Help with first Kukri

cul4u01 said:
LOL...me too.
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I thought all HI aficionados were big, old world, farm-work toughened, corn-fed strong boys. And that I was somehow lost in here?

I bet some of these one meter AKs I see lately are actually used by some for chopping down things. They just won't say it, so as not to scare little people away and diminish HI's business.

Well, at least I know there's two of us normal-sized guys out there. Good.
 
Moonw said:
I thought all HI aficionados were big, old world, farm-work toughened, corn-fed strong boys. And that I was somehow lost in here?

I bet some of these one meter AKs I see lately are actually used by some for chopping down things. They just won't say it, so as not to scare little people away and diminish HI's business.

Well, at least I know there's two of us normal-sized guys out there. Good.
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:D Glad, I wasn't the only "city" boy around. I can actually use some of my heavier ones, it's not so much strength, as good technique. I'm just 5' 9 1/2", 190 lbs, not exactly what I would call fit, nor muscular, anymore. Age has sort of caught up with me.
 
cul4u01 said:
:D Glad, I wasn't the only "city" boy around. I can actually use some of my heavier ones, it's not so much strength, as good technique. I'm just 5' 9 1/2", 190 lbs, not exactly what I would call fit, nor muscular, anymore. Age has sort of caught up with me.
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I am ok with kukris up to 40oz or so. I have a 23in Chittilangi 40oz. that I find very comfortable, on the other hand I have a 54oz Talwar sword that should be swung with both hands lol. I can swing it with one hand easily but stopping that much mass takes considerable strength. I am 6'5 290lbs so I have a bit of an advantage in the "weight swinging" department.
 
cul4u01 said:
:D Glad, I wasn't the only "city" boy around. I can actually use some of my heavier ones, it's not so much strength, as good technique. I'm just 5' 9 1/2", 190 lbs, not exactly what I would call fit, nor muscular, anymore. Age has sort of caught up with me.
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For chopping, indeed. Problem is when I go crazy and start doing some arcs like a lunatic; makes me think twice whether I want the Samsher quite THAT sharp :D.
 
My M-43 is probably my favorite all purpose khuk, its 18 inches long and 36 oz and for me and my build (5'7" ~170lbs athletic/ "beefy" build) it performs greatly in many different tasks.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. So, a few thoughts,

There was some comment about going light or heavy, not intermediate. I understand that an intermediate will be a compromise. But if going light for brush, what advantage is a proper Kuk over a kuk machete? Wouldn't the kuk machete have a better weight/reach than a proper piece?

Could I use something like an 18" Sirupatu with any real effect for light chopping limbing, or would I just regret not taking my little wetterlings with me? What is the weight of an 18" Gelbu Special?

Thanks again for the help
 
If you're looking for a khuk that can do most of everything i think an M-43 or ASTK are two of your best choices if you can find one between 32-36 oz at 18 or so inches. Best thing is they are made for field use and definitely can take a thumping, not saying the rest are anything less though.
 
Brush clearing is best left to long, thin, and light blades. Anything heavy will wear your arm and hand out fast. Now for limbing and chopping a heavier kukri is the way to go. Personally my 16.5" 23oz ww2 gets the most use for limbing and my 18" 36oz bonecutter gets the heavier chopping jobs.
 
Would the Thamar 17 or 18 inch dui churri be a good general kukri that can perform reasonably well in both light cutting and heavy chopping?
I am still to receive mine but wondering how the edge profile is and with its intermediate weight of around 25 ounce be suitable for what the member wants? I guess it'll be less of a chopper but still reasonably good.
Any experience from the other Dui churri owners?
Though there will be a long queue for a Thamar!
 
I think sirupate best for brush clearing, the light and short thamar blades are fighters imo, good tools, but still light enough to be weapons: warning my opinion has no value as I do not actually use any of my blades save for 3, everything is just purty and fer looking not using
 
Got a deal on the M-43 15" so I'm going to play with that for a while. I may wind up with something longer/lighter in the future. Thanks for all the help guys.
 
I have a M43 but all in all it is heavy. Well made? yes, a beast of a chopper? Yes . BUT that said it is simply too large to be considered "practical".. If i had to do it all over again I would go with something in the 26-28 ounce range and keep it SHARP ! Youll find yourself "liking" to carry it. A nice villager ? THAT would be the ticket, especially if you could get one with a 'pinned Handle' Not super "curvy" and in the weight range I said. If you go to Home Depot or someplace that carries and sells "Hammers" try some different weights out and get an Idea of what im talking about. BUT, that said , Keep whatever you Buy Sharp ! My next Blade would be a 2 pinned knife in the weight range I said! This is MY opinion!
 
As I've stated before, lighter isn't always better for chopping. The weight behind the edge drives the mass for chopping. A heavier khukuri will tend to bite deeper and chop with less strokes than a lighter khukuri. The lighter khukuri will be easier to carry on your belt and you can swing it with more velocity, but velocity alone won't make it a better chopper.
 
E=MC2

Energy is = to Mass X Velocity...

I lighter khuk will need to be swing faster to have the same "Energy" as a heavier khuk being swung at a slower rate. It's a balancing act to say the least.

There's a reason middle and light weight fighters don't fight heavy weights.
 
For a chopper, I wouldn't keep a "shaving sharp" edge on it either, too easy to roll, ding up, chip, etc... A nice field sharp edge will "bite" harder and deeper than a shaving sharp one when "chopping". Let the mass behind the edge of the blade do the work.
 
A little correction, if I may.

I think we should consider the kynetic energy. That is Ek = ½mv2...sorry, I cannot write powers, so rephrasing it's actually (m * v * v) / 2. This is what I remember from many, many years back :).

This formula tells you that actually adding speed to an object will benefit you much more than increasing mass. (This is why you will see a small malinois taking down a big helper and sometimes a big mastiff won't, although it does pack significantly more power once it got a hold of you.) Mass appears once as a multiplier, velocity twice. However, and here's the catch: there's just so much speed you can add using your muscles. And with each swing you will find it harder to use the same velocity. But, OTOH, what you can do is to increase the mass. There's a point where increasing the speed provides diminishing returns, that is, because you are a human, and not a robot. You can imprint only "so" much speed to an object. That is why one will read again and again that with a kukri you let its own weight (gravity) do the work...and the flick of the wrist at the end. Because it is much, much more practical to lift a kukri and let its weight do the job...than using your muscle. Gravity wins each and every time here on Earth, in the long run, so why not use it?
 
Moonw said:
A little correction, if I may.

I think we should consider the kynetic energy. That is Ek = ½mv2...sorry, I cannot write powers, so rephrasing it's actually (m * v * v) / 2. This is what I remember from many, many years back :).

This formula tells you that actually adding speed to an object will benefit you much more than increasing mass. (This is why you will see a small malinois taking down a big helper and sometimes a big mastiff won't, although it does pack significantly more power once it got a hold of you.) Mass appears once as a multiplier, velocity twice. However, and here's the catch: there's just so much speed you can add using your muscles. And with each swing you will find it harder to use the same velocity. But, OTOH, what you can do is to increase the mass. There's a point where increasing the speed provides diminishing returns, that is, because you are a human, and not a robot. You can imprint only "so" much speed to an object. That is why one will read again and again that with a kukri you let its own weight (gravity) do the work...and the flick of the wrist at the end. Because it is much, much more practical to lift a kukri and let its weight do the job...than using your muscle. Gravity wins each and every time here on Earth, in the long run, so why not use it?
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Excellent points
 
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