Hi! I am looking to get my first kuhkri knife for outdoor use. I am looking for something that would serve as a general purpose belt knife for camping and hunting use. I hear HI is the best khukris there are. Something totally plain or blemished would be fine as I’m hunting for a user. I’d like something not too heavy. I am thinking the 16.5” wood handled WWII model would be really nice, or a villager utility knife, though I don’t know much about them. Does anyone have any recommendations, tips, suggestions, thoughts, comments, opinions, etc. for a first time khukri owner? Thanks so much everyone!! -Mitch
Hi! If you're looking for something general purpose that you can actually use and dont care about minor imperfections, check this forum at about 5-6 pm est daily, Yangdu the owner posts minor blems around that time pretty often for REALLY really good prices like 70-80% off the normal prices and the "blems" are super minor things and some can even be fixed with a few mins of work. You just have to be quick to email her after the deals are posted they sell out FAST like less than 10 mins fast I've emailed after ~ mins before and had them already sold!! I just got my first knives from HI not too long ago from one of the daily deal posts, the ww II khhukri and the pachtar knife. The wwii is really beautiful and also practical for use but if you want something somewhat light it's heavier than a normal knife you'd get I think around ~20ishh ounces depending on the size. You could also look at the fathers military knife replica or the lightweight m43 or tin chirra if something that heavy doesn't bother you, or something a little bit lighter the villager utility knives are really nice for general purpose and the pachtar knife I have is good you can look those up on this forum. The bilton knife is nice too for general purpose but a bit on the smaller size i think it comes to like 9 inches overall. For your first time knife with the things you said, I would just check this forum daily and if you see any of those knives come up on deal of the day , write Yangdu an email with your information quickly and leave a comment that you emailed her! All of their knives are beautiful you won't be disappointed in anything you receive from them, best of luck to you!
The VUK is a good choice. I like thinner kuhks and really liked the foxy folly from HI, it's more knife than axe. The WWII seems like a good all-purpose one with good chopping in mind still, but I've never had one. The Ang Kola is to big for me and my preferences but if you're looking for a versatile hatchet like object, they're pretty good for wood processing needs.
Way back in time Uncle Bill, who along with his bride Yangdu owned HI, was kind enough to communicate with me when I had this same question. He highly recommended a WWII model as an all around model and a great choice for a first Khuk. For me he recommended an 18" but you can't go wrong with a 16.5". I now have a number of HI khuks from sirupatis to chiruwa ang kholas and a lot in between but I always return to the WWII for work. The others are not safe queens but I just usually keep beating on the WWII.
I just emailed Yangdu last night about the 16 1/2" CAK by Ram Kumar. It's the post right below this one. You can have that one if you want. I don't have to have it. It looks like the perfect knife.
I don't know what the weight on it is, but the last one i saw in this length was 24oz. Which would be light for this model, i think. Anyway, if you want it just let me know and we can both send Yangdu and email to make it work. The feel of the weight depends on the balance of the particular knife. My tin chirra is 15" and 23 ounces, but the weight is toward the handle so it feels like nothing in the hand and chops like a much bigger knife.
Hi! Thank you kindly my good sir, but you can have that one. I think I’ll hold out for the lighter WWII model. I am extremely appreciative of your kind gesture, though! That looks like a gorgeous knife for sure!
Mitch: I'd recommend the VUK for your first HI khukuri. It's lighter weight than a WWII of the same length, and just as good for general purpose use. Some of the WWII are heavier than you might like; the weight is not very standardized. Also, the VUK has the forging scales on, which makes it more rust-resistance for camping and hunting, and less expensive as well. The WWII would be a better choice for heavy chopping, but the VUK can chop in a pinch.
I was going to suggest that same very thing myself. My VUK is still a go to knife for most chores. Excellent way to find out if a khukri is what your looking for too.
Thanks, friends! I emailed Mrs. Martino to see if any blemish WWII knives were available. An 18” one was, so I decided to buy it! I’m sure I’ll get used to the size and weight. I am SO EXCITED to own one!! I have been watching the khukri videos from Blackie Thomas on YouTube. I’ll keep you guys posted!
Mitch, welcome to the group! You'll meet some pretty interesting fellows and can pick up a lot of useful information from them. I must agree with Bawanna and Kvaughn about the KLVUKs. Unfortunately, Kesar Lal has passed away recently, but HI knows Villager Utility Khuks like nobody else and makes some tremendous working blades that will take all kinds of use and abuse. The WWII should satisfy that "fix" you're evidently in need of at the moment, but remember: man does not live by one khukuri alone. Be thinking something like light, medium, and heavy duty such as Katunje, WWII, and M43. But please realize that you have been bitten by the benign appearing khukuri bug.....and there IS NO CURE!!!!
