Ka Bark "Kukri" ? Specs??

H

hollowdweller

Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
13,182
Hi,

Anybody got one of the Ka Bar Kukris? I was reviewing the specs on ebay. If true it is 17" and 22oz?? Anybody know for sure?? That would be heavier than most of the Cold Steel stuff right?

The price is right I might try one if those are really the specs.
 
Well HD, if that is what was described on eBay, then it must have been a lie or a typo- we all know that Cold steel makes "The Heaviest 'Kukri(shaped objects)s' on the market". :rolleyes:

I haven't seen a KaBar Khuk. Who's got 'em where I could take a look?
 
hollowdweller said:
Hi,

Anybody got one of the Ka Bar Kukris? I was reviewing the specs on ebay. If true it is 17" and 22oz?? Anybody know for sure?? That would be heavier than most of the Cold Steel stuff right?

The price is right I might try one if those are really the specs.
Click to expand...

I have the Kabar #1249 and I believe it is the best commercial kuk on the market--at least the best I have been able to find --so far.

I purchased it from Sawyer's Cutlery in Hingham,Ma. Telephone 781-749-2007 for $31.99 plus $7.00 S&H.

It does not have a cho. I think the quality is much higher than the Cold Steel products. It some sort of paint-like coating that is impervious to rust.
The sheath is excellent in construction and quality. :)
 
I was wondering about the Ka Bar myself. I had considered getting one before H.I.K.V took over. I have never been able to find one to handle in person. Thanks for any info. Mark
 
pic:

90129.jpg
 
Wow. The Ka-Bar khuk looks astonishingly similar to the Ontario/Spec-Ops khuks. I guess I thought that Ka-Bar had come out with a new model of KSO. :rolleyes: I have handled those. No surprize, they are thinner and lighter than any of HI's offerings. I haven't used one, but it would have to do better at chopping than an issue Ka-Bar. I spent a survival weekend once with a USMC as my only knife, cut a lot of two and three-inch poles for shelter and cut a 6" DBH standing dead wood for fuel. My hand really hurt, but I'm glad I didn't chose an SAK for that weekend. ;)
 
Same specs as the Cold steel Gurkha at a 5th of the price. Handle looks like it wouldn't come off either. Maybe for a truck khuk.
 
do you guys know of any companies or knife makers that have the slanted flat on their blades?

example, on a busse active duty, the top of the spine is exactly 1/8". the bottom of the "full spine thickness area", where the releif grind that leads to the cutting edge starts, is exactly 1/8" thick.

on hi khukuries, the top of the spine is 1/2" thick, but the bottom of the "full thickness area" is 1/4", so there arent really any "full spine thickness area's" on the blade, everything slants toward the ege, the releif grind is just at a lower angle (lets say 8 degrees for the "full spine thickness area" and 15 degrees for the releif grind that goes towards the cutting edge."

the thing ive noticed on all the production khukuries, is that their iether fully flat ground up to the spine, or their full spine thickness for the entire heigth of the blade - say, 1/4" thick at spine, 1/4" at the begining of the releif grind.


am i wrong in beleiving that his is how pretty much every production khukuri is?
 
The one's I have seen ,visual inspection only-(cold steel and kabar)--I believe have the same blade thickness from front to rear.

I suspect the blades are rough cut or stamped out --then tempered and sharpened.

The only distal taper I have seen in the mass production blades is the Martindale machetes.

In answer to the question on how does the Kabar Kuk cut ---I can't say as it went into the storage box and has never been worked. I personally like it's (the kabar-1249)feel --better than the Cold Steel.
 
Like Rusty says they are similar. The CS Gurkha is 17" and 22 oz. but is 1/8" thicker at 5/16 across the spine and the blade is 1/2" longer. Overall the CS is 1.5 oz. heavier. (KB is 3/16" thick and 11.5" blade and 20.5 oz.) The CS has the powder coat black finish similar to the KB, but is very well done.

I paid $108 for my Cold Steel GK (from Cutlery Shoppe in Boise ID), and then another chunk direct from Cold Steel for a kraton "concealex" quick draw sheath (it comes standard with a leather sheath.) So the CS is 3 times more. However, I personally think the Carbon V (whatever the hell it is!) is a better steel than the Ka-bar 1085, and I think the handle on the CS is far better. I have chopped with both, and like the old Blackjack Reinhardt kukri with the fixed esta-loc handle, the harder handle hurts your hand more than does the CS kraton handle, even with gloves on. Not to mention the CS is at least twice as sharp out of the box, or at least feels so to me, and the sheath is better.

For trimming thin branches, minor camp chores and wacking the heads off fish they work fine. For serious chopping they are way overrated of course and almost useless. (Of course I didn't know that until I was blessed with HI consciousness! :) )

Regards,

Norm
 
According to the knife mags, it was originally made out of 1095 around standard HRC values (upper fifties), but now it's made from 1084 and now at 55 HRC. My guess is that's due to it being a large puppy used for more than delicate cutting.

For a similar price range ($31.99-$195), the Garrud AK and Chiruwa AK are much better buys.
 
I don't have the Kabar khuk, but I do have the cutlass model. It is flat ground, and about 5/32 thick, perhaps 5 mm or so. It is hardened to RC 52-54 according to Kabar tech support. As I recall, the cutlass is about 17" and 18oz. The khukuri model is a little heavier. It has a black finish over most of the blade.
It is a light blade - you can check out the specs at the kabar or Midway web sites. I haven't cut anything with it, but it came sharp, and the quality looks good - for a mass-produced large knife. I got it from Midway for a good price on special.
 
clearblue said:
The one's I have seen ,visual inspection only-(cold steel and kabar)--I believe have the same blade thickness from front to rear.

I suspect the blades are rough cut or stamped out --then tempered and sharpened.

The only distal taper I have seen in the mass production blades is the Martindale machetes.
. . .
Click to expand...

The Blackjack "Reinhardt Combat Kukri" was a production khuk, although numbers were fairly low. Mine is: 22.6 oz. / 13.5" blade / distal taper to tip / 3/16" at spine / 3/16" just before final, convex bevel / sort of m43 shape to it.
 
Thomas Linton said:
The Blackjack "Reinhardt Combat Kukri" was a production khuk, although numbers were fairly low. Mine is: 22.6 oz. / 13.5" blade / distal taper to tip / 3/16" at spine / 3/16" just before final, convex bevel / sort of m43 shape to it.
Click to expand...

Thomas,

That is one sweet blade! I have tried to score one from ebay a couple times but always outbid. Glad to get to see yours at Khonvention. I know now it's not just the pics. They are an awesome blade.
 
hollowdweller said:
Thomas,

That is one sweet blade! I have tried to score one from ebay a couple times but always outbid. Glad to get to see yours at Khonvention. I know now it's not just the pics. They are an awesome blade.
Click to expand...


If you're still looking for a Blackjack KLO, Ken Warner is bringing back Blackjack knives. Included in their first lineup is the Kukri II. It looks a lot like the Reinhardt Combat Kukri. Pics at www.knifeware.com
 
Jose said:
If you're still looking for a Blackjack KLO, Ken Warner is bringing back Blackjack knives. Included in their first lineup is the Kukri II. It looks a lot like the Reinhardt Combat Kukri. Pics at www.knifeware.com
Click to expand...

I've looked at it but it is about 2" shorter and about six ounces lighter than the original. Be better off with the Ka Bar.
 
Jose said:
If you're still looking for a Blackjack KLO, Ken Warner is bringing back Blackjack knives. Included in their first lineup is the Kukri II. It looks a lot like the Reinhardt Combat Kukri. Pics at www.knifeware.com
Click to expand...

The Kukri II is shorter and lighter as HD notes above. Also, it's made of AUS-8, a SS close to 440B - adequate but not the greatest. I can't see buying one when you can get an HI villager for as little as $50 shipped - a piece of very functional folk art.

If you liked Blackjack knives back in the 80's and early 90's, Mike Stewart, the creative side of BJK, is back as "Bark River Knife & Tool" making cryo-quenched, convex- edged beauties out of A-2. He also made or makes knives sold under a lot of other brands, but that's a whole other story.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top