After months of bouncing around on the Himalayan Imports site, I finally pulled the trigger and purchased an 18" ang khola. Overall I am very pleased with the purchase and I am already drooling over the possibility of making a 25 inch Kobra my next HI purchase. I have been wanting something hand made for a while, and the HI ang khola does not disappoint. The build quality is outstanding - in your hand it feels completely solid and seems like you could run over it with a train without doing any significant damage. It is definitely on the heavier side, but for what the intended use is, I think that is only a good thing.
So far I have used it for chopping sticks and logs ranging from 2 inches to about 5 inches in diameter. If I did not get the smaller 2 inch pieces in one chop, then it only took 2 or 3. The medium 3 inch pieces took anywhere from 5 to 15 swings depending on the type of wood, while the larger 5 inch pieces took around 30 - 40 swings. I could definitely see someone with more chopping experience having a much easier time though - I have only been out chopping a handful of times during the past year or so, just to gather firewood for a small firepit that we have in the back yard. I have used hatchets before for the same sort of thing, and given the choice I would definitely use the ang khola over another hatchet. Even with my limited chopping experience it really felt like I was getting the most out of the ang khola's chopping power - the edge and weight of the blade really do all of the work for you.
I also tried using it for splitting some 6 - 8 inch logs - this was more of a chore, but I am pretty sure that I was not going about it the best way possible. I didn't really have a stable base to chop on, and it was really my first attempt at splitting anything. With a little bit of work I was able to split two of them in half, but did not continue after that. But again, I suspect that someone with more experience would be able to use the ang khola more effectively for this purpose.
Also, I went with the horn handle... given the choice again, I'm not sure that I would do the same. It feels comfortable enough in the hand, and seems to absorb impact very well as I did not feel any vibration while chopping. However, I found that I had to keep readjusting my grip because my hand was constantly sliding down the handle as I was chopping. It also gave me a few nasty blisters - that could be my fault, but I have not had the same problem when using more modern handles. I've wrapped the handle with some hockey tape though, which I think will make a big difference.
Aside from that, my only other complaint is that there was some degree of scuffing on the handles, especially on the karda and chakma. It isn't necessarily an issue, but it would have been nice to have something that really looked and felt "new". The scabbard, on the other and, does look refined and holds all three blades securely.
Below are some pictures for comparison purposes to illustrate how the ang khola looks next to a Kabar Kukri machete and a Condor Golok machete. Those are both also pretty decent choppers, but tend to get tedious for anything bigger than 4 inches. But, they are also much lighter, and do peform much better for brush clearing. In a self defense situation I would probalby reach for the golok - it is very well balanced and feels very nimble in the hand. The Kabar in particular is extremely versatile, and cheap enough that you don't have to worry about using it as a camp knife for digging, etc...
So far I have used it for chopping sticks and logs ranging from 2 inches to about 5 inches in diameter. If I did not get the smaller 2 inch pieces in one chop, then it only took 2 or 3. The medium 3 inch pieces took anywhere from 5 to 15 swings depending on the type of wood, while the larger 5 inch pieces took around 30 - 40 swings. I could definitely see someone with more chopping experience having a much easier time though - I have only been out chopping a handful of times during the past year or so, just to gather firewood for a small firepit that we have in the back yard. I have used hatchets before for the same sort of thing, and given the choice I would definitely use the ang khola over another hatchet. Even with my limited chopping experience it really felt like I was getting the most out of the ang khola's chopping power - the edge and weight of the blade really do all of the work for you.
I also tried using it for splitting some 6 - 8 inch logs - this was more of a chore, but I am pretty sure that I was not going about it the best way possible. I didn't really have a stable base to chop on, and it was really my first attempt at splitting anything. With a little bit of work I was able to split two of them in half, but did not continue after that. But again, I suspect that someone with more experience would be able to use the ang khola more effectively for this purpose.
Also, I went with the horn handle... given the choice again, I'm not sure that I would do the same. It feels comfortable enough in the hand, and seems to absorb impact very well as I did not feel any vibration while chopping. However, I found that I had to keep readjusting my grip because my hand was constantly sliding down the handle as I was chopping. It also gave me a few nasty blisters - that could be my fault, but I have not had the same problem when using more modern handles. I've wrapped the handle with some hockey tape though, which I think will make a big difference.
Aside from that, my only other complaint is that there was some degree of scuffing on the handles, especially on the karda and chakma. It isn't necessarily an issue, but it would have been nice to have something that really looked and felt "new". The scabbard, on the other and, does look refined and holds all three blades securely.
Below are some pictures for comparison purposes to illustrate how the ang khola looks next to a Kabar Kukri machete and a Condor Golok machete. Those are both also pretty decent choppers, but tend to get tedious for anything bigger than 4 inches. But, they are also much lighter, and do peform much better for brush clearing. In a self defense situation I would probalby reach for the golok - it is very well balanced and feels very nimble in the hand. The Kabar in particular is extremely versatile, and cheap enough that you don't have to worry about using it as a camp knife for digging, etc...
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