Best for Chopping / Packability?

M

Mindz_I

Joined
Nov 6, 2002
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I've had a search for this but 'chop' seems to be by far a too frequent tearm in this forum I'm afraid >_<

Anyway, getting to the point ....

I presently own;

15" BAS Villager by Bura
15" AK by Sher

The BAS is an awesome knife, that feels excellently balanced and very fast when air swung. It seems to make short work of thinner wood, and I'll admit I've never used it for serious chopping.

The AK is a beast of a blade as I understand is customary from Sher. Being over 1/2" thick at the spine it's by far from quick and seems to lose alot of its knife like qualities as a result. It's got a totally blunt section near the sweet spot, which I've been told I need to take a fast cutting stone / diamond file to, but it seems a pretty good chopper regardless of this (due to the weight I'd imagine).

--

I guess the reason I'm posting is to ask if anyone thinks there's a better khuk for my purposes than the above two, or if it's worth purchasing another version of the AK 15" from someone such as Bura in a thinner profile?

To clarify, I generally use my khuk around a camp site soley for chopping wood, though also for smaller camp tasks such as shaping stakes and general fieldcraft, though it'll always be accompanied by another knife for smaller tasks (usually something like a spyderco calypso Jr).

The Khukuri isn't usually carried long distances as we usually drive / are dropped at the campsite, but it's nice to be able to pack the khukrui if needed, and therefore I'm not entirely sure if my current AK is the best choice given its weight / thickness.

I realise this is probably quite a 'peice of string' question, but I'm curious what you guys think?

Is their a khuk that's better suited to my purposes? Even if it comes down to purchasing another AK to replace my Sher monster :)

Thanks for any help or advice
 
If you want to stay in the 15" range, you could always try a 15" Pen knife, I just got a 12" Pen that chops way out of it's class but the handle was a little smaller that desired so I re-handled it. I tend to like the smaller khuks due to there portability (12"-15" range) but I do have a few big ones.
 
Mindz_I said:
I guess the reason I'm posting is to ask if anyone thinks there's a better khuk for my purposes than the above two
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For your needs, 15" AK or BAS is what I would have suggested.

As for getting another AK by another kami, I don't know if it would change THAT much, can't say, I don't own enough khuks.

But since you WILL buy another one anyway :p Why don't you try a 15" CAK? Sgt's CAK is on my wishlist, those are told to be beasts.
 
Well Mindz it's all a matter of preference really.;) :D If you were to sharpen up your AK you might find it very suitable for what you have in mind with no additional khuks needed, but all of us like to have a broader choice than just two khuks.:eek: :o
My personal favorite is the 17" Foxy Folly with a weight of 26/28 ounces. The 17" blade gives enough reach for the majority of tasks needed to do and within this weight range it's not too heavy too carry IMO.:cool: My next choice is the 17"-18" BGRS for pretty much the same reasons and either one of these khuks cuts like a heavier khuk, which is an added bonus. YMMV.:)
 
I'd like to second what Yvsa said.

The BGRS and FF's are my favorite HI khuks.

Go for the BGRS if you are on a budget and the FF if you've got the extra cash!:thumbup:
 
I find I use my Gelbu Special and Sirupati quite a bit in the woods and around the lakes. I just used one today to "wack" down some 1/2Inch sapplings growing next to my boat. The heavier Khuk's just don't chop the light stuff as good. But.................my 15" AK does most of the work for me. :-)
 
WWIIs work quite nicely for chopping. The obtuse point makes them less-suitable for other stuff, but they chop just fine, and they don't have the thickness of blade that you get with an ang khola.
 
IMG_7585S.jpg


16.5" WWII by Bura

Chops great. I made up a Kydex sheath and now it packs alot smaller for camping & hiking. It also doesn't stand out quite as much as the original sheath. My wife calls it "the Pirate Knife" when it's in the original sheath.

While I love to bring it out to show others how cool my HI Khuk is, my wife always wants me to show it off to prove to everyone that I've finally lost my mind....

Sean
 
What do your khurks weight? I have two 15 inch BAS models, one@24 oz which is a monster, and another @18oz that feels as light as a feather. If you really like the BAS, look for one of the lightweight 18-19 oz offerings on the DOTD. If you are looking for a reason to try yet another HI model, what Yvsa said, look for a BGRS, you will be very happy with it, reason enough:D
 
Racerx2oo3 said:
IMG_7585S.jpg


16.5" WWII by Bura

Chops great. I made up a Kydex sheath and now it packs alot smaller for camping & hiking. It also doesn't stand out quite as much as the original sheath. My wife calls it "the Pirate Knife" when it's in the original sheath.

While I love to bring it out to show others how cool my HI Khuk is, my wife always wants me to show it off to prove to everyone that I've finally lost my mind....

Sean
Click to expand...

Your sheath looks great man. Excellent idea.
If you are anything like me then I think your wife may be right.
Time to surprise her with a BIGGER one.
 
That sheath is awesome Racerx2oo3 thanks for sharing.

I would love to replace my sheath with a kydex sheath, if only so it slipped down the side of my pack easier, but kydex makers in the uk are a little rare.

As for cutting away so much material (the edge is nearly 1mm thick in the wavy unsharpened spot); could anyone reccomend a fast cutting product / sharpening medium that'd be most suitable?

Thanks
 
Mindz_I said:
As for cutting away so much material (the edge is nearly 1mm thick in the wavy unsharpened spot); could anyone reccomend a fast cutting product / sharpening medium that'd be most suitable?
Click to expand...

I believe that sandpaper on a mouse pad is generally the preferred method of sharpening convex grinds, and is particularly good for getting into the recurved portion of a khukri blade. But you said it's the sweet spot that needs work, so I guess that doesn't matter right now, just keep it in mind for future reference. I'd just start off with a coarse sandpaper and work your way up in grit. There have been any number of conversations about sharpening a khukri, so the search function (if you can get it to work) should turn up all kinds of info for ya. If you think it's thick enough to warrant it, you might start off with a file to really remove a lot of material quickly, then move on to the sandpaper/mousepad.
 
Mindz_I said:
That sheath is awesome Racerx2oo3 thanks for sharing.

I would love to replace my sheath with a kydex sheath, if only so it slipped down the side of my pack easier, but kydex makers in the uk are a little rare.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Mindz,

The sheath I made is my first sheath ever and my first time even touching a sheet ofr kydex. It was actually alot easier than I thought. So as the saying goes "If I can do it anyone can..."

Sean
 
Racerx2oo3 said:
Mindz,

The sheath I made is my first sheath ever and my first time even touching a sheet ofr kydex. It was actually alot easier than I thought. So as the saying goes "If I can do it anyone can..."

Sean
Click to expand...

Sean,

I was thinking of trying this as there are a few things I'd like to sheath. However it looks like you need considerable investment for things such as the rivet press and kydex press.

I'm pretty sure I can make a kydex press out of aluminium scrap from work, but the rivet press is something that is currently beyond me :(
 
Mindz_I said:
Sean,

I was thinking of trying this as there are a few things I'd like to sheath. However it looks like you need considerable investment for things such as the rivet press and kydex press.

I'm pretty sure I can make a kydex press out of aluminium scrap from work, but the rivet press is something that is currently beyond me :(
Click to expand...

I made my Kydex press out of plywood with foam attached with spray glue. I clamped the pieces together with a wood vise, c-clamps and pipe clamps (that was what I had available, 4 large C-clamps would do the job). I didn't buy a rivet press, instead I used standard aluminum 'pop-rivets', the rivet gun was relatively cheap, and I can use it for other household purposes.

CRW_7574.jpg
 
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