On 22nd March I ordered an MSI Khukuri with a few modificatios to the standard model . Today 1st May I have received it , so less than six weeks to the UK ! Not bad at all .
I Wanted a well made khukuri that was practically and operationally efficient ( so to speak ) that was small enough to fit in a day sack and could be used for light / medium bushcraft / utility tasks and as a small personal protective weapon if ever needed . But I also wanted to change a few options on the standard MSI partly for aesthetics purposes and partly to rreduce the weight to around 500 g . I requested brass hardware ( including thin style butt cap and keeper ) with a white rosewood handle with a slight more curve , the spine/shoulder angle being slightly rounded off and the bulk thickness of the blade itself to be reduced slightly with a leaner tip and performance grind . For the sheath / Dap I ordered a traditional sheath covered in Brown Salyani leather with just traditional Potuka buttond and straps ( no carrying frog ) as its just for concealed carry in a small back pack .
OK , so whats my initial thoughts ? Well first of all as per many of the other Kailash customers , I am delighted to have what apears to be a very well made and robust Nepalese khukuri with a very good fit and finish including where the classy looking white rosewood handle meets the brass bolster and butt cap with a perfect fit ( no gaps or protruding hardware ) . Im a bit of a traditionalist especially when it comes to my khukuris and so chose the white rosewood handle which compliments the brass ware very nicely . The carving of the handle including the centre ring has been executed beautifully , in fact perfect for this particular style and at 4.75 inches ( medium ) fits my smaller medium sized hand just right with a firm grip .
Now to the blade , after much consulting with Andrew , he suggested keeping the thickness of the blade at the bolster at 9mm , tapering to 8mm for the first 4 or 5 inches then tapering all the way to the tip to give the tip a leaner feel . He also suggested to help reduce a bit weight and improve cutting resistance to give it a kind of pensioner grind . To look at it there seems very little difference to a normal MSI / BSI from other companies but the weight difference between my other BSI from KHHI and my Kailash MSI is 100g lighter for the Kailash , so that suits me for my particular needs . The cutting edge is the sharpest Ive had on my khukuris. Its interesting to note that the kailash MSI has a slightly deeper belly than my BSI at 1 7/8" inches which together with the 9mm spine feels both balanced and that it could be a decent quality chopper as well as feeling light enough to be lively in the hand ! By the way the blade legth is 10.5 inches .
Last of all the scabbard/ sheath , it is a traditional made wooden dap covered in the better quality brown salyani leather with embossed patterning . I opted only for the potuka buttons and strap ( the traditional retention method ) as it will only be carried in my back pack . At only 2g in weight and.perfectly made with a thinner construction it does feel light but on inspection very well made and has that more traditional quality look and feel ..The khukuri itself fits in the sheath almost perfect without any movement and fits securely .
Well for my first Kailash blade I can say I am well pleased with it but its nothing more than I expected judging by other peoples thoughts and reviews . Kailash are on top of their game and a guy like Andrew has great in depth knowledge on every aspect regarding manufacturing quality hand forged and well put together khukuri knives .
I Wanted a well made khukuri that was practically and operationally efficient ( so to speak ) that was small enough to fit in a day sack and could be used for light / medium bushcraft / utility tasks and as a small personal protective weapon if ever needed . But I also wanted to change a few options on the standard MSI partly for aesthetics purposes and partly to rreduce the weight to around 500 g . I requested brass hardware ( including thin style butt cap and keeper ) with a white rosewood handle with a slight more curve , the spine/shoulder angle being slightly rounded off and the bulk thickness of the blade itself to be reduced slightly with a leaner tip and performance grind . For the sheath / Dap I ordered a traditional sheath covered in Brown Salyani leather with just traditional Potuka buttond and straps ( no carrying frog ) as its just for concealed carry in a small back pack .
OK , so whats my initial thoughts ? Well first of all as per many of the other Kailash customers , I am delighted to have what apears to be a very well made and robust Nepalese khukuri with a very good fit and finish including where the classy looking white rosewood handle meets the brass bolster and butt cap with a perfect fit ( no gaps or protruding hardware ) . Im a bit of a traditionalist especially when it comes to my khukuris and so chose the white rosewood handle which compliments the brass ware very nicely . The carving of the handle including the centre ring has been executed beautifully , in fact perfect for this particular style and at 4.75 inches ( medium ) fits my smaller medium sized hand just right with a firm grip .
Now to the blade , after much consulting with Andrew , he suggested keeping the thickness of the blade at the bolster at 9mm , tapering to 8mm for the first 4 or 5 inches then tapering all the way to the tip to give the tip a leaner feel . He also suggested to help reduce a bit weight and improve cutting resistance to give it a kind of pensioner grind . To look at it there seems very little difference to a normal MSI / BSI from other companies but the weight difference between my other BSI from KHHI and my Kailash MSI is 100g lighter for the Kailash , so that suits me for my particular needs . The cutting edge is the sharpest Ive had on my khukuris. Its interesting to note that the kailash MSI has a slightly deeper belly than my BSI at 1 7/8" inches which together with the 9mm spine feels both balanced and that it could be a decent quality chopper as well as feeling light enough to be lively in the hand ! By the way the blade legth is 10.5 inches .
Last of all the scabbard/ sheath , it is a traditional made wooden dap covered in the better quality brown salyani leather with embossed patterning . I opted only for the potuka buttons and strap ( the traditional retention method ) as it will only be carried in my back pack . At only 2g in weight and.perfectly made with a thinner construction it does feel light but on inspection very well made and has that more traditional quality look and feel ..The khukuri itself fits in the sheath almost perfect without any movement and fits securely .
Well for my first Kailash blade I can say I am well pleased with it but its nothing more than I expected judging by other peoples thoughts and reviews . Kailash are on top of their game and a guy like Andrew has great in depth knowledge on every aspect regarding manufacturing quality hand forged and well put together khukuri knives .