Do I really need a chiruwa Ang khola?

I dont think theres much difference in price between a chiruwa and standard AK. I would spring for the chiruwa. They have quite a reputation as hard use blades.

And personally, im a sucker for appearances, and you wont get that beautiful fuller on a KLVUK. But thats just me...
 
crystalEyes said:
I dont think theres much difference in price between a chiruwa and standard AK. I would spring for the chiruwa. They have quite a reputation as hard use blades.

And personally, im a sucker for appearances, and you wont get that beautiful fuller on a KLVUK. But thats just me...
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True but you won't cry as hard or as long the first time you whack something with your KLVUK either. Admittedly even in use the pretty highly polished blades really hold up very well. Takes very little effort really to keep them pretty.
I purposely semi abused my Pen Knife which is super highly polished and it hardly showed any signs of it at all. Still drop dead gorgeous and I love it even more.
 
yeah next time I get money im gonna make a full order of pen knife, bilton, 30 inch sirupati and another malla ( i hope they have them all in stock)-- must have horn handles on all
 
Bilton's a cute little knife. I had one for a short little bit. I sent it back to auntie and got something else, don't remember what, I think the Bashpati.

I wouldn't mind getting another. Tiny little thing. 30" Siru? Total other end of the spectrum right there. Don't see em over 25 too often.
 
Bitterroot Sherpa said:
Sorry for not posting more information in my original post. I was on my I phone & was keeping the fat finger typing to a min. Anyways, I am looking for a blade to take on extended trips into the Bitterroot/Selway Wilderness area of MT/ID. Unknown to many, it is the largest official wilderness & also the largest unbroken piece of forest in the lower 48. I would be using it for all sorts of mundane everyday chores. I would also be using it for not so mundane tasks such as chopping firewood & shelter building. It *may* even get pressed into service for some mild "latrine" digging. I would also be using it for skinning & rendering game. The bottom line is that I cannot have a blade fail a as I will not be able to get a suitable replacement on that trip. This would be most inconvenient! I will be on foot a great deal & am concerned about the weight & "packability". If I can find one tool to be my axe/hatchet, entrenching tool & general purpose knife that would be great. I do understand that it is kind of a "jack of all trades, master of none" & that there are tradeoffs. But I guess what I'm asking is can a CAK be carried all day for many days? Or would I be equally well served with an AK, or KLVUK? As to me I am in decent shape & spent 10 years in the Infantry (USMC & USA). While not in "fighting trim" any more, I am very strong in my upper body. Climbing mountains is not too serious of a butt kicker for me. The flip side of that coin is that I am "vertically challenged". Thanks again.
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Hi Bitteroot Sherpa,
I prefer my 17 3/4" Chirua handled WWII for long bush treks similar to what you describe. I love my 18" CAK, yet I mostly use it closer to home because of it's weight. I love it and it's great if you need something nigh unbreakable. The WWII however is just perfect for it's lighter weight and universal utility.

My 2 cents,
Mark :)
 
Become an engineer.
You will be able to enter any jungle with only a knife and leave it with a train.
 
I never could understand why some people Polish up their user blades. I personally really like the natural patina and charactor marks that a blade can develop over
it's life time of use. As someone else stated, you'd be suprised at how well the mirror polish holds up over time. Here are some pictures of my 10+ year old Bura made 16.5" WWII that weights about 21 onces.

IMG_0001_med.jpgIMG_0002_med.jpgIMG_0003_med.jpg

There used to be more of a grey patina to the look. Since moving home, I've been using it a bunch ever Spring to cut up very sappy green wood and using a blue or green scotch bright type pad and soap to clean it. That's got to be why it's more shiny then it was 3 to 4 years ago. If you look close, you can see the sky and clouds in the reflection. Suprising to me, the Horn handle has held up great! I have newer Horn handled Khukri's with more and larger cracks in them. The handle shrunk a bit, but just enough to cause the butt to get a little loose. Proper storage and maintenance goes a long ways!

Reguardless of which you buy, keep it clean, oiled and sharp and she will serve you well! :)
 
I second Heber. The 16.5" WWII is a superb model for all-around use. They were coming in at 21ish ounces for awhile and if you could get one of those, I think it would make you very happy:)
 
I was under that same impression, mind you I have never replaced either type of handle. I was one of those who figured I could just wrap it with paracord. When we think of handle breakage on a chiruwa khukri I don't believe at least Im not thinking of a full handle break but more along the lines of the wood or horn cracking and breaking. the tang itself will still be intact and we are thinking just wrapping it for comfort and grip. Under a full break after reading everyone's thoughts I can concede that a pinned would be easier to fix than a chiruwa. however when it comes to fixing problems like horn shrinkage I say chiruwa wins all you need is a file to get the metal down to where the wood is. So in all practicality it is six in one hand, half a dozen in the other. Get what style you like best and chop something.
 
Fixing a non chiruwa handle in the field can be as simple as burning on a piece of wood for the handle and bending the tang end over.
Fixing shrinkage for a non chiruwa handle is also easier, as all you generally need to do is file the brass buttcap down a little rather than have to file off both sides of the entire tang.
 
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I'm of the mindset that if you manage to bust a khuk's handle out in the field, then you were just destined to have a terrible day. About the only thing that I could think of that would utterly destroy a khuks handle would probably be something that would destroy you in the process.

Even if the handle managed to work loose, you can still swing it even if it was in a loosey goosey fashion. We're not talking about slipping off a piece of kraton here. Even an incredibly cracked to near shattered horn grip would be more than secure and serviceable with nothing more than a few wraps of duct tape. Unless the handle is heated to the point of the handle sliding off, for all intents and purposes the horn or wood/laha/tang are one solid piece on a thru-tang khuk.

However, peened or chiruwa, I don't mind. I love them all:D
 
This is a difficult decision. Just to clarify, I'm not going on a trip or vacation but live within a mile of the boundary of this area & am in there quite a bit, so the knife will definitely see some use. It is hard to choose between a knife that I know will never break but may be too heavy to pack or one that might (although I am sure it is a serious blade) that is more portable.
 
Bitterroot Sherpa said:
This is a difficult decision. Just to clarify, I'm not going on a trip or vacation but live within a mile of the boundary of this area & am in there quite a bit, so the knife will definitely see some use. It is hard to choose between a knife that I know will never break but may be too heavy to pack or one that might (although I am sure it is a serious blade) that is more portable.
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Just yesterday, Yangdu offered a 24 oz 16.5" CAK and a 17 oz 15" AK, both light enough for camping and carrying, both probably as unbreakable as anyone could want. They're probably already sold, but it should give you an idea of what might be available. If you have the funds now, send Yangdu an email and ask.

For comparison, the 16.5" CAKs usually run around 30 oz and higher, so this one is substantially lighter. A number of people have asked for lighter weight blades that are easier to pack (and less tiring to swing for lengthy use), and it seems the kamis have been obliging.

If this is your first HI blade you might surprised at how massively built they are, and how effective as choppers and for other uses (as a draw-knife, for example).
 
I have the same quandry over 20in. CAK, but I keep thinking, "IF I don't...I will wish I HAD!!??" Kinda my last "big knife"...
 
I have a 41oz 18" CAK that's really to big to carry. I have a 31oz 16.5 CAK I like much better
 
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