Khukri as a versatile tool for the trap line ??

C

coote

Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
1,465
Hello... I haven't posted in this area of Bladeforums before (it is actually my second attempt...my first post seemed to vanish).

I do a bit of part-time trapping down here in New Zealand. Sometimes vines and small scrubby bushes have to be cut, and small side branches need to be trimmed from trees neatly and cleanly so that the scars will heal easily. Occasionally I cut and sharpen pegs, and in the future there may be a need to cut kindling.

I used to carry a hatchet, or a machete...and more recently I've really come to appreciate an ex-army golok I picked up from a guy who served in Vietnam. However the golok is fairly big, thick and heavy and does not seem particularly well suited to making the 'surgical' cuts when trimming trees that I don't want to damage.

My departed father spoke of Khukris with respect...and I've read some good things about them here. If I am to buy one, I would like to have an authentic one, and to support the clever guys that make them. I have found the Himalayan Import page on the web, but I was intrigued to read of 'specials' on this forum.

A small khukri is probably all I need. I like the look of the 12" Ang Khola, but I don't need anything polished, decorated or fancy. It can have blemishes or a rough finish as long as it is well ground and tough. A sheath would be nice, but I could make my own...and the two little side knives would be a bonus, but I could do without them for economy's sake.

So....please tell me about what 'specials' there might be for something that would suit me. And if you have any other advice regarding what I am doing I will be interested to read it.

Many thanks.... Stephen Coote, Nelson, New Zealand. coote@clear.net.nz
 
Coote, only you know what best for you, but take a good look at the 15" Ang Kholas, especially a "villager" or non-polished one.

Size scales between knives and khukuris are relative. It would likely be as easy to carry a 15" as a 12" and you won't have to hit things twice.;)


Mike
 
Hey Coote,
Know you from the W and S forum, welcome to HI. The AK would certainly treat you right, or something from Sgt. Khadka. 10 or 12 inch seems about right for your purpose. That is the length overall. I would consider fine tuning the edge since the blades are not sharp enough for the precision cutting you have in mind. Well, let's just say not sharp enough for me:D They can be brought up to razor sharp without too much trouble. Check the DOD, (deal of the day) right here. Here is my 12 inch, 10 ounce, Sgt. Khadka Special, handle mod by me. Just to give you an idea of size.
 
Hmmm...thanks for the friendly reception and the comments. Great photo of a very nice tool !! But now that I've seen a 12" version with a hand attached, I realize that it is probably a bit on the small side. Maybe 15" is the way to go.

If I have to cut of a number of branches 1/2" to 1" thick, it would be nice to do it with just one or two swipes. Mind you, maybe that 12" is heavy enough. I've never used one before.

So where do I find a 15" AK 'villager' or similar? Maybe they are on the HI website, but I didn't notice any. My slow dial-up and impatience aren't helpful.

With our dollar being worth lot less than the US $, it would be good to find an 'economy' version.

Much appreciated...coote.

PS...I've just had another browse through the H.I. site. It seems that availability of stock changes. So I guess it is just a matter of keeping an eye on the site...and maybe this forum. Thanks for your help.
 
I use a BAS for most of my chopping needs. The 15" AK is a good one too, I went through 4 of them. I like them very much but my friends always ask for them. Neither is too big or heavy. They can surprise you with their power for a small size khukuri. They would very easy to pack with you.
 
I'd recommend a 15" Ang Khola for your purposes.
If you don't wantt o wait and try your luck with the DOTDs, you can email Yangdu and ask her to have a villager made for you.
 
A 15" AK is a tough khuk to beat when it comes to all around chores. It sounds like you would want one with a thin edge for the kind of cuts that you want to make. A 15" Siru might be just the thing as well. They tend to chop pretty deep, but tend to be lighter in weight. The best thing to do would be to send Yangdu an e-mail at himimp@aol.com. She'll be more than happy to get some pricing together for you.
Keep in mind that the length given here and on the HI site is the TOTAL length, not just the blade length. A 12" khuk might have 8" of blade. A 15" khuk is probably going to have a blade around 10 or 11".
Now that I think about it, a 16.5" WWII might be a good one. It'll have a lot of handle so that you can get more snap through the viney stuff, yet it will chop quite well.

Anyway, Welcome to the Forum! :)
 
marenoa said:
Is that really a 12"????, mine´s like twice that one.

Alejandro
Click to expand...
No, it's more like 13 inches. I admit that it appears deceptively small in the picture. I assure you, it is no letter opener:D
sgtkhadka-12.jpg
 
Here it is with a Ranger RD6 for scale. It chops every bit as well as the RD6, so if you feel the RD6 would work on a trap line, the Sgt Khadka would surely work as well.
 
Maybe you've got a big hand IUKE...the khukri in the lower picture looks bigger to me now.

Thanks for the warm welcome and the good advice. I might just email Yangdu as suggested. I'm sure that you understand that when you want something, you generally want it NOW !! At least I want all the information now, even if I don't get the knife just yet.

I can see that the khukri is well-suited to chopping, but at the risk of sounding a bit bloodthirsty, I have another question. Sometimes down here pigs are despatched with a knife. A four inch blade will do the job, but a bigger one may be better for when the hog is big and mean and you have to push the blade in through the ribs. Looking at a Khukri, they just don't have the shape that I'd associate with a knife for pigs. I imagine that if the point was sharp, it would penetrate OK, but the blade not being parallel with the handle doesn't seem 'right' to my traditional way of looking at things. If I happen to noose a hog, or if my dog bails one and all I have is my 12 or 15" Ang Khola, I'm hoping that the necessary job will be done without difficulty. Has anybody got any experience relating to using khukuris as a thrusting tool?

snaredpigsmallformat.jpg
 
While being stabbed with a khuk is not something high on "must do" list, they will penetrate pretty well. However, I think that a more suited "sticker" would be be in order for maximum yield. I would say that the HI Seax would make a fine sticking knife, but many people are off put by the lack of guard to keep a gore-slick hand from slipping onto the blade.

You might look at the chit bowie if you want a knife that will chop and thrust. The chit bowie has a full double guard. If you REALLY want to stick to porky, you might go with a Cherokee Rose. If you are looking for something a little more packable and light, yet down for killin' business, you might check out the 14" or 18" trisul. Basically, the trisul is what i would consider the HI Hell's Bell bowie. Sharp and acute at the point, it has a nice integrated steel guard to keep your hand from slipping.

Please keep in mind that all of this info on my part is coming from someone who doesn't hunt. My "advise" could be bologna:o
 
What a nicely balanced reply Steely Gunz. You pretty much see things as I do.

I'm attracted to the bowie and seax shapes by my 'testosterone/fantasy' side, but when I look at what my real-life needs really are, the khukri seems a lot better. The big bowies, to me, are basically a weapon. A small pocketknife and a machete would actually be a heck of a lot more use to a guy like me unless I was suddenly transported back as a dodgy gambler or bear hunter into the wild west of 200 years ago.

But the khukuri is designed as a practical tool....I can see some definite advantages in the design, and there are some things (like the pig question) that I will have to find out about in the course of my day-to-day experience. I would be very surprised if somebody, somewhere hadn't successfully, of necessity, thrust their khukri into a rib cage. I will be chopping more than pig sticking, and I am sure that the khukri is infinitely better at the job than the long, straight alternatives we've talked about.

Pocketknives and other small blades have been used for despatching pigs. When poked in alongside the brisket, a two-inch blade would do the job if that is all you had.

Dang I like the look of these Khukris. It is time that I fondled one. I've sent my email to Himalayan Imports.
 
A nice, big Ang Lhola at the base of the head will dispatch pretty much anything.
It's funny, I was sitting in my TV room last night contemplating how one would go about stabbing with a kukri (ok, I was watching 300, and thinking of the little tangent about falcatas and kopis in another thread, and wondered how suitable a kukri would be with the more pronounced downward arch). I thought of two ways to make it work, both involve using the arch of the blade to your advantage.

First would be beginning with a swing -- doesn't have to be a real sharp one -- aiming at striking with the end of the blade, not the very tip, but close. Once the blade digs into flesh, instead of a follow-through on the swing, roll the blade into a stab, arching the blade into the target, pushing in following the natural arch of the blade.

The second would be when you're really close and don't have room for a swing. You'd start with the last inch or so of the blade near the tip running it along the flesh. As it slices through the skin, plunge the tip in and stab in, again following the natural arch of the blade.
 
Dang Cpl Punishment, you have distilled the business down to quite a science...or art form :) I havent thought about it that much.

When I catch up to the pig that a dog has bailed (haven't done this in a long time), or when I have one in a trap...the first thing I'd do (quickly, I might add) is sum up how big it is. With a smaller one, if I could grab a back leg, I'd tip it on to its back then reach for my knife (hoping that it is still in the sheath...and naturally slipjoints with fingernail-groove opening aren't ideal for the job). I'd probably hold the knife in the 'blade downward' position and quickly and cautiously poke it in alongside the brisket bone.

If the pig was a big one, or particularly worked-up, I'd hold the knife 'blade up' and wait for a good moment to push it in just behind a front leg, angled toward the front.

I hope I don't come across as a bloodthirsty savage here. Mostly I'd shoot pigs, but I wouldn't want to endanger a dog...and sometimes I don't have a gun. The reality of hunting is that generally knives are involved in some way.

I don't think that guards are absolutely necessary on a hunting knife that might occasionally get used for pig-sticking. With the 'downward' grip, the thumb can be hooked over the end of the handle anyway... and with the upward grip, you can slip your little finger behind the handle. And generally I find that most knives penetrate with surprising ease. Guards can be a nuisance on a working knife. It makes them difficult to 'sheath', and the guard can catch up on things.

My dad told me about a farmer friend of his. The story goes something like this: The farmer was up the back of his farm, and one of his dogs bailed a big pig. When he got to the scene, it was evident the pig was giving the dog a hard time. Being fond of his dogs, and not so fond of pigs, the big man leaped on the pig and got it in a strangle hold. He went for his ever-present belt knife....but it wasn't there. He couldn't let go of the pig. He thought about it a bit, then rolled over and over with the pig down the hill till he reached a creek. He drowned the hog in the creek.

I hope to be able to post a report, eventually, on how easily an authentic khukri might despatch a big animal.
 
I've tested the thrusting ability of my 21" chitlangi. They actually do thrust fairly well but you need to think differently to do it properly.

Once you train your mind to account for the khukri's forward curve, it's simple. Think of it as a straight blade with a very curved 'pistol grip' style hilt.

I can sink my Chitlangi very deep into a pumpkin or watermelon with a swift & forceful thrust.

The thrusting ability won't impress rapier fans, but while it probably won't literally run an opponent through... it will certainly hurt them really bad.
 
Right... I can see exactly what you mean about thinking differently in regard to the 'pistol grip'. That is a helpful way of looking at it.

I'll bet the vegetable store owners get nervous when they see you coming.

Seriously though, running right through is literally 'overkill'... all you need is enough. I guess on the side of a big hog eight inches would settle the problem quickly. Even less would do, I guess, with the width of the blade on some of these things.

Thanks for posting that. I can see in my mind how to operate one of these things now. I came to the right place for advice.

Mind you, I may never use the khukri on a hog. It is mainly a trapping tool for cutting light brush and branches of maybe 3/4" thick.
 
Wolf... I've been thinking some more about your explanation of how to thrust with a khukri. It is excellent. If I unthinkingly tried to use my khukri like Ive always used a conventional hunting knife I might have difficulties, and it would be more likely that my hand would slide forward off the tapered handle.
 
For a thrusting khukuri, I like my UBE very much. It is not as large as a "movie model", making it a much more useful tool, just with a pointy tip for "stabbing" or a chopping blade. It is tough as nails too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top