Did these guys ever test an HI khukuri...

I'd be willing to pledge $50 toward the deal. Been interested in seeing what Noss4 could do to a CAK.

Bob
 
@ spiral
no, it was between 5 and 10° C and had not been below zero the week before - I am sure the wood was not frozen.

@ Khalnat
thank you for the "Grüße" German is hard to learn (I was a teacher for foreign students at university), you have my respect to study this language. Feel free to mail or pm if you need help of a "Muttersprachler" (native speaker) someday.

It is good to see many of the old names on the screen and to find so many new ones too. (I regularly pass by and read some threads but did not post much as work is very challenging and our three kids (2 years and twins of ten months) and my wife need the rest of the time.

Andreas
 
Neither of us can PM, as "registered users", but thanks for the offer. ;)

I'm taking German at college, and my instructor is excellent and from northern Germany. My grandmother is fluent also, but she's not too coherent in English anymore if you catch my drift. ;)

Where were you when it broke?
 
I guess a rigorous test might provide some interesting data. Seems a pity to destroy a work of art though. And of course that test would only prove what that particular blade was like. Every khuk could be a little different.

A khukuri designed for hammering, levering and heavy chopping might have a thicker blade and be tempered a little softer in the critical areas.

I will certainly vouch for the good quality and usefulness of the two H.I Khukuris that I own.

I must say though, that being a metalworker with a reasonable idea of what might cause breakage, I carefully rounded the edges and corners of the cho area with fine emery paper just to make it less likely that a crack would start there.

The cho makes the khukuri a khukuri I guess, but to me its location on the blade is somewhat unfortunate from a pure design point of view. It shouldn't be a problem for a khukuri that is tempered well and used in a reasonable manner. I see the cho problem as a similar situation to a variety of other knives where the sharpening ends abruptly...I feel that in some circumstances that this is where a crack is likely to start (but generally only when an extra stressful load is applied to the steel).

Axe and hammer handles can have a similar theory applied to them. You may have a really weak handle with a crack, or a knot, or a sudden change in size next to the head (ie...not a taper). All goes well while you let the weight of the axe/hammer head do the work, and while your aim is true. However, once you overshoot the wood you are trying to split, or when you use the tool as a lever...crack !! It's busted.

When chopping with a khuk, I think it is best to ensure that the weight of the blade is allowed to do the work, and that the blade hits the work at the well balanced 'sweet spot' on the edge.

Looking at my Ang Kholas, I reckon they'd simply have to endure more abuse than many knives of the same length.
 
There's a "proof" of sorts listed on the HI website...or is it here? It's been a while since I've read it. I probably should do so again.

Others have wrung out some of HI's products in the past. A bit of searching should produce a few useful threads.
 
Thanks Andreas, Ive been reading about all the old hand made japanese sword blades that broke at below freezing when they were in Manchuria & Shanghai, so wondered if that was a factor combined with frozen wood. But obviously not.

cheers,
Spiral
 
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