Inexpensive kukri?

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GroovyMr1337

Joined
Feb 21, 2007
Messages
220
What would you guys recommend for an inexpensive (under 50$) kukri? I don't want to spring money on an HI quite yet, until I know I love khukuris.

(Oh, and how are you supposed to spell Khukri?)
 
With an under $50 price range be careful. You could end up getting a "bent knife" and not a khuk.
 
I just bought an flawed HI for 45 dollars on the HI forum. Why not go that route?
 
I got my HI Kurk BAS for 65 bucks from the forum. I highly recommend them for outdoor use. It is probably one of my favorite choppers and I have a few higher end one's to choose from. I have gone out with friends with both a Kbar and a Cold Steel versions and both of them wished they had a HI at the end of the hunting trip. My advice is to save your money and buy the real deal, you won't be dissapointed. If you don't like it you'll be able to sell it at very close to your purchase price, maybe the same or more if you get it in a special offer. Keep an eye out on the HI section, deals come up all the time. I highly recommend a BAS or WWII as a backpacking version. I have a Ang Gola 16", but man! The thing weighs a ton! My .02.

Picture001.jpg
 
I can't link to them because I think the rules won't allow that, but I have many of them up for sale in that price range ... HI and other brands

I hope its ok to say that and not a violation of any forum rules
 
Wait for a HI Blem. Those don't look perfect, but are as tough as the others. Yangdu still offers the guarantee on the blade.
 
The HIs are good knives. As Fieldtestornothing said, there are lots of "khuks" on the market, but for the real deal, HI is the best IMO.

Remember, with one of their knives you are getting a fully handmade knife from quality steel (likely 5160), hand forged, differentially heat treated, with great personal service.

For a comparably American made knife you could bet on paying several hundred dollars.

The BAS, WWII and 15" Ang Kholas can't be beat and all can be had for $70-80. Blems are often for sale for substantially less, and they usually have nothing wrong with them that a bit of epoxy or superglue or elbow grease can't fully fix.

Andy
 
Guys, if you read my first post, you will realize that I don't want an HI quite yet. I am not ready to spring the money on one until I have actually USED a khukri! Although 45$ shipped for a blem is quite tempting, what would you recommend in the lower price range? I don't want a HUGE one, probably 15" or under, and I would like a beater I can test out before I get a good HI.
 
Well. when you say under 50. I say, why not get the real thing? BUT if you want a beater you can also look at the CS style of Kukri Machetes.

from CS website
http://www.coldsteel.com/97kms.html

then there's the Ka-bar "kukri"

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=KA1249

These are not REAL Kukri's but they would make fine "beaters" until you want to buy something better. I would still recommend getting a blem AK or BAS for 45. It may take a little bit to find one but they def come up, plus you get an HI which you eventually want to move up too? Without spending the amount you would on a new one.

There is also another brand of Kukri's out there, heck I forget there name but someone else can chime in. www.khukurihouseonline.com, thats the ones. I guess its spelled Khukri!
 
I have a very cheap khukri that I got a few years ago for about 20 bucks. If I knew half of what I know now about khukris (and I still don't know too much) I would never have bought it. The steel is pretty soft, but overall it's still tough as hell and does see a lot of use, primarily as a hatchet. I'm about ready to invest in a new one from HI. I was just browsing around on their sight and I saw that they have a small one in their new products section for 35 bucks:

http://yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/bilton.html

It's pretty tiny for a khukri, but that's still around a 4 or 5 inch blade (they measure khukris on a straight line from tip to butt-cap, so I'm estimating on blade length) and it would be much lighter and easier to carry on a hike.

EDIT: Sorry, I have a tendency to start a reply to a post and then get distracted and not finish for a half hour or more, so I didn't see your last post Groovy. If you really want to try something else first, I'd go for the Ka-Bar. I've never actually used one, but I don't think you can go far wrong with something from Ka-Bar. I've had mixed experiences with Cold Steel's products.
 
OK, then. You don't want a real Khurk, you want a crappy imitation, so you can see if you would like a real Kurk, makes perfect sense to me. Understand though that a imitation isn't gonna teach you a whole lot about the real deal. All your buying is a bent knife. In that case I would recommend a Kbar. They are massive thick knives. My experience was good with them. The rubber handle is nice and soaks up some shock. The edge will probably need to be reprofiled and my experience is that it was a tad softer than my HI. Despite, it was a tank. Great beater. I don't recommend CS ones. My buddy did some work on a Mesquite tree (Harder wood) and his bent. I wouldn't trust my life on one by any means. Now if you want to cut down grasses and brush that may be a different story....but then I would just buy a good machete for 10 bucks. Good luck in your quest.
 
I just saw a couple of Ontario Knife Co Khukris on eBay with "buy it now" prices of $37.99. Probably right around $50 shipped. They're ending pretty much as I type this, but they'll probably be re-listed.

EDIT: I just did a quick bit of research and found that the Ka-Bar Khukri has a 1/8 inch blade thickness, and the Ontario Knife Co. Khukri has a 1/4 inch blade thickness. So the Ontario may be a wee bit closer to the feel of a traditional khukri. Keep in mind that this is a guess coming from someone who barely knows anything about khukris and isn't afraid to admit it. :)
 
Alright, I have decided my plan of action. First, I will buy a cheap $15 Khukri at the army navy store. After using it a bit, beating it up, and doing some mods, I will then buy a HI Blem. What HI model would you recommend? Oh, and what size blade is good for a khuk?
 
HI WWII and the bas seem to be the fav. carry in the line up. Some like the baby gram (sp?) best more prefer the AK line. This relay is a up to you question. Spend some time on the HI form and read the revives and comments.

I went with the M-43 as my first but many think this is a more advanced model (?) to use. (blade angle)
 
I know you don't want an HI right now but get one and if you decide you don't want it just send me an email and I will buy it from you. I say this because I have had the Cold Steel Kukri and I thought it was the best thing ever until I got my HI. I also have the KaBar one and it is ok, but after I got the HI I realized the others are just a waste of time. My son bought me a generic one of Ebay this Christmas and I have it for sentimental reason but it is not even close to usable. Get the HI Khukuri and you will love it. Mine is a 11" Ang Khola which is not even the big one and it outperforms any blade that I can use for chopping. Get the HI khukuri in a decent size like a 18" and you will be able to move it if you don't like it.
 
I ga'ta go with wight feather on this.

I see your logic but what you are thinking is the same as thinking you want a Corvette so you want to drive a 2 door Chevy first to see if you like them. They are sort of the same, but nothing alike.

If you contact Yangdu at HI, tell her what your looking for you may find that you can HI in your price range. A e-mail is a lot cheaper than a cheep imitation of the real thing that won't really tell you what you are looking for.

Do a search for DOD on he HI form and you will see that you can get a good test knife for the same as you will pay to play.

Just my 2 cents
 
GroovyMr1337 said:
Alright, I have decided my plan of action. First, I will buy a cheap $15 Khukri at the army navy store. After using it a bit, beating it up, and doing some mods, I will then buy a HI Blem. What HI model would you recommend? Oh, and what size blade is good for a khuk?
Click to expand...


IMO, if you buy a 15 dollar khukuri, you won't have any idea what a real khuk is capable of once you're done with it. You may still want to upgrade. It may still do the sales job. But the 15 dollar bent knife isn't any better than one of those factory jobs.

If you do so, this is the experience you're going to have:

I have a very cheap khukri that I got a few years ago for about 20 bucks. If I knew half of what I know now about khukris (and I still don't know too much) I would never have bought it. The steel is pretty soft, but overall it's still tough as hell and does see a lot of use, primarily as a hatchet. I'm about ready to invest in a new one from HI. I was just browsing around on their sight and I saw that they have a small one in their new products section for 35 bucks:
Click to expand...

Salamander!! Don't get a 4" bladed khuk. Get a real khuk, and give yourself the proper experience. This khuk you've bought is very likely NOT hardened at all.



To all:

For a starter khuk do yourselves a favor and get a 15" BAS from HI. They're workers, big enough for you to get the REAL khuk experience, and very carryable. They're the cheapest REAL khuk in the HI line. Don't get an exposed tang model. Go hidden tang. Most knife folks worry about this, and go exposed tang, but a khuk tang is enormous!!! These hidden tang khuks are EASIER to maintain by a long shot.

Once you have your khukuri's I'll do a scabbard mod thread. This mod I do makes the khuk infinitely more carryable. Its thinner, and carries vertically.

Check it out:
 

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Fiddleback, I look forward to seeing your tutorial on that looks like an interesting scabbard mod.
 
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