Aluminum handled Khukuris

G

Gary007

Joined
May 17, 2002
Messages
1,452
I don't see many khukuris with aluminum handles. I did a search, and most were done by Dharan it seems. Infact I just bought one off the Exchange forum.

What are the drawbacks or benefits to aluminum handles? I think they're really pretty!

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You're right:) they are beautiful. However, metal handles, from what I hear, tend to transmit more shock to your arm. They also don't lend themselves to use in the cold weather...well, not without gloves anyway;) I believe these metal handled little ones are functional novelty pieces. They work fine, but their main function is to look great. As always, i probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Those with a lot more knowledge than I should be along shortly:)

jake
 
That is a very pretty handle.

As a material it probably has a lot to offer. It's strong and waterproof, more resistant than either wood or horn to destruction.

I prefer the natural materials.

Write Yangdu and ask her about it. Or maybe if enough forumites agree with you we might see some of that....stuff. (just kidding)


munk
 
That's interesting, Steely, I didn't know that about shock transmission in knives. It's true in bicycles. The problem with almunum in bicycles was shock from the road- not popular. Suspension changed that for the MT bike, where now aluminum is King once more. At least on the low end.


munk
 
Like I said, munk, it's all speculation on my end:) All I'm going off of is that if you take a solid metal pole and strike something with it and you take a solid wooden pole and do the same, then generally i would expect more feedback from the metal. Granted, i highly down any of this would come into play with a handle that is 4" long:)

Jake
 
i dont recall seeing a break down of the alluminum handles here before - how exactly are they made?

is it a solid peice thats ground/forged to shape, or is it a hollow handle?.... after that question, how do they make it from a hollow peice? hammer it over a normal handle and then strip it away to put onto the new knife???


thinking about it, im fairly impressed that its done at all...
 
The handle for the museum model is metal. But I don't think it's aluminum. How is it made/hafted?
 
You'll have to wait for the Maoists in Nepal to shoot down a few aircraft before we'll see more aluminium handles....


Great post about the cold and metal handles, Spiral.




munk
 
I have a kukri that I bought a few years back from JP that has an aluminum handle; he thought that it was made in the early fifty for a pipe and drum unit. I am unsure how it is made, but the handle sure fits the hand well. I also have a bolo with an aluminum handle that belonged to a Filipino friend of mine. It appears that the handle is cast directly onto the tang, then finish filed to shape. I have used it quite a bit in the yard, and it is "ok". It is very slippery when wet, but I don't notice an undue amount of shock or vibration in the hand.
 
When I was in high school shop, we did some aluminum casting, and one of the projects that was frowned upon, but tolerated - was casting handles onto the tangs of old knives. Who knows how many WWII Ka Bars ended up that way...?
 
munk said:
That is a very pretty handle.

As a material it probably has a lot to offer. It's strong and waterproof, more resistant than either wood or horn to destruction.

I prefer the natural materials.

Write Yangdu and ask her about it. Or maybe if enough forumites agree with you we might see some of that....stuff. (just kidding)


munk
Click to expand...

aluminum is a natural material from mother earth :)

bladite
 
Eight Dollar Mountain Foundry's Dale Sandberg casts aluminum handles on his big choppers.

I had one, and I've given two to friends. Never heard any complaints, and never had any (and one friend, a very knife-knowledgeable former Infantry company commander, dedicated hours to trying to dull one EDMF blade by chopping lighter...without success :D ).

Personally, with the right handle shape and price point, I'd love to see a 'luminum handled kuk or knife.

John
 
The ones I saw made last year were cast, with a small tang shaped hole in, then they were hammered onto the tangs.

Some old ones Ive seen, appear to be cast onto the blades though.

At times some are white metal rather than aluminium, or even pot metal sometimes.. {anything that melts in the pot} tin,lead ,copper,zinc all chucked in together from scrap stuff.

Guess there can be a lot of variations in metal & style of making.

Spiral
 
I have had several aluminum handled khuks... notice, I say had.

it's a lovely material from the aesthetic point of view, I agree. and one would think that it would be functionally solid. I just don't care for the sliperiness of a metal handle. Period.

Take the difference between wood and horn, and multiply that same difference several times over. you will have an idea of what chopping with an aluminium handled blade is like...
 
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