Reminds me of that Seinfeld skit about how working in a knife shop would be so scary because you would always have people coming in saying "I want knives, big sharp stabby knives. I want one for stabbing and one for just hacking away..."

I am after genuine Mongol like knives. I have heard the Mongol descendants of Tonghai are famed for their knife work, but short of a trip to Tonghai, can they be bought in Kunming? If so where? The Bird and Flower market has some knives but they all seem to be faux genuine.

I haven't bothered to check on this particular item, but....taobao?

sorry, i can't help you with your query.

i used to have a beautiful knife from xinjiang that i picked up in the market there. gave it away to someone back home.

i think i might get myself another one and carry it on me as i feel subtle hostility from time to time here.

you never know when you might need to hack away.

I do know about some knives made by the Achang minority in Dehong. I saw Husa knives for sale at the Minority Village here in Kunming. I am sure you can better deal at the Husa Village in Dehong.

hugoyunnantravel.com/des_dehong.asp?page=7

No idea where u can buy those knives in KM. But if you take a bus to Jianshui (建水) or Yuanyang (元阳), those coaches will always stopped by souvenir stores in Tonghai, where you can buy those knives (also rice wine) made by local people.