Buying a Khukri

After seeing them, I saw the 20" AK caught my attention. Any one can tell me more? BTW, does the thicker the blade, the harder to break?
 
So the final recommendation is the Ang Kolah and the other blade right? I would like a blade which could do multiple task, chop branches and small trees and yet light. Any recommendation?
 
I would still go with a light sirupati over the Ang Khola for what you need. A 20" Siru can weight between 21oz and 28oz...or heavier or lighter than that:o The kami's make all kinds of variations. However, the 20" Ang Khola is going to come in weighing 30oz or more, probably. A 20" Ang Khola is a chopper...and that's it. It will not be very good for brush clearing.
As far as strength goes, it's a relative thing. Will the AK be harder to break than the Siru? Yes, but keep in mind we are talking about the siru having a 3/8" spine and the AK up to a 1/2" spine. In other words, you aren't going to break either of them. Most knives with a 1/4" spine brag about how "tough and thick" they are;)
I still say the 20" Siru, Chit, or Gelbu Special would work well for you with a slight nod going toward the Siru for shear toughness.

Jake
 
I agree with Steely_Gunz: if what you're trying to chop is largely small stuff, you'll be better off with a blade that's lighter than the heavy ang khola, and will get up to speed faster. A sirupati will do that nicely, and will also chop wood if needed, though I wouldn't classify a sirupati as a replacement for an axe, if that makes sense. SG is also right to mention the "Gelbu Special" model as a potential good option: it's lighter and narrower than an ang khola, a little heavier than a sirupati in most cases. I'd say you couldn't go wrong with either a sirupati or a GS. Have fun--and tell us how whatever you get works.
 
Kismet said:
better? er....

Don't go there.


Each design has a variety of optimal applications.

The folks who suggested the sirupate were responding to your initial inquiry.

Dan Koster put together a Computer aided design series of illustrations on most of the varieties:
http://www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/physics/Khukuri_Dynamics.html

The AK is a heavier, thicker, and more weight-forward blade, more well suited for chopping.

Enjoy.
Click to expand...

i'm getting the feeling that a simple "how to buy an HI kukri" faq/sticky might be useful...

o how to buy a DOTD
o how to buy direct
o how to special order
o how to order a custom...

o top 5 blades for common purposes
o top 5 blades for generual purposes
o table of common sizes, weights, prices.

o WITH pictures.

it would certainly provide a wealth of info for the newbie to be sure, and sometimes a quick reference to influence more people into the game.

bladite
 
Maybe Bladite,

but a lot of folks like the reassurance from other folks, and it isn't that hard to give some pointers to newbies as they wander from window to window, looking at all the pretty things.

The Cantinistas are a like a support group, with a vast array of experiences and knowledge. I think the FAQ idea would be fine, but it couldn't replace...say, Jake's personal experiences and explanation.

dunno.
 
Kismet said:
Maybe Bladite,
but a lot of folks like the reassurance from other folks, and it isn't that hard to give some pointers to newbies as they wander from window to window, looking at all the pretty things.
The Cantinistas are a like a support group, with a vast array of experiences and knowledge. I think the FAQ idea would be fine, but it couldn't replace...say, Jake's personal experiences and explanation.
dunno.
Click to expand...

true... but if the same explanations are used over and over... capturing the moment might be useful. for history. for honor. for reference. that's the point of an FAQ - "how do i sharpen", "what's the best choice...".

imagine taking the last 4-5 years (!?!?) of various informative posts, and organizing them into some kind of kukri encyclopedia? rock. every and everything you wanted to know, easy to find, woo.

the information is there, but search fails for me somedays, like, blank pages. google works to a point. simple references better.

just a thought. there seems to be resistance to this idea i've noticed.

bladite
 
acwire_2125 said:
Helo there guys!

I want to buy a Khukri for use in dense jungle. Any idea how can I choose one? So far two companies making them have been made known to me. The first beening Himalayans Imports and the second Khukuri House, the only supplier of khukuris(kukris) to the British Gurkha Units, the Gurkha Contingent of Singapore Police, the Gurkha Reserve unit in Brunei and the Gurkha Museum in the UK.

I am not sure how to choose and from which comapny I should buy therefore I am coming here to ask. Thanks for your help guys!:)
Click to expand...

I've used a HI kuk in the Yucatan Jungle. It was an AK that was 1/2" thick at the spine with a wood handle. It was indestructable. I chopped through everything I encountered.

It is a heavy knife and did tire my arm out more quickly than a regular machete. The kuk was more than up to the job along trails, where there were no trails, around camp and making building materials.

Other HI kuks would do also. I just have first hand experience in a jungle with this one as asked.
 
acwire_2125 said:
I would like a blade which could do multiple task, chop branches and small trees and yet light. Any recommendation?
Click to expand...


In general the heavy blades like Ang Khola are better for chopping wood, while the lighter blades like the kobra do better on small branches and light brush. An 18 or 20" sirupati would be a good compromise between large and small, so if you want to get just one kukri to do everything, that would be a good choice. On the other hand, if you plan to be doing a lot of work outdoors with your knife, you might want to consider getting more than one, for example a heavier blade for chopping and a lighter one for thinner branches. People have different height, weight and sized hands, that's why you will have to experiment to find what is just right for you.
 
Just to put in a good word for the Gelbu Special, here's a Bladeforums review from six years back:

Gelbu Special
I was looking for an all-around, do-everything khkuri. I used to have a 15" Ang Khola and a 20" Sirupati, but both have gone on to better homes, so the comparisons that follow are as much taken from memory as anything. In practical terms, both were great blades, but didn't really fit with what I wanted in a khukri. The Sirupati was a great brush clearer and modest chopper, while the AK was a great litle chopper, but I found it too unwieldy for any other serious use. I had read lots of posts about the WWII, but it sounded a bit too much like a dedicated chopper, given it's weight, etc.

Enter Uncle Bill and Pala. Pala stated that the best all-around khukri is the Gelbu Special. So I orderded one, and I am now convinced that Pala DEFINITELY knows his blades.

Mine is 18" OAL, and I have neither calipers nor scale that is of any use. Check the HI website for more details. What is most striking, indeed magical, about this khukri is the deep curves of the hollow ground blade. This is the real secret of the GS. It has a bit more belly than a Sirupati, and a bit less than an AK. In cross section, however, it has the same agressive sharp wedge shape of the AK that makes it such a good chopper. The area of the choil is distinctly triangular in cross section. It would simply be a more slender AK wihtout the hollow grind.

This is where the magic of the design comes in. The hollows are not just there for show. They are quite deep, run the full length of the blade, and significantly affect it's performance.

Out of the box, my GS had a significant dull spot right at the fullest part of the belly. I remember somewhere Uncle bill mentioned that the kamis don't like to do too much grinding after they have applied the magic stone, so I think this is just a matter of them being a bit too conservative and not wanting to grind too deeply, rather than a serious QC oversight. The grind lines are absolutely perfect and dead straight, and the saber or convex bevel is very even. They just didn't get it sharp all the way down. No problem. A couple of minutes freehand with my lansky medium stone got it seriously sharp.

The buttplate was just a fraction larger than the but itself, which I think meant that they cut it to fit and then polished the handle down a bit more. The upper portion of the flare, while not a problem on any other khukris I've had, was a bit large on this one and pushed my hand a bit farther forward than I liked. So I got out the Dremel, ground down the butt into a raindrop shape (round end up) and smoothed out the cap. I also got an instant education and respect for those who actually grind and polish the handles. After a couple of hours with varying grits of sandpaper, all the way down to 600 and some 1200 steel wool, as well as a buffer wheel on the dremel with white compound, I couldn't get the same mirror polish on it that the kamis get. Now THAT is a humbling experience. However, I now have a nice satin finish that I actually prefer, since it gives a better grip as well as allows some of the grain in the horn to show through. Very nice!

Now, living in an apartment, I don't have lots of vegetation I can destroy with impunity, and the neighbors get a bit anti-social when somebody is wandering around the complex with a big knife. But I did find a few downed limbs that were being cleared and managed to test out the blade just a bit.

The Gelbu Special is everything I hoped for. It is avery bit as good a chopper as the 15" AK, but is much easier to use. The AK has a smaller sweet spot and the weight is concentrated in a smaller area making it a bit more cumbersome to swing at varying angles, change the grip, etc. The AK is a great camp knife that takes the place of a hatchet. But it is at its best when it's chopping in a more regular motion, like taking apart tree limbs and things on a chopping block- i.e. straight up and down chopping. The GS, given the hollow grinds, has very different handling characteristics that make it much easier to use at different and ever changing angles. but it removes just as much wood, since it has essentially the same bevel as the AK.

Compared to the Sirupati, it is, I believe, a better chopper, but not quite as good as taking out thing, springy vegetation. The added length and tip speed of the Sirupati give it the edge. but the flat grind of the Sirupati gives it a center of balance that seems much further out than the GS. Therefore I do find the GS easier to use since it's blade profile seems to be better fitted to doing most tasks with less effort. The Sirupati also, if I remember correctly, tended to stab downward more than allow the edge to cut, given it's forward angle. I found this a bit tiring, as I found myself having totry to make the knife do what I wanted it to do. The GS seems to have a bit more shallow angle and the edge impacts true without any effort. (While I'm on the subject, the long forward slant is about the only reason I haven't ordered a King Kobra. Bill, are you going to post the pix of the "modified" Kobra I sent? Maybe we can get a production run of half a dozen or so if there's enough interest.)

Certianly, these results may not be typical, and much would depend on one's height, weight, arm length, etc. Technique is also a major consideration in performance, and there are many who can use a Sirupati much better than I. And it, and the AK, are great knives. They just weren't the all-around go-anywhere knives I wanted. The Gelbu Special certainly is. In addition, the hollow grinds are a masterpiece of forging and the way the light plays off the sinewy curves of the blade...magic! A while back I posted that I thought the Gelbu Special should be called the Garoudko Jibro- the Tongue of the Dragon. That is definetly what it is! I just can't get over the way this blade seems to combine the best attributes of so many different khukris.

I don't have, nor have I ever seen, a WWII model, so I can't comment on which of these two might be "better". If you already have a WWII, you probably don't need a GS. But if you don't, and you are looking for the one khuk to take anywhere, call Uncle Bill and have him send you one of these. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Tom
 
Ok, so far from all your comments, I came out with my conclusion.
If I want one for jungle exploration, few day trekking and bush clearing.
this would be the Khukri:

20 inch Sirupati

The Sirupati, traditional khukuri of the Rai and Limbu people of Eastern Nepal, is quick and agile which makes it a favorite of martial artists. Excellently balanced. Light but still strong enough to do a heavy day's work. Scrollwork and brass inlay along back of blade add to the beauty of this already magnificent blade. 20 inch, about l.75 lbs, 3/8+ in. thick. Usually horn handle but sometimes wood.

Sirupati 20" = $125.00


IF I want one for jungle exploration, camp work, clearing small trees and heavy chopping and bashing in Rainforest, THis is the Khukri:

20 inch Ang Khola

The King of the Choppers. 20 inches overall, about 9/16" thick at the spine and 3 or 4 pounds depending on the kamis who made the knife. Unless you are physically fit and have serious chopping to get done, opt for something smaller.


Ang Khola 20" = $195.00





Do you guys think my own presumption is correct?
 
Your presumptions are pretty dead on, ac. It would likely be best to start light with the 20" Sirupati and work your way up later on if you feel that its needed. If your like the rest of us, you'll end up getting both and more anyway. ;) :rolleyes:

Bob
 
I agree with Bob. You would probably be better off with the 20" sirupati right now. I think you'll find it more of an all-around khuk than the 20" AK. The siru can be pressed pretty hard into a lot of different functions without damaging it. The AK is indestructable, but you'll be fighting the weight if you use it for anything else besides chopping wood.

The best thing about an HI khuk, you can't go wrong:)

Jake
 
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