Fighting with a CAK?

J

JNKoehn

Joined
Sep 11, 2012
Messages
26
Howdy y'all, it's good to speak up for the first time on here, I've had the link bookmarked for months and checked it every day. What brought me here was the Everest katana, then the tarwar began to fit my fantastic bill a little bitbetter. After lurking for a while I've decided that my first purchase from HI should be a bit more traditional. I've got my eyes set on a chiruwa ang khola, mostly for it's potential use as a prybar, let alone that of a knife, axe or (small) sword. My question is in if they are unwieldy in a martial sense. I'm young, 6'3, about two hundred pounds and rather familiar with fighting blades and tomahawks. This would be the first khukuri that I'd be getting acquainted with, would it be a bit big to get swinging around like a weapon? Thanks folks,
 
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My thoughts as far as knife fighting goes is, what are the chances that you will get into a fight to the death with another person who only has a knife? If you have a gun then use the gun, If you have a knife and he has nothing then pretty much any knife will do to give you a Huge advantage, if you have a knife and he has a gun then youre pretty much screwed. Plus with a giant knife like a khukuri the only time you would really be able to carry it is if SHTF big time. Or possibly if you keep it in your truck or at home. But you would not be able to concealed carry a CAK. For knife fighting you're prob better served w a smaller knife that you can actually carry and conceal on a regular basis. For SHTF purposes a CAK would be a good all around tool to use for survival and if you have to smack/stab someone it would work.
 
The Chitlangi and Gelbu are some often looked over models which are lighter and quicker than the M43, CAk and such but a bit beefier than the Sirupati and Kobra for a more all-purpose blade. I have an 18" Chitlangi that is crazy fast.
 
My Chitlangi is beefy at 21" and 31.4oz. It is definitely an impressive zombie killer, it's not as fast as my BAS, but the damage from a single cut is also much more impressive. For pure martial arts use, I'd probably go with a sirupati, kobra, or maybe a hanshee.
 
Shinook said:
My Chitlangi is beefy at 21" and 31.4oz. It is definitely an impressive zombie killer, it's not as fast as my BAS, but the damage from a single cut is also much more impressive. For pure martial arts use, I'd probably go with a sirupati, kobra, or maybe a hanshee.
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31oz for 21" isn't all that beefy when you consider if it were a CAK or even an AK it'd be 50oz minimun. An 18" CAK is already 32-34oz. I'm not saying the Gelbu or Chit are as light and fast as a Siru or Kobra but for someone considering a CAK for a possible martial weapon they are a lighter option while retaining the ability to do some light chopping and such (though they are not warranteed for chopping they should do fine). The Hanshe is a nice suggestion for a light quick one that I myself always forget. Good call Shinook.
 
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Thanks for all the input, I truly appreciate it. I failed to mention that I am looking for a larger knife, as I plan to use it primarily for some heavy field use, replacing my knife and tomahawk that I pack already. The sirupates and kobras sure look mean, and I'll probably end up with those and the swords, but I'm looking for the best stand alone working knife that can be trained as a fighter. The weapon aspect is definitely an auxiliary feature for what I'm looking for.
 
At 6'3", 200lbs you should be able to make a CAK work for your uses as a tool and weapon.
I would recommend keeping it below 20".
 
JNKoehn said:
best stand alone working knife that can be trained as a fighter. The weapon aspect is definitely an auxiliary feature for what I'm looking for.
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Probably a WWII. A BAS is another great choice. Both are warrented for "field use", and are based on military Khukuri.
 
danboy357 said:
31oz for 21" isn't all that beefy when you consider if it were a CAK or even an AK it'd be 50oz minimun. An 18" CAK is already 32-34oz. I'm not saying the Gelbu or Chit are as light and fast as a Siru or Kobra but for someone considering a CAK for a possible martial weapon they are a lighter option while retaining the ability to do some light chopping and such (though they are not warranteed for chopping they should do fine). The Hanshe is a nice suggestion for a light quick one that I myself always forget. Good call Shinook.
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31.4oz is 0.4oz more than my Ganga Ram. And though 3 inches longer, their spines are equally thick. It's made to strike once, and be done.
 
I'd say that the 18" WWII would probably be your best bet IF you have to have some martial applications to the design. It tends to be a bit lighter than the AK and has a longer handle so that you can adjust your grip i.e. choking up for finer tasks or rocking your hand back to give it a maximum swing.

That said, an 18" CAK would probably suit you better. You're a big strong guy, so a big strong knife is going to suit you just fine. However, keep in mind that a khuk that size is a cleaver. The physics of a weight forward 2lb knife can't be changed by Incredible Hulk levels of strength. It's always going to be an offensive first strike weapon that will, quite frankly, "dance" like a pig on ice when compared to a balanced lighter fighter like a tweaked and tuned bowie.

I would say go with the big AK (but like Karda said, keep it under 20". Those knives are so cumbersome, they are mostly fully functional show pieces with niche heavy duty applications). You're going to chop wood, pry logs apart, and generally do a lot more rough and tumble chores than you will get into a knife fight. A 16.5" or 18" CAK will serve you well:)

Welcome to the forum:D
 
Shinook said:
31.4oz is 0.4oz more than my Ganga Ram. And though 3 inches longer, their spines are equally thick. It's made to strike once, and be done.
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Yeah but that 3" seems to make a heck of a difference in weight. Case in point your GRS is 18" and 31oz. while mine is 22" 65oz. Even if yours is light for it's size and mine is heavy for it's size that is a big difference. My Gelbu is 21" 30oz and my Chitlangi is 18" 22oz so it would stand to reason that they are fairly comparable though the Chit may be a bit lighter than the Gelbu. That being said, IMO they are knives that possess they traits of a fighting knife first and a working knife at a close second. After reading JNKoehn's last message it seems that he is looking for the opposite, workhorse first, fighter second. The BAS I own is a bit bigger than average so I just see it as a workhorse and never really considered it as a fast blade. Then of course my "Ultimate Fighter" is 17.5 and 41oz. Go figure.

If I were to disapear into the wilderness for the rest of my life with only one blade of my choice and the clothes on my back and knew for a fact that I would have to fight Zombies, Ninjas and/or Werewolves every so often I would take a 19" 26oz Chitlangi. Thats just me and thats part of the beuty of these HI Khuk's they are all as different as we are so you are going to end up with a dozen different answers to the same question with none of them being wrong.
 
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JNKoehn said:
.... I am looking for a larger knife, as I plan to use it primarily for some heavy field use, replacing my knife and tomahawk that I pack already. The sirupates and kobras sure look mean, and I'll probably end up with those and the swords, but I'm looking for the best stand alone working knife that can be trained as a fighter. The weapon aspect is definitely an auxiliary feature for what I'm looking for.
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There are many good choices here: CAK, AK, M43, WWII, ASTK and others. It may come down to what looks best to you. I agree with those who recommend something around 18" overall length, based on your size.

The CAK and AK are heavy choppers, along with Bonecutter and Ganga Ram. The others are a bit more multi-purpose and tend to run somewhat lighter in weight for a given length, but still very hefty, solid knives. It comes down to what you mean by "heavy field use" and whether you'll be taking long hikes with the knife. If you expect to be cutting down trees and the like then a heavy chopper is the best choice. Even then, excess weight can become a problem if you'll be swinging it for hours at a time.

If "heavy field use" is less than that, I'd recommend an M43, WWII or ASTK. You can get those at 18" and under 30 oz. If I had to choose among those three, I'd go with the WWII because it tends to run a little lighter in weight. These knives are not a substitute for a full size axe, but as wood cutters they should be an adequate substitute for a tomahawk.

-- Dave
 
First khuk? 6'3", 200 lbs?

Fine. 16.5 AK villager, if you can get one. You will be suitably impressed, it will serve you well, and if you decide to proceed in khuk acquisition, it will give you a marvelous platform of experience to make future judgements.

And, it will do more than everything you need to do outdoors.

Be safe, have fun.
 
Kismet said:
First khuk? 6'3", 200 lbs?

Fine. 16.5 AK villager, if you can get one. You will be suitably impressed, it will serve you well, and if you decide to proceed in khuk acquisition, it will give you a marvelous platform of experience to make future judgements.

And, it will do more than everything you need to do outdoors.

Be safe, have fun.
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I picked up a 16.5" 29oz CAK by Vim with Sadan handle last week and loved it so much I got another yesterday at 16" 28oz as well as a 15" 21oz AK by him as well. My first CAK/AK/GRS type of khuk that small and now I realize that veterans like Steely, Kismet and of course Yangdu were right the whole time and I should have just did what they said months ago. I should have listened to my parents and went to college too I guess. Anyway, the 16.5" CAK feels so good in hand that I just dont want to sit it down. I find myself walking around the house holding it with no real justifiable reason for doing so. Fortunately my girlfriend does not view this as the behavior of a freak.
 
Listen, im 5'10 200lbs and in good shape. I wouldn't even think about using a CAK as a fighting knife. You swing that 30 + ounce behemoth and you had better hit something with it lol. Find something in the 24 ounce and under category. Speed beats power in a knife fight every time. Whoever gets hit first is more then likely going to lose. Dont get me wrong. I love that blade. It just would t be my first pick for self defense if I had a choice. Tactically, it just dosn't work
 
Also the CAK, as far as i know, wasn't really designed with fighting in mind. A blade like WWII or M43 was. But even M43 is a bit to heavy as a fighter. I know how you feel though lol. Love the CAK and M43 for their raw unchallanged power. I'd say see if you can shark a light M43 from the forums. Bhakta makes his with what I feel is the most ergonomic handle. Not to beefy, not to thin. Good luck.
 
This is, hands down, the best forum I've ever been a part of, and this is only my first post :D I really appreciate all of your input, and I feel like I'm getting a solid grasp of what I'm looking for and which knives reflect that. What kind of field use can I expect out of a WWII, and is it going to be a monster to work around in some blade flows? I'm thinking I drifted to the CAK simply out of desire for the biggest and best (as per the warranty) but if it is going to be a brick to swing around then I might like to go for something a bit less stout. Also, I like the idea of the longer handle on the WWII so as to compensate for my rather large hands or to provide multiple gripping options. Thanks a million fellas, you guys are killer!
 
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