Do You Use Your Karda?

J

JNieporte

Joined
Nov 1, 2004
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The small knife that comes with a kukri - the karda - what do you use yours for? I've found mine to be useful in opening boxes and skinning game. I just haven't much to read about them on here.
 
I think that this would be a good time to ask some karda questions, now that most of my questions about the khukuris, themselves, have been answered:

A) Are all of the karda issued with Hi khukuris more or less identical? (I know that historically, there have been many forms, but they seem standardized here.)

B) If so, what are their dimensions? About 2" or 3" in the blade, perhaps?

C) If you have handled karda that varied in size or shape (the catalog lists a couple), what's your assessment of their performance?
 
The kardas are usually proportional to the kukri. The larger the kukri, the larger the karda. Although the YCS seems to come with larger kardas, proportionately, for their size than other kukris.

The Kumar karda is a large leuku-style blade, not to be confused with the kardas that come with a kukri.
 
i tend to put other small blades in the slot or dump karda and chakma completely to slim down sheath..
 
Nicholas. I have several kuk's and the size of the karda seems to be random. my smallest karda is with my Bura made M-43, the largest with my 18" chitlangi. Blades seem to average 2 -3 inches and are great little utiliy blades.
 
Just to stir the pot, here's a picture that I found on the Web of some differing karda. (There's a better one out there, that I've seen, but I can't find it.)

kukri_8.jpg
 
Yes, use my karda for peeling kiwi fruit and slicing biltong. I am sure it has many other uses. Very good little blade. In fact I have used it more often than the M43 it belongs to.

Note: Living in the UK, my biltong is (and has to be) homemade. Can you believe, they "DONT MUCH FANCY" biltong here?? There is a problem here, I am cereal...
 
Nicholas said:
I must be really lame: I had to look up what "biltong" was, just now!
Click to expand...

Yes, you are lame. JUST KIDDING!!!

Its really easy to make. silverside beef or venison, rock salt, vinegar and secret spices. I dry mine in a wooden box.

I think I will post a recipe of the HI Recipe thread sometime soon.

I have tried american style beef jerfy, but cant get used to it. too thin, too salty. I got it over here in UK, so it probably wasnt very good.

Anybody feel free to post a recipe so I can make it myself
 
All I can think is, that if vinegar can be used to make this "biltong," that one might get some results with OTHER fermented liquids, introducing some new possibilities......

(We're straying into Cantina territory, methinks.)
 
Nicholas said:
Just to stir the pot, here's a picture that I found on the Web of some differing karda. (There's a better one out there, that I've seen, but I can't find it.)
Click to expand...

....And I found it! It was right there in the Khukuri FAQ, where I should have found it, straight away:

Kardas.jpg


Should I change my screen name to, "Doofus"? :o

----

In any case, that's quite a variety of karda. I'd love to have gotten the users' input on what difference the differing sizes and shapes make.
 
Nicholas said:
....And I found it! It was right there in the Khukuri FAQ, where I should have found it, straight away:



Should I change my screen name to, "Doofus"? :o
Click to expand...

No Doofus, we all now know you as 'Nicholas.' :p :D

I changed my username from 'Bonkers' but I remain it just the same. :o

Many thanks for your input into this interesting thread.:thumbup:
 
I don't use my kardas or chakmas. With blades that I use quite a bit, I usually pull the karda/chakma sheaths out of the main sheath so I can pull the frog up higher, which lets the sheath and blade hang closer to the body.

I have found that the kardas are not usually heat treated, either.

Andy
 
I've used my Karda to trim fat while eating, trim leather when making a sheath, as a patch knife, to open olive oil tins, cut onions and peppers. I love the utility and the chakma has helped me more than a few times to steel my khuk edge when chopping hard wood and a bit of a edge roll turns up on a khuk that's just finding it's edge;)

:D
Mark
 
I understand the utility of a small knife, but I worry that a standard-size karda is too short, at 3.25" or so. I already have a Leatherman with a blade in *that* range, which I'll have with me anyway, so I wouldn't mind, say, an extra inch.
 
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