Junglas VS. CS Kukri..

Battle Creek Knives

Battle Creek Knives

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Feb 23, 2010
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Yesterday me and my 6yo son went on an overnight pack.. I brought some knives for us, on my hip my hest, then a CS SRK w/ and Izula piggyback..
I have the super cheap CS kukri machete which I added a better relief cut and convexed edge upon receiving it a year ago, bought online for like $14 plus shipping..

With that said this is my only large knife in that caliber other then another 18" machete (which I don't care for)... I've used and abused this knife, (and I mean used).. I brush clear striking into the ground for at times.. Last night I put the hurts to this sucker yet again upon inspection today it has no chips and the edge is still there, all in all dollar for dollar I'd say this is the best money I've ever spent on a knife..

Those of you that use machetes do you think the Junglas is a Must have for packing and camp chores or will a machete surfice..??
is it really worth the extra weight??
The advantage I can see immediately is batoning, I use my machete but it just doesn't have the 'wedge' shape, now I use my SRK for my finer batoning work.. (which I think is going up for sale so I can get a ESEE 6)..
 
I think it depends on your surroundings. I am fine with a machete personally. Junglas is fantastic but it doesn't out perform my machete here in Tx.

Now if I were in the northern woods (I spent my first 30 years in the Jersey Pine Barrens), a chopper like the Junglas shines.

Further north I might even want an axe or hatchet.
 
I pack my ESEE Lite machete over my Junglas & I never feel "under knifed" per say,I can do alot with my ESEE3 & lite machete .
I nothing against my junglas... I'll have it at the campout(in Sept.) cutting firewood
 
I took out my Junglas on a 3 day camping trip a few weeks ago. I still wasn't sure if I needed it or it had been an impulse buy. Chopped,limbed, and batoned a large amount of firewood. Butchered camp meat into grill size pieces. Started fires with ESEE firekit. In my part of the world it definitely has it's place and will be a permanent part of my camp kit. I have a CS machete that has seen little or no use but I have it if needed. JMHO :D
 
shotgunner11 said:
I think it depends on your surroundings. I am fine with a machete personally. Junglas is fantastic but it doesn't out perform my machete here in Tx.

Now if I were in the northern woods (I spent my first 30 years in the Jersey Pine Barrens), a chopper like the Junglas shines.

Further north I might even want an axe or hatchet.
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I just returned from a week in northern Ontario where mostly pine and cedar comprise the forests. Due to various factors I had the luxury of carrying in a bit more weight than usual. I took this opportunity to try out some tools in a head-to-head fashion. I took my ESEE Junglas and Lite Machete, Bark River Golok and Gunny, Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe, and Wetterlings Wildlife Hatchet:eek:. It wasn't so bad. I think to make a point, my compadre brought only a SAK and Trail Blazer Take Down Buck Saw. It was unmaintained crown land (change of plan, Wolffbite... no Algonquin), so the Lite Machete and Golok were invaluable for blazing paths. The gathering and processing of firewood was mostly accomplished with the GB SFA and Junglas for myself, while my friend gravitated to his saw and my Wetterlings hatchet.

But I quote shotgunner b/c the pine and cedar were so soft that the Junglas would have been sufficient on its own; the axe and hatchet were pretty much unnecessary. But just an hour or two south of us the bush has plenty of oak, birch, maple and ash that might make the Golok blush. I firmly believe the Junglas can hold its own with hardwood chopping and splitting. Perfect edge angle, great steel, amazing balance between decent weight/heft for chopping power and durability, and modest thickness for control and versatility. However I was quite surprised that the relatively soft pine and cedar batons managed to do some major chipping and gouging of the black blade coating on the spine.
 
shotgunner11 said:
I think it depends on your surroundings. I am fine with a machete personally. Junglas is fantastic but it doesn't out perform my machete here in Tx.

Now if I were in the northern woods (I spent my first 30 years in the Jersey Pine Barrens), a chopper like the Junglas shines.
.
Click to expand...

The Pine Barrens?!?! Please tell me you ran into the Jersey Devil a time or two!!!:D
 
I think a 6 dollar tramontina with a well profiled edge will accomplish the same task 98% of the time. Probably more efficiently too... a full V grind on one of these babies bites an inch deep in most of the wood around here with no force other than gravity. Condors are of similar thickness, the Kumunga is a 10 inch drop point blade of similar design and it's 24 dollars.
 
I like in an old city, with lots of big, old trees that drop huge branches when the wind blows. I tried small choppers, hatchets, and full size (18" +) machetes and have fully made up my mind that the Junglas outperforms them all. Here's why:

In my situation, I need something that can (1) chop fairly thick branches (4-5" diameter) and also (2) perform delimbing so I can reduce a mass of long, thin branches to a pile of twigs in a short amount of time. I also need something I can use in fairly confined spaces (by fences, behind the shed, etc).

Normally a hatchet would handle task #1 and a machete would handle task #2. But I don't want to switch tools in the middle of a task if I can find one that will do both. I do think a full size machete would handle heavier chopping but don't need the added length.

So if you're in a city, get the Junglas.

If you're in a mountainous area with plenty of dead wood and sizable branches laying around or within reach, and with no need to chop a tree down, get the Junglas.

If you're trying to chop down trees, get an axe and a saw. You'll want them both.

And if you're trying to hack through vines or brambles, get a full-size machete.
 
I have the KZII (Busse khukri).

Heavy duty sucker. I am in the process of convexing the edge.

I also have a Cold Steel mag khukri machete. It chops well. I need to convert the handle over to something more comfortable.
 
KarlMaldensNose said:
I just returned from a week in northern Ontario where mostly pine and cedar comprise the forests. Due to various factors I had the luxury of carrying in a bit more weight than usual. I took this opportunity to try out some tools in a head-to-head fashion. I took my ESEE Junglas and Lite Machete, Bark River Golok and Gunny, Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe, and Wetterlings Wildlife Hatchet:eek:. It wasn't so bad. I think to make a point, my compadre brought only a SAK and Trail Blazer Take Down Buck Saw. It was unmaintained crown land (change of plan, Wolffbite... no Algonquin), so the Lite Machete and Golok were invaluable for blazing paths. The gathering and processing of firewood was mostly accomplished with the GB SFA and Junglas for myself, while my friend gravitated to his saw and my Wetterlings hatchet.

But I quote shotgunner b/c the pine and cedar were so soft that the Junglas would have been sufficient on its own; the axe and hatchet were pretty much unnecessary. But just an hour or two south of us the bush has plenty of oak, birch, maple and ash that might make the Golok blush. I firmly believe the Junglas can hold its own with hardwood chopping and splitting. Perfect edge angle, great steel, amazing balance between decent weight/heft for chopping power and durability, and modest thickness for control and versatility. However I was quite surprised that the relatively soft pine and cedar batons managed to do some major chipping and gouging of the black blade coating on the spine.
Click to expand...

So based on all that stuff you took, what would you carry now out of the group of stuff you had? Sounds like the hatchet and axe are out. But what about the other stuff?
 
If you want a true Khukri, Himalayan Imports has nice ones - you can email Yangdu, give her some specifics about yourself and the tasks you want to do with it, and she will give some suggestions as to what you may want to buy - then all you have to do is order one or wait for it to show up on a deal of the day and hope you don't get sharked.

if you want a KLO (kukri like object) The Cold Steel kukri machete or Condor Kukri are both great places to look. I prefer the Condor as it has a wood grip and slightly thicker spine - although if you want one of their leather sheaths, you have to buy that separate - the CS came with a nylon sheath like object.

As to the Kumunga Vs Junglas: Kumunga is a LOT less expensive, it's thinner bladed, lighter, has a less comfortable handle (to me) and very nice leather sheath.
Junglas: more versatile sheath system, better handle, better balance, better chopper.
I had both to test out side by side. Guess which one I kept and which one was traded off for a Condor Kukri. :D
 
soapboxpreacher said:
So based on all that stuff you took, what would you carry now out of the group of stuff you had? Sounds like the hatchet and axe are out. But what about the other stuff?
Click to expand...

It might seem like cop-out so I don't have to choose, but it really does depend on location, duration, time of year, company, and on and on...

That said, the Junglas seems like the most versatile of the lot to me. The BR Golok might've made it close were it not for its very thin edge, which I have had dent and roll on me in more than one situation. Oh yeah, the lack of tip and pommel also limit its usefulness. Guess it isn't that close afterall. But, to me, the Junglas is a great 'Jack of all trades' tool that will get it all done. It can chop, limb and split like an axe/hatchet, it can be swung for clearing and blazing like a machete, it can cut and slice like a smaller belt knife, and it can hammer and pry like other tools of destruction. It might only do a couple of these things magnificently, but it certainly does all of them satisfactorily. And I can't effuse enough about its sheath. On this last trip, pretty much every well thought out feature on it was utilized, and out of necessity, not just out of curiosity.
 
WOW, thank Karl. I have a Junglas also and love it. I'm going to pair it up with an RC4, F1, S1, or Bravo 1 (only one I dont have is an RC4, dont think I need it yet...would rather get a Lite Machete first). In addition to a folding saw. I think those seem to cover the massive basis of bushcraft and survival.
 
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