Anyone NOT like khukri's?

[Cliff Stamp]

not2sharp :

I would suspect that the momentum gained from the leverage of a longer haft would very significantly increase the amount of power generated.

After working with the Wildlife Hatchet from GB for awhile I could get about two inches of penetration on clear fresh pine, a soft wood. The Forest axe was only slightly deeper. Now the face is significantly wider, and taking this into account the penetration from an area perspective (amount of wood cut), is less than double.

On the same type of wood the top international ax men (well they are all from Australia or New Zealand) get between two and three inches of penetration across a six inch face. The upper limit of three is only met by the very top in the world, using very heavy axes. Considering that I don't rate myself on the same level in terms of hatchet use, the upper level isn't a fair comparion anyway.

Just consider that an axe ten times as powerful as the hatchet would get ten inches of penetration. No axe even has a head that deep. Even five times yeilds more than five inches of penetration which would allow you to cleave down twelve inch trees in a few swings. You could easily then out race a large chainsaw.

Longer axes, and heavier heads have lots of advantages.They allow you to cut much closer to the ground, and use a much less energetic swing which is much wider, as you let the weight of the head do the work and there is little follow through which is very heavy with a hatchet. Using an axe is mainly cardio while a hatchet is very muscle fatiguing on the hand, wrist and forearm.

-Cliff

 

[Sundsvall]

Originally posted by hstdist
Here too. Mine's on the wall. Just not for me. Guess I like things that can slash, chop and stab Or i'm just somewhat traditional in my ways

????????

You can't slash, chop and stab with your khuk?

 

[donutsrule]

Originally posted by hstdist
Here too. Mine's on the wall. Just not for me. Guess I like things that can slash, chop and stab Or i'm just somewhat traditional in my ways

In what way is one of the following unable to slash, chop or stab?

These are sirupatis.

This is an 18" WWII.

This is a BAS.

This is a M43.

 

[not2sharp]

After working with the Wildlife Hatchet from GB for awhile I could get about two inches of penetration on clear fresh pine, a soft wood. The Forest axe was only slightly deeper. Now the face is significantly wider, and taking this into account the penetration from an area perspective (amount of wood cut), is less than double.

I think I understand where we differ here. My experience has been with the sort of stuff we have growing down here and when I had a chance to play with the axe and hatchet I was chopping up some cypress and oak. On dense hardwoods, the hatchet pretty much bounces off.

n2s

 

[hstdist]

I suppose I should have written slash,chop, "and" stab. Thinking along the lines of the large bowies I like.
Of course could also be verbal diahrrea and you all put me in my place.
I think it was put best a few posts ago. Depends what you are accustomed to, and old habits die hard. Tried it, hung it my wall. Mine is a BAS by the way.

 

[sorridsky]

My Grandfather was an acting major WW2, living in india he was in charge of a group of Gurkha's, He gave me his Khukuri's as a child.

I unfortuneatly beat them to death as kid, not appreciating what hard times they had seen, and now they are no more.

I have to say, I still cant get on with the blade shape, even after years of using it. I much prefer the #2 Machete the british army use's, which is more like a Golok Potong

 

[Sundsvall]

Originally posted by hstdist
I suppose I should have written slash,chop, "and" stab. Thinking along the lines of the large bowies I like.
Of course could also be verbal diahrrea and you all put me in my place.
I think it was put best a few posts ago. Depends what you are accustomed to, and old habits die hard. Tried it, hung it my wall. Mine is a BAS by the way.

Hey Ken,

No offense or sarcasm was intended. I just found it strange that you could chop slash and stab with a khuk, as it seems that those are the things it does best.

I am still not quite getting your meaning. Are you saying that khuks don't slash, chop and stab like a straight blade?

-Sun

 

[hstdist]

Hey Sun,
No offense taken. I was thinking that a khuk would not accomplish the stab aspect as well as a bowie. Not that I'm stabbing anything
So I checked out the HI forum, and read and learned that a Khuk can stab. Apparently somewhat well. The slash and chop yes they do that very well too. So does a large bowie slash, chop, and stab well.But since I am more comfortable with the bowie style it is more effective for me. I took the BAS on a 5 day canoe trip, where I sought advice from the HI guys on some aspects and even with thier sound advice the khurk just wasn't for me. Back to a bowie.Now am I making sense

 

[Sundsvall]

Originally posted by hstdist
Hey Sun,
No offense taken. I was thinking that a khuk would not accomplish the stab aspect as well as a bowie. Not that I'm stabbing anything
So I checked out the HI forum, and read and learned that a Khuk can stab. Apparently somewhat well. The slash and chop yes they do that very well too. So does a large bowie slash, chop, and stab well.But since I am more comfortable with the bowie style it is more effective for me. I took the BAS on a 5 day canoe trip, where I sought advice from the HI guys on some aspects and even with thier sound advice the khurk just wasn't for me. Back to a bowie.Now am I making sense

I just sent a BAS back to Uncle Bill. I found it to be too small.

My 18" AK is more of a hybrid knife/hatchet for camping wood duty, so it fits the task really well. The big bowie is faster and better for fighting.

 

[Sundsvall]

The mighty 18" AK.

Actually, this AK is only 30oz. About the weight of an 18" WWII. It is very fast and lively.

As for stabbing, all you have to do is use a hammer swing and connect with the tip. It will bite through like a T-Rex.

 

[MelancholyMutt]

Originally posted by a_punker
MelancholyMutt - do you mean they look less agressive, and raise less eyebrows about carrying them?

I mean a little too alien...
the same way I don't like the wavy Kris blade or those fantasy HIbben knives...

I'm very traditional American in my tastes so bowies and tomahawks are dear to me.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Penetration will be much lower on hard wood, some of the Black Spruce around here which is harder than the locak Oak and Birch, the hatchet gets significantly less than an inch of penetration, the Iltis Felling axe isn't significantly deeper. The same relative performance will holdin any case.

A lot is in the swing, a hatchet and an axe are used competely differently in terms of where the power comes from. Of course both have to be of similar geometry when making comparisons, the GB Wildlife hatchet for example could readily out chop the full size 5 lbs Hults axe because the Hults was far obtuse in profile.

-Cliff

 

[Sundsvall]

Originally posted by MelancholyMutt
I mean a little too alien...
the same way I don't like the wavy Kris blade or those fantasy HIbben knives...

I'm very traditional American in my tastes so bowies and tomahawks are dear to me.

Hey Mutt,

you have to pick one up and chop something to really appreciate the design. There is nothing alien about it, it's all function and practicality.

Mines off to get customized. You should check it out when it comes back.

 

[Steven Roos]

My newest khukuri, a HI 20" Ang Khola!

At 39 ounces, it is very beefy, but still light enough to wield easily. I don't think you can match the power of a khukuri with any other one handed tool.