Fighting with a CAK?

I really think the 18" WWII is one of the most versatile khuks in HI's line up. They usually come in right around 1.75#, are about 3/8"from thick at the spine, and balance like a dream. My very unscientific advice is that folks under 5'10all and of slimmer build go with the 16.5"threated WWII and folks of larger stature and strength might be better suited by the 18".

You really can't go wrong. When in doubt, send Ms. Yangdu Martino an email, and she'll be more than happy advise you:)
 
I've always wondered what the pratical difference is between the WWII and the BAS in equal lengths.

For me I have a 20' CAK and love it for heavy work, but it is weighty. I picked up a smalled khuk for belt use when I am out and about in the woods, a 14.5 inch 21 ounce Boomerang by Dil Kami that was a deal of the day a few years ago. Awesome blade. Very fast in the hand too.

In my mind the big khuks really are tools. The small and mid sized khuks are better for camp/woods use if you are going to be on foot.
 
Uncle Bill always said that the Gelbu special was the best all-round blade in his opinion. I still watch and wait for an 20" Panchathar Chitlangi, less angle in the bevel, more of a slicer. As a weapon, one would only have to contact the opponent once or twice to put them out of commission. Google up some cuts on humans with an Khukri, Nasty, photo's you won't soon forget.
 
The ASTK is another choice to consider, though they don't seem to come up for sale much. I was just talking about mine with someone and trying to make comparisons between it and the deradune. The ASTK seems more weildy overall. Mine has a slimmer spine than my Deradune and at 30oz it feels more like 28oz. Is the Deradune usually more of a chopper while the ASTK more of a light use blade?
 
A Chiruwa style Ang Khola in the 16.5" to 18" Range will probably work. The thick exposed tang with help shift some of the weight backwards, positively affecting the balance. With Practice you may do pretty well or even really good. Even so, that wouldn't be my first choice for a Fighting blade. A Bruiser of a Camp knife, yes. A fighting knife, no. The 18" WWII on the other hand, is my first choice as a big combat/fighting knife.

The WWII's will take a beating, they handle Chopping and splitting and some of the thinner and lighter ones also do Brush work really well. Along with that, they are faster then the AK's of the same size, [speed is good in a fight] lighter [won't wear you out as fast] and have a history of Combat use. The WWII model is a replica of a WWII combat Khukri. Another example of a Combat Khukri is the M43. I've owned and used both the WWII and M43, to me they felt simalar in design and usage.

You like the idea of the CAK, so go for it! Use it in the bush, IE take it camping. Chop with it, Practice and use it. After a while you'll know if that Khukri will work for you as a M/A blade or not. If not, I say look into the WWII or M43 styles for a Fighting Khukri. . . The UBE and Ultimate Fighter are two other good options for a Fighting Khukri.

Here's my list of combat Khukri's
WWII*
M43*
BAS
ASTK
UBE
Ultimate Fighter
Sirupati*
Gelbu Special
Chitlangi

*denotes my personal picks.

Hope this helps and Welcome to the Forums!! :)
 
If you plan on using it for heavy field use as well I would get a Khukuri that is designed primarily for that. I bet that you will find that you will use the khukuri for general outdoors tasks a lot more often than getting into knife fights. I had the same kind of thought process when I got the Gelbu special. I found that I haven't been in a single knife fight ever in my life but I need a khukuri to chop branches and cut up things outside. The heavier khukuris like the CAK would do a lot better job than the hybrid combat/field work khukuris.
Also if you did ever happen to get into a knife fight with an 18 inch CAK I doubt your opponent would be as well equipped. I know speed is important in a knife fight but a big CAK would have a reach advantage(no pun intended).
 
danboy357 said:
The ASTK is another choice to consider, though they don't seem to come up for sale much. I was just talking about mine with someone and trying to make comparisons between it and the deradune. The ASTK seems more weildy overall. Mine has a slimmer spine than my Deradune and at 30oz it feels more like 28oz. Is the Deradune usually more of a chopper while the ASTK more of a light use blade?
Click to expand...

The ASTK is one of the ten models warranted for "field use." The Deradune is not on the list, probably because it is not often available.

As far as design is concerned, the Deradune has always looked to me like an ASTK with a slightly different handle. I could be wrong, since I've never handled a Deradune.

I have a 27 oz ASTK. It is definitely a good chopper and the lighter weight makes it also suitable as a fighter (more than a CAK, in my opinion).

It's hard to compare models based on a few examples because the variation within a given model is sometimes more than the variation from one model to another. There's a huge difference in "feel" between the same model with a 5/16" spine and one with a 1/2" spine. Deeper fullers make a difference, and the chiruwa handle style makes a difference. Kami style makes a difference even for the same model and length.
 
You know what.... I changed my mind lol. Now that I saw those absolutely gorgeous tamangs I REALLY suggest you get one of them. They will do ANYTHING you ask them to. Fight, work, and play lol
 
I have a 17.5 inch WWII, and I absolutely love it. It is heavy, but for people with good strength, it is fantastic "for everything". That said, I want an 18 inch chiruwa ang khola because I think I'm strong enough to handle the weight. Nobody uses blades in fair fights anymore, and haven't for at least 500 years - but that doesn't mean a blade can't win a fight. You just have to fight dirty like Gurkhas do.

Sneak up on your target silently in the black night, and split its skull or spine in one 200 millisecond whack. I'm not sure the WWII is heavy enough to totally and silently destroy a target in one crushing stroke, but the CAK surely can do it! I'd bet the CAK could do it through a helmet or a door, too, if you have some strength behind it. I think of my kukris as small battle axes, not large knives.

I don't like violence of any sort, I'm just fascinated by quality tools. I use my WWII for whatever unnecessary task I can come up with, and usually it's just slicing fruit. Still, it pleases me greatly to pretend I'm a Gurkha while I stalk my mangoes in the dark :)
 
I think I've decided on any type of 18" knife, with chiruwa style handles. I'm hoping I can shark something off of the Christmas specials.
 
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Christmas specials? Doh, it looks like I missed 2 of them already! I used to be quick on the trigger for buying stuff, but no RSS notifications makes that impossible now.
 
davidf99 said:
The ASTK is one of the ten models warranted for "field use." The Deradune is not on the list, probably because it is not often available.

As far as design is concerned, the Deradune has always looked to me like an ASTK with a slightly different handle. I could be wrong, since I've never handled a Deradune.

I have a 27 oz ASTK. It is definitely a good chopper and the lighter weight makes it also suitable as a fighter (more than a CAK, in my opinion).

It's hard to compare models based on a few examples because the variation within a given model is sometimes more than the variation from one model to another. There's a huge difference in "feel" between the same model with a 5/16" spine and one with a 1/2" spine. Deeper fullers make a difference, and the chiruwa handle style makes a difference. Kami style makes a difference even for the same model and length.
Click to expand...

I've only used one of my 18" ASTKs on pine 2x4s and 4x4s but it devastates them.
 
If you want to know more about the man behind the ASTK, do an internet search for "General Amar Singh Thapa". It's a really good read.

Back when I lived in Provo, I had two room mates from Nepal for a year or two. I was chatting Khukri's with a friend one day, they saw us, we all chatted for quite a while about them. The Nepali room mates didn't know about General Amar Singh Thapa, so I pulled up the info, showed them pics from one of Yangdu's trips back home and we all had a great time! :)
 
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