Kabar Kukri first impressions

Joined
Dec 9, 2003
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I got this for about 56 bucks at my local knife/gun shop.
KabarKukri.jpg

I got it for brush work with maintaining hiking trails in mind. This is the first knife ive bought without actually holding it first, but my search for info turned out to have made it ok. Its made in taiwan which is why its a good price. Usually i wont buy knives in made in taiwan or china but well it was a good price and ive heard good things about it. It feels nice, the grip is very comfortable, the 12 inch blade is just the right length. The 18+ inch machetes can sometimes be a little much. It came out of the box shaving sharp. The coating on the blade seems baked on well and overall the knfe seems sturdy. The steel is 1085 which seems like a good choice, though ill keep it oiled since hawaii can be humid.
KabarKukri2.jpg


The blade is also a little thinner than i wanted but this may not be a problem. I dont expect to be taking down anything over 2 inches in diameter so maybe the width is fine. I had previously taken my sog recondo out with me which didnt suffer but simply didnt have the weight. The kabar has considerably more weight which may negate the thiness. The kabar kukri has relatively the same thickness as my recondo. The picture doesnt show it well because of a slight angle though.
On a side note the recondo looks bad in the picture but those arent scartches or dings, just streaks or something from being recently used.

thickness.jpg

Comparison.jpg


Cons: The edge is a more accute angle than i expected to see on a knife of this size. Its what you might see on smaller knives. I want this one to take a beating but if the angle is to accute may have problems with chips or dings requiring sharpening more often. This may be rectified over time by just sharpening it with that in mind.

Overall im pleased with my new toy and cant wait to put it to use.
 
I love my Kabar kukri machete. I've taken branches up to 2 inches in diameter and the blade has suffered no damage whatsoever. I do not doubt that it can take 3 or 4 inches in diameter branches with no problem. You will not regret buying it. Remember that to use a kukri-shaped blade to its full potential you need to give it a forward wrist thrust just before contact.
 
You are welcome. I got mine for $30.00 at a gun show. I was looking for something in-between a real kukri and the CS kukri machete. The Kabar kukri machete fits the bill perfectly. The Kukri is truly a multi-utility blade. If you would like more info on the multiple uses of the kukri, our brethren at the Himalayan Imports forum can give you all the information you may want.
 
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