HI Khukuris: Who has Used Them in the Woods?

Brian Jones

Brian Jones

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Jan 17, 1999
Messages
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I own several models of Bill Martino's Khukuris, and find them to be fantastic hard use knives. I have chopped down trees, split firewood, and done many other things with them, including using the small karda as a utility knife and the chakma (sharpener) as a butter knife! They keep going without a hitch...

I wanted to compare notes with other HI Khukuri owners and see what uses they have gotten from their knives in the woods...

Post away!

Best,

Brian.
 
I have.

Splitting wood and making kindling for the fire, cutting petrified jerky, cutting tree branches for a seat in the snow, maintaining trails, cutting blackberries.

The standard models are good for splitting and chopping, but to be honest I do little of that when camping. I really like my Udhaipur village khukuri. It has a light, narrow blade with a fuller. It handles light chopping and splitting, and doesn’t weigh very much. Unfortunately this style is not readily available, but some of the smaller Sirupatis or Chainpuris may approximate it.

You can see an illustration and review of the Udhaipur at http://www.tx3.net/~howardw/Khukuris/Styles2.htm .


------------------
Howard Wallace
Khukuri FAQ

 
I also have several HI khukuris and have used them around camp primarily to maintain trails, limb downed trees (before cutting up with my chainsaw), and to split firewood into kindling. I went on a hike with my wife & daughter a few weeks back & used one to reduce some 5" or so thick downed limbs to a size suitable for a fire. (We had decided to crash in the same spot for a few hours.)

A couple of months back, I had a need to cut a rectangular section of clay to accept cinder blocks for under the tongue of a trailer. I had a mattock & spade at my disposal but, since the trailer was on a hillside, I wanted to remove a section of clay that would precisely fit the cinder blocks. Khuk to the rescue -- it cut cleanly through the clay & roots, giving me exactly the hole I wanted.

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Cheers,

--+Brian+--

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket, Babe, but at least I'm enjoyin' the ride.


 
I have cut down trees (up to about 12") cleared limbs split firewood, cut kindling, dug holes, broke up rocks and cinder blocks, pried rotten beams from my house, chopped up old lead pipes to melt down for bullets and frightened the general populace with my 15" Ang Kohla. It is indestructable. No pack is complete without one!

Mike
 
I played with a couple a while back and to be totally honest I didnt like them very much. They were fairly well made and all that but the handles had a bunch of hot spots and being round they wanted to turn in my hand when chopping. I guess it goes to show you that it is whatever a person is used to though because most people seem to like them very much. I have to say they were good choppers though.

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www.simonichknives.com
 
Now I'm trying to stir up some fecal matter.
Why are you asking about the HI Khukuris and not the GH ones also. What has caused you to ignore another Khukuri dealer who here on BF has a forum??????

I do not understand this where one dealer is singled out for excellent work and the other ignored. From everything I've read here it really seems like somthing personal happened and now if your not into HI Khukuris you do not matter. I've read some posts that do not take this line of thought but they are far and few inbetween.

Are the GH Khukuris any good or are they a tourist POS??? Give me FACTS not emotional dribble.

I have a GH WWIII on order and am extremly excited about getting my little grubby hands on it!!!!!

This is all how I perceive things here, and I might be entirely off base. If I'm in left field on this could sombody please straghten me out without any flames or personal attacks????
 
Shrike9,

Please accept my apology for any unseemly commercialism on this forum. I was introduced to the use of the Nepalese Khukuri in 1979 in Nepal. My comments will generalize to any well-made Nepalese khukuri.

I’m sorry I can’t give you any first-hand information on the GH products, as I have never seen or used one.
 
Wow, I hadn't checked on this subject until now. I am interested in learning the difference between the Hi and GH styles. Can you guys explain the basic design of each and what they are used for. Teach me...

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Sorry, Shrike9, if it seemed like commercialism.

First off, I have no economic or other interest in HI Khukris. I just like them very much.

Secondly, I haven't had any experience with GH khukuris, so I can't comment on them one way or the other. I was trying to be as specific in my post as possible, and have had excellent interaction with Bill Martino. So, please don't misinterpret my intentions here.
I have heard that Craig also has nice Khukuris, but I have had no direct experience with them, that's all.

Thanks for being vigilant here -- it makes sense, and upon rereading my post, I can understand why you raised the issue.

Hope this clears things up!

Peace,

Brian.
 
I have used both HI and GH to clear brush and sapling, and split wood. Both work fine. Rob is not off on his comments. the carved rings around the midsection of the traditional handle can create hotspots after a lot of chopping. Think I may suggest that try to omit those in some models.

Now that I have used them, I don't plan on going out without a smallish model with me and perhaps a bigger one like a 16" WWII for longer treks.

sing

AKTI A000356
 
The rings are there to provide security, they are not just a decoration even though some like the looks of them. To see how much of a difference they make, file them off, stab the khukuri through a 2x8 and count how many fingers you have left.

If you are getting hot spots, handle rolling or any other ergonomic problems then you are either not chopping correctly or don't have the necessary grip strength (your hand could be too big for the handle but that only creates one very specific problem - impacts off of the sharp corners of the buttcap).

The only ergonomic problem with the grips on the HI khukuris is that they are unstable in extreme conditions, I recently modified mine to fix this :

http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum26/HTML/000867.html

-Cliff
 
Shrike, like Brian Jones I have no direct experience with GH khukuris so I can't comment on their performance. I do, however, know folks whose opinions I respect who have bought several GHs. Based on their experiences, I'm sure you'll love the WWIII. (BTW, I've been following its development & am really looking forward to seeing a completed piece.)

Now I don't mean to split hairs with my next statement, but rather just want to clarify things for those who may not be familiar with both companies. You use the term "dealer" to apply to both GH & HI when, in fact, HI is a manufacturer & GH is a reseller. GH & HI sell products from different factories.

I think it's less important to differentiate GH from HI than it is to differentiate their products from the POS "gov't issue" khukuris that are offered in mail order catalogs, eBay, etc. I would hate for someone to read the positive things that have been said about quality khuks and then buy a POS, thinking they are getting a bargain & expecting the same performance.

Although I consider myself both an experienced outdoorsman & a knowledgeable knife collector, I would not have known the difference if it were not for these forums. I generally mention "HI" when talking about one of my khuks just as I would specify Spyderco when talking about one of my folders. It's not elitism, simply clarity. If I acquire a GH at some point, I'm sure I'll reference GH when talking about it.

------------------
Cheers,

--+Brian+--

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket, Babe, but at least I'm enjoyin' the ride.


 
I am interested in learning the difference between the Hi and GH styles. Can you guys explain the basic design of each and what they are used for. Teach me...
Click to expand...
Greg,
I'm about to generalize and, in so doing, know that I'm leaving myself open to correction. So, folks, go ahead -- correct away. IMO, brands aside, there are three basic categories of khukuris: tool class, multi-purpose, and weapons class. Both GH & HI offer khukuris in each class. Some examples:

[*] Tool class - includes Ang Kholas (AKs, offered by both companies) as well as other heavy duty models specific to one company or the another. (HI has a Chiruwa & GH has a Panawal.) These are meant for heavy work, come in several sizes, and are generally the heaviest, thickest, & widest models available for any given length.

[*] Multi-purpose - includes WW (World War) models offered by each company and modeled after the khukuris carried by the Gorkhas (i.e., Gurkha) forces in World War II. These are generally a bit longer, wider, and heavier than the standard khukuris of the Gorkhas today (like HI's BAS model & GH's SN-1 model). Each company offers other khuks that I would classify as multi-purpose as well.

[*] Weapons class - includes Sirupati models (offered by both companies) as well as some other relatively light, fast models specific to one company or the another.

There is quite a bit of cross-over between categories. For example, although it might be difficult to stop or change direction of an Ang Khola in mid-swing, it would certainly be a fearsome weapon. Likewise, although a Sirupati is usually thought of as a weapon, my 16" (OAL) HI Sirupati is almost identical in length to my Busse #9 and is just a little bit heavier.

Well, I think I've probably muddied the waters enough for one day.
wink.gif
For anyone interested in learning more about khukuris, I highly recommend visiting Howard Wallace's excellent HI Forum Khukuri FAQ.

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Cheers,

--+Brian+--

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket, Babe, but at least I'm enjoyin' the ride.

[This message has been edited by bcaffrey (edited 09 December 1999).]
 
Cliff, I know what you mean about the rings keeping you from sliding onto the blade, that bothered me about the Kukri I was playing with. I dont think I want traction tape on any of my knives, I grind enough skin off with my belt grinder making knives!
smile.gif
I am intrigued with the design and being a knifemaker of course I have to alter things, so I came up with this design as an "Americanized" version with an oval handle and finger guard to keep me from sliding around on the knife while chopping. It is not a full blown chopper for sure, but would it be right to call it a utility Kukri? I cant say it is any better than the Kukris you are discussing, just that it works better for me.

srtkuks.jpg


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www.simonichknives.com

[This message has been edited by Rob Simonich (edited 09 December 1999).]
 
Rob,

Can you tell us more about the dimensions, blade thickness, etc., on your Khukuri? Looks really nice (as does everything you make).

Thanks!

Brian.
 
Brian, it is 15" overall with 9" of cutting edge, Its 1/4" thick differentially tempered A-2, with Micarta handles. It is what I call variable ground, in other words it is ground fairly thin close to the handle on the flat part of the edge to make an effective whittler, and out towards the sweet spot it is ground a bit thicker to put more weight and strength there.

Mike Turber has it and is testing it in the 9" forum test. The handles are removeable and when I get it back it is going to get fitted for a Talonite parasite blade and a sparking rod.

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www.simonichknives.com
 
Wow, I didn't know A2 can be differentially tempered. Can you tell us what the Rockwell readings are from edge to spine?

Someday when I have more $ to play around, I'd like to get a differentially tempered, cryo treated CPM3V in the above pictured configuration just to see how well it performs. Hopefully better than A2?
 
Goat, A-2 can be differentially tempered, although not as effectively as more simple steels such as 0-1, 1095, 1084, 5160, 52-100 etc. The back of the blade will rockwell around 54, and the edge 60 Rc. I believe the effort is woth it on a big A-2 knife such as the Kukri shown. 3-V may well make a superior blade over the A-2 but the heat treating is much trickier and I dont think (but not sure) that it can be effectively differentially tempered. Another problem with the 3-V is thickness availability, I have quite a good stock of .175, but that is as thick as it gets for now. A little birdie did tell me there may be some very limited 1/4" available but I will have to do some major sucking up to get a sample! And I am not very good at sucking up.
smile.gif


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www.simonichknives.com
 
Thanks Rob. Might I say yours is the first American khukuri I've seen with a traditional blade shape. I like it alot.

There seems to be an interest for evaluations of khukuris from different manufacturers.

I posted a limited review in the Review Forum for those interested.
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001124.html



[This message has been edited by tallwingedgoat (edited 10 December 1999).]
 
Bcaffrey,

Good write up. Just one bit of addenum for the khukuri classification:

I owned both the HI British Army Service and the GH Service Number One. Though both are supposed to be the same. They are in fact very different.

The SN1 is Gurkha House's munition-grade, no-frills model. It's plain Jane compared to the Bhojpure, or most of HI's line. The SN1 is not as well finnished as the BAS and do not have the "Sword of Shiva" brass inlay. Just a single groove cut into the blade.

Moreover, the SN1 is super light. The BAS is 1.3 lb. I don't know how much the SN1 weighs. But I can only imagine it to be smiliar to a HI 15" Sirupati. I rather like the way it handles. A nice little fighter. Not the prettiest, but it's cheap.



[This message has been edited by tallwingedgoat (edited 10 December 1999).]
 
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