A few questions on HI khuks for you HI kooks

M

mtnfalcon

Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
107
Hello again,

I've been swimming further away from the feeding area the last two days since I think I know exactly what I'm looking for, and it hasn't shown. May end up just ordering them.

I have a couple questions after reading the past 4 months of DOTD emails (obviously haven't read the entire history of the archives yet, so please pardon if this has been discussed before)

(1) What is the ridge for in the middle of the handle? Doesn't that just tear your palms up? If it has been there for hundreds of years, why? I'm still curious whether HI can or does make knives with a full tang and smaller handle, kind of like this one: http://tinyurl.com/r4eel

I think I like that handle on a khuk. But if you all tell me the fat, ridge-adorned traditional handle is the bomb, then I'll trust you and put in for one.

(2) Wouldn't a closed or non-existant cho make the blade stronger? Anyone ever had blade failure?

bc
 
The ridge can either irritate your hand or actually HELP it depends where it is!

Most blade problems I have had due to improper hardening of the edge. Problems around the cho are almost nonexisitent. I'd worry about the tang snapping off first and I think I have only heard of that happening twice
 
The cho weakens the blade in the same way that a window weakens a skyscraper: insignificantly.

As for the ridge, I find it gives a nice index for where you are on the handle. If you get a ridged handle and find that it bothers you, you can always sand it off. Personally I like the way it improves my grip.

If you look carefully, you'll notice that there are some models, such as the M43, which come with a 'flat' round handle. You can take a look at those if you prefer.
 
You will also find that if you are chopping and snap the blade down, with the thumb and forefinger as the final pivot, the ridge serves to contain any handle sliding forward.

A lot of folks will sand down the ridge a bit on their user blades.

Only cho area breaks of which I am aware were the result of forging mistakes, which would have occurred even if no cho were on the blade. As HD said, almost unheard of.

Good hunting.
 
mtnfalcon said:
(1) What is the ridge for in the middle of the handle? Doesn't that just tear your palms up? If it has been there for hundreds of years, why? I'm still curious whether HI can or does make knives with a full tang and smaller handle, kind of like this one: http://tinyurl.com/r4eel

I think I like that handle on a khuk. But if you all tell me the fat, ridge-adorned traditional handle is the bomb, then I'll trust you and put in for one.

(2) Wouldn't a closed or non-existant cho make the blade stronger? Anyone ever had blade failure?
Click to expand...

1. The ridge helps impede the hand from sliding forward. Notice that on a well-made khukuri the ridges are usually shaped like l\ , with the vertical side towards the back. This makes it easier to slide backwards than forwards over the ridge. The ridges on HI khukuris have never bothered me. I really like them both in terms of comfort and grip security. The ridges on the cheap $15 imports from India will indeed tear up your hands though.

2. Yes. And if you want it even stronger you can weld a section of I-beam to the back. However, it's plenty strong enough even with the cho for normal uses.
 
I used the hate the ring, but now I'm a convert. Once I tried grasping the handle with the ring between my ring and pinky fingers, a whole new world opened up. Now I wish I could put the one I sanded off back! Granted, sometimes they need to be sanded down a bit, but experiment with different grips before you remove it completely.

Blade failures have occured, but the fault was soft or overly hard blades, not weakness from the cho. As long as the blade is properly tempered (which 99.99% of them are), human hands are practically incapable of breaking it. Believe me, I tried it once. All I got were sore hands and a dull edge (which came right back after a good sharpening). The one blade failure I did have was promptly replaced, promptly as in the replacement was shipped before I had a chance to send the damaged one back. HI takes care of the their customers.
 
I'm still curious whether HI can or does make knives with a full tang and smaller handle>>>>>>>>mtnfalcon



Most HI knives have a full tang. There are a few half tang- like the Hanuman, a handle with a carved figure and pinned.




munk
 
munk said:
I'm still curious whether HI can or does make knives with a full tang and smaller handle>>>>>>>>mtnfalcon



Most HI knives have a full tang. There are a few half tang- like the Hanuman, a handle with a carved figure and pinned.




munk
Click to expand...

I think when he says full tang, that he means full handle sized tang, exposed on all sides...
What we call a chiruwa handle...
 
mtnfalcon said:
Hello again,

I've been swimming further away from the feeding area the last two days since I think I know exactly what I'm looking for, and it hasn't shown. May end up just ordering them.

I have a couple questions after reading the past 4 months of DOTD emails (obviously haven't read the entire history of the archives yet, so please pardon if this has been discussed before)

(1) What is the ridge for in the middle of the handle? Doesn't that just tear your palms up? If it has been there for hundreds of years, why? I'm still curious whether HI can or does make knives with a full tang and smaller handle, kind of like this one: http://tinyurl.com/r4eel

I think I like that handle on a khuk. But if you all tell me the fat, ridge-adorned traditional handle is the bomb, then I'll trust you and put in for one.

(2) Wouldn't a closed or non-existant cho make the blade stronger? Anyone ever had blade failure?

bc
Click to expand...

I have the small one with that style handle from KH, and I like it, though the fit between the handle slabs and the blade could be a LOT better, but it just FEELS SO GOOD in your hand that you tend to ignore the sharp edges scratching your hands... It is a very hard feeling to describe...:confused:
I do NOT think it would be optimum for a blade that you were going to use for chopping though...
The only problem with the handles that come on the HI knives, it that a LOT of them are WAY to large...
They started out designed to fit the small hands that the native users have, and when they found out that Americans have(on average) larger hands, they went to a larger handle... The problem seems to be that they KEPT making them larger and larger until you almost HAVE to sand them down before using(unless you have very large hands, like some of the people here have)...
I have heard that some of the problems people have with 'glancing' while chopping, is caused by too-large handles...

About the ring... I LIKE the ring... In fact, the only thing keeping me from getting a M43 is the lack of a ring...
I may make an exception for the Movie Model thought...
 
jamesraykenney said:
I think when he says full tang, that he means full handle sized tang, exposed on all sides...
What we call a chiruwa handle...
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what I meant, rather than glued into a carved handle.

Thanks.
 
jamesraykenney said:
About the ring... I LIKE the ring... In fact, the only thing keeping me from getting a M43 is the lack of a ring...
I may make an exception for the Movie Model thought...
Click to expand...

Good food for thought. The reason I had settled on the M43 and BDC was the forward-curved blade and the lack of a ring. With several of you saying you like the ring, that opens other options up for me.

Thanks.
 
I've sanded the ring off of one handle. I did it because its placement didn't fit my hand and I just couldn't find any other way to grip it. That knife (15" villager GRS) is pictured in another current thread right now. I'm glad its the only one i have done it to. It really does seem to help with the keeping a safe grip thing. As far as the Chiruwa/Panawal handles go its a toss up for me. Mainly because, I think, I haven't chopped up as much stuff as Munk or HD. ;) The more I use these blades the more I listen to these guys.:thumbup:

Get yourself an HI blade and stop being tempted by the cheap prices at the Brand X superstore. You'll wind up giving those blades away and prise your HI knives someday. I did. Do a search.
 
aproy1101 said:
<snip>
Get yourself an HI blade and stop being tempted by the cheap prices at the Brand X superstore. You'll wind up giving those blades away and prise your HI knives someday. I did. Do a search.
Click to expand...

The one he linked to was a KH not a 'Brand X superstore' khuk...
They are quite nice, though not up to the standards of HI, but very good 'users' by any standard...
 
aproy1101 said:
Get yourself an HI blade and stop being tempted by the cheap prices at the Brand X superstore.
Click to expand...

No, no. I'm quite sold on HI knives, it was just that more modern-type "full tang" handle I was liking in that KH Hunter model. That's why I kept referencing the web page for it, because I didn't know whether a handle like that had a name.

A couple more questions for any takers:

3) I've managed to translate a few of the acronyms you use (like GRS, BAS), using the khukuri pages on the HI site, but for some reason have yet to translate BDC.

4) What does YBB mean in Yangdu's Deals posts?

bc
 
BDC Bura Dui Chirra.

YDD Yangdu's Deal of the Day. YBB Yangdu's Best Buy

or variants thereof.

Keep asking. There are folks here who know something about everything. Amazingly eclectic group of gentlepeople.


Someday, I wanna know about Morgane's rope-making job.
 
jamesraykenney said:
The one he linked to was a KH not a 'Brand X superstore' khuk...
They are quite nice, though not up to the standards of HI, but very good 'users' by any standard...
Click to expand...

I was aware of the brand. KH, IMHO is Brand X superstore khuk. I own two. That company is at least one teir below HI, probably two. Its OK for a user, as you say, but HI makes a hell of a user khuk too. With a unbeatable warranty, and service that is beyond uncommon.
 
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