Best affordable khukuri

Artfully Martial

Artfully Martial

Joined
Jun 8, 2005
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Most folks know I've been looking for a fixed blade for awhile now, but I really neglected to mention that I love khukuris. Is there a sub 70 dollar khukuri that'll work for me? This will probably be my new camping knife/axe combo and will be heavily abused. I mean, why else would you use a khukuri anyway.

Links and photos are greatly appreciated, thanks
 
You can pick up a Himalayan Imports blem BAS for under $60 if you keep your eye out. Check out the HI forum under Manufacturers.
 
maybe a villager. I'd give her an email and see if she has any blems or villagers laying around. Or you could keep an eye on the HI forum and be quick when she puts them up. They go fast. And remember that the price includes shipping in the US. I've seen cheaper khuks online but by the time you add shipping from Nepal they're not much cheaper. I wouldn't get one of the $30 khuks from Atlanta Cutlery if was planning to do serious work, I've heard too many tales of the handle pins coming loose.

Frank
 
HI Khuk's are an outstanding deal even if you pull the full freight on them,(which is a steal too, BTW).

I have a 15" Ang Khola and a 20" Sirupati. They were $125.00 each and well worth it. These things are awesome and good looking choppers.
Makes me wonder why Cold Steel even bothers making their version. :yawn:

I just got a third one from them. A 20" Chitlangi. Far and away my favorite so far. It's like the dressed up, full grown child of the Ang Khola and Sirupati.

I feel foolish for not trying one of these years ago when I first heard of them. I got one of the Atlanta Cutlery khuks a long time ago. :barf: :barf: That one had me asking 'what's the point of these things?' It was such a piece of garbage. Couldn't get a decent edge on it and it handled like a sledge hammer. Cut like one too come to think of it. :thumbdn:

Himalayan Imports has shown me the light about what khuks are all about and I'm impressed.
I recommend them highly. :thumbup:
 
Drop in the HI forum. Lot's of good help there. Watch out for the sharks though... and beware of HIKV (Himalayan Imports Khukuri Virus). Some people claim it doesn't exist, but that's called denial.
 
I thought I would chime in here also. You really need to go to the Himalayan Imports forum and check out the knowledge and help the guys there can give you. I have learned more there about khukuris than I could have anywhere else. The guys there are great and will guide you into the right khuk for your needs. I have been guided into more khuks than I can count! :o Although my GF seems to have a good count of them though. :D
 
best affordable khukri? try the light khukri machete from cold steel. theyre around $15.
you can also get their higher end models ($130ish) as factory seconds for around $65. for a bit more money you can get a good HI one, or you can shop around on ebay and find one for much less - however with some risk involved as to the quality and wether or not youll actually receive it.

btw here is an excellent page dealing with 'modernizing' a traditional ghurka khukri.
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Ghurka/Khukri Modification.htm

cheers,
-gabriel
 
AGRussell sells one for $90. I don't have one personally, but I trust that AGRussell doesn't put his name on low quality items.

For what its worth.
 
ArchAngel said:
I have been guided into more khuks than I can count! :o Although my GF seems to have a good count of them though. :D
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you too?
i find it scary that mine can tell me exactly how much money i have spent on knives in the last 6 months, yet i had no idea myself.
 
I bought a Cold Steel LTC Kukri factory second a few years ago for under $50 and it has been great. I've beat the crap out of that thing. It is 1/8" thick and goes through thick and thinner branches quite well IMO.

I see they ask a bit more now for them but even still if you just want one to use I see nothing wrong with this route. Its worked for me and now my father-in-law also who saw mine and did the same thing.
 
I bought a Cold Steel LTC Kukri factory second a few years ago for under $50 and it has been great. I've beat the crap out of that thing. It is 1/8" thick and goes through thick and thinner branches quite well IMO.
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The LTC is a nice knife, but more machete then khukuri. Traditional khukuries have heavy convexed blades that can go through hard wood without binding up. They can easily replace your hatchet at the camp site.

n2s
 
btw here is an excellent page dealing with 'modernizing' a traditional ghurka khukri.
Click to expand...
What Blackhearted said.
Depending on if your a do-it-yourself type or not , I did exactly what the guy in the article did and wound up with a heavy duty , quality Khuk for about 25 bucks and a few hours of work.
 
The LTC is a nice knife, but more machete then khukuri. Traditional khukuries have heavy convexed blades that can go through hard wood without binding up. They can easily replace your hatchet at the camp site.
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I don't claim to be an expert in Kukris but these do replace a hatchet in the camp quite well and they are tip heavy choppers that I have used without binding in hard and soft woods both.

The top one is the LTC that I have and I was wrong in my earlier statement of it being a 1/8" thickness. I had to get it out and measure. It is 3/16" actually. Thicker than I recalled.

Anyway, my question is what is different about these over a "traditional Guhkha Kukri"? I feel that these are far superior to any machete I've ever used so I don't compare them to that at all personally. In fact most of the guys that have used it have wanted one for themselves just because it kicks a machetes behind in performance.

I'm not being a smart ass. I really want to know what makes these more a knife or machete in your mind than a traditional kukri?


Kukris-copy.jpg
 
I'll say go for an HI villager or blem, too. When I was kukuri crazy for a while about 6 years ago I bought about 4-5 of the HI villager models for around $40 a pop. They were all great. I use the heck out of them and have never had a problem from sirupatis to smaller guys. Very good stuff.
 
or you dont specifically want a traditional khukri but a knife that will fill that type of role, then you could get a becker brute. better materials, and the best of both worlds - personally i love the hammering point on the spine. its cheap too, and all beckers are a great deal.
Becker_Brute_Knife_large.jpg
 
My only complaint with the Beckers are the handles. I think they are uncomfortable. You could probably put new scales on it easy enough though. As far as Cold Steel offerings not being traditional. There are a whole list of style issues, but I think mainly it would come down to traditional ones being hand forged and differentially hardened, I don't think the Cold Steel ones are built like that. They work, but they are not traditional. If you like them, that's fine, but some of us prefer the traditional ones. Most guys who have used them side by side report better performance with the traditional ones.
 
of course, but he asked for affordable.
by affordable i immediately assume best cost : performance, and at $15 thats hard to beat.
sub $70 i am not sure that you can get a high quality khukri unless its at an ebay auction or bought secondhand. i was under the impression, and it has been my experience, that the $25-60ish ones were junk. since they are all handmade, there is a massive variance in quality levels as well, unlike a production line.

not trying to steer him either way - just pointing out advantages/disadvantages. i think if i had my own choice, i would look around for an inexpensive yet decent quality traditional khukri and do the modifications listed here: http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Ghurka/Khukri Modification.htm/

cheers,
-gabriel

*edit: argh, stupid emoticons messed up my ratio
 
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