Information in the strength of the tang.

F

Fonly

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Sep 24, 2006
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Hellow everyone, as you probably know, Im new to the kukri scene, but have latley been thinking of buying one, though after seeing a few pictures of the tang/handle construction I became a little weary.

I know many choose a kuk over an axe, and to be honest, Ive used an axe for most of my outdoor chores. Now though, I wanted to try a British Army, but again, the tang/handle construction worries me. How strong is the handle going to be compared to an axe? I dont mean hitting the handle, but when a knife with a pin tang shouldnt be used for batoning, how does a kuk stand up to long periods of chopping?
 
You should have no worries at all. The through tang contruction of the BAS is very stout with very minimal vibration. I've used my BAS from trimming, limbing, chopping and batoning. The baton work was done on some very hard citrus wood that was in a buddy wood pile. However if your going to be using it for more chopping a CAK might be a better option with it's higher weight.
 
Yeah, as I've never used one befor, Im more less in the dark. Though I'd like to keep weight to a lower level, but still enough for chopping up to 5"-6".

Like I said, I'm no lumber jack, and carrying around my axe was nice, but not a nible as I would like, or get from a kuk or other long knife.
 
I also have a 12" AK that ain't no slouch either very light and strong more like a large bent ka-bar. As long as you take of the handle, either wood or horn, it should outlast you in the long run.
 
Provided that the tang hasn't been over hardened (which happens once in a great while, but it's easy to test for), you have absolutely nothing to worry about strength-wise. Many of us have subjected our through-tang khukuris to abuse that would destroy most knives. They didn't break. To test for an over-hardened tang, just slap the flat of the blade against a chopping block or tree a few times, hard. Or you can put the blade in a vise and pull on it. Either way, if the tang is too hard it'll break under that kind of stress. If it doesn't break then, it won't break ever.
 
Put it this way...

l've had my 20" Ang Khola Khukuri for a few years and never had any doubts of its strength.

l'm 6'5", worked on farms and in factories all my life ,and l was a powerlifter in high school. When l hit something hard, l mean H A R D.

l've landed blows with that khukuri l know for a fact would shatter practically any other knife l own. lf l can repeatedly lay that blade into a fallen oak log with everything l got and it doesn't break, it will probably never break.

And no, my Ang Khola is not a full-width tang.
 
Here's a shot I took of my UBE's tang during a rehandling project. In my experience this is typically what they look like.

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I've never successfully damaged a tang. They are considerably stronger than what most knife owners are familiar with.

EDIT: I did not see the thread that spawned this one until now and my picture probably doesn't help the OP much, as he posted one very similar.

Fonly? A tang of this size and thickness is more commonly seen on swords than knives, even some that are promoted as heavy choppers. They are large and strong enough for the task. In fact, one of the complaints about full tangs (which are undoubtedly a bit stronger) is that they just aren't needed, and thus the extra weight such a design imposes is just that -- extra weight.

There is some concern about the partial tang models but I haven't experienced a problem with those either. If anything, the method of attaching the handle (or the handle itself) would likely fail before the tang did.
 
They are made for it...use it as you wish and it will probably have to be rehandled a couple of times over the next few generations.
 
Yup. Keep an eye on the handle, whether wood or horn, looking for signs of cracking. I have quite a few khuks and have used several of them quite hard, and as yet, no sign of cracking, but it can happen.

If you notice some cracking, don't just let it go so that it becomes catastrophic. Most of us have found that a liberal application of super glue directly into the crack stops this from worsening.

Keep your khuk handles regularly oiled (do a search for prducts good for this) and you should have no problems.

Andy
 
Fonly,

Main reason to choose hidden tang: Maintaining a hidden tang khuk is an order of magnitude easier than an exposed tang model. The scales on khuks tend to shrink, exposing sharp edges on steel that have to be filed away. That is a LOT of work. This isn't a problem with the hidden tang models. For this reason alone, I suggest avoiding exposed tang models.
 
So, Looking at the "British army service" What can I expect over a lager knife say, a CS trailmaster?

The shearing effect of the kuk is one I can think of, so more chopping ability.
A higher quailty? (these are hand made are the not?)
Longer edge retention? (Is 5160 used in the BAS model?)

Also, does any have, or know of a description on how to sharpen them? I have a plain old gerber Pen diamond sharpener, then finish off with various grit sand paper.
Can that method be used?
Or should I use a sanding block of some sort?
 
There are many different methods to sharpening but it all is a matter of preference. I personally use my 1" belt sander, starting with a worn 320 grit belt, then a 15 micron belt and polishing with a leather belt loaded with the green stuff:) but I also carry one of the smith's diamond rods when I'm in the field (just in case)

The method you describe can be used in conjuction witha mousepad or with a wooden dowel to wrap the sandpaper around.
 
Fiddleback said:
The scales on khuks tend to shrink, exposing sharp edges on steel that have to be filed away. That is a LOT of work.
Click to expand...

Aye, this has become an issue with my Samsher. The buttcap recently gave me a bit of a cut on the heel of my right hand, even after I had previously filed it down. I'm gonna take it to the belt sander and oil 'er up once I've got it good and comfy!
 
Fonly said:
So, Looking at the "British army service" What can I expect over a lager knife say, a CS trailmaster?

The shearing effect of the kuk is one I can think of, so more chopping ability.
A higher quailty? (these are hand made are the not?)
Longer edge retention? (Is 5160 used in the BAS model?)
Click to expand...

I own both a CS trailmaster (Carb V made around 1990) and two HI Khukuris. Edge retention seems about the same to me, but l've used the khuk's for much heavier and extensive work clearing brush. They cut much better in my opinion... but mostly because they are purposely designed to be efficient choppers. From what l've read on the HI homepage, the blades are hand forged from truck leaf springs; Mercedes being the first preference.

Also, does any have, or know of a description on how to sharpen them? I have a plain old gerber Pen diamond sharpener, then finish off with various grit sand paper.
Can that method be used?
Or should I use a sanding block of some sort?
Click to expand...

I use a small flat diamond hone to get the edge where I like it, and then a butcher's steel and the chakmak to maintain it. In my experience they also tend to chop better if they are not quite literally "shaving-sharp".
 
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