Into the woods

namaarie

namaarie

Joined
Aug 23, 2004
Messages
1,499
Well, I'm finally on fall break at school. It's pretty hectic here during the year, so this is more than welcome.

For this fall break, I'm going on a weeklong canoe trip with the school (allows me to be a leader for the outdoor recreation program here, getting paid go outside! :D ). It's going to be just what I've been needing. And the kicker: I'm bringing my Bura 18" WWII. Yep, it's going to be great. And don't worry about the fact that it's a big knife on a school trip. It's student-run by people who I'm pretty sure will appreciate it.


So I'll give you a week-long backcountry field report upon my return. It seems to me that someone once asked how good a khuk would be on a long canoe trip, so I guess I'll answer that next week.

Well, take care, and I'll post when I get back!


Best wishes,

Nam
 
:thumbup: Good for you Nam! Have a great trip :) I look forward to hearing your review of the 18" Khuk on the river!

Take some pics--I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to seem them. And hey, if a few cute college girls wind up in the frame too we wouldn't mind ;) :p :D
 
Edit:

Turns out, the student leaders of the trip were not as enthusiastic as I had hoped. Essentially, they saw it as big and scary. Mmm. But I guess if they had felt uncomfortable it about, it would have made for an uncomfortable trip. Oh, well. Soon, I'll be leading trips, and expounding upon the wonders of Kami Bura and the BirGhorka crew. Soon enough. And anyhow, the trip will be great either way. of course, I have other knives I can bring when I simply must.


So have a great week all.

Take care,

Nam
 
Maybe you could present it as 'an extra paddle'? It's almost the right size...
 
I'm back. Great trip! It's always nice to get away to someplace without motors and lots of people for a while.

Unfortunately, no WWII canoe review. Oh, well, we all know how well it would have done. And now, I'll be a trip leader here, so I can get paid to take my Khuk with me on my trips. That'll be cool enough to border on surreal!

Anyhow, I managed to smuggle along a Cold Steel SRK and brought my CRKT M16 as my carry knife. Both performed well, and I lived to tell the tale. Not to say that I hadn't wished for the 18 inches of Nepali steel when I was chest deep in brambles breaking wood for the fire. Oh, well. Next time.

And tomorrow, I get to go home where a nice new Foxy Folly is waiting. It's like Christmas. :D

Nam

OT: On the trip, there was a ridiculous ammount of bamboo growing along the river we were paddling. I know the stuff's invasive, but dayum! I must say, however, that it served brilliantly around the camp. Everything from flutes to great firewood. Too bad it's such a menace.
 
I'm actually not that surprised about the deal with the WWII. Probably a combination of fear of injury related litigation and fear of potential weapons. :grumpy: :rolleyes: Did they not allow anything sharp to be openly brought along? Oh well, at least you can adopt a more sensible attitude toward edged tools when you lead the expeditions yourself.

Bob
 
Big Bob is spot on. The only real thing that you can do is to educate them when you have a "teaching moment" or at a time and place where they are receptive. Be an informal ambassador for your blades.
 
Lion's Roar said it.

When social philosophy interfers with reality, though, you wonder how much time this Roman Empire has left before the Fall. Anyone ever hear of having an accident? Maybe having to make a fire? Stay a day longer and camp without a cinder block bathroom and fire pits nearby?

A khuk out of doors is as natural as the Sun on your back, and belongs a hell of a lot more than 100 dollar tennis shoes, miracle fibers, granola, and many college students.



munk
 
munk said:
Lion's Roar said it.



A khuk out of doors is as natural as the Sun on your back, and belongs a hell of a lot more than 100 dollar tennis shoes, miracle fibers, granola, and many college students.



munk
Click to expand...

Amen! What sh*t! A khuk guarantees you can chop THRU stuff not climb OVER it. Also it guarantees a super warm fire you could never get by just burning the long limbs in half!
 
Lets hope they,ll be more open minded about your kukuuri next time . As for bamboo being a menace ? Its good for all you said and it makes arrows ,bows , spears ,fences , fish traps , fishing rods and many other things . Too bad it couldn,t be harvested .
 
A khuk guarantees you can chop THRU stuff not climb OVER it. Also it guarantees a super warm fire you could never get by just burning the long limbs in half!>>>>>>>>> Hollowdweller

There's the voice of experience. One thing about Hollow, he actually uses his khuks.


munk
 
Bob: yes, we were supposed to bring knives, but pocket knives were pretty much as big as the leaders wanted to go. I think it was mostly the fear from the leaders of injury. They see a big blade like mine and can only see a big laceration. It's ok, I guess, and I can see their perspective even if I don't agree. In their defense, any item can be done without, but some just make life a lot easier and can save you in certain circumstances. That's part of a survival mentality, I suppose. Big rocks and leverage do break big sticks, but when you're cold, a khuk would be much more efficient. But, that's water under the bridge and I had a fantastic time anyhow.

But the same stuff could be said about the "miracle fibers" and granola and the like. They do make life easier and more comfortable. When I hike and camp, I largely do it with the more modern, high-tech kinda stuff. I camp in adherance with "leave no trace" whenever I can, which has been every time so far. For normal camping, I can see no reason not to. And when you find trash and scars from other people where you're trying to camp and enjoy the scenery, you begin to understand the appeal. Make no mistake, however, there will be a khuk in or on my pack. One should be prepared for any situation. The old and the new schools are not mutually exclusive.

I'm really looking forward to taking out trips of inexperienced outdoors people, who are only accustomed to maybe summer camps, and showing them what Bura makes so well. The beautiful thing about such a setting is that they'll see first-hand how handy it is. Show some people that blades longer than 3 inches aren't always a sin. :)

Nam
 
The point about the 'improvement' of outdoor gear was to contrast that to the illogic of leaving an excellent tool at home.

Vibram soles are not low impact on the environment, but there is no correlation between leaving trash and the type of gear.

But it is a point well taken that improvements in gear are desirable and do have a place- despite my dislike of some new product's 'soul'.

I don't think half the 'improvements' really are.

Nam, you did the right thing. You are an ambassador from a rational nation to an irrational one. But hearing how the 'leaders' had a point about the khuk is nonsense. They had 'rationalizations'.

munk
 
I agree with the idea that people will rationalise their fears and indeed what I propose may be a rationalisation as well . If in demonstrating a new tool we are dealing with woods wise students just learning a new skill I would deem it un-necessary to be leary of the uninitiated . As often we deal with those who have no wood lore or experience born respect for the consequence of their actions I do have reservations . A woods wise person or at least one not new to manual skills usually has an inborn respect for that which surrounds them and if they are unfamiliar with that which surrounds them they will show the appropriate care . Those who have become isolated to nature through lifestyle and ignorance can be disrespectful of others and consequences of theri actions . People learn from experience and observation . Those who do not have much experience have not observed what can happen to the unwary . I have found that this can produce an immature giddiness,false bravado and or a macho demeanor . Accompany this with the leariness of the ignorant and you have an accident waiting to happen . The teacher/demonstrator would need a high level of discipline and control of the Kukuuri at all times . Students couldn,t be allowed useage of the Kukuuri except on a strict one to one ratio in the respect that no other student could be anywhere within being able to approach striking distance at any time . I know some of you are going "Well duh ! thats a given." ) It has never ceased to amaze me the depths of ignorance people can sink to when they don,t exercise the brain . I was a safety instructor and have observed time and again what lack of preparedness may bring . I realise this is a generalisation and a rationalisation . No-one would want to see how irrational a rationalisation a parent would make when one of their children came home with even a nicked finger once they saw the knife that produced it .
 
I've seen similar response to my Penknife when I brought it on a scout overnight with my son (I'm now know as the "weaponmaster" by the boys, and I'm sure the adults wonder...). In any event it was already there and was sure a boon around fire making time. Even did duty splitting logs (with a baton to force it through). Can't say enough good about the utility of the Penknife in the field when you want an easy to carry Kukri.

To get around the lack of tool prohibition the scouts have on later trips (no axes, hatchets, hawks, or fixed blade knives over a certain length) I have taken my sharpened Cold Steel shovel (similar to the Swiss Army shovel, but with a curved front). It's not a WWII or AK, but it does a decent job limbing and chopping small trees. I guess I really should go in for an approved bow saw or the like, but there is just something satisfying about swinging a tool and seeing chips fly. Besides it serves good duty for a variety of other critical camp chores (if you know what I mean)
 
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