GH Bhojpure khukuri

[Marcus]

I just recieved my new Bhojpure today so I haven`t had much time to test it but I`ll post my initial impressions. First off it was smaller and lighter *feeling* than I expected for a 16" OAL knife. The blade is 7/16" thick at the spine,I thought it would be really blade heavy but it`s actually not bad at all. The piece is clearly handmade,the flats of he blade are a little wavy and the handle and engraving aren`t quite perfect but in this case it actually adds to the charm of the knife. The brass inlays in the blade engravings are a really nice touch. Those I showed it to today guessed it must have cost around $200! FWIW my wife proclaimed this is the nicest knife I have. She says most of my other ones are too rough and violent.

LOL! The accessory pieces are pretty rough but in this size range they`re mostly decorative anyway. I took it out back behind my shop and chopped up what I could find (some brush and small branches). It worked well on brush despite it`s thick blade and wasn`t as tiring to swing around as I would have guessed. The branches were 1"-1 1/2" thick and although they were very flexible and tough the Bhojpure cut through thenm with no effort at all. BTW I tried my Ontario machette on the same branches and it didn`t work as well (to my suprise). I`m very pleased with the khuk so far. I`ll post some real test results and opinions when I have time to really wring it out. Marcus

 

[Marcus]

I had the chance to wring the Bhojpure out a little better today. For comparison sake I brought along my 12" blade EDMF Trenchbowie, the bowie is slightly longer but much thinner at 3/16". I wish my custom 3/8" stock 18" OAL bowie/khukuri hybrid would have been here too but it`s out in the north west getting a 3 week torture/camping test by a friend of mine. On light brush and branches the bowie and khuk both worked well,the bowie`s slightly longer reach and thinner crossection gave it a slight edge. Next I chopped down a standing deadwood tree about 4" in dia.,it had no bark on it anymore and was hard as a rock. The khuk took big chunks out at first but stalled when it got to the harder heart wood. I noted that the grip was sliding in my hand somewhat. I switched to the bowie which bit a little deeper but took out smaller chunks. After it was felled I set it up and chopped it into lengths with each knife. Again the khuk took out bigger chunks but the bowie bit deeper,they both took about the same # of chops to get through. The bowie was fairly comfortable with it`s para cord wrapped grip and lanyard used Applegate style but the khuk had made hot spots on my middle finger and the heel of my hand. Lastly I tried splitting some short lengths of lumber. The khuk had an edge here but not as much as I thought it would. All in all I think the bowie`s longer and wider blade are what made it a serious rival to the Bhojpure. Given equal sizes and widths the thicker khuk would have had the advantage. Also note that the EDMF bowie chops circles around most 9" "big" camp knives so the Bhojpure is in very good company. Grip comfort is a very subjective thing. I have large hands with long fingers ,I do find the grip just a bit small for me. I`m also not used to it yet so I may chnge my opinion later. Other`s hands may find the Bhojpure more comfy. Despite the minor grip comfort issue I like it very much. Marcus

 

[Blackdog]

Marcus,

I also have long fingers and experience the same "hot spots" on the handles of my khukuris and a number of other tools that I use on a regular basis, especially screwdrivers and hammers with somewhat thin handles.

I have a suggestion that may ease the problem. I wrap the handles of those particular tools with a self-adherent, stretch bandage called Medi-Rip. It's 3" wide, and similar to the old "Ace Bandage", but much thinner. It sticks only to itself and leaves no sticky residue on the handle. It provides a secure, non-slip grip and cushions at the same time. When the outer layer of the wrapping gets dirty, you just unwrap that layer and have a clean surface again.

The stuff comes in 3" X 5 yard rolls and is only a couple of bucks per roll. You can wrap quite a few tool or knife handles with a single roll. I've used it for quite a few years and have found no reason to use anything else. You can probably find it (or something similar) at a pharmacy or medical supply store.

It works well, give it a try.


Blackdog

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When the world is at peace, a gentleman keeps his sword by his side.......
Sun-Tzu 400 BC

 

[Will Kwan]

Marcus,

What is the weight difference between the trench bowie and the khukhuri?

The hot spots might be due to the ring around the middle of the handle and the way the handle ends in a point. Check with Craig but I think you can file these down.

Will

 

[Marcus]

Blackdog,I may have to try that. I`d probably only use it on a temporary basis though cuz the hand carved grip is too pretty to cover up.

Will, the bowie is just a bit heavier. Bear in mind that the aluminum alloy D guard/handle and thick steel butt cap add to it`s weight. I think the blade alone might be slightly lighter. This is subjective since I don`t have a scale handy. I believe you`re right about the ring and pointed butt cap on the Bhojpure. The thought of changing the grip slightly to suit my hands had crossed my mind but again I hate to modify something so pretty and traditional. It`s really not that bad. I was chopping really hard stuff when it bothered me,on greener/softer stuff it doesn`t seem to be a real issue. I don`t plan on using this piece super hard for chopping,I have the 18"OAL ,5/16" thick bowiesque monster I made myself for that.

Marcus