Cheap Kukri for camping?

[killa_concept]

Hey guys. I was thinking of getting a cheap kukri for camping... the cold steel one looks like good bang:buck - but with such a thin blade, would it really be more effective for hacking when compared to a traditional machete? From what I know, the kukri's superior chopping power comes from it's forward swept blade, widened end, and thickness/weight. While the cold steel has part A and B, it doesn't quite have C and I am afraid it would just cause glancing blows for larger tasks.

Is there something similar to the Cold Steel kukri, but with a thicker blade for not too much more (~$30-50)? I'd really like the kukri to double as light ax, and I just don't see the cold steel one doing it with such a thin blade.....

 

[coaldigger]

I have the CS Khuk Machete & Love it ... I have been using it for about 4~5 yrs now w/ no problems ! Not very sharp out of hte box but Very easy to sharpen & it takes a Razor edge !!! you can shave w/ mine I have chopped & cut alot with it...the down side is the handle material does bit into your hand after a while of using it. For the money you wont regret it :thumbup:

 

[Jason B.]

Kershaw outcast with a convex edge. You might pay a little more than $50 but you will have a hard time finding a better knife.http://knifesupply.com/eshop/10Browse.asp

 

[killa_concept]

I have the CS Khuk Machete & Love it ... I have been using it for about 4~5 yrs now w/ no problems ! Not very sharp out of hte box but Very easy to sharpen & it takes a Razor edge !!! you can shave w/ mine I have chopped & cut alot with it...the down side is the handle material does bit into your hand after a while of using it. For the money you wont regret it :thumbup:

Wait.. the CS Kukri or a higher end version? I can't find a CS Khuk

Kershaw outcast with a convex edge. You might pay a little more than $50 but you will have a hard time finding a better knife.http://knifesupply.com/eshop/10Browse.asp

It really doesn't look to have the traditional kukri shape that I'm looking for... looks like a well priced machete though

 

[seth]

DOTD on the H.I. forums?? ive seen $50 ranges for a true khuk, WW2 or AK would be perfect. (note, they are blems and usually that means they have a slight crack to the handle, or a spot of rust on the blade, still a perfectly functioning khukuri, but requires a bit of TLC.

 

[Thin Lizzy81]

Hey Killa i dont know if you have some tools but i made this one from a piece of flat stock. Its 3/16X2inX24.5in long I used a hack saw then a hand held belt sander then some passes on a bench grinder. finished it up with some files and a 550 cord wrap.it is fairly heavy being 3/16. it took me a few hours one afternoon and cost me about 4$

Thx, Ian

 

[gnw1209]

ka-bar kukri strays from the standard design but is a hell of an effective chopper
out cast is great too

 

[orthogonal1]

Look around and you can find genuine India made kukris of $20-$30. They are commonly surplus Army models, but I've found they work great.

 

[coaldigger]

Wait.. the CS Kukri or a higher end version? I can't find a CS Khuk

Here you go !
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?A=&range=51&Brand=26&Mode=Brand&SKU=CS97KM

 

[killa_concept]

Hey Killa i dont know if you have some tools but i made this one from a piece of flat stock. Its 3/16X2inX24.5in long I used a hack saw then a hand held belt sander then some passes on a bench grinder. finished it up with some files and a 550 cord wrap.it is fairly heavy being 3/16. it took me a few hours one afternoon and cost me about 4$

Thx, Ian

Wowza - that thing looks like a beast. Reminds me of the orc swords from lord of the rings. Sadly, I don't have access to the tools necessary to make my own knives/swords

ka-bar kukri strays from the standard design but is a hell of an effective chopper
out cast is great too

That ka-bar one looks like a kukri to me... how exactly does it stray? Looks like one hell of a chopper for sure though. The blade steel and overall build is obviously better than the cold steel, but how thick is the blade in comparison? Thanks for the suggestion though - I'll definitely be looking into that ka-bar

Also, it seems as though you live in my city

Wait.. the CS Kukri or a higher end version? I can't find a CS Khuk

Here you go !
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?A=&range=51&Brand=26&Mode=Brand&SKU=CS97KM

Ah okay - it's the standard CS kukri! You confused me with the name. I'd be all over that knife, but the blade's lack of thickness is what concerned me... it looks like it would be a good chopper, but I just don't see it generating enough force to take on larger tasks with such a thin blade. Can you give me further insight?

 

[C.S. Graves]

Look around and you can find genuine India made kukris of $20-$30. They are commonly surplus Army models, but I've found they work great.

I was gonna say, some folk say the Indian or Windlass Steelcrafts type khuks do well enough for a cheap blade.

 

[gnw1209]

Wowza -
That ka-bar one looks like a kukri to me... how exactly does it stray? Looks like one hell of a chopper for sure though. The blade steel and overall build is obviously better than the cold steel, but how thick is the blade in comparison? Thanks for the suggestion though - I'll definitely be looking into that ka-bar

Also, it seems as though you live in my city

it has a bit of a backwards recurve, but IMHO that increases the chopping preformance, this khukri is a BEAST! im not sure how thick it is but i would say 3/16?? anyone correct me if im wrong but it is a chopper for sure i can cleave 2-2 1/2 branches in one swipe.

 

[killa_concept]

it has a bit of a backwards recurve, but IMHO that increases the chopping preformance, this khukri is a BEAST! im not sure how thick it is but i would say 3/16?? anyone correct me if im wrong but it is a chopper for sure i can cleave 2-2 1/2 branches in one swipe.

3/16" is like... 4.8mm? That definitely beats out the cold steel's wimpy 2.75mm. Not to bash on cold steel, but it just seems to me that a chopper would require a good blade thickness to be effective. The ka-bar looks to be within my price range - would you guys say that it would be a better buy than a CS kukri?

 

[Thin Lizzy81]

Wowza - that thing looks like a beast. Reminds me of the orc swords from lord of the rings. Sadly, I don't have access to the tools necessary to make my own knives/swords



Thx for the Wowza, making yer own blades is alot of fun.

 

[gnw1209]

3/16" is like... 4.8mm? That definitely beats out the cold steel's wimpy 2.75mm. Not to bash on cold steel, but it just seems to me that a chopper would require a good blade thickness to be effective. The ka-bar looks to be within my price range - would you guys say that it would be a better buy than a CS kukri?

by far, have both(had both) the CS never lived up to my expectations, kukris IMHO need to be THICK to account for the lack of length the CS does not its basically a cut down 24" machete, also i broke it awhile ago on some apple wood, IMO its worth 2-3X the price very nice sheath too.

 

[Flashpoint]

I was gonna say, some folk say the Indian or Windlass Steelcrafts type khuks do well enough for a cheap blade.

I picked up a cheap Indian Kukri off the Bay just for curiosities sake and it has performed admirable well for a $25 blade. I've cut up 1x2 for stakes, cut a few small trees down, and done some digging and it's no worse for wear. I may put it through a torture test just to see how much it can take one of these days.

 

[Dagon]

Perhaps this one:

 

[C.S. Graves]

I picked up a cheap Indian Kukri off the Bay just for curiosities sake and it has performed admirable well for a $25 blade. I've cut up 1x2 for stakes, cut a few small trees down, and done some digging and it's no worse for wear. I may put it through a torture test just to see how much it can take one of these days.

There we go! And such specimens have a bit more authenticity than the Cold Steel ones, though the latter's quality control may be more consistent.

I had an Indian-made khuk about 16 years ago, but my house got broken into shortly afterwards and it was among the goods stolen, so I never got to test its performance personally.

As an HI fan of course, there's the temptation to plug that particular dealer, but their wares are mostly out of the OP's specific price range. And the last thing those of us on a budget need are folk telling us to spend more funds than we can divert to a particular item!

 

[killa_concept]

Perhaps this one:

The 440 steel is a bit off putting... 440C is a good metal, but whenever they don't specify the grade, I always assume that it's cheapo chinese make that claims to be 440. Any reviews on it?

As an HI fan of course, there's the temptation to plug that particular dealer, but their wares are mostly out of the OP's specific price range. And the last thing those of us on a budget need are folk telling us to spend more funds than we can divert to a particular item!

Amen to that! There's always going to be better things for more money, and I hate it when people say "you can get X if you go Y amount past your price range"... with that sort of mentality, you can just keep saying that the next step is also better for a bit more cash until you end up justifying something way past your needs. I'm trying to stick to a strictly <$50 budget and am currently leaning towards the Ka-Bar kukri, unless convinced otherwise. Any further input is always appreciated

 

[C.S. Graves]

with that sort of mentality, you can just keep saying that the next step is also better for a bit more cash until you end up justifying something way past your needs.

This is a good point... no matter the kind of tool or object, there's always going to be a more expensive, finely crafted version. Realistically, us average Joes can't afford to "spare no expense" on everything, and sometimes you simply want something that does the job.... maybe not as well as the finest and fanciest tool in that category, but well enough.

Though I've spent a lot on fixed blades, I'm a fan of inexpensive folders myself, so I can relate somewhat to the frugality. Besides, if you've got decent sharpening equipment and enjoy using it, the need for whiz-bang super steel becomes greatly diminished.