Advice on a Khukuri please.

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DiscusMan

Joined
Jun 30, 2011
Messages
107
I'm new here but have decided on purchasing a khukuri from HI, for obvious reasons. I want an Ang Khola for sure. The only problem I am having is deciding between the 12 inch or the 15 inch. I will use the khukuri mainly for yard work and to accompany me and my wife on hiking trips. We live in Western North Carolina, lots of good hiking here. Will be good to have a well made khukuri on hand just in case. Is the 12 inch Ak enough of a blade to give a troublemaker second thoughts? Plus we have bears here also. Or would the 15 inch be better. I'm also not a really big guy 5'10 165lbs, so weight on my belt is a concern. Being as I have not handled either of these blades personally, I thought I would ask your guys your opinions. I also don't want to scare people unnecessarily. Any advice is welcomed. I will probably end up getting both sizes eventually, but for now I have to choose just one.:mad:
 
go for the 15 inch Kuk. a 12 inch kuk would have about 7 inches of blade and I believe there are better designs for general camp work and self defense in the 7 inch blade size other than a kuk. A kuk is supposed to be a bigger knife so don't shy away from a 15 inch one. For us HI folk, that is a rather small one. At 5'10 and 165, you'd be able to handle a 15 incher no problem. As for carrying, try putting it on a baldric or just strap it to your pack if carrying it on your belt is a turn off. btw: welcome to the forum and the ang is a great choice for your first kuk.
 
Yea The store dosen't list actual blade lengths, so that was helpful. Besides the 15 incher is only a few dollars more. Anybody have a blade length on the 15 inch Ak?
 
willywonka said:
go for the 15 inch Kuk. a 12 inch kuk would have about 7 inches of blade and I believe there are better designs for general camp work and self defense in the 7 inch blade size other than a kuk..
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I agree with this. HI makes nice knives as well.

DiscusMan said:
Yea The store dosen't list actual blade lengths, so that was helpful. Besides the 15 incher is only a few dollars more. Anybody have a blade length on the 15 inch Ak?
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The 15 inch AK would have 10-11" of blade. Of the two, it's what I'd go with.

For comfort in carrying, a big blade is much like a gun in that the holster (or sheath in this case) has as much, or more, to do with comfort as the size and weight of the blade. The traditional sheaths are nice, and I appreciate the skill in craftsmanship, and am glad they come with them, but they fall short unless you intend to wear a sash to stuff them in.

I'd say get the 15" AK, use it for a wide range of tasks, if it turns out to be the one for you, seriously consider having a custom sheath made for it. The blade will live longer than you do, so the decades of use you'll get out of a custom sheath more than make up for the price and wait time.
 
well, i'll still stand by my comments after reading the stuff on the link. There's better designs for a 7 to 8 blade than a kuk. I think if the gentleman wants a 12 inch HI product then go for the AK Bowie which is a beast, rated for field work and where he can really use the entire edge to his full advantage. I really believe kuks begin to shine and outstrip their competition (blade lengths of the same length but different designs) by a wide margin when you go 16 inches and up, overall length. Consider a 12 inch kuk against its competition and its nothing special especially for self defense, as the gentleman specified would be a potential use for his new Kuk.

Once one gets into what I deem as true blue Kuk territory (16 inches and up), there is no general design I can think of that compares against a kuk as an overall user, from being used as a draw knife, or chopper, or weed whacker, or self defense etc than a kuk, espeically when considering the entire system which includes the karda for smaller chores.
 
uh...

If I'm walking, I prefer the 12 inch. I'm not building a house, nor getting into a survival fight with a bear. 12 inch villager, which has a longer handle, works for almost everything you'd like it to.


Your choice, of course. Please read the safety thread before using one. Not like a knife.

Best wishes.
 
sure, and a 10 inch kuk would probably be lighter than the 12 inch but the man asked for our opinion and stated that he might have to use it for self defense specifically against bears. Other than aestetics and pure collectors enjoyment, I frankly don't see the design point in the tiny kuks. To each his own but there are better designs in that size range that are lighter on the belt than a 12 inch kuk and do as good if not better at any chore one could use a 7 inch blade for.
 
Thank you all for your help. I think the 15 inch Ak will do fine. Besides humans are more threat to each other than bears are. I was leaning toward the 15 inch AK anyway. The SiruPate caught my eye initally, a little to thin. My Ka Bar khukuri machette is longer than the 15 AK, though not as heavy. Not nearly as beautiful either. Oh BTW, I have no intention of picking a fight with a bear:eek: I did not expect responses so quickly, and much more polite than most forums! I'll get the 15' AK, then maybee the siru, then maybee.......wow I can see this getting addictive:)
 
I promise you DiscusMan this WILL NOT be your last khuk. It's impossible. It's like some kind of universal law: a drop dead certainty. And I SWEAR every time I buy a khuk I think that I have found THE ONE, the holy grail, the perfect do all knife, that it will be my last khuk. And maybe for a while it is, but then the itch starts up again. It's wild. It's a quest.
 
I know, right now I have my eyes set on a rat-tail 18" Amar Singh Thapa. I got a full-tang, and don't really like it. It's a hair too heavy for me. The sirupati's are actually pretty useful, although I personally don't like the way it looks.
 
Yep the others really know their stuff:) Good advice.

I like 15" AK pretty well. Personally, there are other 15" models that speak to me more. Kismet talked me into the short 12-13" AK some time back, and it is a handy blade for sure. More like a hatchet that can make good draw cuts.

The 15" Siru is a thing of beauty. Elegant and fierce.
 
Welcome DiscusMan !

The others pretty well have you covered. A 15" AK or CAK will do just fine for hiking, camp chores, trailmaking and self defense.
Take time to browse and read alot though, you may find something you like even more out of the many models and variations.
As Kismet stated, please be sure to read the safety thread! : http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-and-Greatest-Safety-Thread.-REQUIRED-READING!

Ot of curiousity???....Is the Discus in DiscusMan referring to the Amazon Fish?
I used to keep em' and breed em' at one time. Pretty pricey fish that are a PIA to keep though.
I've been thinking about breeding them again, the well water here runs thru a peat bed and it is almost perfect for it, although it is a little on the hard side, which makes it harder for the fry to survive.
 
Yes the freshwater amazon fish. I only have 4 left at this time. Had those 4 for 3 years now. Used to breed them but it is very time consuming. UV sterilizers help BTW.
 
willywonka said:
well, i'll still stand by my comments after reading the stuff on the link. There's better designs for a 7 to 8 blade than a kuk. I think if the gentleman wants a 12 inch HI product then go for the AK Bowie which is a beast, rated for field work and where he can really use the entire edge to his full advantage. I really believe kuks begin to shine and outstrip their competition (blade lengths of the same length but different designs) by a wide margin when you go 16 inches and up, overall length. Consider a 12 inch kuk against its competition and its nothing special especially for self defense, as the gentleman specified would be a potential use for his new Kuk.
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If this was responding to me, I think we miscommunicated, as I agree with you. It's fairly well known I don't like them much under 18" personally.

willywonka said:
Once one gets into what I deem as true blue Kuk territory (16 inches and up), there is no general design I can think of that compares against a kuk as an overall user, from being used as a draw knife, or chopper, or weed whacker, or self defense etc than a kuk, espeically when considering the entire system which includes the karda for smaller chores.
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Agreed. I've tried other large blades after buying my several kukri, and they all fall short of the kukri design.
 
Just to muddy the waters:), I can't believe no one has suggested the 15" BAS or 16.5" WWII;). I don't have any regular AK, only a 16.5" CAK. It's great. I do have a 12.5" GRS/BC and it is quite a little machine. So I know the little khuks are great also. I think you're on the right track to go with a "standard" size khuk at first. 15" to 16.5" can be light and handy, but very useful. Again, to confuse the issue, I'd personally try to get a hold of one of the 16.5" 20ish oz. WWIIs we saw a while back. Good luck and welcome aboard!
 
Cpl Punishment: no brother, it was originally to Abaniko (and later to Kismet) as Abaniko posted a link about a discussion on smaller kuks and their merits, to broaden the current discussion. For my money, I'm a big size AKA standard-size kuk man all the way, but I don't go into the big battleships.

Discus: I agree with jdk1: check out the WWII in 16.5 inches. My first kuk. And still my best "take-anywhere" kuk. When I am unsure what kuk I need I default to my 16.5in WWII.
 
willywonka said:
Cpl Punishment: no brother, it was originally to Abaniko (and later to Kismet) as Abaniko posted a link about a discussion on smaller kuks and their merits, to broaden the current discussion. For my money, I'm a big size AKA standard-size kuk man all the way, but I don't go into the big battleships.

Discus: I agree with jdk1: check out the WWII in 16.5 inches. My first kuk. And still my best "take-anywhere" kuk. When I am unsure what kuk I need I default to my 16.5in WWII.
Click to expand...

I believe it was also Uncle Bill's favorite. It is truly a grand design and makes a great camp knife. Take care.
 
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