Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri San Mai III or?

[Motorman]

Relatively new to the forum and would like to ask a question about a blade.
I am interested in the above blade but would like to know how it can be
sharpened. Is it realistic for a newbee???
I would like to use it for camping, ie, firewood, etc. and yes, I know
it's an expensive blade to be used in this fashion, but it I buy it I
would like to use it instead of it sitting in a drawer.

I am aware of the less expensive option with the cheaper steel, but I
would like to buy the tool once (cry once theory).

What might be an alternative that is as strong, sharp, etc.??

Thanks for your help.

 

[Redscat]

I don't own the Gurkha Kukri but I have Cold Steel's Master Hunter and SRK in San Mai III. IMO, not as easy to sharpen as some of the softer SS (eg., Aus 8A, Buck's 420HC, Sandvik, etc.) but not too difficult either. Overall I like the performance of this laminated steel offered by CS.

This Kukri is a big knife though with a recurve blade. What type of sharpening setup do you own or have in mind? Also, at a slightly lower price range, with the kind of usage you've listed, many others on this forum gave ESEE's Junglas very high praises. I don't own one so I can't provide opinion on the Junglas, but it might be worth it to take a look.

 

[roughneckrob]

I have the CS Gurkha Khukri in SK5. I highly recommend it. If you can afford it go for the better rust resistance of the San Mai III.

 

[C.S. Graves]

What might be an alternative that is as strong, sharp, etc.??

I don't know if they're as sharp "out of the box", but Himalayan Imports khukuris have quite a following here on BF. I have a couple by Sgt. Khadka that I've felled a few trees with.

 

[roughneckrob]

I don't know if they're as sharp "out of the box", but Himalayan Imports khukuris have quite a following here on BF. I have a couple by Sgt. Khadka that I've felled a few trees with.

I have a H.I CAK. It is one beast if a Kuk. You really have to get an after market sheath for them, the sheath that H.I Kuks come with are far to traditional and don't do a very good job. If you run or fall the Kuk will come out.

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

HI's are definitely not as sharp out of the box (and in fact can be pretty dull, unless you go for a field-sharp rig), but in my opinion, you're talking about a whole different level of quality between HI and CS, even the expensive San Mai version. I do have the Cold Steel Peace Keeper in San Mai, and it's nice, and comes razor sharp (and you can sharpen it fairly easily with a variety of systems, even a Sharpmaker), but the HI is a handmade piece of art, and you can get two for the price of the CS. I had a couple of them, from the cheaper machete version to the SK-5 version, and got rid of them both after I got my first HI. I do still have and like my Ka-Bar Kukri Machete's, which are pretty comparable to the CS machete, but I'd never bring those to the woods instead of the HI's.

-edit-

To be a bit more precise, the CS Kukri uses a checkered Kraton handle, and while it's plenty grippy and everything, I find it really uncomfortable to use during long periods of chopping without gloves. People have reported that issue with the Ka-Bar, which has a much smoother handle, and the CS kukri is even worse because of that checkering. The proper grip for a khukuri is a lot looser than other knives, and checkering just doesn't seem to work well in my opinion; the wood handles on khuks are more comfortable.

Another thing is that the CS is generally around 1/3" on the spine; I think that the specs are like 5/16" IIRC. HI's tend to be a good bit thicker, and the steel is durable as heck. Cold Steel's San Mai is really nice for slicing and light cutting, but my Peace Keeper hasn't done so well on wood, and the SK-5 blade is definitely not at good at long periods of camp work as the HI, in my experience.

The last bit that's worth mentioning is that the CS seems to be more designed as a weapon. The tip is distal tapered, which is fine for fighting and stabbing, but not as desirable for a camp tool.