chiruwa or 15 in?

[Slim to None]

My first post, whew. Ok I'm looking for my first khukuri and I'm torn between a regular 15 inch AK and a chiruwa. Anyone have any recommendations? Chances are any heavy ab/use is just going to be for the hell of it, we use small knives in my line of work. I was also curious, anybody have an idea what kind of steel goes into to the knives, I've heard the leaf spring bit, hoping for a numerical designation...


Thanks a bunch
Sean

 

[ferguson]

My first (of many) was a 16.5" Chiruwa. I've never regretted it. But you couldn't go wrong with a 15" AK, BAS, or a 16.5" WWII.

The steel should be similar to 5160.

Welcome!

Steve

 

[Semper Fi]

I too suggest getting the 16.5" chiruwa AK. You won't go wrong with it.

BTW, welcome to the Cantina! or as some say, Psycho Ward.

 

[BruiseLeee]

It depends...

I personally like the lighter ones. Some like heavier ones.

Some say the chiruwa handles transmit more shock than the stick tangs, others say they don't.

Some like cutting more per stroke, some rather take two strokes instead of one.

 

[Yvsa]

Welcome to the Cantina otherwise known as the Psycho Ward Sean!

Why in particular are you looking at these two khuks?
How big a guy are you?
How strong are you?
What's your intended use for the khuks?
How's your stamina?

Many things have a bearing on what sort of or how big a khuk a man oughta have.
My favorites lay in the 17" to 19" range as the 15" - 16" khuks are a bit too small for me.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Yvsa hit it spot on (stick around. you'll see that he does that often). It's really going to boil down to personal pref with either of these blades. It will also very to a degree depending on which kami (bladesmith) made your khukuri. So far I tend to lean towards the non-chiruwa khuks because of the shock and because it is harder to modify the handle to make it comfortable to my hands. The only chiruwa traditional khuk that I didn't give away is my new YCS, and it's perfect. The 15" AK is the best seller. It'll give you an idea of what khuks are like. Most people end up going bigger and smaller after they get a medium one. My advice to you is to just pcik which ever one you like. you can't lose
And Welcome to the Cantina!

Jake