Golok vs Kukris

golok · Oct 20, 2000

In my country Malaysia, we have a similar knife like the Nepalese kukris.
In our language we call it the golok.

Now the golok cuts anything like butter.

I understand that Americans like to boast that their AUS 8 and ATS 34 can cut anything under the Sun, include the front door of the Mercedes!

I don't question the validity of these claims but you guys out there are making knives that perform functions that other low-tech weapons like the golok can do, if not, better.

So what's the difference? The difference is the price. A Cold Steel Kukri costs almost $1,000 in my country. A golok costs something like $15.

I have a kukri (not Cold Steel) and several goloks. From experience, I know a golok is more practical if I were to enter the jungle, simply because a golok is a tropicalised weapon. It can stand heat, it is tough, it is dangerous and most of all it feels like my third hand.

A kukri, for sure, is a formidable weapon. A golok, well, you will have to hold one in your hand to know its character.

Goloks are generally made out of carbon steel. It rusts without much effort but it also sharpens in a jiffy!

If you chaps are going to sell your knives in my country and make fans and friends out of your products, you better wake up and see reality. The jungle is neutral, you all know that. Enter the jungle, my jungle and carry your customised knives, and I will take my golok and we will see who comes out alive.

Crayola · Oct 20, 2000

Golok vs. Ross Aki Parang.. hmm.... I don't know about that one golok!

Welcome to the forums, first and foremost. The economics in you country making a CS kukri cost that much is interesting. Naturally if we were in your country and had to buy something there we would get the golok for its great price and all

No argument there. And, as you said, every report I have heard says that a decently made golok does take a quick edge. Here's something else to think about though.

My LTC kukri has much more of a recurve than your golok, and that translates into more leverage with my chops and more of a shearing effect. My LTC kukri can be smaller than your golok and yeild the same, if not better results. It is just a matter of edge geometry for the job at hand and the kukri has an advantage there. Also, my kukri is coated with a baked on epoxy powder to cut down on clare and protect for rust. I have never seen a malay golok coated with these great coatings. Thirdly, I bet my kukri will hold its edge much longer than your golok will. This is a trade off though. Yours may eb easier to sharpen but you'll have to do it a lot more often than me. What isn't a trade off, though, is that by sharpening my blade less often I bet it will last longer. But, prices being what they are, you could easily replace your worn golok.

It is interesting to discuss these differences. I would love to see what you would think of a Ross Aki parang though, which is made of our Mercedes chopping steel we love so much. I bet you would want to trade.

However, the golok you mention is probably a great choice for your environment. Jungles require goloks, parangs, bolos, kukris, etc. and you have chosen your golok because it is readily available, you are happy with the performance and it is cheap. Many people here, when they have a need for a jungle clearing device, pick up an Ontario military machete. It too is carbon steel (1095) and is quite cheap- great bang for the buck. But, the nearest jungle from my house is a good 14 hour drive away (that is a drive on Canadian roads so pretty straight and going 100+ km/h the whole way.) So, I haven't the use for a golok. I am an urban dweller and my Benchmade folders with ATS-34 steel, aluminum and G-10 handle materials and locking liners do wonders for my environment. Bring a golok to the city and you have trouble.

Please don't take my rantings the wrong way! It is an interesting point about environment, economics and needs determining blade choice. I am in the middle of studying philosophy right now so these ramblings are just thoughts racing through my head which I can't help but type down. Your golok is a great choice for you. If you want a knife that works great for North American cities, I's suggest a Benchmade though. You never know when you neeed to chop up a mercedes!

by the way, best maylay blade is the kris!!!! Kick butt blade! Check out www.hossom.com
Jerry makes some unique yet inspiraitonally oriental blades.

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"Come What May..."

generallobster · Oct 20, 2000

My Ontario Kukri isn't exactly a custom made ATS-34, money eating, presentation piece. It's a 50 dollar horribly ground, wobbly looking shank of carbon steel that's as ugly as anything you have ever seen. But it works very well because it is basically a copy of CS Ghurka Kukri without any of CS fit and finish. I have never even heard of the knife you are talking about, but I don't disagree with your point that something cheap may perform just as well as something that costs enough to make you gag. However if I had the money to spend on a real CS Ghurka Kukri, I would--knowing very well that funtionally speaking there would only be a small gain. Why would I do it? Because I want the best that there is in my price range. And the CS is a very good kukri no matter how good other blades may be. As to your comment about who would survive in the jungle, I would have to say you, since I would probably just curl up into a ball and die five minutes into the ordeal. But that's not the blade's shortcoming.

redvenom · Oct 20, 2000

Hi Mr Golok, welcome to Bladeforums. Glad to see more knife people from my beautiful little country, but less of the confrontational attitude, huh? You are among friends here who share a common interest in knives.

Anybody who has spent time in the remote regions of the world understands the value of a large, strong knife be it a golok, kukri, parang, or machete. While some designs are better than others at a particular task, the question of survival greatly depends on what you do with the knife rather than the exact make or design of knife.

An experienced woodsman can survive anywhere with a 2" folder. A city slicker who has never seen a jungle other than on National Geographic would have trouble even if he had a sackful of knives.

Red

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"Praise not the day until evening has come;a sword until it is tried; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk" - Viking proverb

[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 10-20-2000).]

Boriqua · Oct 20, 2000

First Welcome to the forums Golok

Second: Can someone get up a pic of the knife being disscused so we can all play along?

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ALex

http://home.att.net./~a.boriqua

Updated 10/15/00

Brian C · Oct 20, 2000

Welcome to BF, Golok. If you are interested in quality khukuris, and in case you haven't found it already, take a look at the Himalayan Imports forum in the Makers/Manufacturers section of BF -- great products & great people.

In additional to traditional khukuris, HI makes a couple of small belt knives, a tarwar, and even a katana. There is also a barong project on the drawing board and the possibility of a HI made gununting was also discussed recently.

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Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.

Razoredj · Oct 20, 2000

Well, since everyone else seems prepared to ignore this first-post example of self-important delusions of superiority, I'll be the first to be less than charitable and call it a complete load.

As requested, here are some golok pictures:
http://www.antiqueswords.com/images/mg1-1.JPG
http://alabanza.com/kamajaya/antik/wjava/gk01
http://alabanza.com/kamajaya/antik/wjava/gk02

Now the golok cuts anything like butter.

This sentence has no meaning. No knife will cut anything. For that matter, just because a knife is a "golok" doesn't mean it has been heat treated or sharpened properly.

I understand that Americans like to boast that their AUS 8 and ATS 34...Goloks are generally made out of carbon steel. It rusts without much effort but it also sharpens in a jiffy!

I'm no expert in metals, but you're essentially stating, in an incredibly arrogant manner, that carbon steel is the best steel in existence for anything. That, too, is a complete load of ignorant hogwash.

If you chaps are going to sell your knives in my country and make fans and friends out of your products, you better wake up and see reality.

I guess us "chaps" somehow will have to survive without the vital Malaysian knife market to prop up our struggling industry.

The jungle is neutral, you all know that. Enter the jungle, my jungle and carry your customised knives, and I will take my golok and we will see who comes out alive.

And I suppose you're perched on a jungle vine with your laptop right now? Must be a long phone cord to the modem.

You're welcome to your opinion regarding the superiority of this knife. You might even be right.

Then again, you might be a pompous troll.

Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.

[This message has been edited by Razoredj (edited 10-20-2000).]

Bobwhite · Oct 20, 2000

Where can I get a golok? I want one of these native ones that cost about $15 that you are talking about. I must admit I like carbon steel. I think Himalayan Import khukuris are also carbon steel though. I want to do my own comparisons before I say what knife is best for what task.

Bagheera · Oct 20, 2000

Hi Razoredj,

Thanks for the extremely friendly welcome you gave Golok as first time contributor to the BladeForums.
This will certainly make him more welcome on the BF

I for one don't like fellow members that even don't have an email address to reach them "privately" but again that may be something that could be used against me.

Golok, welcome to the forums

, I have a Martindale "Jungle knife" that cost me no more then $20 and I wouldn't trade it for a Cold Steel Kukri (the older light version ,that I used to have) that cost well over $100 in Holland.

Best Scouting Wishes,

Bagheera

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[This message has been edited by Bagheera (edited 10-20-2000).]

Brian C · Oct 20, 2000

Gee, Razor, why don't you tell us how you really feel?

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Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.

golok · Oct 20, 2000

I like your reply. Golok is actually a native name in my country for a slightly curved knife that resembles a kukri.
Actually the best sheath for such a knife, as I was told by a fisherman who is a regullar at the river near his home, is a weaved rattan sheath with "holes" . This way, the knife can "breathe", so to speak.

There are a number of unusually shaped knives for use in the deeper regions of my country. However, these are seldom seen by the city folks who are contented with their multi-tools and maybe Swiss knife.

When you are to live side by side with leeches and venomous vipers and cobras, you will need more than a piece of sharpened steel.

Cigarette ash for leeches (which can actually sneak up to your crotch) and plenty of commonsense and guts when it comes to snakes.
King Cobras are mischevious creatures which attack without provocation. A full grown King Cobra can stretch about 12 ft.
I suggest running very fast on seeing one, rather than trying to bring it down with a puny 12inch blade.

Originally posted by generallobster:
My Ontario Kukri isn't exactly a custom made ATS-34, money eating, presentation piece. It's a 50 dollar horribly ground, wobbly looking shank of carbon steel that's as ugly as anything you have ever seen. But it works very well because it is basically a copy of CS Ghurka Kukri without any of CS fit and finish. I have never even heard of the knife you are talking about, but I don't disagree with your point that something cheap may perform just as well as something that costs enough to make you gag. However if I had the money to spend on a real CS Ghurka Kukri, I would--knowing very well that funtionally speaking there would only be a small gain. Why would I do it? Because I want the best that there is in my price range. And the CS is a very good kukri no matter how good other blades may be. As to your comment about who would survive in the jungle, I would have to say you, since I would probably just curl up into a ball and die five minutes into the ordeal. But that's not the blade's shortcoming.

Novadak · Oct 20, 2000

Hi Golok! Welcome to the forums.

Is this the knife we're all talking about? I admit I'd never even heard of one before, but it looks interesting!

Is that the right knife? If not, do you have any pictures?

Originally posted by golok:
Now the golok cuts anything like butter.

Now I know you're making fun of Cold Steel advertisements. Unless "golok" is another name for "fission blade".

If you chaps are going to sell your knives in my country and make fans and friends out of your products, you better wake up and see reality.

I'm not sure what you mean by this somewhat confrontational statement -- are you saying that you'd like to see knife companies manufacturing goloks, or that they should stay out of Malaysia, since you have all the knife you could ever want in the golok? Or that knife companies selling stuff in Malaysia should try to sell affordably priced production versions of the golok? Or just that the golok is the best jungle knife out there?

I find that what I do with large knives usually involves more rendering of large pieces of wood into small pieces of wood (habitual pyromania) than poking at big snakes, how does the golok fare for chopping/splitting duty? How heavy are they? Do you have any pictures, vital stats, etc.?

Thanks for your last post, the thought of stepping on 12' cobras and having to evict roving crotch-leeches is almost as scary as the thought of a $1000 CS khukuri...

Frantium · Oct 21, 2000

There are many types of golok. For instance Malaysian goloks are different than Indonesians; in Indonesia almost each ethnic has its own version of golok. But in general when an Indonesian says "A golok," he means an edged weapon (tool

) between 15" and 30" in length, with more belly and considerably less pointy than those shown by Razoredj's links. Novadak's pic is closer, but not quite.

golok,

King Cobras are mischevious creatures which attack without provocation. A full grown King Cobra can stretch about 12 ft.
I suggest running very fast on seeing one, rather than trying to bring it down with a puny 12inch blade.

Actually I find a pole or a long wooden stick to be the best tool when you come across a king cobra. Agreed, running is the safest way.

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Reynaert

hopethisisnttaken · Oct 21, 2000

I think some of the attitude perceived in this post may also come from a language barrier thing. I wouldnt even be posting anything in a malaysian forum.
To throw in my ten cents worth, I still think that the original CS Khurki is the best one you can buy. Nothing against boloks, but I would probally get the Mad Dog Tusk over a bolok because, well, it would probally hold up better. And I hate it when I get chased by a King Cobra through the jungle with nothing but a Schrade lockback. Happened to me twice last year...

Razoredj · Oct 21, 2000

Thanks for the extremely friendly welcome you gave Golok as first time contributor to the BladeForums. This will certainly make him more welcome on the BF.

There are consequences to everything in life, including posting confrontational messages your first time out. If he's not a troll, he'll get over it -- which he seems to have done, regaling us with tales of the monstrous creates he fights off with his golok whilst trying to brush his teeth every morning.

I for one don't like fellow members that even don't have an email address to reach them "privately" but again that may be something that could be used against me.

You assume your fellow members would want you -- or anyone -- to contact them privately.

As for the language barrier and whether or not it has colored perceptions of the original post, such a barrier will only go so far. I think the provocative nature of that post and its follow-up(s) are intentional.

Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.

Esav Benyamin · Oct 20, 2000

Golok, welcome to the BladeFightingForums!

You make a really good argument for a basic, inexpensive, easily maintained long knife for rough country.

But I would say a comparison to an expensive and specialized product misses the point.

Check out this link to the Cold Steel Bushman http://onestopknifeshop.com/store/cold-steel-bushman.html and see ... an American "golok".

They are even coming out with a shorter version this month.

Jiantbrane2 · Oct 20, 2000

HA! You fear COBRAS??? I LAUGHT at cobras! I still remember the first time I saw a cobra. I simply grabbed it behind the head and through it as far as I could. Problem solved! I'll also never forget the time I was attacked by a grizzly bear. I pulled otu my butter knife, which cuts butter.... like... butter, looked at my knife, looked at the bear, and RAN! It caught up with me, and I had to do something. So I held up my open palm and said STOP! There is no need for violence! The bear then pulled out a golok and cut me into itty bitty pieces.

Seriously though, we need to choose ONE difference between the knives, other than the price ($1000 to $15??? WOW!). Hmmm... a Cold Steel Golok? So do you want to argue about which steel is better for the environment, or do you want to argue about which design is best?

By the way, I would hardly say the designs are similar. They may serve the same purpose, but they look NOTHING alike.

Howie

Yvsa · Oct 20, 2000

:
Hopethisisnttaken:
You said:

To throw in my ten cents worth, I still think that the original CS Khurki is the best one you can buy.

And not trying to flame you or hurt feelings, just some other ways to look at the khukuri and what it is designed for.

To qualify what I am going to say, I first have to say that I have owned a CS LTC for several years. It was one of my favorite "bush knives" but since I now have several Himalyan Imports Khukuri's it has been reasigned as a light brush cutter.

The HI Khukuri' will beat circles around the CS models. Will Kwan has remarked on this as well. The CS models have an edge geometry that wants to stick in heavy woods whereas the HI Kukuri will release easily permitting more efficient chopping.

As the comparison to a Golok there is none. Two different knives entirely. The khukuri cuts on the reverse curve which give it much more leverage than cutting on a "belly" as the golok appears to do.
I am sure the golok does very well in the terrain it is designed for.

The khukuri of Nepal is used from sea level tropic type conditions to over 15,000 feet high in the Himalayas. The Nepalese khukuri's have many different sizes and weights as well as different blade designs. Some are wide and short while others are long and thin and this is to take care of the differences in terrain and vegetation that is found in Nepal.

And the khukuri_is_ the National Knife of Nepal.

I still wouldn't mind having one of those golok's though. Our friend and brother Mohd in Malaysia who posts in the HI forum has talked about them before. Mohd also has several HI KHukuri's.

Take a look at them, the link is on the bottom of my sig.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

"I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."

........unknown, to me anyway........

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website

JUSTPLAINMIKE · Oct 20, 2000

Originally posted by golok:

In my country Malaysia, we have a similar knife like the Nepalese kukris.
In our language we call it the golok.

Now the golok cuts anything like butter.

I understand that Americans like to boast that their AUS 8 and ATS 34 can cut anything under the Sun, include the front door of the Mercedes!

I don't question the validity of these claims but you guys out there are making knives that perform functions that other low-tech weapons like the golok can do, if not, better.

So what's the difference? The difference is the price. A Cold Steel Kukri costs almost $1,000 in my country. A golok costs something like $15.

I have a kukri (not Cold Steel) and several goloks. From experience, I know a golok is more practical if I were to enter the jungle, simply because a golok is a tropicalised weapon. It can stand heat, it is tough, it is dangerous and most of all it feels like my third hand.

A kukri, for sure, is a formidable weapon. A golok, well, you will have to hold one in your hand to know its character.

Goloks are generally made out of carbon steel. It rusts without much effort but it also sharpens in a jiffy!

If you chaps are going to sell your knives in my country and make fans and friends out of your products, you better wake up and see reality. The jungle is neutral, you all know that. Enter the jungle, my jungle and carry your customised knives, and I will take my golok and we will see who comes out alive.

I was given a Golok 5 years ago,a real back village make that had seen much use & neglect,but after pinning the handle to the tang,cleaning & sharpening the blade,and fixing the sheath,ifound it to be an xlnt tool/weapon and prefer it over the kukuri.Unfortunately igave it to a nurse that had lived in the Phillipines for many years,fortunately i made pattern of blade/handle/sheath and will make one soon.Antone interested in a copy of pattern,let me know.

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JPM

Yvsa · Oct 20, 2000

:
JPM, I would be most interested in such a pattern. What do I need to do to get one?

I have heard that many of the tools made in the jungle are first rate.
I have a Moro Sword that I suspect was made back in the hills so to speak. It still has a lot of the carbon on it from the quench and as some forge folds in the steel up near the grip. It's very quick in the hand, but needs the brass or copper mounts to hold the handle on.

I have over a dozen HI khukuri's that vary in size from 6" oal to 22"
oal, and the weight from next to nothing to about 3 pounds. There is a khukuri made for any use imagineable!

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

"I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."

........unknown, to me anyway........

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website

Golok vs Kukris

MidniteSuperMod