18" AK: Good, or too much knife?

K

Kylaer

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Jun 16, 2006
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I'm thinking it's time to purchase a useful kukri. I bought a small one as a gift for a friend and was impressed, but I'd like something I could use as a machete. I was looking at the 18" Ang Khola, but I wondered if it's beyond the point of diminishing returns as far as size:usefulness goes, and if something a little smaller should work better.

For the record, I'm tall and have very large hands. I was thinking the 18" instead of the 16.5 Chiruwa because the handle looks visibly larger and would probably fit my hand better. What are your opinions?
 
What are you intending to use it for? Chopping good sized logs? Light saplings and brush?
 
I don't think any khuk is a machette. The 18" AK is a wonderful woods, truck, and camp knife. It is more utilitarian than some of the less broad, models, and is more end heavy. It is for chopping and work. It can certainly defend a person too.



munk
 
my 15" AK or 18" WWII a "machete". These are choppers. Even the "small" AK makes my old Camillus MkII look like a toy. The big WWII is a little shy of two pounds (an 18" AK might be a little over two pounds) and chops like the dickens. A Gransfors Bruks might be able to outchop it but certainly no hardware store axe will. YMMV

Frank
 
Good, and not too much knife. I'm a woman who doesn't wear flannel, and an 18''AK is not too much for me. It sort of 'jumps' to whatever I swing at, but like that's a bad thing?
 
Mostly I'm probably going to use it by placing it on a shelf in my closet; I don't do a lot of brush-clearing or woodcutting. But I'd like the capacity to do these tasks if I wanted. By "machete," I meant the kind of tool you could use to clear trails, cut vegetation, etc., not that I expected a kukri to handle like a machete.
 
It would do those things. Perhaps a slightly faster khuk would be best for brush and trail clearing though. WWll is good. Sirupate is good. Chitlangi is good. Gelbu Special is good.

I don't think you'd regret the AK, though, if you like fine tools at all. Why don't read the shopping site and see what you think?


munk
 
Its a good knife. Not too much. And a regular style handle is easier to care for, modify if necessary.
 
For trail clearing I use my 18" Gelbu Special - or my 16.5 (light) Chiruwa if I am out to camp. My 18" AK would be too heavy for prolonged use to clear trails - but then I am no giant (6 feet, 170 pounds).
I intend to use the 18 incher for de-limbing trees (even for felling smaller ones) it is more or less a "smaller axe" for me - ("intend" because we just bought a house for our expanding family (child No.2 will hopefully arrive in february) and will move in october - there we can have a fire ("Swedish oven") in the living room - therefore I need to prepare some wood until autumn).

Andreas
 
It's good to see you posting, Andreas.

I think you are right about prolonged trail clearing with an AK, unless it included a lot of heavier stuff.


munk
 
Anyone remember The Thirteenth Warrior?

Herger throws a hefty sword to ibn Fadlan, 'ibn' says: "I cannot lift this."

And Herger says: "Grow stronger."

lol. :D

Take care.
 
Madmanamus said:
Anyone remember The Thirteenth Warrior?

Herger throws a hefty sword to ibn Fadlan, 'ibn' says: "I cannot lift this."

And Herger says: "Grow stronger."

lol. :D

Take care.
Click to expand...
A great movie, but perhaps bad advice. We are what we are, and it makes no sense to me to enter a weight lifting program, when one of the various models of khukri will fit each individual to a 'T'. If all of us were exactly alike, our beloved kamis would long ago have stopped making the variety they do. A work of art that works! The 18" AK and 18" WWII fit me perfectly, but I'm a whopper :D
 
The 18" AK is my 'go-to' khukuri for just the tasks you describe. It will take all of the punishment you can dish out and come up smiling (I tried to kill mine, it didn't work).
 
In the movie, our spanish hero did get a shorter sword, and showed the Vikings how a nimble horse and rider could navigate barriors if not weighted down.


munk
 
Perhaps you might like a 17" Foxy Folly around 28-30 ounces or maybe a BGRS at about the same. Each knife has a bit different characteristics and *feel.*
An 18" AK can feel like a monstrous beast whereas a 17" FF or an 18" BGRS will do just as good if not a better job because of their attributes.
If I were buying today from the git go the 17" and 20" Foxy Folly would be my main choice with an 18"BGRS coming in to fill the niche between them, but that's just me.:rolleyes: ;) :D
 
Yvsa said:
Perhaps you might like a 17" Foxy Folly around 28-30 ounces or maybe a BGRS at about the same. Each knife has a bit different characteristics and *feel.*
An 18" AK can feel like a monstrous beast whereas a 17" FF or an 18" BGRS will do just as good if not a better job because of their attributes.
If I were buying today from the git go the 17" and 20" Foxy Folly would be my main choice with an 18"BGRS coming in to fill the niche between them, but that's just me.:rolleyes: ;) :D
Click to expand...

Yeah it's funny how many AK's feel so much heavier than they are, esp. in the longer lengths, but I guess some are better in this regard than others. I sold every one of my 18" AK's, a villager and two regular models by Amtrak, just because they didn't have that magic feel I was looking for. I kind of regret selling only the villager, as it was a Sher blade and a perfect match to a Sher 18" WWII villager that I kept, plus when I was polishing out the horn handle before shipping it off I found some beautiful grey horn.

I have CAK's in sizes from 15 to 16.5", and a nice 20" AK by Amtrak, but need to fill that hole in my collection eventually. A friend here on line has one he is holding for me and I hope to get it soon.

Until then, as Yvsa said, an 18" BGRS does a great job and feels a bit more balanced to me.

Norm
 
Well, I'm purchasing the 18" 29-ounce Villager AK from the specials-of-the-day thread. A little lighter than the "standard" (which says 2 to 2.5 pounds, so 32 - 40 ounces), hopefully won't lose any of its durability. Not that I intend to use it to the point where its durability would really be tested, but you never know.

If it doesn't feel right, I can always give it to someone and buy a "standard" one for myself :D
 
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