Himalayan Imports WW2 16.5" Sheath Options

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Mot45acp

Mot45acp

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So I bit the bullet and funally purchased a HI WW2 16.5" to be part if my camping kit. Hoping to replace machete and hatchet with one tool.

I was wondering if there were any Kydex options out there? Bonus points for extra "pocket" for small diamond stone. Would prefer Kydex as my AO is the swamps of Southeast Texas.

Or is this something I will have to learn Kydex crafting skills? Been toying with the idea for holsters and other odds and ends.

Also ordered a Everest Kitana. This is what I get being unsupervised with bourbon and internet on a Saturday. Nothing has shipped yet, but will update with pics.
 
Nice blades! I've used leather for all of my HI Kukhri sheaths. I would learn how to mold kydex/concealx my understanding is its pretty easy with a heat gun and connect pieces with rivets. I want a hatchet or tomahawk for my light camping/daypack but I have an 18'5 WWII and a 20" Ang Kola that hammer , chop and baton, skin etc. better than a hawk.
 
Congratulations on the World War II! for many years that was my favorite knife.

I wouldn't try to get a sheath from another kuk maker for a Himalayan imports product*. I would either learn to mold kydex yourself, or find a custom maker. be prepared to spend around $100 for a sheath that size, though.


*While similar in shape and size, each HI knife is made by hand, so a sheath made for 1 HI WWII probably won't fit another 1, much less a sheath from another maker.

John
 
I was wondering about the angle of the forward "bend" in the blade, if it would match the angle of the above mentioned kydex sheath.

Been wanting one for years, and finally went with it.

I may just order me some foam and build a form. Been looking at how i would lay it out. I would think you would want the split along the spine of the blade to prevent cutting fingers.
 
I remember pushing the blade through the factory sheath. You have to put it back in slow, being sure to follow the bend.
 
You might have to email them and ask, looks like the one they sell is for their knife.
 
Mot45acp said:
The WW2 came in. I knew this was going to be big...but daaaannnng. Still waiting on the kitana.

My dog waiting patiently for me to throw it because he is such a good boy.
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If that red color means rosewood, don't toss that knife. Rosewood is brittle and you will be missing sections when the butt hits something.

Each and every one of my hand made Nepalese khukuri's have unique length, width, blade angles, etc. Smiths have their own opinions on the best curvature and belly for these knives and nothing is standardized. As you can see in the first video, each sheath is built for the knife.



Here is how someone makes a leather sheath



If the original sheath is not to your liking, you will have to make the sheath of your dreams.
 
I have a feeling an OSHA inspector would have a stroke visiting the shop in the first video.

Nice use of scrap wood though.
 
The easiest Western sheath for a kuk is probably a hard flat piece, then a more flexible piece on the outside. An open slot along the top 1/3 of the outer "shell", where the spine is, and some kind of loop or strap for retention.
 
I like the flat idea. I was thinking opening along the spine, just didn't know how far down.
 
Mot45acp said:
I like the flat idea. I was thinking opening along the spine, just didn't know how far down.
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I've made my leather sheaths with the spine opening to the angle where the bend starts with the retention strap over that opening then the knife pulls straight out instead of an arc.
I don't know how kydex would handle it but when I made my leather I put in some substantial gussets on the edge side to protect the edge and to prevent the blade from cutting through the sheath.
 
There are thicknesses of Kydex. Builder could reinforce the edge side, or just use thicker Kydex.
 
Speedo66 said:
I have a feeling an OSHA inspector would have a stroke visiting the shop in the first video.

Nice use of scrap wood though.
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The importer of these khukuri's

grnFIgb.jpg

also shot a video of the making of khukuri's. The kami's squatted on the ground, no chairs! No power equipment, the blade was beaten by three workers with sledge hammers with the kami holding the blade on an anvil made from a rail road tie. The kami pointed to where he wanted the blade hit. When he stopped for a re heat, the workers all dropped the sledge hammers and took a rest. They were really working!

No vises either, pieces were held between toes as hands filed metal. No safety equipment, no safety glasses. There was a separate handle maker and sheath maker. The sheath maker had been a blade maker till metal particles from forging got in his eye.

The pictured khukuri is out in the garage, regularly used to reduce fallen branches to manageable lengths. Each and every Nepalese khukuri I have is unique, and therefore, there is no such thing as a drop in sheath.

this did not have a sheath, so I made one from cow hide. Back in the 1970's, the only available khukuris were crap Indian made pieces advertised in magazines. They were chromed, would not take an edge, and even at that, were brittle if used. This was the first real khukuri I found, I did not know what it was. Now I think it is an original WW2 khukuri, but could be a post war.

U85NGZR.jpg

wxaRnT7.jpg


4C3FLV7.jpg

These are not made to be thrown. A chip of horn is missing and so is the original brass buttplate. Both lost when this khukuri was thrown multiple times into tree trunks.
 
That's awesome- you threw it! :rofl:

History, there. I always prefer the wooden handles. Easier to maintain and stronger, IMO. Some mineral oil, here and there, all over the blade and handle.

John
 
How well did throwing it work?

How many times would the front of the blade hit and did you work out when you had to release it, for the front to hit?
 
Mk-211 said:
How well did throwing it work?

How many times would the front of the blade hit and did you work out when you had to release it, for the front to hit?
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What you do is throw the thing and see how it rotates. Then back up, or move forward until the distance provides the rotation you need to have the blade to stick. It is all about consistent velocity and rotation and adjusting distance to match.

Of course it stuck, I don't remember how well or how deep, but it stuck. It also hit the handle, back of the blade, and when that happened, it did not stick. These are not really throwing knives, and the throwing knives I purchased, the handles broke off due to none point first impacts.

This was more fun to throw. This is an HB Forge tomahawk from the early 1970's, when the shop first started. I talked to the owner decades later, he said it was probably made by an Amish smith, as that was the group he had at the time.

woxKdUM.jpg


I practiced enough with this tomahawk that I could stick it around 25-30 yards from the tree. Notice how splintered the wood is at the head poll. That is what happens when the blade has too much rotation.

At the time, I had no idea of the origin of my khukuri other than this was something I picked up cheap at an antique shop. Could have been the crown jewels I was tossing for all I knew, this was before the internet. Now I think it was a WW2 bring back from an estate sale. WW2 veterans were heavy smokers and they would have been in their 50's in the 1970's, and dying of lung cancer, emphysema, etc. I worked in the era of heavy WW2 era smokers and they died like flies before they got to retirement. I used to see lots of WW2 uniforms, hats, helmets, and equipment in the thrift store. GI Joe died, Mom and the relatives got that old stuff out of the house. Mom hated sharp pointy things, saw no value in them, and wanted them out of the house.

Remember Mom tossing your baseball card and comic book collection when you went to College? Some of those cards and magazines could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but it was all junk to Mom.
 
Mom's, you gotta love'em!

I used to race RC cars when I was a teenager, went into the military and mom took care of them for me. Gave them all away to a friend's son!

One of my favorites was a Tamiya Toyota Hilux, it was an amazing "toy" for the 80's. Had to work my butt off to pay the $250+ for it back then.

I see them on eBay for $1,500+ now, even with the re-release they did some years back.
 
Slamfire said:
These are not made to be thrown. A chip of horn is missing and so is the original brass buttplate. Both lost when this khukuri was thrown multiple times into tree trunks.
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Many a kid makes this mistake and learns from it as you did. We can hope others here accept the result instead of having to recreate the experiment.
 
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