gettin my first real kukri , a HI AK

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in a couple of weeks i`ll be getting my first real kukri , a HI AK , full tang. how useable will it be? how strong are they? do i have to worry about it rusting or breaking? do i have to oil it , can i store it in its sheath? will this make a good survival knife?
 
The AK is very useable, especially the Chiruwa (full tang) model. One of the strongest knives out there. I doubt you'll break it unless you're doing something really stupid with it. It's forged from 5160 carbon steel, so it will rust if you don't take care of it. As I stated in a thread in the RAT forum, folks seem to worry about rust more than they should. Regular use will keep rust off. If you're gonna put it up in its sheath for a few days, clean and oil the blade and you'll be good to go. If it gets wet, dry it off. If the sheath gets wet, let the sheath dry in the sun for a few hours before you put the knife up. There is NOT a better chopper in its size range than the Chiruwa Ang Khola.
 
I'm not a big AK fan but they are really durable.

I tend to prefer other HI models.
khukcut1.jpg
 
Yeah, I tend to favor the CAK over other models, myself.
100_0069.jpg


If it's a polished one, they don't rust too easily, but they will rust. They will also patina (a dense form of corrosion that gets to a certain point and stops, and prevents further rust -- same process as "browning" done on old muskets and such). This will happen naturally, or it can be induced. Or just keep the blade clean and oiled.

I store mine in their sheaths, and live near the Atlantic ocean. No rust. Just keep them clean and oiled (I like to use mineral oil), or wipe them with a silicone gun & reel cloth, and you'll be fine.

As for how usable and how strong? The AK is the strongest of the HI kukris, and the Chiruwa AK (CAK) -- the one with the full width tang pinned in place, is the only one they warranty as a prybar. It's an absolute beast of a blade. Some find it too heavy, I find if you wear it baldric-style it's not a problem. As for usability, it's the mother of all choppers. You can put a convex edge on it that will last a long time, or do a straight zero-edge on the final bevel, and it will cut light vegetation with a flick of the wrist and still chop like crazy, at the expense of having to sharpen it more often.

In summary, it's the toughest blade HI makes, and I'd put mine up against any other chopper out there. Even had a custom rig made for it.
Quickdraw01.jpg
 
Cpl Punishment said:
Yeah, I tend to favor the CAK over other models, myself.
Click to expand...

CPL,

How is the edge on yours?? I'm sort of prejudiced against them because every AK I ever owned even the 12" one the edge was too thick.

If I tried to swing at say a 1/4" tree branch the edge would not catch it, the angle was too steep. If I was de limbing a tree I would end up actually just breaking off the limbs with the swing like a club rather than cutting them.

Now the ones I had were made by Amtrak Kami and Shankar trishul Kami and I think Sher, none by Bura or Sgt K who makes the thinner edges so maybe it was just the maker.
 
It will be a great survival knife, one of the strongest out there. If you are looking for a good chopper, you've got one!

I've got AK's from Bura and Sher. The Bura is a wall hanger, but the Sher gets used a lot, love it!
 
Cpl Punishment said:
Yeah, I tend to favor the CAK over other models, myself.
100_0069.jpg


If it's a polished one, they don't rust too easily, but they will rust. They will also patina (a dense form of corrosion that gets to a certain point and stops, and prevents further rust -- same process as "browning" done on old muskets and such). This will happen naturally, or it can be induced. Or just keep the blade clean and oiled.

I store mine in their sheaths, and live near the Atlantic ocean. No rust. Just keep them clean and oiled (I like to use mineral oil), or wipe them with a silicone gun & reel cloth, and you'll be fine.

As for how usable and how strong? The AK is the strongest of the HI kukris, and the Chiruwa AK (CAK) -- the one with the full width tang pinned in place, is the only one they warranty as a prybar. It's an absolute beast of a blade. Some find it too heavy, I find if you wear it baldric-style it's not a problem. As for usability, it's the mother of all choppers. You can put a convex edge on it that will last a long time, or do a straight zero-edge on the final bevel, and it will cut light vegetation with a flick of the wrist and still chop like crazy, at the expense of having to sharpen it more often.

In summary, it's the toughest blade HI makes, and I'd put mine up against any other chopper out there. Even had a custom rig made for it.
Quickdraw01.jpg
Click to expand...

There it is again. My favorite rig.
 
I too have 16.5" CAK from HI, made by kami Bura.

I wound up tearing out the karda and chakma from the sheath and closing it up. I don't use them anyway. I also took off the chape. Sits better for me.

After a trip with hollowdweller and joezilla, where my khuk came part way out of the sheath and almost did me in a bad way, I added a 550 paracord lanyard. Tied it just in front of the finger ring and have a rubber washer acting as a slide, to make it adjustable. To secure the blade in the sheath, I run the cord through the leather loop at the top of the sheath, back over the blade, and snug up the washer. This does a fair job.

I also use a baldric made of 550 cord.

I've found there to be a little bit of a learning curve with recurve blades, but once you learn the different sweet spots, your good to go. It's not perfect, but nothing ever is.

Good knife, I'm glad I have it.
 
I have a 15" AK that I picked up recently. It is a great little kukri. My favorite is my M-43 which is also a full tang model. You will be surprised how well they perform in the woods.
 
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