First Blood

dewingrm

dewingrm

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Oct 23, 2001
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Ryan's Khukuri Lesson #1:
Never swing a khukuri towards your leg.

I learned this lesson the hard way on Saturday :eek: I was cutting some kindling for my parents wood stove and khukuri jumped of the wood and bit me! Wack, OUCH!!! That's when the blood started to slowly trickle down my ankle. I got very lucky, I have about an inch long cut on my shin just above the ankle. The khukuri went all of the way to the bone, I didn't even swing that hard. The power of a khuk is amazing.

I went to my university's student health today and got it checked out, doc said it was all fine. I was going to go to the emergency room on Saturday but the 500 dollar fee was a little steep for my college budget. Actually the university doc was more interested in the khukuri than my wound. He asked all sorts of questions about the khuk, what it looked like, where it was native to, and who made it. Uncle I think I might have found a new customer!

Any of you old timers have some good khukuri lessons? I would bet some of you have experienced the sting of a khukuri, I sure won't forget it!

Ryan
 
I am not to be considered an "old timer", and I dont thing anyone else here is to be considered one, unless you have some sort of deathwish. ;)
But wait until you really put some umph behind that kuk. You think it is powerful now...just wait.

By the way what kind of kuk did you cut yourself with?

and STAY SAFE!!!
 
I was using my 16" Chiruwa AK. Good thing I wasn't using the Chitlangi, I might not have a leg left :eek:

I will be a lot safer with the khuks from now on, you can guarantee that ;) I learned a painful lesson. I am usually much more attentive when I'm working with sharp objects. I was a little tired that day, I had spent all day deer hunting then had to help one of my pals drag a 175lb. 10 pointer out of the woods. I should have known better than to handle the khuk when I was tired. Lesson learned ;)

Ryan
 
I had a very near miss the same way. I was splitting wood at a camp site with my 19"AK and it got away from me. I was swinging really hard and it deflected off the wood because of a poor angle in my grip. The khuk passed between my legs and flew out of my hand and about 20' into the brush behind me. Thank God no one was behind me and if that swing had connected with my knee or shin, I don't doubt I could have been an amputee. I retrieved my khuk, sat down and prayed thanks that no one got hurt and for forgiveness of my carelessness, put the khuk away until my head was clear and the shakes stopped and only then did I CAREFULLY resume my task. Lesson learned, and it could have been a catasrophe. Be careful out there.
 
Somewhere we have a picture of Terry Sisco's leg after a khukuri was just dropped on it. Read the safety thread again. These knives can do major damage easily and in the blink of an eye. An ounce of prevention.....
 
I have had a few close calls with my 22" Ang Khola while splitting wood. I have become tired or inattentive and had the khukuri deflect a few times and skitter along the trees I was chopping down on a few occasions. The only khukuri cut I have received was from bumping into the blade with my hand during sharpening. A recent deer skinning a chopping experience revealed how little flesh and bone (the deer's) will stand up to a khukuri.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully attached.

Will
 
I'd forgotten that, Terry. Thanks for reminding me and for info. That was a nasty cut -- but I'll bet you haven't done it again. Right?
 
I seem to remember seeing a documentary about life in Nepal that had footage of an old man chopping wood with a khukuri. He was down on one knee, with the firewood a little less than arms length away and very loosely balanced on the ground. He used short, controlled chops to split or flake it. When it got stuck, he just kept chopping with the same easy rhythm until he'd worked the blade through. I suppose if he missed, the short chop would carry the blade to the ground, not back to his body. Good idea
Frostdog
 
I wish we could get a video of some Nepali natives using their khuks for a variety of chores. Bet we could all learn something. My father has about 50 years experience using a chainsaw and splitting maul and I have never seen anyone as safe and efficient. They didn't have safety equipment when he started out and he still doesn't use it- he just has five decades of hands on experience. No substitute for familiarity.
 
Right on. Of course, there are two kinds of experience: the kind you survive, and the kind you don't. Here's hoping any of us who have accidents with khukuris (or axes or chainsaws) get that second chance.
 
When Pala makes a handle for a khukuri he holds the billet in one hand and chops at it holding the khukuri in the other hand. The blade often strikes within a half inch of the holding hand. It makes me so nervous I can't watch him work -- but he never cuts himself.

As noted, practice, practice, practice.
 
I can also strike within 1/2 inch of my holding hand when chopping kindling. I can even do better than that. Closer than 1/4. Closer than 1/8. Closer than 1/32. Closer than any fraction you care to name.

It's the not hitting my hand part I still need to work on.

A couple of weeks ago I was camped way out in the high Cascades with just my dog for company. The ground was covered with snow, night was falling and I was hustling to build a fire. I whacked my thumb right on the knuckle. It bled really good. By the time I got the thing bandaged and the flow of blood at least hidden night had fallen. I still had full range of motion with my thumb or I would have gone back to civilization. I ended up using one of my big paraffin firestarters for a quick fire rather than laying a carefully crafted fire with fuzzsticks and small kindling.
 
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