CS Ghurka/Concealex or HI Ang Khola?

philthygeezer

philthygeezer

Joined
Aug 6, 2002
Messages
746
This may be the last of my "which one should I get" questions... Maybe.:D

Among the other things I have posted in the last couple of days, I am looking at getting a quality kukri for bush usage.

The two that (i think) I have narrowed it down to are the 18" Ang Khola from Himalayan Imports, and the Cold Steel Ghurka Kukri with the Concealex sheath. I can get either for roughly the same price.

A concern with the HI model is the sheath: How securely does it hold the Khukri and its accessories? Could it be lashed to a pack? This is where I begin to vascillate. The Concealex sheath seems a bit more rugged and doesn't have the pointy end to poke holes in my backpack. Is the Kraton handle better or worse than the wood of the HI for chopping?

What about steel? Are the HI's as good or better than CarbonV? Are they much lees prone to rust or are they carbon steel too? How do the handles hold up? The HI's look beautiful; would it be a crime to use them for hiking and camp tools?

Has anyone used both? Which is better? I need to know as HI's sale is over at the end of the month, and this is an expensive proposition for me.

Thanks again,
Phil
 
I own over 40 H.I. khuks so you know what I like best! I also owned the Cold Steel Ghurka khuk and it is a good knife as well. The H.I.'s are superior in most tasks. I could give you many examples but just do a search on this subject and get ready for some reading!;) The H.I. khukuris are made of 5160 carbon steel and will rust but 5160 is one of the toughest steels out there for a hard use knife. The way they are also tempered (zone/differentaly) makes for an even tougher/more flexable blade while the edge remains hard (60rc) to hold an edge. The handles are made of horn or a hard wood and are very tough especally the churiwa (full width tang) handle. Bill Martino (HI owner) is also one of the very best if not the best person in the knife business to deal with! He will make sure you are happy and if the khukuri ever fails in any way even in the case of extream intened abuse he will replace it free of charge!!!

Why don't you stop by the H.I. forum and visit a bit! You will learn alot and the most knowledgable people in the world on khukuris hang out there! Real frendly bunch of folks!;)
 
Oh yeah, the sheaths are top quality but you can have a kydex/concealex sheath made for any H.I. khukuri and there are several places that will make one for you!
 
Himalayan Imports Khukuri all the way. There is nothing like a REAL khukuri. HI khukuris are among the best there are to be had out there. I do not feel that the production models of most mass producers can compare to the feeling of power you feel handling a hand forged HI khuk. An 18" AK is probably close to twice the thickness of the CS, it is zone hardened, (hard edge, soft spine) and all of the wonderful hand work that goes into them shows. If you get one, do not feel bad using it! That is where the HI khuk will truly shine. They are a joy to use and were made by men that had hard use in mind. The sheaths are rugged and hold the khuk securly. If you were to spend a lot of time out camping in the wilds,and wanted to keep the khuk mounted to your gear, a kydex sheath would be a sound aftermarket purchase as it would give you more mounting options. Have fun in your quest!!:D
 
Himalayan Imports, the first and last names in khkuris. I take my BAS (British Army Service) backpacking and the sheath can be lashed to my pack. It takes a little creative thinking but I have not lost anything yet. There is a sargent over in Afghanistan now (Sylvrfalcn) who carries his in the field and loves it. You can always get a sheath made if you need to.
 
:cool: Got me a new toy...:cool:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=218233

:D :D :D :D :D

I can't wait to see my new baby once it has been delivered. From the ultrasound, it looks beautiful...

Thanks you for your kindness and advice. This one will be nice and portable for backpacking, and won't lose any utility if I feel the need for something bigger for other occasions. (Or if I simply want another one;) ). By the sound of it; I'll be consuming these things like carbon steel Doritos in the near future.

Best regards to all,
Phil
 
You got a good buy and a great kuk.

I got a "blemish" knife from Bill a few weeks ago. I had to really look for the blemish ...described as small cracks in the horn handle.
I'm still not sure I found what he saw...they are that small.
When you get it and pull it out (carefully...there is a safe way to do it)your first thought will be "%#@*!!, That's a KNIFE!!"
 
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