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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:06 AM | | Carrying on from Rob's thread and the subject of edged weapons some of us may own.
Here's my contribution.
My cane sword. Probably made in the late 1800's or early 1900's in India for some Brtish Gentleman or officer. Brass handle, tempered steel rapier blade, very flexible. Very sharp.
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:26 AM | |
Can't imbed actual images into the page huh? Just image view links? Oh well...
When I first got the cane sword I discovered it had a spike hidden in the butt plate. Unscrewing it with difficulty I found the spike was covered in a black, sticky substance, which I can only assume was some kind of poison. I took great care to clean it off and re-polish the spike.
VIEW IMAGE
The blade slides into the scabbord and then a twist locks the handle in place.
VIEW IMAGE
A genuine Nepalese Kukri. The two necklaces: The elephant one is pure, carved ivory and was handed down through my family. The small beads that join the necklace together are actually tiny, hand carved elephants as well. The skull necklace is supposed to be carved of either dog bone...or from the bone of the people who are buried in the cave walls of Sumatra, Java and Indonesian islands. I will say I have only worn the skull necklace twice, and both times felt uneasy with it on. It only hangs on the handle of the kukri now.
VIEW IMAGE
The design on the Kukri's that are hand made in Nepal are all basically the same...however the design is so old that it is no longer known what the designs originally represented.
VIEW IMAGE
VIEW IMAGE
There is a sun symbol on one side of the blade and a cresent moom symbol on the other. Why? No one knows.
You can read some of my stories here:
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:29 AM | | VIEW IMAGE
The sheath is made of buffalo hide. It holds the large knife and two smaller blades, these are used for smaller cutting tasks and to clean the main blade with.
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : che2000 - 4/18/2008 10:31 AM | Is this a thread for 'Reader's Knives'? (Heh, heh)
"That blackguard Flashman, who never speaks to one without a kick or an oath--"
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:34 AM | Here is an indication of how long the handle and the blade of my kukri is. They come in different shapes and sizes.
VIEW IMAGE
My custom Tanto knife. The point of which is hard enough it can be driven through a car door or hood. VIEW IMAGE
You can read some of my stories here: Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:40 AM | | My antique meat cleaver, and an original brass handled Bali-song knife. (Batangas knife being the original name, because they were made on the island of Batangas in the Philipines.) Also a German military knife from WW2. Note the unusual press release lock on the back of the handle.
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:44 AM | If you look closely you can just made out the faint trace of a brand name carved into the steel. I think it reads Stilwell, but it's too worn to be sure.
VIEW IMAGE
Well that's the more unique or unusual blades in my collection.
You can read some of my stories here: Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:46 AM |
che2000 said...Is this a thread for 'Reader's Knives'? (Heh, heh)
Oh that's cutting. 
You can read some of my stories here: Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Steven the Git - 4/18/2008 1:35 PM | I've always had a strong liking for the Kukri knife. Partly as that is a cool name, and also as Harker used it on Dracula. But also it looks such an effective weapon. Let's face it, if you want to remove a vampire's head, it is an excellent choice.
The sword cane is cool too. Can imagine Holmes having one. Actually, I think he did. Hmmm
“Hello, I am William Burton, Head of Recruitment and Integration for the Agency for Peaceful Regulation and Definitive Cooperation of Extraordinary Existence.”
spinetinglers.co.uk Bakemono will not stop! |
| Posted By : Hamstersbane - 4/18/2008 2:21 PM |
Jaqhama said...
che2000 said...Is this a thread for 'Reader's Knives'? (Heh, heh)
Oh that's cutting.
Do I detect an edge in your tone? Looks like he may have pricked you a bit, not to put too fine a point on it.
No matter how you slice it, this whole thread is getting kind of dicey.
Quit trying to cut me off! I was just trying to take a stab at it...
Jeff Parish Jennings Grove, an online horror serial novel |
| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:21 PM | Gee, there's some razor edged wits on this site. 
You can read some of my stories here:
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/18/2008 10:42 PM | Contary to popular belief the kukri is just a working tool. Like the machete of south america.
One doesn't have to draw blood before one re-sheathes it or any of that mystical crap. However it is an excellent close quarter combat weapon, its only weakness being the lack of a protective crosspiece on the hilt.
The design is supposed to have been copied from the swords carried by the soldiers of Alexander the Great.
But it's a very clever design...strike the blade against a flat surface and your fingers do not get crushed, the handle curve keeps them safe.
The heavy front of the blade is for chopping. The balance of the knive is so good that with the thinner and sharper part of the blade in front of the hilt you can easily peel a potato. The back of the blade is a third of an inch thick, it can be used to hammer or strike with.
People say you can't stab with a kukri, but that's not true. Thrust straight ahead with you wrist/arm straight and the point is perfectly in line.
The sheath has a sharp spike on the bottom, it can also be used to stab with.
My kukri was made from railway track. Yes that's right. The British at one time had a working railway system in Nepal, when they departed it was abandoned and the locals used the iron and steel...melted down...to make kukri's and other tools and implements from.
Kukri's made locally in Nepal do go rusty, so one needs to polish the knives on occasion.
Do I use mine much?
Yes; an hour or so after I bought it in Salamanca Markets in Hobart, Tasmania I bogged the hire campervan in a grass field and used the brand new kukri to chop down some wood/brush to shove under the wheels of the van to help provide traction. I often take it hiking or on motorcycle trips. It's great for camp chores and for chopping firewood. It's also an excellent garden tool, for chopping brush and foliage. It made a great impromtu spade as well.
The kukri is, without doubt, one of the most versatile knives in the world.
Everything you wanted to know about the history, design and culture of the Kukri can be found here:
http://www.himalayan-imports.com
You can read some of my stories here:
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 4/19/2008 2:16 AM |
Jaqhama said...
Do I use mine much?
Yes; an hour or so after I bought it in Salamanca Markets in Hobart, Tasmania I bogged the hire campervan in a grass field and used the brand new kukri to chop down some wood/brush to shove under the wheels of the van to help provide traction. I often take it hiking or on motorcycle trips. It's great for camp chores and for chopping firewood. It's also an excellent garden tool, for chopping brush and foliage. It made a great impromtu spade as well.
The kukri is, without doubt, one of the most versatile knives in the world.
- That's the only piece of hardware I was ordered to remove while in the army. It just freaked out a "safety NCO". So I took it off . . . then put it back on when he left. (As a scout, we were off in the bush most of the time anyway.) I used it to cut cammo for vehicles and chop up, well, anything that needed it. A moderate sling from about a dozen feet away will put the blade 3" through a 1/2 inch piece of plywood too.
- An outstanding tool/weapon.
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| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 4/19/2008 2:24 AM |
Jaqhama said...
When I first got the cane sword I discovered it had a spike hidden in the butt plate. Unscrewing it with difficulty I found the spike was covered in a black, sticky substance, which I can only assume was some kind of poison. I took great care to clean it off and re-polish the spike.
- Yes, little things like that are very-very hard to explain to the police. Better to clean away the evidence . . er. . . grime. That's what it is, just old grime from a previous murd-- owner.
Adventure-History-Fantasy-Folklore
www.geocities.com/robmancebo/
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| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 4/19/2008 2:40 AM |
Jaqhama said...
Carrying on from Rob's thread and the subject of edged weapons some of us may own.
Here's my contribution.
Here's the only one I've got a photo on-line of. A Seax from MRL with decorated sheath and horn thrown in:
Adventure-History-Fantasy-Folklore
www.geocities.com/robmancebo/
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| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 4/19/2008 2:48 AM |
Ooops, I take that back, I do have some more:
> >
http://flashingswords.sfreader.com/staffbios/rob.htm
> >
That's me holding a Norse broad sword with a gladius & Celtic dagger on the wall behind me. You can also see the hilt of a bastard sword behind me in the corner of my office. Scanning above the shot would reveal a battle axe over the window. >>
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/19/2008 8:02 AM | Hey that's a good pic of you with the sword Rob. Lin right away noticed the Egyptian tapestry on the wall behind your computer. She's into Egypt stuff.
The brass sheath on the knife looks well tasty mate.
The substance on the cane sword spike...it was still sticky and gooey...after who knows how many years?...I'm sure whatever lethal poison it contained was probably still active. I damn near poked the point to see how sharp it was, just as a voice inside my head screamed...DON'T TOUCH IT MORON!
I look forward to seeing some pics of the weapons on the wall behind you, especially the battle axe.
We just ordered two more from that website I posted a link to:
Two of these...for presents. They make great letter openers.
http://yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/kagaskatne.html
And one of these for Lin to take with her when she's motorbiking/hiking or mountain biking/camping.
http://yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/bilton.html
They are certainly not expensive for the quality involved.
You can read some of my stories here:
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Keralen - 4/19/2008 9:36 AM | | My mother had 2 or 3 antique assegais handed down from her dunno-howmany-great uncle, Daniel Lindley, who was a missionary in South Africa. Ferocious-looking things, 8-12-inch blades, one backed up with a series of about a dozen short, back-curved barbs guaranteed to make a mess. She got rid of them about 10 years ago when she was starting to lose her memory - they were creeping her out - and now of course there's no way of knowing where they got to. I hope a museum somewhere. |
| Posted By : Steven the Git - 4/19/2008 10:51 AM |
Jaqhama said...Contary to popular belief the kukri is just a working tool. Like the machete of south america. One doesn't have to draw blood before one re-sheathes it or any of that mystical crap. However it is an excellent close quarter combat weapon, its only weakness being the lack of a protective crosspiece on the hilt. The design is supposed to have been copied from the swords carried by the soldiers of Alexander the Great. But it's a very clever design...strike the blade against a flat surface and your fingers do not get crushed, the handle curve keeps them safe. The heavy front of the blade is for chopping. The balance of the knive is so good that with the thinner and sharper part of the blade in front of the hilt you can easily peel a potato. The back of the blade is a third of an inch thick, it can be used to hammer or strike with. People say you can't stab with a kukri, but that's not true. Thrust straight ahead with you wrist/arm straight and the point is perfectly in line. The sheath has a sharp spike on the bottom, it can also be used to stab with. My kukri was made from railway track. Yes that's right. The British at one time had a working railway system in Nepal, when they departed it was abandoned and the locals used the iron and steel...melted down...to make kukri's and other tools and implements from. Kukri's made locally in Nepal do go rusty, so one needs to polish the knives on occasion. Do I use mine much? Yes; an hour or so after I bought it in Salamanca Markets in Hobart, Tasmania I bogged the hire campervan in a grass field and used the brand new kukri to chop down some wood/brush to shove under the wheels of the van to help provide traction. I often take it hiking or on motorcycle trips. It's great for camp chores and for chopping firewood. It's also an excellent garden tool, for chopping brush and foliage. It made a great impromtu spade as well. The kukri is, without doubt, one of the most versatile knives in the world. Everything you wanted to know about the history, design and culture of the Kukri can be found here: http://www.himalayan-imports.com
I've always wondered about the drawing without shedding blood idea. Did sound a bit extreme but then that's probably why people like it. Sounds so... Klingon!
Thanks for this info, especially the stabbing part. I've thought of it as a cutter mainly, yet seeing the pic did make me think, couldn't that stab? Now I know.
I pity the burgular who tries to rob Rob! As for the assegais, imagine finding those in the rubbish!
“Hello, I am William Burton, Head of Recruitment and Integration for the Agency for Peaceful Regulation and Definitive Cooperation of Extraordinary Existence.”
spinetinglers.co.uk Bakemono will not stop! |
| Posted By : RHFay - 4/19/2008 2:39 PM |
crystalwizard said...Just a comment here: FS 10 has a great article on Viking Age weapons written by Bill Ward and Illustrated by Richard Fay. Something everyone'll want to read.
It's a cool article. Definitely worth checking out when its published (not that I'm biased or anything).
"I'm going to do what the warriors of old did. I'm going to recite poetry!"
Richard H. Fay - Azure Lion Productions
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| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 4/19/2008 5:48 PM |
Steven the Git said...
I've always wondered about the drawing without shedding blood idea. Did sound a bit extreme but then that's probably why people like it. Sounds so... Klingon!
I pity the burgular who tries to rob Rob! As for the assegais, imagine finding those in the rubbish!
- The whole 'never to be sheathed without drawing blood' thing is perpetuated by the Gurkas themselves. I heard that story first from a soldier who'd worked with them in the '70's. (He--of course--had to get a kukri of his own). They told him the story saying that even to draw it to clean and oil it required a real warrior to cut himself so as not to return the weapon 'unbloodied'. This explains the smaller knives for menial work. No sence cutting yourself to use your blessed combat weapon to carve or peel potatos with. But they admitted, in these more peaceful times, people don't do that anymore.
- This story shows the darker side of the cult of Ma Kali (the incarnation of the violent wrath of God). Followers of the 'Short Path' must be careful not to become enamoured of violence and pain for they are merely an on-going challenge, not the path itself.
- Burglers?  Naaw, I have dogs, guns, swords, knives, and nothing expensive to entice them in.
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| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 4/19/2008 5:55 PM |
- Ah yes, they do have about the greatest Kukri website in the world. I'm glad to see some money heading into Nepal. Craftsmen diserve to earn a living and Nepal can sure use the influx of cash.
Adventure-History-Fantasy-Folklore
www.geocities.com/robmancebo/
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| Posted By : Frank - 4/21/2008 6:17 PM | | I see your Schwartz is as big as mine... now let's see how you handle it! |
| Posted By : PaulMc - 4/21/2008 6:34 PM | Well, I don't have photos but we have two practice rapiers and one fancier rapier with a scabbard that was given to us as a gift. That "rapier" would only be consider a rapier by a giant - it has a huge blade and gargantuan hilt.
We have a Maori war club/paddle.
And a baseball bat. (ya know, if I had to...)
-- Paul McNamee
My Writings |
| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 4/22/2008 12:03 AM |
PaulMc said...
That "rapier" would only be consider a rapier by a giant - it has a huge blade and gargantuan hilt.
- I've seen lots of rapiers catalogued that were noted to have 40+ inches of blade. In the 1600s Queen E. got tired of folks tripping over them in court and ordered any longer blades brought in to be snapped off at 36".
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/29/2008 3:34 AM | I just got my three new Kukri's via the post office.
Thoughts: Quality's good, all handmade, knives and sheaths. The tang doesn't go all the way through to the end of the handle as it does on all the larger Kukri's. I don't know if this will cause any problems as the years go by.
The 9 inch one has a 5 inch blade.
Good...Very thick blade. More so than almost any other knife of this size.
Bad...the handle is a little too short for a normal sized male hand. I can only get 3 fingers around it. If it had been made just 1 inch longer it would have been perfect.
I will probably wrap something around the blade just above the hilt to make up the extra inch.
As a camping knife it looks well up to most camp chores, including chopping small branches for the fire.
I now believe that the next size up would be the more useful camping knife however. Next size is the 11 inch model.
I understand the 11 inch model is what the Gurkha's in the British Army are issued with.
The 6 inch ones have 3 1/2 inch blades.
Good... Again thick blades for the size of the knife. Will make an excellent paper knife or a blade to cut boxes/wrapping etc. Will look great on the office desk at home or at work.
Bad...Nothing really. Handles about 2 1/2 inches. Enough to grip with for most cutting jobs anyone is likely to use the little Kukri for. Very stable if you rest your thumb along the back of the blade.
As a useful curiosity the little Kukri's are great.
One of them is a birhtday present for a girl who likes unusual/exotic things, so it's a perfect gift for her.
We're happy with the ones we've bought. mainly because they are not common/everyday items.
Unique is always good.
Cheers: Jaq.
You can read some of my stories here:
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 4/29/2008 4:00 AM |
Jaqhama said...
One of them is a birhtday present for a girl who likes unusual/exotic things, so it's a perfect gift for her.
We're happy with the ones we've bought. mainly because they are not common/everyday items.
Unique is always good.
Cheers: Jaq. -- Yes, it's not every day you can get handmade presents blessed by Ma Kali. 
-- I have a little 6", but that seems to be under-sized for it's purpose (It's still a nice piece though.) For bushes or beheadings the 12" blade is hard to beat as a good, all-around size.
-- Have fun with them!
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 4/29/2008 6:31 AM |
Rob Mancebo said...
Jaqhama said...
One of them is a birhtday present for a girl who likes unusual/exotic things, so it's a perfect gift for her.
We're happy with the ones we've bought. mainly because they are not common/everyday items.
Unique is always good.
Cheers: Jaq. -- Yes, it's not every day you can get handmade presents blessed by Ma Kali.
-- I have a little 6", but that seems to be under-sized for it's purpose (It's still a nice piece though.) For bushes or beheadings the 12" blade is hard to beat as a good, all-around size.
-- Have fun with them!
You...ah...have any pics you'd care to share Rob?
Morbid curiosity ya know.
You can read some of my stories here:
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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