HI meets BK&T!

J

James Mattis

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
3,264
<A HREF="http://www.chaicutlery.com/HimalayanImports/KumarSirupati-BKTMachax.jpg" TARGET=_blank>
KumarSirupati-BKTMachax-medium.jpg
</A>

On top (actually on the bottom, facing the glass), we have a Himalayan Imports 15" Sirupati by Kumar from the Bir Gorkha workshop in Nepal, a knife in a traditional style made from a recycled Mercedes Benz truck spring, brass, and buffalo horn.

And we have a Becker Knife and Tool Machax, from the Camillus cutlery factory in New York, a modern chopper-lopper designed by Ethan Becker, outdoor survival student and editor of Joy of Cooking, made from industrial tool steel and molded fiberglass-nylon composite.

Both are "virgin" and have not chopped or lopped anything, so I can only speculate on comparitive performance. The Machax weighs in at 23 ounces, balanced an inch or so in front of the guard area, and is 1/4" stock. The Sirupati is lighter at 15 ounces, balanced about 2" ahead of the bolster, and slightly thicker than the BK&T at the spine.

Different traditions, same objective.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
Whoa. If the guy who invented that one is also editor of Joy of Cooking, we gotta get him in here for a stint on Kukhuris in the Kitchen.
 
How long oal is the BTK? Might be fairer to pair it with a 15 AK or Giant BAS - whichever comes closer in weight and length.
 
As I mentioned in the Camillus forum, I just got back from vacation & my neighbor brought over a package containing the Machax that I won in the recent Camillus contest.
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I'll be heading back to my camp later this week & will give the Machax a bit of a workout. I'll include a HI khukuri for some performance comparisons.

Rusty, OAL on the Machax is 14 3/4" measured in a straight line from tip to back of handle. The challenge will be finding a HI khuk that is comparably sized. My 15" AK is a bit heavier at 2 lbs & my 16" Sirupati is a bit lighter at just over 1 lb. My WWII & GS are probably closer in weight but they are both about 3" longer than the Machax.

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Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.
 
Success!
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I poked around a bit & came across the villager that I recently acquired. At 15", 7/16" thick, and 22 oz., it is close enough in size to the Machax to allow for a fair comparison. This should be fun.

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Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.
 
Ok ok,so my view is still a little abstract from all those art classes
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Nice photos,keep up the good work.I love your comparison shots.

 
That pic says it all, really.

In the blue corner - elegance, grace, craftsmanship, tradition, and perfect ergonomics honed by two and a half thousand years of organic development.

In the red corner - stamped, cold-ground quarter-inch stock with a plastic handle.

Progress? I got your progress right here...

 
Tom, I agree with you completely regarding the aesthetics. In fact, after using my Busse #9 side-by-side with my 16" Sirupati, I sold the Busse. Nevertheless, I am still interested in the performance comparison.

Rusty, ROTFLMAO.
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Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.
 
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