Kabar Kukri Machete vs Ontario Kukri Knife?

C

cccpull

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Apr 28, 2010
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Would like some honest (reason I posted in this forum) opinions on these (since the MACHAX IS NOT AVAILABLE ) 2 blades. I'm not interested in authentic Gurkha kukris, HI khukuris, etc.

Thanks in advance:)
 
Can't go wrong with either one IMO. Get the one you like better & go from there. I am not an expert & only have the OKC Kukri. I have taken it out & used it hard, clearing brush, thorne bush stems of 2" dia, small trees & 2 trees that blew over, from the trails around us & for my tree stand. It worked awesome & would still shave paper at the end of the day. NOTE: you WILL have to sharpen it to make it shave. KaBar's seem to come sharper from the factory, IMO. It did have 2 REAL tiny nicks in the blade though, but i had them out in 10 min. You could'nt see them, but when shaving paper, it would hang up on them. I could only see them with a magnafying glass. Next day my forearm & hand knew i was using a heavy blade. It chops pretty good IMO. Sheath is cheap but VERY functional IMO. Really like the dangler, (but i made mine), too bad it does not come with one. It makes you able to work, stand up/squat down, get in & out of vehicles or get on/off an atv with ease. The weight forward design really lets you put some power into your strikes/chops. I had no issues with the handle either. I am a big fan of the "Spec-Plus" style of handle & like the material it is made out of. Here are some pics if you like. The spine is 1/4" thick, just so you know.
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Enjoy.
 
The KaBar feels heavier, it's handle is fatter, and the hollow grind means that most of the blade is the same thickness. It has a great weight forward balance. The angle of the curve allows you to "aim" straight ahead for stabbing. The Ontario has more of a curve.
The Ontario might be 1/4" thick, but only the spine, and it has a taper that starts where the tip dips downward. The Ontario sheath is all nylon. Note that in the recurve,the edge is thicker, it's less distance from the spine. I find that makes it a bit more difficult to sharpen, but makes it a strong edge. Using as a draw knife, I find that geometry not as good as it could be, in the recurve portion.
I can't say which is "better" but for $40, the KaBar is great.
The Ontario is made in the USA, and the KaBar is Tiawan, if it matters.
Most Khukri's are thicker, the Ontario is light, so swing power is lower than the traditionals. The KaBar will bite deeper with same effort as the Ontario.
 
Save your money and get a Cold Steel Kukri. If you haven't seen the review at knifetests.com you should check them out. Won me over.
 
I was debating about the 2 brands as well, and opted for the Kabar version, so I can only comment on that particular kuk. Light enough for machete work, but forward heavy enough to chop with its own momentum. IMO, chops will less effort than my BK9, but the 9 has much more utility, and I feel like the 9 is beefier and won't be as likely to break.

It's MUCH lighter and thinner than my HI kuks, which are more hatchet in knife form than machetes.
 
I don't own either, but I like the flat grind of the Ontario, and even though its a bit pricier than the Ka-Bar, I'll probably get one if I can. The thickness of the blade, combined with the flat grind and deep curvature has won me over, and its STILL less than half the price of my beloved CS models.
 
Old thread alert !!! :D

I now own both. For pure chopping power the KaBar is the winner IMHO. It is slightly easier to do smaller tasks with the Ontario. There is room to choke up & put your finger in front of the guard, but don't slip or you WILL be bleeding badly. You honestly can't go wrong with either. :D
 
Qeth said:
I was debating about the 2 brands as well, and opted for the Kabar version, so I can only comment on that particular kuk. Light enough for machete work, but forward heavy enough to chop with its own momentum. IMO, chops will less effort than my BK9, but the 9 has much more utility, and I feel like the 9 is beefier and won't be as likely to break.

It's MUCH lighter and thinner than my HI kuks, which are more hatchet in knife form than machetes.
Click to expand...

I also have never used the Ontario, but I am 6'4" and 250 lbs. and have intentionally tried to beat my Kabar as hard as possible, and even after countless blisters, soreness for days, numbness and tingling from my wrist to my shoulder, and dozens of 3"-5" tree limbs, all I could get was a small blade chip. The Kabar may be less beefy, but if you can break it, I'll buy you a case of your choice. It ain't gonna happen.

Even when I leave my Glock in safe at night, my Kabar Kukri is hanging next to my bed. I can't comment on the Ontario, but I'd be shocked if anyone was disappointed in the Kabar. It is a wig-splitter extraordinaire to be sure.
 
Well, it *is* the Kabar forum, so most folks here will likely be a little biased. I have the Kabar kukri and I love it. Chopped branches, hard wood, small trees... Dug with it, split wood, thrown it. Like the forward weight and wide blade. Good steel, soft enough to bend/roll rather than chip (too badly, I've done it against rocks and chain link fences. Watch that point. :) ) I like the dangler sheath on a blade that big, it makes bending/sitting/crouching a lot more comfortable. Good stuff. :thumbup:
 
Not really the case with me. I just like things that work & work well at a reasonable price. I own all sorts of blades & would not get rid of any of them. BK&T, KaBar, Ontario, Buck, Ranger, Condor, Boker, Mora, Cold Steel, Marbles, Remington, etc. No brand loyalty here.
 
I don't have the Kabar Kukri, but, I have a knife that is a heavy Kukri and a similar design as the Kabar Kukri. I also have the OKC Kukri, believe it or not, as I was suprised to find the OKC Kukri chops better than my old heavy Blackjack Kukri. The reason is the design of the blade, a Kukri that has a more drastic bend in the blade will chop a lot better than one that is made with a continuous curve. My smaller Machax chops better than my expensive Blackjack Kukri and it is lighter. Again, I was suprised to find this after using all 3 of them on the same kind of wood and the same size of wood. If you want a smaller Kukri wait for the Machax to be available again, it's an excellent knife.
 
Kukri knife is a kind knife that is widely used in Nepal and other South Asian countries, those are neighbor of Nepal. History says that kukri knife is originated or invented in Nepal. There are some other opinions too. But vast quantity of using of kukri knife in Nepal declares that it is traditionally their cutting tool. The Nepalese people widely use it in their regular tasks. While roaming in the hills and forests in search of food, they use kukri knife for cutting wooden brunches of the trees. It is very useful in case of dangers too.Nepalese people use it for fighting against snakes and ferocious animals like tiger, bear, wolf etc. In occasions like wedding and many other traditional rituals a program with kukri is a must. Because of being traditionally used in their regular life now kukri knife becomes the weapon of Nepalese Army.

Kukri Knife For You
 
most production khukris are KLOs or KSOs... khukri LIKE objects or khukri SHAPED objects

at worst, may of them are just "bent" machetes. they are thin, and whippy, and not really khukris at all

some of them are just very silly stamped out things

the better ones are thicker, very thick in some cases...

if you're lucky, some of them even have a good belly and design for chopping

very very few will be convexed or made from nice steels

it's an odd little niche of the knife world to be sure
 
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