suggestions on best affordable kirpan to buy?

[N30S1NGH]

Ok i have been shopping around best kirpan for couple of weeks now. I have heard and personally seen the kirpan at khalsakirpans.com are unmatchable quality and feel quite good at hands with grip an all, they are truly master piece..but i am looking for something compact in size (not too small like 3 not to big like 10inch somewhere in between like 5 inch) and also cheaper option up to 150 bucks everything included.

Do you guys have any other suggestions?

[Not2Cool2Argue]

if sarabloh is not an issue, chinese/japanese kitanas and kirpans are good as well.

[Singh559]

Finding a real Nihang Singh who makes actual high quality sarbloh shaster (sarbloh doesn't mean if it's blackish with lots of rust-) is your best bet. A real Nihang Singh will make it with proper maryada while doing path of Dasam Bani and they don't ask a lot of money- merely making a Khalsa tyar bar tyaar is more than enough money. Just beware of the groups that charge too much money and see you for nothing but -cha-ching-. I thought all Nihang Singhs who made shaster or shop keepers who sold shaster were very greedy until I met a true Singh. He was just happy that a Singh wants to keep shastar and said to take it for free if I had to, but of course I couldn't take something so priceless for free.

He made me three shaster (two custom ones). One being a khanjar and one a gandasa (I forgot the proper name). The third one has very interesting story as to how he made it.

Just like a real Katana is prone to rust, an actual sarbloh shaster of high caliber is shined/polished and very sharp. If a shastar is practical and designed to shed blood it has to be beautiful.

Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed's shastar :

(Notice the kard next to the three khandas - could have been used as a close range weapon to slash one of the main veins/arteries of a dushman)

[Guest]

Finding a real Nihang Singh who makes actual high quality sarbloh shaster (sarbloh doesn't mean if it's blackish with lots of rust-) is your best bet. A real Nihang Singh will make it with proper maryada while doing path of Dasam Bani and they don't ask a lot of money- merely making a Khalsa tyar bar tyaar is more than enough money. Just beware of the groups that charge too much money and see you for nothing but -cha-ching-. I thought all Nihang Singhs who made shaster or shop keepers who sold shaster were very greedy until I met a true Singh. He was just happy that a Singh wants to keep shastar and said to take it for free if I had to, but of course I couldn't take something so priceless for free.

He made me three shaster (two custom ones). One being a khanjar and one a gandasa (I forgot the proper name). The third one has very interesting story as to how he made it.

Just like a real Katana is prone to rust, an actual sarbloh shaster of high caliber is shined/polished and very sharp. If a shastar is practical and designed to shed blood it has to be beautiful.

Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed's shastar :

(Notice the kard next to the three khandas - could have been used as a close range weapon to slash one of the main veins/arteries of a dushman)

Your pind is bathinda?Whats the nihang singh you know's name?

[_singhni_]

I'd suggest buying kirpan from india as buying from usa or uk (assuming your either from uk or usa) would cost you a lot more than it should.

[Khaalis]

1 - It depends what you want it for i.e. looks, comfort (wearing) or possible practical use (fighting blade). If all 3 you have to be prepared to up your budget. Khalsa blades tick the looks category. There are many, many more blade makers out there who do stunning designs on daggers/fighting blades, but also have in depth knowledge of blade balance/high quality material/fighting use (design).

2 - Do you want what is thought of as a 'traditional' design i.e. mini tulwar design (curved blade). If so, this will massively reduce your options. As far as I know, blade makers in India cannot reproduce the quality of medievel weapons, but Indonesians and Filipinos still can.

If you are open minded about the design of your shastar, then you have many options. You need to decide if you want a single sided or double sided blade. A double sided blade is much dangerous (for the defender as well as the attacker) so you need to ensure that you also undertake serious training and regular practice in learning how to use the blade. Attending 1 or 2 seminars will not make you proficient.

Here is a good budget option by coldsteel, it has a surgically sharp blade, and it is also half double edged on the spine side, allowing for better retention and increased opportunity. It retains a curved kirpan design, but is quite small, around a 3" blade, but very dangerous. You would have to be skilled and confident to use it i.e. very close quarter and elusive. See the Scimiter: http://www.coldsteel-uk.com/store/The-Spike-Series.html

If you want to retain the 'curve' you could also consider the Kerambit, again coldsteel has an affordable version. But be warned, this is a specialist fighting weapon, usually held and used with a reverse grip, with the edge being on the inside of the curve 9as opposed to the outside like a kirpan). So you would have to familiarise yourself with it's fighting style (Indonesian/Southern Filipino). http://www.coldsteel-uk.com/store/Steel-Tiger.html

Both these are very easy to wear under your clothes.

If you are interested in increasing your budget, PM me, I will provide info of some highly respected Master blade makers.

Puratan shastar are finite, and the mad demand for them (from our people in particular who like to create museum collections to look at, rather than use), requires one to think outside the box. This translates to finding the means of re-producing 'quality' puratan designs as well as adopting new ones.

Alongside having a good shastar, 'more importantly' one should have good vidya. You can get away with having a cheap shastar or even a pen in your hand, if your fighting knowledge and ability is good. A good quality shastar is not going to save your life, it will only make your defence easier/more graceful. If you collectively do ardaas and khoj, you willl find there are quite a few Masters out there who have amazing knowledge on blade fighting arts. Learn like it's your daily maryada and attain something of value. The real inheritance you will leave for your children is not the shastar collections, but the gyaan of fighting.

Hertiage is obvioulsy important and good, but remember, the shastar that the puratan Khalsa used were not 'Sikh' per say. The key to their fighting success was adaptability - they used arms of their enemies, friends and foreigners (Islamic, south Indian and western). Today we live in a global culture, there is nothing wrong with further broadening our horizons and adding/utilising knowledge of fighting and weapons from other warrior cultures. We are trapped in karam khand, trying to replicate the looks and weapons of old (which is absolutely fine, honorable even), but the problem is when it stops there. What we need to try and REPLICATE or be inspired by, more so than the image, is the SOCH of the puratan Khalsa. We are blessed to have seen soormai like Sant Jarnail Singh Ji and Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana in our generation - it is this 'puratan' Khalsa soch and ACTION, that we should look to attain and manifest in our lives, in whichever way we can. Then, only then, will beauty and honour be brought to our efforts to wear the tools and attain the knowledge and ability of 'fighting men'.

[Singh559]

Beautiful post! By made by maryada I didn't mean the Nihang Singh made top quality shaster of a master blacksmith's quality, I just meant he made it with proper sharda and devotion unlike the paiye who make the factory ones you can buy at the shops around patiala (they make shaster while smoking).

A lot of the blades used by Sikhs were German, Italian or even British. I have a nice balanced rapier that is balanced but not yet sharpened (need to find a proper way to sharpen it).

Khaalis said it well, along with the shaster you need to know how to use it + be physically fit all around. Strong legs, strong forearms, triceps, decent chest and strong abs. Training is important.

Khaalis check your PM

@Singh12345 I pmed you bro.

[Sikhishop.com]

VJKK VJKF JEE

we have a number of shashter, kamar kassa and gatra kirpans........... please take a look on our website. they dont compete with the standard of khalsa kirpans etc, these are sold as seen in the pictures.....

http://www.sikhishop.com/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=28

all our profits go towards seva of the panth......

[N30S1NGH]

Thanks all for responding to my message. I understand the importance of having all the technical details behind getting the kirpan (i.e- blade, thrust depth, grip etc) as thats what kirpan meant to have if we hold true to its definition. However, in Canada kirpan is consider as article of faith as symbol as "ceremonial dagger" so i would think twice is using before using depending on the circumstances. But with that being said, i think its best interest for me and wider Canadian sikh community to purchase every day use kirpan which is - i wouldn't say totally watered down version i.e - plastic kirpan..lol but rather something which is modified to hold a right balance between ceremonial and blunt shastar...i don't know if it make sense?

The real inheritance you will leave for your children is not the shastar collections, but the gyaan of fighting.

khalis veer bought even more important point which all of us should ponder - gyan of fighting. That's something none of us have any valid excuse to brush off. I think with gyan of fighting even salai or kara becomes the shastar not just kirpan.

[Guest]

I would get a true sarbloh kirpan.We just need how to learn how to use it.If your in Canada like me my uncle sarbjeet Singh gill has an akhara open called yudh.He teaches how to defend your self with a kirpan.It's near Dixie gurduwara.