing around the bolsters... and i have realized that this is exactly what i love about HI.

The knives are beautifully made, number one, but more importantly, there is something about every single knife - even if it's something as simple as a uneven fuller, that makes each knife completely unique. There is something incredibly liberating and pleasant about holding a knife that you know is hand made, unique, and holds that little bit of character of the kami that made it.

And that is why i love HI.

What about the rest of you?

(Absolutely love the service and Yangdu as well, but i think that's a given)
 
I love the fact that through HI, I can feel connected to a part of the world that I will probably never have the opportunity to see in my lifetime. I can hold in my hand real dyed in the wool tools by some of the finest craftsmen. I can feel a little more "one" with the world and feel good about contributing my small part to make life a little better for some of the poorest folks. Finally, I love the Cantina and HI community here on BFC. It has allowed me to learn so much, interact with so many great men and women whom I am deeply honored to call friends, and just generally grow as a person.

Great thread:thumbup:
 
Same as you guys.
I love to pick up a kuk, sword or knife and look at all the little imperfections. To run my fingers along the blade and feel where the hammer struck, even though I can't see it unless I hold it right under the light. It just has more life to it than something that started life under a milling machine.
I also like the fact that they are real tools made by people who USE these things in real life, not something made to live in a display case. I'm sure they'd have no problem with us filing a bit here and there to make them fit right and such, as I'm sure the workaday Nepalese do the same. In fact the kamis would probably be more insulted if we just kept them in a display case instead of using them.

To know that some guy's (actually several guy's) sweat and effort went into these really does give us a connection to them. I marvel at how well my kukris work in the field -- so much better than all those "high-speed" contraptions that are sold on slick advertising. Been using my R10 a lot lately as well. A lot of "expert bushcrafters" will tell you a 5 1/8" blade is too big for "real work". Yet this sucker works well in hand, and the blade is wide enough to choke up on for really fine work. Obviously designed by someone who knows how to work, and made by someone who knows how to make such a knife.

Yangdu's customer service is top notch. You just don't get that with big companies.
 
The thing about HI knives is that they grow on you. I have to say that after receiving my first one my feelings were mixed. But after a short time you realize that its not machine made and its going to have some imperfections since its hand made. But that's part of its charm. Also, since there are some many different models and kami's that one is different than other.
 
I saw my first Khuk at the Blade Show in Atlanta, circa 2005. A year later (almost), I was deployed but finally managed to get the extra money to buy my first HI khuk. I'd had one before that, an antique WWII khuk that a friend of mine got me, but that first triangular box sure did make my month over there. It also caused me to have a conversation later with my first sergeant about the difference between a knife and a tool, but that's a story for another day.

Yangdu is an excellent businesswoman, she surely knows how to keep people coming back. I never got the chance to deal with Uncle Bill, but from what I hear, he was the same way. The company is fantastic, the khuks are top-notch, and the owners (that's you forumites) are a class act. All in all, it's a combination that can't be beat.

That's why I love HI.
 
Always find myself thinking about all the steps involved to make one every time I use mine:)
 
Lifetime guarantee on both blade and handle, that kind of says it all? :thumbup:

And as long as HI keeps pushing quality and overall ruggedness they will have my vote. Of course the pricing will have some effect on chosing blades, but quality is no:1.
 
I feel the khukuri truly embodies the spirit of the Nepalese people. Besides being a tool it is also an art form. No matter what culture originally inspired the design only the Nepalese continue to make and perfect it. The kamis are the masters of their trade. Many other companies make and sell the standard traditional khuks. Just look at the designs that were created by combining customer design and kami skill. The Gelbu Special, YCS, Foxy Folly, BDC, etc, etc. There is nothing wrong with the classics, but HIKV wouldn't exist without the endless variation.

Ultimately it is about expression. The khukuri is the expression of the Nepalese knife. This expression continues to evolve and grow emulating both the makers and end users.

I am glad that our input helps to inspire the kamis to excel.
 
I can now finally understand the HI mystique (& why they have such a loyal following). I've been lurking in the HI forum for a bit because I've always wanted to get a real Kuk. My wife got me a 18" Sirupati from HI and I love it! Pictures really don't do justice to these beauties. I have a Ka-bar Kukri, and it's perfectly nice and functional, but it doesn't hold a candle to the Sirupati. The Siru feels 'alive' in my hand, like an extension of my arm. It's built like the proverbial M1 tank also. I found out the Kami who made it (or at least supervised) is Bura, and read his bio on the HI site. It's really amazing in this day & age to get something with old world craftsmanship like that & feel a connection w/ the maker. Thanks Yangdu & Bura (and my wonderful wife of course)!
 
The khukuri is the soul of Nepal. Having one is like having a little piece of the roof of the world.

In a world of machine-made soulless garbage products made with cookie-cutter sameness, it's refreshing to remember what it was like when things were made by hand, by honest people just trying to make a living.


Mike :cool:
 
I love HI for the huge and varied assortment of finely hand-crafted, mirror-polished 1/4" to 1/2" sprung steel goodness with every type of handle from buffalo bone to neem wood in classic style wood and leather compression sheaths held together by 100-year frogs and bronze caps that I will not have enough money to buy even though I want that dang AK Bowie more than anything else.

So unfair...
 
VanDro said:
I love HI for the huge and varied assortment of finely hand-crafted, mirror-polished 1/4" to 1/2" sprung steel goodness with every type of handle from buffalo bone to neem wood in classic style wood and leather compression sheaths held together by 100-year frogs and bronze caps that I will not have enough money to buy even though I want that dang AK Bowie more than anything else.

So unfair...
Click to expand...

I can only echo what I think Uncle Bill would have said.

"Get deeper in debt. It's the American way and patriotic."
 
The only semi-custom blades made today that are blessed, as far as I know.

Besides, they have a unique character, khuks and the others.

Man, now I'm gonna have to buy back all my HI stuff (getting all weepy now). :)
 
When I got my first khuk, I decided to use it as a beater. I even chopped up an old metal infant stroller that my sons had outgrown (not recommended). I was totally amazed at how well the blade chopped and still looked good. I was in awe of the blade. I can't imagine other knives (at any cost) doing that well. The more you use them, the more endearing they become. That's a quality that only few knives have. History, romance, ethics, cutting/chopping ability, character, strength... HI has it. Our community is very fortunate to have the opportunity to own such knives, and from such a gracious owner.
 
Radrunner said:
Cliché thread, i know. And i'm sure a few of these have gone up before.

But i was sitting at my desk, procrastinating my thesis (and continue to do so), and couldn't help but look at the two amazing Kuk's i have managed to acquire so far.... One a 15" BAS, the other a 12" UBE.

And it occured to me that neither is perfect - the wood has shrunk away from the butt cap since i live in a freakishly dry climate, the etching on the blade aren't even, some epoxy is showing around the bolsters... and i have realized that this is exactly what i love about HI.

The knives are beautifully made, number one, but more importantly, there is something about every single knife - even if it's something as simple as a uneven fuller, that makes each knife completely unique. There is something incredibly liberating and pleasant about holding a knife that you know is hand made, unique, and holds that little bit of character of the kami that made it.

And that is why i love HI.

What about the rest of you?

(Absolutely love the service and Yangdu as well, but i think that's a given)
Click to expand...

I'm impressed! It took me, and a lot of other people quite a bit longer than you to come to this perceptive realization. And you said it very well indeed. Well done! :thumbup:;)

It is the handmade unique nature of the knives that makes them so addictive as well. When collecting production knives you can always get to the end of the series, eventually. HI stuff never ends!

But don't worry. As long as you have a large, continuous, dedicated stream of funds for knives coming in, you shouldn't have any problems. Uh, you do, don't you? :rolleyes::D

Norm
 
Ghostwhowalks- Welcome to the Cantina! I'm guessing you're a Lee Falk fan? :thumbup:

Why do I love HI?

When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, he boiled all ten of them down to two. I'm sure I have more than ten reasons to love HI, but I think I can boil them all down to two as well.

#1- I love Khukris. I have loved them ever since, as a child, I browsed my father's (now my) copy of A.G. Stone's Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor. There were literally pages and pages of photos (albeit black & white) of this intriguing, fantastic blade in all of its shapes and sizes. My very first fixed blade was a Khuk given to me by my parents for my birthday when I was in Junior High. I didn't know that it was an Indian tourist piece of dubious quality then, I just knew it was a Khuk, and that it was mine. I used it, too. It went on a few camping trips and did some yardwork, and I finally killed it doing some trail maintenance on my High School's Cross Country course. (Back then, a responsible kid could actually take a knife to school.) I looked around for a long time to replace it, but found nothing but KSOs until I found the Internet and BladeForums.

#2- HI is the best place to get the best Khukris for the best price from the best people with the best customer service and the best business ethics and the best clientele who contribute to the best forum and have become some of my best friends.

That's the best way I can put it. :D
 
This will probably trash my credibility on the site, but there's another reason to love HI. I'll get to it in a moment.

First off, of course, I love the blades, just like the rest of you. I just have this thing about not posting "me toos"

There's another reason to love HI: it's one of those socially responsible, dare I say, green companies.

I mean, look at what's going on here:
1. HI has such good customer relations that the customers are willing to take over the donations work that Uncle Bill started. (That and everything else we get)

2. When we buy these products, we are, of course, providing good work and a living wage to the Nepalese kamis.

3. Green credentials:
--the blades are made out of recycled metal (duh!),
--they're designed to perform normally for 50-100 years (no planned obsolescence here), and
--they're recyclable when they're worn out (as if we would!).
All we have to do is find out if the wood is from some sort of sustainable forestry operation (perhaps someone's wind break), and the hide and horn come from sustainable farming activities (probably, if the farmer has any sense), and this operation would be really green.

Every once in a while, I feel like posting these observations on one of those hip green blogs, but then I think, nah, why share? Most of them would prefer a solar powered chain saw to an AK, anyway.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm going to be buying more khuks and other knives. If a WWII with a neem wood handle shows up, I want it!

Thanks again, HI!

F
 
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