I'm going to be something of a dissenting vote here.
First off, I'm not going to compare it to a BM of any sort, since I don't yet have one.
Second, anyone who's seen my posts on the HI or WS&S forums knows I consider a 20" kukri to be just right, and anything under 18" to be flat out disappointing in performance. If one cannot bear to carry the weight of a large kukri, then buy a different blade, a small one will not live up to the legend, and IMO is a waste of time other than as a novelty.
Third, KLOs -- Kukri Like Objects -- such as the Cold Steel, Ontario and S&W ones are bent machetes and do not give the advantages of a real kukri. You're better off with a latin-style machete, golok, or cane knife if you want what amounts to a sharpened piece of sheet metal. Any of those three will generally cost less and perform better than the KLO.
Now, some things that degrade kukri performance.
1.) Technique. Axe/hatchet technique doesn't work quite so well. One poster mentioned that you don't see the forward curve of the kukri on axes. Which is true. That's because an axe is meant to hit the wood straight on. In fact that's why you see people bend at the legs just before their axe makes contact -- it's in order to have the axe moving in a linear motion, rather than swinging in an arc at the time of impact. Using this technique with a kukri will not give good results.
The correct way is to chop on an arc, and give a little snap of the wrist just before impact. If you know how to chop well with a knife or machete, you already know what I mean. Kind of making a motion like you're lashing a whip. Now also note that not all of the kukris work gets done on the chop. The blade needs to have some "run". I.E. it not only chops the wood, it slices the fibers also. Best way to describe it is imagine two lines coming from what would be the center of the circle described by the kukri's arc running to the edge, encompassing the "sweet spot". The angle between these lines will be narrow for very hard materials, and fairly wide for soft materials. You want the initial impact of the chop to begin at the point of that arc closest to the handle, and follow through as close to the end of that arc towards the tip. So you get a sort of slicing/chopping motion.
2.)Using too light a kukri.
3.) Not prepping the blade. HI kukris come with a high shine buffed into them unless you buy a "villager" model. Some say the buffing doesn't affect the heat treat, but it does. I think they use a lot of pressure and generate way too much heat when they buff. The outer layer of metal is quite soft, and will easily roll. Since I've never gotten anything from HI that I'd call sharp, I set out to put a good edge on. First thing is to get the soft metal off. I usually just file it. Be careful as you will go from removing a good bit of metal with each stroke to the file skating with no real warning. The metal underneath is very hard. I then sharpen it with a diamond hone. I get this metal sharp enough that I can cut very soft vegetation, like flower stems, with a little flick of the wrist, and yet it doesn't chip or roll on even seasoned hardwoods.
4.) Remember they are only hardened at the sweet spot.
5.) Remember they are kept soft along most of the blade so they can be realigned with a steel -- these are made to be able to be maintained by people in a third world country that don't have an array of diamond hones or belt sanders at their disposal at home. This softer metal is just fine for game prep, food prep, etc, It's only the sweet spot that does the chopping.
As for chopping things on the ground, it works fine. Will you dull the tip when it digs into dirt? Sure, but it doesn't really matter, as you don't use that part of the blade for heavy work and it can easily be resharpened. BTW, you're going to dig the tip of your BM or part of a hatchet into the ground if you're chopping ON THE GROUND as well. This is not a design problem exclusive to the kukri. The solution is just don't chop directly on the ground.
What it comes down to is are you willing to work with the kukri to put the proper edge on it and then learn to use it? You have to adapt to the kukri, it won't adapt to you. If you aren't willing to carry the weight, then don't bother (although most who refuse to carry the weight deride the BM as an overgrown sharpened prybar that isn't a very good chopper either
-- I suspect they haven't tried to use one of them properly either).
Since you can get about three of the larger (20"+ OAL) kukris for what you pick up an aftermarket BM for, it's not a bad idea to try one out. Even if you end up not liking it, it makes a great conversation piece.
