1st impressions of my 1st HI Kukri.

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kgriggs8

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I just got my BAS Villager 15" Kukri from HI. I was able to try it out outstide on several types of wood and brush.

I was actually impressed with it. I didn't expect it to preform as well as it did because it is only a 15" Kukri and not a large heavy chopper like some I have seen. I am no expert in the use of these so I know that if I were more skilled with this tool, my results would have been better.

It cut medium sized branches best out of everything I tried. This knife seems best suited to chopping small firewood and braches. It can clear brush but a machete would be a better option if that was the main use. It can chop thick wood and trees but an ax would be much better at that as well. It seems to have a niche and that would be what I would call the "camp knife" role.

It does have some advantages over both the ax and the machete. It can be used when there is not enough room to swing a long machete and it can be used with one hand unlike an ax.

I didn't like how the bottom part of the handle dug into my hand. The brass plate is a little sharp there and my hand is a little too beefy I guess.

It is hard to compare a Kukri to a machete or an ax so I won't try. I also got a British Golock for X-mas and got to try that out as well. It is about the same size and weight as the Kukri I got so I think it is a much better comparison. The fact is, there is no comparison. The British Golock was not even in the same class as the Kukri. The Kukri did everything better. The Golock seemed to have a more comfy handle until I used it for a while. It translated more shock to the hand than the Kukri did and twisted in the hand more as well. The Golock felt like I was bashing a log with an unsharpened truck spring next to the Kukri. If you are considering the British Golock, don't waste your money. The Golock did not have an even grind on the edge and it wasn't really convex either. It was a sorry excuse for an edge and anyone here would have to rework the edge before they considered it ready for use. The Kukri came ready to go.

I have a lot to learn on the Kukri but it is worth spending the time doing it because I think it is a good tool. No one tool will be best at everything so as long as it can fill a role, that is good enough. It hasn't replaced my U.S. army issue machete for any serious uses as of yet but it may well find a place if I put the effort into using it that I think it deserves. I knew right away that the British Golock was a total waste of time. I have a lot of experience using the machete and axes so even though the Kukri is very different, there are some similarities as well. The more I think of it the more it seems like what would happen if you mated a machete to an ax would be a Kukri. Jack of all trades, master of none or niche tool? The jury is still out but it has at least proven to be a real tool with real uses and not just another gimmick.

I can see how you guys get addicted to these Kukris. Even though I was not blown away by the 15" BAS, all I can think about is maybe getting a Ganga Ram for heavy chopping and a Kobra or similar slim and light Kukri for brush and light veg. It would be neat to be able to try out every Kukri, machete and camp knife side by side and see what works and what doesn't. Until then, I will just try one at a time. I already found something that works for me (machete) but it is fun trying new things as well. I have my old stand by but I like to experiment as well.
 
Well done review. I took my BAS handle and sanded the point off that was digging into my hand. Worked a lot better after that.

My BAS became a hiker. I like the slightly longer and heavier khuks. You'd be surprised how much more work a Chiruwa AK will do. I'm impressed you noticed the impact delivered to your hand. That really matters after you've chopped a lot. The Kamis have a very good design. Well thought out.

Merry Christmas, Kgriggs8.


munk
 
Great review. I am thoroughly pleased with my two HI khukuris so far. I just recently received a 20" Chitlangi through the 12/12 deals and it is awesome. I could'nt help but notice that you are in Fort Wayne IN. I also live in Fort Wayne. Crazy coincedence. Its weird to see another person from the Fort, even though it is a pretty decent sized city. I am on the north side near 469, whereabouts are you? Thanks again for the review, I will have my eyes out for a good BAS in the future.
 
"I could'nt help but notice that you are in Fort Wayne IN. I also live in Fort Wayne. Crazy coincedence. Its weird to see another person from the Fort, even though it is a pretty decent sized city. I am on the north side near 469, whereabouts are you? Thanks again for the review, I will have my eyes out for a good BAS in the future."

I'm not far from you it looks like. I'm near Dupont and Coldwater RD. so I am probably a mile or two from you. That is weird!
 
Ha! Crazy, I live right in a neighborhood off of Evard and Maplecrest roads if you know where those are. Just recently bought a house last summer. Pretty close to where you are talking about, Pine Valley area correct? That Casa Grille is awesome over there. What highschool did you go to? Me, Snider.
 
I am originally from Chicago but have lived in the Fort for about 10 years. I went to school in IL. I know the area you are in. A guy I work with just sold his house near there. He had a large yard with woods and lots of trees. He could have used a Kukri a few times. I went over there to help clear some fallen trees after the storm we had a few weeks back with high wind. I used my trusty machete to chop up several trees that feel on his fence. A good chopper Kukri like a big Ganga Ram would have worked better I think.

I am going to keep my eye out for a big chopper like an AK or a Ganga to cut the bigger branches and logs. What would be a good model and size for trees up to 10-12"?
 
Thanks Munk! I hope to snag one on the deals thread soon.

I don't think I mentioned anything about quality but maybe I should. As you all know, the HI Kukris are much better than most Kukris you see for sale. Mine was a villager but the quality was great. The finish was not as pretty as the standard of course but that doesn't mean it was second class. It is solid and you can see the folds in the steel if you look close. It almost has a slight damascus look to it. The handle is horn and very solid. It held up well to a afternoon of chopping. No hint of anything going wrong and everything feels solid and secure.

It came shrap so I am not going to mess with the edge until I have to. It bit into wood well with the convex edge that it comes with as well. There were some shortcuts taken on the polish of the blade but that is the only reason it could be considered a "villager" the overall quality seems very high to me.

I did polish the brass on the buttcap and bolster as well as the horn handle. I just sanded the part of the handle that was biting me and thought it would be a good time to polish things up. I left the blade as is because I am going to use this and didn't see the point in a mirror finish.

I would buy another villager again. I think of the Kukri is a work knife and I wouldn't want to mess up a pretty one.
 
munk said:
A full sized Ganga Ram or a 25" AK. The 20" AK is good too.



munk
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. . . or a 20" Jange around 30 oz. +/-. Now there's a handfull. Mine from a DOTD arrived last week.

Noah
 
OK, broken record, I know BUT these folk in Nepal have small hands. If one could hold a khukuri with the "ring" between the ring and little fingers, the butt would not dig. Unfortunately, with some of the smaller models, "choking up" in that manner leaves my first finger resting on the base of the bolster -- or even the blade between bolster and cho.
 
This seems to be a common problem, my villager Ganga Ram by Bura is a superb trail chopper, I lessened the butt cap bite with some sandpaper, but find it most comfortable to wear a nice deerskin work glove while working this blade.
 
I like how the grip flares out at the base because it keeps it from slipping but the entire handle needs to be about two inches longer. Also, the handle could be slimmer and I could feel better about it. It is a little fat.
 
If they made the handle on your BAS longer you would have a 16 1/2" BAS- or just buy a WWll. I don't know if this is always true, but many people have observed that the real difference between a WWll 16 1/2" and the 18" is in handle length. Larger khuks do have larger handles.

The ring in the middle of the handle suits me fine. I always seem to find a way to rest a finger comfortably along either side. But on the short handles, yes, the ring can sometimes be a problem.

There was nothing wrong with knocking off the corners of the buttcap handle of my BAS. It fit fine then.


munk
 
Ahem...

kgriggs?

You will be DELIGHTED.

(Keep in mind that these guys have thousands of HI khuks lying around the house, in the bathroom, glove compartment, kitchen cabinets, etc...so they have a tendency to think a 15inch knife is on the small end.)

You did good. I prefer villagers, generally speaking. Enjoy it, play with it, read the damned safety thread for my piece of mind please, and then consider any additional uses you might want to use such a blade for that the BAS doesn't perform to the level you want.

Dan Koster's "dynamics" post, showing the blade angles and such stuff can give you an idea, but nothing like the handling of your first khuk.

Nice work. Merry Christmas.
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Kis
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Just as well I am not the kind of guy who says "I told you so."

Yep, grind the butt, sand the ring if necessary--heck, sand the entire handle if it feels a bit too large for you. Use it, love it, and smile.

Happy Holiday.
 
Hadn't thought of the deerskin glove.

Kriggs8, I'm sure you'd like an 18" GRS. Mine is chandan wood handled and made by bura. I have to do some minor sanding on the handle, and there is some cho creep I didn't like at first, but its my favorite chopper period and becoming my favorite khuk. I'm comparing it to a 16.5" CAK and the 20.5" Jange from the recent DOTD's. Man that Jange is light and fast. Real beauty and scary swinger, but it donesn't bite in as much as the GRS. The cho creep on mine I find very useful now. I can choke up almost to the cho when doing light cuts such as taking t he small branches off of a walking stick. It's comfortable and efficient at that task. Chandan, I'm finding to have a wonderful depth. When it gets done with its treatment you'll be able to look so deep in there you'll float away.
 
Hi KGRIGGS8:

You can solve the Kuk handle hurting your hand by carefully rounding off the pommel points on a belt sander and then polish it up with wet/dry sandpaper used dry. Start with 120 grit and work up through finer grits until you have the finish you like. You can also buff it then.

What make is your Golok? Goloks and Kuks are very different animals and don't compare. The Martindale Golok is inexpensive, but a very nice utility knife. You just can't expect it to do a Kuks work.

Thanks, Steve
 
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