Custom Kopis by GGK (Purna Darnal)
Oct 25, 2020 17:27:13 GMT
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2020 17:27:13 GMT
Link to pre-existing thread wherein I detail how this project was started (includes photos): sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/62271/custom-kopis-ggk
Link to GGK Storefront: www.greatgurkhakhukuri.com/
Overall Price: $350 (included shipping from Nepal)
I placed my order on October 9th via MoneyGram transfer (this is what Mr. Darnal prefers) and I received my completed sword via DHL delivery on October 23rd. From start to finish, I received a completed sword from Nepal in TWO WEEKS. Just let that sink in for a moment.
Here are the stats:
Overall length: 25.5 inches
Blade length: 20 inches
Grip length: 5.5 inches outside measurement, 4 inches inside measurement.
Weight: 2.3 pounds (1050g)
POB: 4.5 inches from hilt, 5.5 inches from hand.
Thickness: 6.5mm at base, tapers to 5mm, then to 3mm at Center of Percussion, 1.3mm at the tip.
Blade width: 1.5. inches at narrowest point, 2.5 inches at widest point.
Materials used: 5160 spring steel, copper, sadhana wood (teak), epoxy.
Construction methods: Forged blade (full tang), pinned and glued handle scales, glued (possibly welded) copper grip scales, distal taper AND proximal taper in the blade, e.g. the blade is thinner in the grip to reduce weight.
The scabbard is made from caved wood and is covered in brown goat leather, which was glued and sewn up the back. The seam is excellent and is very tight. The scabbard features as a removable frog with a belt loop. The fit is tight, but not too tight. It's just right.
This is the sword in the scabbard with the frog removed, which makes it look more historically plausible if you ask me.
The finished sword.
The sharpening at GGK is of the finest quality I have ever seen. There is no visible secondary edge bevel of any kind and I cannot even detect an appleseed edge. It's unbelievably clean. I made four cuts on a piece of paper and all I did was gently push. I made the cuts below from different places on the blade.
First impressions:
Since I have only had this blade for a few days, I think it's only fair to review the sword based on my initial impression of it. Overall, I am delighted with it. I wanted a reproduction Greek Kopis and I got one that no one else has. It's vastly superior to any reproduction kopis on the market that I have seen and it's fairly historically plausible. Since I have only done some dry handling with this I will say that the physical characteristics are SPOT ON: this is a fearsome chopping blade that has the power and authority of an axe, but the weight and balance of a sword. The distal tapering, the razor sharp edge, the elegant looking fullers, and the proximal taper on the grip make this sword incredibly well balanced and undoubtedly a great chopper. There is no doubt in my mind that this sword would cleave through human flesh with incredible ease. It would slice through the Gordian knot. Someday, when I have the space to test this out, I will put it through some cutting tests and find out what it's capable of. Until that day comes, it will have to rest.
Quirks:
The sword does have some quirks, which I hesitate in calling flaws, mistakes, errors, etc... A quirk can be negative or positive. So I am detailing an assortment of quirks below. This is a handmade object and it was made in a matter of days. I did not expect perfection for $350. Ultimately, I received my money's worth and MUCH MORE, but given the short amount of time spent on making this, I anticipated some quirks. Here are a few that I noticed:
There is a slight gap where the hilt meets the scabbard. This is minor, but there it is.
There is a fairly deep gash in the leather on the scabbard. This leather easily scratches and I anticipate it getting really beat up if I take it outside on a campaign to invade Persia. On its own, the scratch bothers me a little, but if I beat up the scabbard a bit to make it more weathered, I wouldn't notice it as much.
Notice the red discoloration on the wood? Exotic lumber like teak contains a lot of natural oils. When you heat the wood up by using power tools, it tends to gunk up the oil and cause stains. The fact that these stains are blood red is actually kinda cool and I like it.
The polish is off in a few places. There are no signs of grinder marks on the blade, but there are a couple places where the polish isn't even, like below.
Lastly, the grip has one minor quirk, though it's not Purna's fault. It's my fault. In the photo below you can see that the grip swells in the middle of my hand, which is perfect, because it will help orient my grip to direct the blade forward. However, in the second photo you can see there is about one inch of negative space between my hand and the grip. Unfortunately, this won't provide me with an ideal grip. The grip should swell between my fingers, but it should also sandwich my grip so it is totally secure. In fairness to Purna, he asked me to provide him with an exact measurement and I didn't give it to him. I gave him an approximation and it is oversized as a result. Don't get me wrong, I can still use this sword quite effectively, it's just not ideal.
To wrap things up here, I HIGHLY recommend GGK and Mr. Darnal and I will be ordering again very, very soon.