Indians For Guns

It all started on the 17th of February in Mahalaxmi Race course, Mumbai. I was with some Mumbai IFgians in Gallops restaurant having some rocking time. But who knew that I would be toppled from the horseback and would fall in the pit of blades????

And there I accuse all of them; essdee, moin, slingshot, agn, brihaji and even the doc. Look where they have brought me… Kya haal banaya mera in logon ne!!! I reached Paris on 15th march late evening and on the 21st morning I was sitting in front of sharp edged objects…

The first and foremost is an unique piece made in Mulund, Mumbai, by one of my Gurus; Sri Sri essdee ji . Even the leatherwork is done by the master. Here it is. Imagine how a hacksaw blade could be transformed to this marvel!!!

My Gurus have Opinels so why not I? So, I got myself a similar one; N°8, carbon steel…
Then I felt that he is all alone… One of my Gurus is putting an end to his bachelor life next week and just thinking of him, I thought of getting a bride for my bachelor Opinel . So, I found out the perfect match. Mademoiselle Slim Opinel (Opinel éffilé) N°8 . Miss Opinel has a stainless steel blade only 1mm thick. The handle is made of Bubinga wood.

Then I went for a small tour to the neighboring country, Germany, and let myself carried away by a traditional proven tool; Mercator designed in 1867, with the logo K55K stamped on it.
1st K= Kaufmann (Heinrich Kaufmann), the designer of the knife, 55= the number of the street where his factory used to be in Solingen and the last K = Katz (cat in German).

It is a sturdily built knife, the usual German thing, so to say...

Sweet blades

The table on which the blades were photographed looks like a Saharanpur Table . Right ?

Regards
F-N-FiveSeven

The tour continued to the Land of Rising Sun, Nippon… and there also the tradition primed over others keeping an eye on the fabrics of my pocket (the knives were making nice holes there ). A traditional Higonokami speaks only Japanese and he will never have anyone else to talk to… poor thing… So I picked up another one. Now, both of them are happy .

The chrome plated handle Higonokami is made by Motosuke Nagao, the only existing traditional official Higonokami maker from the Miki city of Japan. It has a Sanmai (sandwiched) blade of high carbon steel. This one is well finished but out of the box, the blade (2.5mm thick) was not very sharp. I have a soft corner for this one though.

The brass handled one is made by Miyamoto Seisakusho with a similar blade. It is called a Higo knife by the maker and can not be called Higonokami because Miyamoto Seisakusho is no more a member of the Guild of Higonokami makers. This brass one is better finished, has a thicker (3mm) and sharper blade and it carries the image of a legendary samurai named Miyamoto Musashi on the handle; hence the name of the knife ‘Miyamoto Musashi’. This blade easily shaved clean a part of my left hand, right out of the box . Awesome!!!

Here is the family of the 5 newcomers in my place.

Now, the question is to find things to cut with them. That is always a big problem for me. It reminds me of my Khukri bought in a local market in Gangtok in May 1993. The first things it cut were four mosquito net strings, almost 20 years later in March 2013

Gurujano, my humble exposé with dangerous things (little learning) is a tribute to you all (if at all it is worth) with my folded hands and my folders.

Best regards
tirpassion

My tribute to you gentlemen, happened to be my 500th post on IFG. What a coincidence!!!

Dear FN,
I really do not know where the table was made (you are probably right). I picked it up from the CCIE in Mumbai ten years back.

best regards
tirpassion

Yup I agree mon cher frere. The disease of Moin-edgi-cuttis is potent and spreads like wild fire and there is no inoculation against it but to keep on collecting the blades. Liked the curves of the femme Opinelle and the hard cruel Brutus Germanicus too. October awaits you.

As you said agn bhai, the Mercator looks like a mean machine; sturdy and aggressive. It is also nicknamed 'Black cat' in the US. The feel of this knife is different; it is solid, it gives you the message of reliability. No wonder it was carried by many German soldiers during the last 2 world wars.
Although I do not have any experience with knives, I tend to believe that it is an all purpose tool which discreetly slips in your pocket. If I am to carry a knife on me, I will prefer the Mercator over the Opinel.

Now, talking about the Opinel, I used it today to work on my Free Pistol grip; shaved off solidified woodpaste with it from the grip and also carved a part of it (I got the inspiration from an anecdote which rendered the Opinel more famous; Picasso used an Opinel to carve his sculptures). Yes, Opinel is a solid knife too, I admit .

best regards
tirpassion

Ooooh Mama Mia!!!!!

Need to see this on a computer screen......... Thanks for posting the pics. Tha Japo blade is a work of art....

Hey tirpassion.
> Yes! The Mumbai "Churi Mochi Gang" led by Capo Moinini owns resposibility for taking you over the "edge" to a "point" of no return
> Having said that you seem to have literally gone berserk in acquiring blades par excellence!
> Each one from France to Germany to Japan literally vie with one another for attention & appreciation.
> I dare admit & others from CMG will agree that the blade which Master Churigar Essdee created could easily rub shoulders with its European cousins
> True the unstoppable 'virus' - "Moinus Infectious" has left its marks - including yours truly - The Latest Acquisition being a "MUELA COMMANDO" a look alike kissing cousin of KA-BAR USMG Will post pic nxt wk!
> TirPassion' October is just 180 days away - You're warned sufficiently in advance Mon Ami - Parlez Vouz?
Cheers
Briha

brihacharan wrote:Hey tirpassion.
> Yes! The Mumbai "Churi Mochi Gang" led by Capo Moinini owns resposibility for taking you over the "edge" to a "point" of no return
> Having said that you seem to have literally gone berserk in acquiring blades par excellence!
> Each one from France to Germany to Japan literally vie with one another for attention & appreciation.
> I dare admit & others from CMG will agree that the blade which Master Churigar Essdee created could easily rub shoulders with its European cousins
> True the unstoppable 'virus' - "Moinus Infectious" has left its marks - including yours truly - The Latest Acquisition being a "MUELA COMMANDO" a look alike kissing cousin of KA-BAR USMG Will post pic nxt wk!
> TirPassion' October is just 180 days away - You're warned sufficiently in advance Mon Ami - Parlez Vouz?
Cheers
Briha

Can't agree with you more Sir, I had joined IFG back in 2008 solely for my love for guns and I find Moin et al sole culprit for shifting my loyalty towards sharp edged objects I have already acquired a Ka Bar USMC which all of you have appreciated and am on the edge of purchasing couple of more folders etc for EDC. Have asked one of my junior to get a Rampuri when he returns back from his home town(Rampur, UP) Have Started spending my free time more on watching blade reviews, sharpening videos , finding out uses of tanto, clip point, drop point design, difference between different types of blade steel etc than on caliber, trajectory , fps, etc But ya, I totally agree In a country like India in the present scenario pursuing hobby in sharp object is far far more economical, viable and satisfiable than being a gun enthusiast

-Nishith

Tir-da and Brihasir, thanks for the superlative, and thoroughly undeserved, praise! By the way, if some Surete or GSG9 chappie does me in, I'll leave a note saying you guys were responsible..... The governments of la belle France and das Vaterlund would be so cheesed off at the first work of a rank amateur being compared to their finest!!!

By the way, Tir-da, thanks for posting the pics of my first foray into knifemaking. I had taken some pics with better half's tablet, but she, to save space, had inadvertently deleted the same!!

And those French, German, and Japanese beauties are awe-bleedin'-some!! This chap Moin should treat us to some raan biryani as a compensation for the holes in the pockets his highly infectious hobby is making - both literally and figuratively!! Or better still, he himself should be quarantined...

Tir-da, 6 months to go............. I hope to finish the Bowie I am making by then (pray, for I am as lazy as you can imagine!).

Ciao, or should it be au revoir?

Loooooooooove the Japanese blades .
The French & German blades are awesome too , I love the Japanese blades .

Guess I have work on my long lost dream of acquiring a couple of Katanas & Wakizashis .

Regards

F-N-FiveSeven

Dear friends,
i always had and still have a soft corner, a preference, a reverence... whatever you say, for any thing mechanical made in Japan and in Germany. The passion continues...
best regards
tirpassion