A Thinner Karda

M

munk

Joined
Mar 22, 2002
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How many people would prefer a less thick Karda?
I know I've gotten tired of the thick Kardas. I have thick small blades- tough blades- and HI sells a bunch of them. The Kardas can't compete with them. Karda's just aren't as strong because of the design.

If the Karda were thinner, I could do more small knife chores with them. Detailed work. I think the khuk already covers the job description of tough as nails, wood haukin blade. A complete tool package of a BAS or WWll in the field, with a Karda that covered the work requirments not fullfilled by the larger blade, would be great to my mind.


What do people think?


munk
 
They could also use a longer grip.

But aren't the karda and chakma made by apprentices? They might not be too durable if they were thinner and the apprentice made some mistakes, whereas currently their sheer mass can hide a lot of defects.
 
I think traditional Karda were thinner. 1/8" or even 1/16" thick. Anyhow the handles were always short.
 
Count me in. A thinner karda would make it useful instead of ornamental. Honestly, if they were ground thin and sharp, the short handles wouldn't be much of an issue. You wouldn't need a full grip to bash your way through the job. Just keep it razor sharp, and a thin blade with a two finger grip will open packages and cut fuzz sticks all day long:thumbup:

I would like to keep the chakma thicker, though. You might be bearing down on that more. Plus, with a thinner karda, you might need your chakma for prying chores (90% of what mine that are too soft to burnish get used for). While they're at it, a harder chakma wouldn't upset me too much either;)
 
:confused: How sharp is sharp in this context?
The kardas with two of my kukris of a certain make will - despite being thicker and more robust than those with three other kukris of a different make - slice cleanly and effortlessly through paper, and have not been re-sharpened at all.
 
seaice said:
:confused: How sharp is sharp in this context?
The kardas with two of my kukris of a certain make will - despite being thicker and more robust than those with three other kukris of a different make - slice cleanly and effortlessly through paper, and have not been re-sharpened at all.
Click to expand...

I think that it's more of an issue of edge geometry rather than sharpness. I can get all of my kardas razor sharp. Heck, I can make any one of my khuks shave. However, a thinner edge and blade would make more sense from a cutting stand point when it comes to little chores. A thin sharp blade will cut circles around a thicker one. Some of the kardas come so thick that it is the equivalent of trying to fillet and bone a fish with a 14" meat cleaver;)
 
Sarge ground the karda thinner on a khuk I got from him - liked it so much I've followed suit with my other kardas. So count me in too.
 
See what you mean now.... it's like pushing a wedge through because of the thickness that's behind the cutting edge.... ask myself which I'd carry as a pen-knife, the ones I'd mentioned or my Gerber Parrish which happens to have a blade the same length. It's no contest!

A blade more like that on one of the smaller Opinels would indeed be a most practical replacement for the conventional karda.
 
Count me in as well!!!

Heck, if they offered thinner kardas to fit into existing models, I think I'd swap my old Kardas out for new, thinner ones! :thumbup:


I also agree that longer handles would be nicer. Not much longer, but just a bit so that a 3 finger hold is comfortable.
 
My favorite old Nepal army kardas have 3 inch handles, 3 to 4 inch blades & are 1/8th inch thick.

I cant fault them. My hands are small though.

Spiral
 
When you're using a small blade I never thought the handle size the dealbreaker. A small knife isn't to be levered. It is to cut and slice and maybe remove a splinter from a small boy's hand.



munk
 
Sure Munk, just saying which ones I find most usefull out of those Ive had.

They do a lot more at that size & I cant see anything thats limited by a 3 inch handle? You can still dig splinters out & have them sharp as a scalpel?

Whats do you find is the advantage of smallier handles?

The Brit Army originaly stopped including kardas on most official kukri pre. ww1 when they started issueing large clasp knives instead, which included marlin spike & can openers.

Since that era many kardas have just been tokens to the tradition, lots since post ww2 are even are made of mild steel Ive noticed.


Spiral
 
No Spiral- I agree with everything you've said. I'd like a slightly larger handle too. All I'm saying is with a sharp thin blade for delicate work, the handle size is not a deal breaker. I can make shorter handles work.

You get even more control with just a slightly larger handle- as you've described.

OK, here's a summation:
Thinner Kardas, And with longer handles
Chakma stays thick, but should be hard.

I'm kinda slow. As long as we're asking for change, might as well think everything through. Ask for longer handles too.


munk
 
Cool!

Sounds good Munk, Karda harder than the kukri if your heading for the ultimate.;)

Thats how it was a 100 years ago.

Spiral
 
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