Guwahati, May 1: The knife is to the Khasis what the khukri is to the Nepalese ? a unique traditional piece of craftsmanship ? but one which is fast losing out to the sheen and gloss of factory-finished products.

But unlike the khukri, the Khasi knives have a unique quality ? they are self-sharpening ? that is, the more the knives are used the more sharp they become.

To give the traditional Khasi knife the pride of place it deserves, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, has embarked on a project to improve the existing products with new design inputs to make the knives more appealing to buyers.

?As rudimentary methods are used in production, the knives lack uniformity, even when produced by the same craftsman. Our objective is to suggest improved production techniques and skills for higher productivity and new design inputs for a larger market,? A.K. Das of the design department of IIT Guwahati, said.

He said improvement in the existing product would be of a nature that can be easily adopted by the artisans without having to go through intensive training. ?We will have to make sure that our concept works for them. In consultation with the craftsmen, we want to develop the product in such a way that it finds diverse application and its look become more attractive,? Das said. The IIT professor said the existing products appear black and also rust quickly. ?We are trying to improve the look of the products so that the knives can find use as a traditional Khasi gift item or a memento,? he added.

Under this project, the design department of IIT, Guwahati together with NEDFi and district rural development agency of East Khasi Hills have taken up a cluster of villages under Nongkynrih circle as a model crafts village.

The craftsmen of these villages will be provided with product design inputs, skill upgradation, setting up of a common facility centre and credit linkages. About 30 km from Shillong, the cluster consists of six villages, namely Ummluh, Mawkynring, Madanlyngdoh, Madanphutbal, Wahtyngngai and Jalyteng.

With a population of over 3,000, these villages are known for producing knives, besides wooden smoking pipes and traditional bows and arrows.

?Many of the households are involved in this trade in one form or the other, though for a majority of them it is only a marginal economic activity,? said Gautam Chintey, assistant general manager of NEDFi.

The annual value of production of knives is around Rs 24 lakh with the products being sold in the local markets and Iewduh Bazaar in Shillong. ?Because of funds constraints, their work sheds are dilapidated, the machinery old and production methods unscientific. We will help them improve their products so as to tap into a larger market thereby leading to higher margins and incomes,? Chintey said.