01paw, I said it could split 4x4's unassisted. If I actually swing it, it can obviously split much bigger wood.
In regards to your question about splitting the log, if by 2 foot on the round you mean a log with a radius of less than 4 inches. Then yes I can split that no problem with the Ang Khola.
Well it does depends on the wood to some extent. I would most likely have a problem say with freshly cut Black Spruce of that size. I don't think I could do it without assisting the khukuri by having something to drive it through. However I would probably have difficultly doing that with an ordinary axe. Its been awhile since I split Black Spruce, I usually leave that alone and save it for when I want a slow burning fire that needs to last a long time. Anyway, most other wood would not be a problem.
However, if you mean a 2 foot radius log then no I would not attempt to split that using my khukuri. It would obviously need to be assisted and the blade is simply not wide enough to allow the necessary penetration in the middle of the log. The last time I was splitting logs that size I left the axe alone and just got a really heavy maul and a wedge.
In any case if I wanted to get some wood while camping I would chose either dead wood that was windblown or find an area with closely packed young trees and thin them out, they will jhust kill each other otherwise. If neither of these was an option I would choose the right kind of wood and not attempt chopping/splitting a really heavy dense type.
Anyway, the biggest drawback to the khukuri vs an axe is not in chopping/splitting ability but the fact that the khukuri handle is so much shorter. For example in splitting with an axe you can usually lay one piece of wood on another larger piece and split it. Simply set the axe in the wood, reverse the grip and slam the back of the axe off of the other piece of wood. Much safter than trying to split the wood in one macho chop.
This method obviously can not be used to split wood with a khukuri while standing, as the wood is too low the ground. The khukuri is made for close up work.
In any case, it's main advantage is not that is can out chop and out split those specifically designed axes, but that its scope of work is much broader. Overall its a much more useful tool. For example there are many tasks that I would like to be able to perform that are more easily handled by a khukuri than an axe.
If was not concerned about weight / volume I would take a sod cutter, a shovel, a pick, an ice auger, a skinner,a filleting knife, a small utility knife, a steel for blade maintance, a pry bar, a hammer, a wide bladed thin chopping axe, a really thick and heavy splitting axe, a ordinary utility axe, a hatchet, a bucksaw, and finally a maul and wedge.
Or I could just take a khukuri (with karda and chakma).
It will handle the jobs of all of the above with just slightly lowered performance which will only be felt in the upper end of the difficultly range anyway.
-Cliff