2 questions from a Kukri noob

[jamesraykenney]

Man, Glocks everywhere No escape.

Yes they are...

They also(at least all the early ones) 'DO NOT FIT MY HAND'tm.

An HK P7m8 on the other hand...

Do not beleave all the myths about khukuris...
For example...
You do NOT have to draw blood with them every time you unsheathe one...
If you did, then all the Gurkhas would be dead from blood loss, because they use them all the time, for everything...
It is their 'Swiss Army knife'...


We do not worship khukuris here(at least I HOPE no one does:jerkit, we just like to collect, use, and abuse them...

 

[alberich]

Yes they are...

They also(at least all the early ones) 'DO NOT FIT MY HAND'tm.

An HK P7m8 on the other hand...

Hey you shot a Glock, did you ;-) And don't forget that trigger. Neat choice, this HK. Have a happy shooting.

 

[jamesraykenney]

Hey you shot a Glock, did you ;-) And don't forget that trigger. Neat choice, this HK. Have a happy shooting.

I have shot a Glock, and it tasted very good grilled.
Seriously, I did not like the way it felt when I shot it, and the grip did not fit my hand AT ALL.
The newer ones are a different story as far as feel goes, but I have not shot one yet...

The P7 on the other hand, just fits my hand like it was made for it... Same thing with my Ruger GP-100(best production grips, EVER!).
The P7 gives a 'pride of ownership' thing, that just can not be matched by the Glock...
It was also a Christmas/birthday(12/26/1960) gift from my mother before she died, so it has even more value to me... I had a choice between that and a GyroJet Pistol in it's case with unfired ammo(!!!), and while sometimes I still which I had chosen the GyroJet, at least I can afford to shoot the P7... Last time I looked GyroJet ammo was going for $20.00 a shot! But there is just some kind of strange appeal to having a real rocket pistol!!!

 

[Greman]

Alright then JamesRayKenney your argument is making me even keener on the Chiruwa AK at 16"-17". Of course I expect that people shapes and sizes matter in addition to blade shapes and sizes when determining 'ideal' for any particular individual. Good point about the overall measurement though, although I imagine it would be appropriate to the Khuk to measure it that way as the whole package shape and length and not just the blade determine it's capability as a tool. Mind you that's a total supposition and i can't back that up at all

 

[Dave Rishar]

Greman?

You've already seen it, but it bears repeating: most people who have been at this game for a bit like 16"-18" khuks the best. Several of them (well, me included) have a fondness for the 15" khuks as well, primarily due to their handiness and "bang for the weight" ratio. Over 18" can be unwieldy, under 15" lacks power. There's about a 3" band where khukuris perform most efficiently it would seem.

The desired weight depends on the user. I'd say between 20 and 30 ounces is optimal. For the record, my favorite khukuri is 22 ounces. Some think this is too light; I think it's just right -- any lighter wouldn't chop, any heavier would be a hassle to carry. My preferance is actually between 20 and 24 ounces.

The chiruwa AK was my first khuk and it is a good one. I prefer the 15" Ganga Ram Special these days; in fact, my current favorite is a 16" GRS done to my specifications. It is a design that chops better than it should for a given weight and is, IMO, pleasing to the eye.

If you like the chiruwa AK (and there is much to recommend it), consider waiting a bit and watching the Deals of the Day here. Occasionally a Khadka chiruwa AK will show up; they tend to be right around 15". If I could only have one khukuri, this is one of the few that would suffice. Khadka does this particular model better than anyone else, IMO; his heat treats are excellent, the fit and finish are flawless, and the overall piece is just outstanding in all respects.

(The fact that they're very reasonably priced doesn't hurt either.)

 

[alberich]

I have shot a Glock, and it tasted very good grilled.

(snip)

Same thing with my Ruger GP-100(best production grips, EVER!).

1) Yes, my broken English again.

2) I once tried a Hogue on my KGP-161, but the factory grip was back in no time. I love Ruger revolvers, solid, accurate, 150% reliable, good ergonomy, best locking system and trigger system on the market (had some triggerwork done on mine and it's like a mouseclick in SA now), and they do look great.
Anyway as I see what you people write about kukries, I think that Rugers and kukries share some generic characteristics.

 

[alberich]

To the topic - I was looking around to see if there is some kind of FAQ on kukri types and/or the bladesmiths, but found none. I suppose I can (and I will ) go throught the offers postet by Yangdu to see how a - for example - chiruwa looks like, but if somebody experienced would not mind to post a picture of his favorite blade type with some description (what are advantages and possibly disadvantages) and something about his prefered bladesmiths?

 

[Svashtar]

Ok well great response and advise people, it's all been very useful. So i'm thinking that like JWK said i shouldn't get too hung up on the tech details and go with what my eyes gravitate too. To that end i think as soon as i've got some more $'s i'm going to order that Chiruwa AK. Has anyone got an 18" Kobra? Now as far as eyes getting drawn to a blade that is a pretty scary looking piece of kit and that may well be next on the list.
Thanks again though everyone.

Greman, welcome! You know, I had to check the HI sale site after reading your question, because I realized that after aggressively trying to get every HI model out there I have never seen an 18" Kobra or seen one offered for sale on the deals of the day (DOTD.) Plenty of 20" and 25" models though.

I think that the 20" is so well made and well balanced that it just kind of replaced all the Kobras in that size range, making the 18" somewhat superfluous. At least that is my guess as to why we just have not seen them for the last couple of years.

The Kobra is the lightest of all the long, thin models, with the Chainpuri and Chitlangi and Sirupate and Gelbu all being at least a bit heavier. I just can't see that an 18" kobra could do anything better than an 18" chainpuri, and the chainpuri has a better handle IMO.

Regular Chiruwa AK's have standardized at 16.5" and between 24 and 28 oz., and most were made by Kumar for a long time. Dave is correct, and Sgt. khadka does make a beautiful CAK that averages just over 15" and 20-23 oz., but those are very rare. I'm guessing that there have only been 4 or 5 of them total offered here. A CAK at 18" or 20" is also not seen that much, as with the extra weight in the handle they get very heavy at the larger sizes, which is why 16.5" has kind of become the standard for this model.

In any case, it is an excellent knife to get for your first khukuri, and is built like the proverbial tank. I believe it was Uncle Bill who used to say that if you managed to break a CAK he would send you two in replacment. I don't know of anyone who has ever taken HI up on that deal.

Regards and good luck.

Norm