I've been told the Hmong (aka 'Montanyards') actually buy these too for themselves, some come with aluminium guards. They do not like them & remove the guards. Not sure if mine are Al yet.
Back story: with photo examples for battara
Himalayan imports has a 'Cantina' section for open discussion of just about anything legal and non-porn. One member is Vietnamese, about 20 years ago he saw a hmong knife from a village chief, but couldn't buy it, so he himself made one just like it. He posted it in the Cantina. It was so well liked HI was cajoled into making a few that were much like it. I saw it there and put it on my bucket list. Being human, in the decades that followed it has mutated and now comes in a khukuri type scabbard, the blade now has a cylindrical grip with brass bands and is not nearly as pointy as it started out. The original HI is the one in the horn scabbard below. The thai enep is ubiquitous in the SEA area, It's the thai version of a khukuri and comes in many sizes. Used in the kitchen, garden, hunting, self defence.
I've got 2, the one with a basket scabbard below is smaller than the one in the wood scabbard. Those two are also wickedly sharp.
Last edited by kronckew; 22nd August 2020 at 09:05 AM.
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