Afternoon ladies and gents,
Normally I don't write reviews for the knives I buy, simply because I'm not very good at it. I prefer to leave it to others who can better explain the pros and cons of a knife. Usually they can also provide better photographs too.:thumbup: However, this is a bit of an exception. The Trisuli Ghaule Khukuri (henceforth referred to as the TGK) is one I have never seen before, so I feel it is my duty to share information, lest it die in obscurity.
And that would be a damn shame, because it is amazingly well-made.
I received the TGK just this morning, which is possibly the fastest I've ever received a parcel from the USA. 8 days, from Reno to Australia, is incredible. As usual, it arrived in the infamous triangular box, no complaints at all.
I've handled enough khukuris to get a good feel of what I like and what I want in one. Being 5 foot 7 tall and 130 pounds (175 cm, 60 kg), it is fair to say that I am a fairly small person, so using khukuris above 30 ounces for a decent amount of time is usually out of the question. The TGK was listed as 21 inches overall length, at 27 ounces, and thus seemed to fit the bill for me.
Looking at the design of the TGK, it reminds me very much of a Foxy Folly (a personal favourite). Both have the curved spine; both have the dui chirra (two fullers), making a broad leaf-shaped blade. The TGK just seems to have more embellishments up near the spine, which are intricately carved. It is villager finished, just the way I like it: lovely satin finish on the blades, with a toothy edge. The satisal wood handles are beautiful, as usual. This particular one was made by Rajkumar Kami.
Now, onto the important part, the way it handles.
The handle is sized for smaller hands, and fits mine like Goldilocks. Not too big, not too small, just right. Sometimes longer handles do provide additional benefits in usage, as I have found with my Parang, but aesthetically, it does look nicer to have a well sized handle (as opposed to an enlarged one), especially on a khukuri as long as this one.
The fact that the TGK is a stick tang, and not a chiruwa, is in my opinion a plus. I know others may not agree; we'll chalk this up to personal preference. This means that the knife is more forward heavy, as there is less metal in the handle to balance out the khukuri. However, the blade handles like a dream. The balance point lies just on the star engraving, higher than usual. The TGK is still very agile for its size, definitely more of a fighter than a chopper.
I'll let the pictures do the talking. The comparison khuk is a Bonecutter, 34 ounces at 18 inches.
The spine shot in particular will speak volumes; it is clear that the Bonecutter is built to withstand much more punishment. Generally speaking though, one will definitely fatigue quicker using the BC rather than the TGK. All a matter of balance. Not bad, just different.
I have not yet used it, but I imagine I will apply machete-style principles to the TGK, as the blade is broad and thin. I have a good feeling about it though, and am very happy with my purchase. Right now I can say that Rajkumar definitely knocked this one outta the park.:thumbup: This conclusion will be subject to a field test, but I'm not too worried about this; gotta have faith.
As a side note, in reading the threads in the Cantina about the M43, I'll mention that I also feel that this khukuri is proof that Rajkumar Kami is very capable of producing the Holy Grail some of the HI community members are after: an MKII M43 built to scale. Given that this khuk is already 21 inches at 27 ounces, I'm sure Rajkumar could forge a stouter 18 inch M43 without fullers at 26 ounces. No doubt at all in my mind.
Normally I don't write reviews for the knives I buy, simply because I'm not very good at it. I prefer to leave it to others who can better explain the pros and cons of a knife. Usually they can also provide better photographs too.:thumbup: However, this is a bit of an exception. The Trisuli Ghaule Khukuri (henceforth referred to as the TGK) is one I have never seen before, so I feel it is my duty to share information, lest it die in obscurity.
And that would be a damn shame, because it is amazingly well-made.
I received the TGK just this morning, which is possibly the fastest I've ever received a parcel from the USA. 8 days, from Reno to Australia, is incredible. As usual, it arrived in the infamous triangular box, no complaints at all.
I've handled enough khukuris to get a good feel of what I like and what I want in one. Being 5 foot 7 tall and 130 pounds (175 cm, 60 kg), it is fair to say that I am a fairly small person, so using khukuris above 30 ounces for a decent amount of time is usually out of the question. The TGK was listed as 21 inches overall length, at 27 ounces, and thus seemed to fit the bill for me.
Looking at the design of the TGK, it reminds me very much of a Foxy Folly (a personal favourite). Both have the curved spine; both have the dui chirra (two fullers), making a broad leaf-shaped blade. The TGK just seems to have more embellishments up near the spine, which are intricately carved. It is villager finished, just the way I like it: lovely satin finish on the blades, with a toothy edge. The satisal wood handles are beautiful, as usual. This particular one was made by Rajkumar Kami.
Now, onto the important part, the way it handles.
The handle is sized for smaller hands, and fits mine like Goldilocks. Not too big, not too small, just right. Sometimes longer handles do provide additional benefits in usage, as I have found with my Parang, but aesthetically, it does look nicer to have a well sized handle (as opposed to an enlarged one), especially on a khukuri as long as this one.
The fact that the TGK is a stick tang, and not a chiruwa, is in my opinion a plus. I know others may not agree; we'll chalk this up to personal preference. This means that the knife is more forward heavy, as there is less metal in the handle to balance out the khukuri. However, the blade handles like a dream. The balance point lies just on the star engraving, higher than usual. The TGK is still very agile for its size, definitely more of a fighter than a chopper.
I'll let the pictures do the talking. The comparison khuk is a Bonecutter, 34 ounces at 18 inches.
The spine shot in particular will speak volumes; it is clear that the Bonecutter is built to withstand much more punishment. Generally speaking though, one will definitely fatigue quicker using the BC rather than the TGK. All a matter of balance. Not bad, just different.
I have not yet used it, but I imagine I will apply machete-style principles to the TGK, as the blade is broad and thin. I have a good feeling about it though, and am very happy with my purchase. Right now I can say that Rajkumar definitely knocked this one outta the park.:thumbup: This conclusion will be subject to a field test, but I'm not too worried about this; gotta have faith.
As a side note, in reading the threads in the Cantina about the M43, I'll mention that I also feel that this khukuri is proof that Rajkumar Kami is very capable of producing the Holy Grail some of the HI community members are after: an MKII M43 built to scale. Given that this khuk is already 21 inches at 27 ounces, I'm sure Rajkumar could forge a stouter 18 inch M43 without fullers at 26 ounces. No doubt at all in my mind.
