Bonecutter 16

H

hollowdweller

Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
13,182
I got it today:thumbup:

I think they got it pretty close

Here's a side by side

sidebyside.jpg


I took it outside and chopped a nice dry oak log in half. To me, oak is easy to chop, but at the same time it has bent more edges than any other wood. The Bonecutter has great tempering. No rolls bends or dings.

oak2.jpg


Next I thought I would try some hard to chop wood. I find elm with it's tight interlocking grain to be some of the hardest to chop. It cut the elm fine and I didn't get any hot spots. Also true to the Bonecutter balance I found myself using the tip to chop a lot. And chop it did.
elm.jpg


The Sargent got the bevel right on these. Thin edge high penetration.

There is a bit of Cho creep compared to the original but perfectly acceptable and not extreme:

cho.jpg


I thought it was comfortable to chop with, but the handle on the original Bonecutter is more user friendly.

I could feel the bell back there. It never dug into my hand but it came close. Not so with the orignal bonecutter.
 
Here is a top view showing the really nice tapered tang Sgt put on this. The fit of the scales to the handle is outstanding as well.

But can you see how the shape of the HI Bonecutter handle is fatter and tapers to the back and the GK is thinner and flares more to the rear? The HI handle has a tendency due to the diameter and shape to push your hand backward when you grip it.
handle1.jpg


And can you see in this picture? If you look at the way the handle flares on each knife toward the pommel?

I don't know if you can see but on the GK khukuri the flare closest to the spine is longer so it puts that part that digs into your hand farther from your palm. Where on the HI model the part on the bottom seems to be longer, opposite of the GK.
bell.jpg


So when you swing the HI handle it is harder to close your hand around the handle because it is fatter. The shape of the handle pushes your hand back toward the pommel and then the fact that the top part does not taper as far puts the point of the butt cap near your palm. I didn't find this to be a big problem in my initial testing. Not painful. But I could feel it there. I'll try it on a big job before I make any mods.

Anyway here's where the grip naturally falls with the HI Bonecutter. Notice where the point is at my palm.
bcinhand.jpg


OK now we have the GK bonecutter. Handle is thin and even all the way so you can even grip on top of the bolster. Even though this handle is the same size, or maybe even a little shorter than the HI one it "feels" like you have more room. There is no sharp ring. you can wrap your hand all around the handle. Notice where the "point" of the pommel is. not anywhere near the palm because the handle shape is more ergomomic:thumbup:
gkinhand.jpg


In conclusion. This is an awesome knife. If the handle was more like the original it might be my best HI knife. I may mod the handle some. Does anyone know how deep the rivets go? If I take off 1/8" all the way round will I grind the heads off the rivets?

Also because it's a 16 and relatively light you can swing it. I was mowing weeds with it. But it chopped fine. Try cutting weeds with an 19" 2 lb khuk. That size is just not practical to me. But this 16 is a super nice all around blade.

I would suggest thinning the handle down more, getting rid of the ring, and making the top part of the flare a hair longer to move that point away and it would be perfect:thumbup:
 
Great write up HD. :thumbup:

Where do you think the tempered area is? How sharp was it when you got it? How would you compare it to other models in the same size/weight range?

I find the first thing I have to do with my khuks is give the handle a little love. Most of them suffer what I call "bolster swell". The handle always seems to be fatter than the bolster and it needs to be sanded down for me to get a good grip. I tape over the bolster and sand the handle down to match it. I usually round off the ring a bit also.
 
Bruche,

It was just under shaving. Very sharp. But also just the very nature of the lower angled bevel helps with the chopping.

I can't tell about the tempering. Tapping along the edge it all sounds the same
:confused: Obviously well tempered though cause I tried to use all parts when chopping to sort of test.

I couldn't agree with you more on the thing about the handles. I've done the same thing. This one was huge but now it's great
choppage2.jpg


Really there is no model of HI in it's size range. The only 16 they make is the WW2 and I've never tried one.

It chops as well as my 17 FF and BGRS actually better, because the shape of the blade twists less. The handles on my FF and BGRS are modded though so they feel better.
 
ilbruche said:
Great write up HD. :thumbup:

Where do you think the tempered area is? How sharp was it when you got it? How would you compare it to other models in the same size/weight range?

I find the first thing I have to do with my khuks is give the handle a little love. Most of them suffer what I call "bolster swell". The handle always seems to be fatter than the bolster and it needs to be sanded down for me to get a good grip. I tape over the bolster and sand the handle down to match it. I usually round off the ring a bit also.
Click to expand...

i just got home and found a 16 inch waiting for me as well. WOO HOO.

tempered edge: i tapped from tip to chop and back... you can hear the difference. seems the first 1.5 inch or so is a LITTLE softer than the belly and almost "tink tinks" right up to the cho. this is a good thing.

sharp: VERY. i think this is the sharpest, out of the box khukri i've seen, except the old school GRS i have. might be the sharpest. slight wire edge, and it slices paper pretty nicely. i figure if i stropped it a few times, it would shave. seriously. same for the karda. holy mother! that thing is SHARP. unlike any other karda i've seen. whoa. there is a significant edge profile to this, very thin. i'd like to see more HI knives have that. almost a scandi kind of effect. it would make a great skinner all by itself.

this thing is going to be awesome - will of course have to find my testing logs in the woods - oak and maple and birch and ... this 16 inch size feels really good. not too big, feels like an 18 inch actually, but it's not. balanced well. super thin edge, super thick spine. spiffy!

the fit and finish on the scabbard is outstanding. perfect and flawless. smells good too. that's some nice leather and technique there.

i'll do my own review bit. we should all cross-link our bonecutter posts, so that it's easier to find them later, especially with the search function being broken so often ;)

thank you SO much yangdu for getting this accomplished. this is a super awesome khurki, and in MY humble opinion not only the Sgt Khadka's best work ever, a khukri so fine, that everyone should have one, make it *TWO*. yes. you're going to want this my friends. think on it: a full tang/chiruwa old school style GRS (nearly) bone cutter. ain't nothing like it. will it go down in history as the finest every khurki? (message from the future: almost! more to come ;>) LEGENDARY!

so, here's the big deal: if you want one. don't wait. yangdu needs to know how many you want. if she orders just 5 more, you wait a month, and voila. they WILL be gone - 5 every other month is only 30 for the year - every one of these will sell. i cannot emphasize this enough ;> want one? write and order. make the list big :> make your will know!!!

can't wait for the weekend! got camera. got forest. chop chop chop.

bladite
 
Great review HD:thumbup:... The fat handles on HI khuks actually work for me since I have large hands.
Thank you Bladite for including me in the links to everything Bonecutter.
I'm not sure where the prototype is, but if you have it include it in your field review.
Warren
 
Well I'm funny about handles.

I have pretty big hands too but with a khuk or chopper I don't grip the handle tightly.

What I do is grip the back of the handle with my back 2 fingers fairly tight and then loosely hold the front part. Right before impact you sort of use the flare part as sort of a fulcrum and snap the khuk to impact.

When I hold a handle tightly it transmits too much shock to my hand and shoulder and causes my hand to go numb.:rolleyes:

So I like a thin handle but wide at the back. The wide back keeps the thing from flying out of your hand.

On the other hand on most FIXED BLADE belt knives the handles are too thin. Because when you cut something tough with a fixed blade a thin handle transmits the resistance in a more concentrated area where if the back of a fixed blade is wide the backward pressure is distributed more evenly.

Since I am not gripping a khuk that's not an issue there.:thumbup:

I might add that I'm in the minority on my like of khuk handles to be thinner, but maybe not the minorty of the subset that does a lot of chopping with them.
 
That looks really good. Looks like he did it on this one.
 
The 16"-er would have been my call too, that day.

Temper is something that's got to be watched. Users know what collectors don't about their khukuries.


Mike :cool:
 
Many thanks to HD and Bladite for the reviews.:thumbup:
I can see from HD's pics that the blade shape is pretty close to the original, the Sargent's seems to be a little pointier, and has, as HD pointed out, a bit of cho creep.

Thanks to HD's pictures, I can really see the differences between the two handles and how their designs affect the ergonomics. I can relate to the softened rings and the thinner shape of the original bonecutter for my hand size. I usually do some kind of mod to my handles--- it seems the blade and your technique determine how much.

I really like the versatility that a 16' model offers, I wonder if it will only be offered with the chiruwa handle, or both?

The latest bonecutter model is another reason why HI is awesome: Management( Yangdu!) that listens, Kamis that can do the job, and the desire to get it right.
 
Jikidahou said:
Many thanks to HD and Bladite for the reviews.:thumbup:
I can see from HD's pics that the blade shape is pretty close to the original, the Sargent's seems to be a little pointier, and has, as HD pointed out, a bit of cho creep.
...
The latest bonecutter model is another reason why HI is awesome: Management( Yangdu!) that listens, Kamis that can do the job, and the desire to get it right.
Click to expand...

but only a LITTLE cho creep. compared to some, this has none :)

and yay Auntie! and the HI Kami squad!

bladite
 
Yeah you try out one of these 16" models you will be surprised at the size versus chopping power and like I say it's still light enough to cut grass and weeds with:thumbup:
 
but only a LITTLE cho creep. compared to some, this has none
Click to expand...

So true Bladite. The cho's location varies on all my khuks. Sometimes I think the Kamis use the position of the cho to visually balance the blade. Just the opinion of a right-brained dude.

Thanks for organizing the Bonecutter posts into one block!
 
Jikidahou said:
So true Bladite. The cho's location varies on all my khuks. Sometimes I think the Kamis use the position of the cho to visually balance the blade. Just the opinion of a right-brained dude.

Thanks for organizing the Bonecutter posts into one block!
Click to expand...

i think they use a magic ratio...

line up many/all your khukris but centering them on the chos. carefully also line up the spines as much as you can without moving the cho center. observe something interesting :)

it seems that the cho isn't creeping at all. nope. it's the handles are longer or more offset usually. the cho? just fine. if we had shorter hands, or didn't want 20 inch models ;)

it's our fault :)

i know the cho signifies important things, and it wouldn't REALLY be a khukri without one, but many times, i would like to NOT have them there.

bladite
 
I'd like a Bonecutter with a thinner, less flared handle like HD recommends. Too fat of a handle can be tiring on your forearms. I'd also like a BC with the standard tang, as that help in keeping the handles thinner.

Great review, HD! :thumbup:

Bob
 
Thanks for the review, HD. I think I need to add an HI Bonecutter to my wish list, and grab one as soon as finances permit!
 
Well someone had to get the beast. :eek:

I had been wanting to get a large 20" GRS for a while now as well as a blade by Sgt. Khadka. With this khukuri I was able to do both.

First item of business was to tame the ring. It protruded too far to be comfortable and the tang was poking me. I wrapped the handle with electrical tape, filed down the top and bottom of the ring and smoothed it down with some plumbers mesh.

I left the tape on and put it to work on this old post. It took 65 chops and I was in a crouched position since I had to prop it up on 2 cinder blocks to elevate it. With a stronger standing position I could have probably taken 15 chops off the total.

Very impressed with the fit and finish and the first couple swings really cut deep. The blade is just a hair shy of 1/2" thick at the bolster. 3/8" thick at the widest part of the belly and down to 1/4" near the tip before the bevel starts.

Now for pictures.

IMG_4803.jpg


IMG_4804.jpg


IMG_4805.jpg


IMG_4806.jpg


The bevel is an inch wide at the belly which makes for a very impressive chopper. Sgt. Khadka did great with this interpretation. :thumbup:
 
 
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