2016! The year I'll get my first Khukuri! I need your help though...

T

Trailing Point

Joined
Jul 25, 2015
Messages
94
Hi everyone!

I've been a long time lurker here on the HI forum and blame the partcipants here for this creeping urge of mine to obtain a khukuri. The passion here is absolutely infectious so I know I'm in good hands asking for recommendations.

I am a game ranger living in South Africa and form part of an increasingly busier anti poaching force. I'm looking for a khukuri that can be a trustworthy companion in my tasks. We do a lot of lighter bush clearing when setting up overnight camping spots or obsevation posts but seldom have to chop down trees - more shrubland where I am. Most can get by with panga's but then they are not knife knuts like I am!

While a knife would not typically be the first thing I reach for in a contact situation I would prefer a khukuri that is fast enough to serve as an effective weapon. Not just people but also wild animals - I do my duties in and amongst the big five and while seldom worried it does sometimes happen that a hyena or lion decides to visit. Especially at night when firearms are not as effective.

Weight and size is an issue for me It needs to be mobile. . I already carry a lot of gear on my back and belt and would like to be able to put the khukuri in my pack if and when other gear need to take preference on my person.

So far I've thought that perhaps a 12 or 15 inch sirupati would serve me best but then I look over the website and am again completely confused... Please help!
 
Klvuk to be honest. It's one of the least expensive ones, can take a beating and is usually very light and thus good for chopping brush work.
It would do well as a weapon due to its little weight.
If you want something more special looking but still not too heavy, the Gelbu Special is pretty cool.
Sirupati is good too but might be less ideal if you have to chop some more serious wood which you say doesn't happen often, but might.

I would go with 15 inch if you can. (The length includes the handle)
 
Jens knows what he's talking about.

In a little more rugged but also not as fast, a 15inch M43 or CAK would inflict some serious wounds on a wild animal.
Facing a lion or a hyena with only a kuk in hand is not an enviable position. Good luck with this.
 
Yep, KLVUK would be a great all 'rounder, but if you want something handy that is a little beefier, I would second the 15" M-43. Fantastic compromise of strength and overall utility. I still think a machete is going to be tough to beat for most of the jobs you are talking about. I have scores of khuks, but even I reach for a good ol' machete when the job warrants it.

I think that a M-43 hanging off your belt would do you well. It'll handle pretty much anything you might come across, and defensively it would take a hellova bite out of a critter.
 
Welcome to HI and blade forum!
I will have very good Knives inventory for 2016.
 
Yup...The KLVUK for sure, and if you want beefier, but control the carry weight a little, the 15" M43 is a good choice, but I'd also look at the lighter 15" WWII, BAS, Dui, curved spine, balance knife, or any of the multi use models as well. I prefer my 15" - 17.5oz BAS when backpacking.
 
Trailing Point said:
Hi everyone!

I've been a long time lurker here on the HI forum and blame the partcipants here for this creeping urge of mine to obtain a khukuri. The passion here is absolutely infectious so I know I'm in good hands asking for recommendations.

I am a game ranger living in South Africa and form part of an increasingly busier anti poaching force. I'm looking for a khukuri that can be a trustworthy companion in my tasks. We do a lot of lighter bush clearing when setting up overnight camping spots or obsevation posts but seldom have to chop down trees - more shrubland where I am. Most can get by with panga's but then they are not knife knuts like I am!
Click to expand...

Message me your details and your nearest Postnet branch and after Xmas I will send you a present.;)
 
15 inch is a great length for portability and compactness. It also helps keep the weight down.
 
Hawgsnawt beat me to it. I vote Tamang, but that might actually be a bit much on very light brush, the kind a machete excels at. KLVUK is a great choice, just make sure to request a sheath. Also have to cast a stone for a Thamar Yek, Dui, or Tin Chirra. I have a Dui, but I'm sure the others are just as awesome.

I'm not sure you would benefit from the beefiness of an M-43, WWII, or BAS. Yes they would be better at chopping wood, but at 15" my BAS is not that great at clearing light stuff, anything that will move, like a vine. A WWII that was a little longer and on the light side might be good, but I personally prefer to add length over weight. In my opinion, an 18" 20oz blade will both chop and clear brush much better than a 15" 20oz blade, especially given the same or similar blade profiles.

Some food for thought, the Kobra makes a great light/medium brush blade, almost filling the gap between machete and khukuri, and it's also a favorite among martial artists. I have a 20" model which is great for vines and saplings and such, being long and light. Though I have no personal experience with them, I can tell you that a Chitlangi or Gelbu Special will both "chop" better than a Kobra, but will be just about as light and nimble. What I can say from experience is that the KLVUK is better at chopping branches and changes direction a bit quicker, but the extra reach of my Kobra is worth the extra length when clearing lots of light stuff. Those extra couple inches would also come in handy if you needed to defend yourself. Perhaps consider something in the 18" range?

Here's another way of looking at it; I do mostly brush clearing, vine clearing (some vines 2-4" diameter though), trimming trees, the occasional taking down of a small tree, and very infrequent wood splitting. Kinda similar to you, minus the big bad beasts and poacher thwarting. My top 3 most used khuks in order of most use to least are as follows:

17" 26oz Dui Chirra by Thamar
16.5" approx 22-24oz Tamang by Dhan (unweighed and bought site-unseen)
15" 17oz KLVUK which I made a kydex sheath for and polished the blade

Hope that helps!
 
Reach would be important if you want animal protection in the dark and brush clearing both. With weight being a consideration Id have to say a lighter 20" Chitlangi or Gelbu special would be awesome for that task. Kobra would also do well for most but it has its limited chopping power because of its lack of weight. Close call between them all. Id definitely stick with 17" to 20". As mentioned before the Thamar Yek, Dui, or Tin Chirra would also be a great knife and about as sexy as a knife can be. Right there with Chitlangi. Dont forget to keep weight a priority as you shop because it can vary between Kamis. Sirupati is a great knife to but often is a bit heavy when you get over 20".
Great work you do btw! Hats off to ya! Theres a couple of really nice swords posted today in case you need to take care of them poachers;)
 
And I will attest that an HI sword will also take care of that light brush! :b

my Tibetan Short Sword easily takes 2" branches (plural) with a single swing, and the balance is superb. 34" 52oz, and I can still swing it with one hand? Unreal. I would likely stand my ground against 4 of those "big 5" if armed with that sword. Dunno about an elephant...even a dead elephant will kill you if it's still moving towards you.

And ndog, I would have to say that the Kobra isn't great at chopping due to lack of belly, not lack of weight. Maybe mine is just a heavy one or something, but it's still not, at 24oz.

I'm not a big guy, and don't have a single HI piece heavier than 30oz, with the exception of that sword :D
 
You might just as well stand your ground, if you run you'll only die tired.

The big 5 are not to be played with I don't reckon.
 
Hawgsnawt said:
If it were me..... Tamang
Click to expand...

I was thinking Tamang as well... I got my first recently and was very impressed - performs well for small brush as well as medium chopping... mine is quite quick at an even 16 inches to 16 ounces.

Aunt Yangdu was great selecting the right Tamang for me after I briefly described what I was looking for via email...
 
I think Siru, Chitlangi, Gelbu Special, and Kobra are all very similar and would all work very well. Not necessarily the same length/weight combo for each model, but any of them could be suitable, given the right specs. Ndog said Siru as well. I'd say a Gelbu or Chitlangi have more belly than a Kobra or Siru, and thus would be better at the occasional chopping tasks. The Dui Chirra came into play because it's also reasonably long and light.

In this case, I'm not trying to say "choose this model." I'm trying to describe physical characteristics to look for in a blade and explain how those will affect performance. Thus my recommendation of long and light, with some belly to go with it.
 
If you want night protection for critters then totally eliminate anything under 17-20 inches period no matter how good they might be at whatever they do because you cant see and you need the reach to maximize a hit. The only way you can possibly cover a radius around your head is with reach. Since you want to cut flimsy brush you need a FAST blade capable of actually cutting the stuff instead of smashing it or otherwise you could use a piece of rebar or big stick just as effective. Since you might want to chop some firewood in the day then you might want an edge solid enough to do the task (Gelbu ultimately). Thats what makes me recommend what I did. As far as the shorter blades KLVUK, m43 etc forget night protection. You'll be somethings midnight snack before you hit anything at all unless your dang lucky. I wouldnt risk my life on that kind of luck.
Personally id be sleeping by a fire with my ATN nightscope and shotgun. Id still have my Khuk tho. A khuk is always a good thing :D
 
Hi everyone!

Thank you all so much for the welcome's and taking the time to answer my questions with the enthusiasm and detail that you did - also the well wishes for my safety. (If ever I do get eaten by a lion it would be my own fault since I'm the one with the bigger brain). I'd take any of you on safari anyday!

At this point I'm seriously looking at the Gelbu Special and the Chitlangi - the latter maybe more so... Gorgeous! I sense a slippery slope here as there are a few others too that speak to me... I'll be sure to update this thread, with pics, sometime in 2016 once I've pulled the trigger.

Thanks again and happy holidays!

Wes
 
Steven65 said:
Message me your details and your nearest Postnet branch and after Xmas I will send you a present.;)
Click to expand...

Wow!! Really? Thanks Steven!!

I'm struggling a little to PM you - a message pops up saying I'm not authorised... Same thing my mother in law tells me!
 
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