Art
An Exquiste Kirpan For Every Sikh
by GURUKA SINGH
If you are like me, you have several kirpans. Perhaps a small one to wear under your clothing, a larger one for everyday use, and maybe even a full Sri Sahib for 'dress' occasions or for, shall we say it, getting married. I suspect that most of them are made in India, were rather inexpensive, and that the quality of the blade and the cutting edge are, perhaps, less than exquisite.
Last week I received my very first "Khalsa Kirpan" and it embodies a
whole other order of magnitude of workmanship than most kirpans I've
seen before. The photos in this short article cannot do it justice. You
simply must hold the weapon in your hands to see and feel the amazing
quality of Jot Singh's workmanship.
The heft is solid. The fit and finish is precise. The artisanship
is evident in not only the kirpan itself, but in the sheath as well. It
arrived nestled in its own padded and zippered cloth case with a black
and silver gatra, a set of instructions on its use and care, and a full
colour 16-page booklet with comprehensive details of the construction
of the kirpan itself, the inspired history and significance of the
kirpan, along with milestones, awards, images and particulars of
important works produced through Khalsa Kirpans.
Jot Singh Khalsa is a master bladesmith, as well as a master jeweler (you can take a look at his very beautiful jewelery here) and most of his exquisitely crafted and decorated handmade kirpans are way out of my price range. Adorned with gold inlay and precious jewels, they are each a work of art.
Not only are the materials and inlay work artfully and cunningly executed, but the blades themselves are made of Damascus steel - the same material used to craft the best Samurai katanas. The foundation for Damascus steel is Wootz steel, which originated in India. From the 3rd century to 17th century, India was shipping steel ingots to the Middle East for the manufacture of Damascus steel.
However these Damascus steel masterpieces cost thousands of dollars, and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
At the time of Guru Gobind Singh, "Sarb Loh" (pure iron) was the best blade material available for a kirpan that might see duty on the battlefield. Today, with the modern technologies developed for steel production, we can have better edge holding, ductility, flexibility, toughness and stain resistance. These qualities serve in the excellent blade steel choice for these unique and affordable kirpans.
At $250 apiece, these kirpans are both affordable as well as being of a unique artisan quality. $250 may seem to some a lot of money for a kirpan, but these kirpans are made to last lifetimes - they'll surely prove to be heirlooms in every Sikh household. They are serious blades, beautiful, strong and fit for battle.
I strongly believe that there should be no Sikh household, nay, no Sikh - man or woman - in the diaspora who doesn't own this beautiful version of the Guru's gift to us.
Well, honestly we'd all love to have that $30,000 jewel-encrusted, handmade masterpiece, but few of us can afford to do so.
Thank you, Jot Singh ji, for making your superb craftsmanship affordable for so many at last.
[For more, visit khalsakirpans.com]
February 12, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), February 12, 2010, 4:36 PM.
Of course, quality speaks for itself. Where is this example of unexcelled craftsmanship available?
2: Manjyot Kaur (New York City, U.S.A.), February 13, 2010, 3:10 PM.
Oooooh ... they are splendid. Would really love to get and wear one of Jot Singh's creations! And a big bravo to Guruka Singh for calling a kirpan what it IS: "the weapon," "serious blades," "beautiful, strong and fit for battle." Yesssss! Our Guru-given Kirpan is NOT simply a symbol!
3: P. Singh (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), February 14, 2010, 3:14 AM.
While I have not personally examined any of Jot Singh's blades, they look gorgeous. A few comments on the article: While India, particluarly Southern India, was producing wootz ingots for export, the Japanese did not use wootz steel for their blades. There seems to be some confusion in the terms being used. While wootz steel, a.k.a. crucible steel, a.k.a. 'watered steel', is also called 'true damascus' or 'crucible damascus', the word damascus also refers to pattern-weld damascus which is very different than wootz. From what I have seen, Jot Singh has used pattern-weld damascus steel in his higher-end blades, not wootz steel. Wootz steel is very rare, and only recently have a few individuals in Russia and the States discovered how to make wootz steel again; it was a lost art/ science for centuries. Pattern-weld damascus, on the other hand, is relatively common. Moreover, it is a technique which found use throughout the world, from Scandinavia to Japan, and was employed to deal with problems associated with lower-quality steels. Please note, Japanese swords are not the final word in what constitutes a quality sword, although movies have done an excellent job in perpetuating that myth. The Japanese sword served the needs of the Japanese soldier for the situations and defences he was most likely to encounter. The needs of the Teutonic knight were different and required a different type of sword. Extrapolate from there ... Given the uniform properties of most modern steels, pattern-weld damascus blades do not offer any real advantages over mono-steel blades, other than aesthetics. Note: the weapons used by Guru Gobind Singh ji were made of high-carbon steel, not iron, although I can understand how that confusion can arise given the term, 'sarb-loh'.
4: P. Singh (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), February 14, 2010, 3:50 AM.
Guruka Singh ji: your article has highlighted a wonderful artist, Jot Singh, and his beautiful work. I would definitely recommend fellow Sikhs to look into purchasing one of these 'artisan kirpans' rather than the generic kirpans available at most gurdwaras. I do have some questions, which I hope you or Jot Singh will be able to answer. I think this forum would be appropriate, given others may have similar queries, now that you have whet their appetite with the article and wonderful pictures. 1) The kirpan does not appear to be damascus steel. Will Jot Singh consider doing a damascus steel version or series of this kirpan? Any idea about the additional cost for a damascus steel version? 2) What type of steel is used in the kirpan's construction? High-carbon steel? Stainless steel? 3) Will the kirpans be forged (hammer, anvil, forge, etc.) or will they be made via 'stock-removal' (removing material from steel bar-stock)? 3) Will Jot Singh hand-make each kirpan or are they going to be produced via a CNC machine or some other similar machine? 4) Will there be different sizes available? If not, what is the size of the kirpan? 5) Will Jot Singh ship internationally? 6) Do the kirpans come with a warranty?
5: Jot Singh Khalsa (Millis, MA, U.S.A.), February 15, 2010, 12:03 PM.
Many of the pieces on the Khalsa Kirpans website are pattern welded damascus steel, which I made myself for about 16 years and not wootz. These days most, if not all, of my original work is created with stainless steel damascus steel blades. One day we may produce an Artisan-made kirpan with damascus steel blades. These are all being produced by a very high-in-demand manufacturer who I expect to continue to use. Our next planned project is a smaller version of the existing kirpan.
6: Gurumustuk Singh (Espanola, New Mexico, U.S.A.), February 16, 2010, 7:01 PM.
I have this kirpan and love it. It is a high quality, well made kirpan ... and beautiful (and it comes with a warranty)!
7: Jot Singh Khalsa (Millis, MA, U.S.A.), February 23, 2010, 10:58 AM.
We are shipping these all over the world right now!
8: Gagandeep Singh (Barnala, Punjab), September 21, 2015, 11:04 AM.
Nice kirpan!