Khukuri, what do you think ?

I own many knifes of different make: from hand forged cooking knifes, bush blades and heavy duty cleavers to many brand names EDC like mcusta, opinels, laguioles, maserin,etc.

I am in Katmandu, Nepal, right now and I am very interested in buying Khukuri knifes home.

I have been checking both in local shops and forgers websites but I see that overall, almost all blades I have had in hand lack balance, are usually not straight, have uneven thickness and have many small defects, the wood or bone handles are misaligned, some glue sticks out, pins are uneven, etc.

Do you guys have similar experiences? am I having too high expectations or, am I missing the point ?

I know there is no "perfection" in hand crafted product but for a renown craft, there should be a high standard maybe ?

I was looking at smaller Khukuri of 5-6inches. After loving to read all about the long history of nepali forging and revered craftsmanship of local blacksmiths, I thoughts the blades would be much better, at least perfectly straight and even thickness from top to bottom, the knifes handles with better finishes. I looked at everything from cheaper to pricier (20usd to 100usd) for smaller sizes. but I can't find great products.

are there any ?

or everyone is just satisfied with "average" for this specific forging tradition?

I am confused and would love to read about your experiences and opinions about buying/making/using… Khukuri (smaller sizes).

thanks !