Khukuri, he ultimate survival knife? (pic intensive)

I beg to differ that khuks dont make great EDC knives.

If you are going to be out on the trail carrying a fixed blade a Biltong or 12 to 15 inch Ang Khola would be a great choice to have along. Khukuri up to 15 inches are actually very portable and give you the option of knife, skinner, battoning tool and hatchet all in one unit. They are very versatile well though out tools.

Great review!!
 
I love khukuris. As others have mentioned, the HI's are very capable for the type of work they are designed to do, and have another important feature. When you are out in the middle of nowhere, and the zombies come to your campfire, nothing lops their heads off faster! :D

Somebody had to say it...
 
Elen said:
It isn't lack of experience, it's simply a different perspective as to what is a "survival knife", Wildmike.. . . .
But, that's not what I was thinking when I called khukris poor survival knives. I was thinking of those unexpected, unforeseen types of survival situation, that strike so suddenly there is little possibility to stock up on large and heavy tools, unless you're lucky and happen to be already carrying them. Situations ranging from, say, a mugger jumping at you in an urban environment to a short hike in rather familiar surroundings going bad due to physical injury, unexpected weather or such things.
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What would you call a good "survival knife" for your urban setting?
Most people won't carry ANY fixed blade in a city, even if legal, and in many places in the world you aren't allowed to carry ANY knife in he city. So there goes basically, every knife that's considered a "survival knife", and even most that aren't, such as a puukko. Sp I think the urban self defense scenario is really just looking for a scenario where you generally won't have a large blade. No offense.

As to your second scenario. Yeah, some people apparently think that anything heavier than a SAK with its scales removed is too heavy to carry in familiar surroundings. But don't think that applies to everyone. I do carry a kukri in the woods, even familiar woods.

Maybe it's more of an American thing, but a lot of people carry big knives in the woods. So, I guess the point is, it's ot unlikely that such would be with someone for most, non-urban self-defense survival scenarios.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
What would you call a good "survival knife" for your urban setting?
Most people won't carry ANY fixed blade in a city, even if legal, and in many places in the world you aren't allowed to carry ANY knife in he city. So there goes basically, every knife that's considered a "survival knife", and even most that aren't, such as a puukko. Sp I think the urban self defense scenario is really just looking for a scenario where you generally won't have a large blade. No offense.
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I think anything that one could reasonable carry concealed, without interfering with clothing, would work. From folders to smaller fixed blades. :) I carry mostly puukkos in urban environments. And I'm not the only one who does that here. Sure, a larger knife can be carried, but it's going to be a little less comfortable to most people, which is probably why I've never seen anyone carry a khukri in a city that I can recall. Now it's true that a lot of folks won't carry a fixed blade in a city. A lot of folks won't carry even a folder, or any knife... In fact, I would bet that most people in the western world do not carry any knife, daily, in a city environment. So for my part this is mostly theoretical discussion on what would make a practical, easy to carry survival knife that also does the job. Khukris in my experience certainly do the job, being time tested tools. Their downsides are their great size and weight, which makes them less practical and easy to carry than some smaller knives.

No offense taken, mate. The urban self-defense thing is a scenario where one is less likely to have a large knife. But, it's also a relatively common scenario for many people. At least, it is a much more likely survival scenario than one of the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it type scenarios, or the "you're suddenly dropped in the middle of Siberian tundra with just one knife" scenarios. :D But in all seriousness, in those urban self-defense situations, I would think most would prefer to have a firearm rather than just a knife. But still, the knife can come in handy there as a survival tool if things go really bad.

As to your second scenario. Yeah, some people apparently think that anything heavier than a SAK with its scales removed is too heavy to carry in familiar surroundings. But don't think that applies to everyone. I do carry a kukri in the woods, even familiar woods.

Maybe it's more of an American thing, but a lot of people carry big knives in the woods. So, I guess the point is, it's ot unlikely that such would be with someone for most, non-urban self-defense survival scenarios.
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You're right, it certainly doesn't apply to everyone, as I, too, like carrying larger knives or axes, no problem. And in this country there is somewhat of a tradition of carrying axes out to the woods. But a lot of people, rather likely most western people, due to various reasons from being lazy to having physical injuries limiting carry of heavy loads, do refuse to carry several pounds in knives or axes, unless they're car camping or such. If these people have any "survival knife" with them, it's likely to be some kind of a folder or at most, something in the Fällkniven F1 size range. Not a bad knife to have, and if one of these people asks me to recommend them a "survival knife" to use, I really can't recommend a Battle Mistress or khukri or axe, because they're not going to carry something that large anyway. Something smaller I can recommend.

I was thinking about that old and worn phrase of "the best survival knife is the one you have with you." It's of course a somewhat silly phrase, but there is truth to it. If you have a khukri with you, then that's a pretty darn good survival knife - if you really do have it with you. If you have a smaller knife, good. If you have no knife... well... oops! :eek: Many people probably think of Rambo style hollow handle and sawback knives when they hear the word survival knife. I like to think that my survival knife is the kind of knife I am most likely to have with me, everywhere, even when I get into trouble, and the kind of knife I'm most skilled at using. A survival knife should be something that I am likely to be able to carry most everywhere. Then, that would make a relatively small puukko my survival knife. If someone (I'm thinking a lot of people in Nepal do) EDCs a khukri, then that will surely make a good survival knife for them.

But I think that if we were to make a poll and have all Bladeforums members, or even just WSS members tell us how large their EDCs are, I bet axe/khukri sized knives wouldn't be in the majority. Whether good or bad, that is how it is.

So in short, my opinion: khukris are great knives, but poor EDCs and therefore perhaps poor survival knives because they're just really darn big and somewhat impractical to carry all the time. And how useful is a survival knife that you don't have with you when you suddenly need it? One can of course disagree - opinions is all this kind of thing is, and knife enthusiasts chatting about their favourite subject. :D When I say EDC, I mean something you carry every day, no matter where you are. I'm not thinking just something you carry out in the woods. Khukris certainly make great woods knives, if that is a word - knives to carry out to the woods. It really depends on who you ask: we here can happily carry a khukri to many places, but a great lot of people do consider them too large to carry.

But I'm getting long-winded again! Sorry about that, guys. You all have a good weekend :thumbup:
 
Yeah, I think we're having another perspective problem.

From my view a survival knife is different from an EDC.

A survival knife, to me, connotes a knife that can do everything needed to survive. Which also means doing those things in time to stay alive. Big knives have their forte in shelter building. We've all gone over that you CAN do it with a tiny knife, just as you CAN split wood to get at dry stuff with a tiny knife, but can you do it in time? The big blade can.

Other than those two things, a small knife does just fine.

For the EDC route, I can think of few situations that I'd only have my EDC and still be able to make a wilderness type shelter. All of those scenarios are urban.
In the urban case, My EDC would be fine: A 4" +/- fixed blade or folder for the mugger scenario, and the ultimate urban survival tool: the Multitool (of course, I also carry a gun, but many don't have that choice). But the urban scenario is more of a Prac Tac discussion.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
Yeah, I think we're having another perspective problem.

From my view a survival knife is different from an EDC.

A survival knife, to me, connotes a knife that can do everything needed to survive. Which also means doing those things in time to stay alive. Big knives have their forte in shelter building. We've all gone over that you CAN do it with a tiny knife, just as you CAN split wood to get at dry stuff with a tiny knife, but can you do it in time? The big blade can.
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Well, that's how it goes. People have so different perspectives on things. But perhaps it's mostly a matter of semantics. After all, we seem to agree that khukris make fine tools to have around in the woods for various tasks, and that they're a little large to EDC all the time, everywhere. So, bottom line, they're just plain and simply, good knives. Large, but good. :thumbup:
 
Elen said:
Well, just about any urban environment for one thing. Survival isn't just prancing around in the woods in this day and age; not all survival situations require woodscraft. Urban environments have people. Lots of people. But seriously speaking, I wouldn't consider people calling the police a real issue. The sheeple friendly aspect does pop up here from time to time, so I figured it worth mentioning, as some people do let those things affect their carry decisions.

I certainly agree that it's best to be prepared, but I would also claim there's a limit to being reasonably prepared. Otherwise, we're going to have to carry an enormous load of gear everywhere we go, which just isn't practical and can't be done. And I'm talking enormous - firearms, sleeping bags, cold environment tents, loads and loads of water and rations, you name it, it's gotta to be there to be as prepared as possible. To some people, yes, a kukri is practical to carry all the time. But no one can honestly claim that it would be practical for most people, not even most knife enthusiasts. Or, well, they can, but they would just be wrong. :p

As for the bit about folders, that's where we go into the realm of making compromises between maximum practicality and maximum performance. No folder on earth is as reliable as a well-built fixed blade, and that dictates that fixed blades are superior for survival purposes. A small to medium fixed blade isn't much harder to carry than a folder, and is a hell of a lot more reliable. Ergo, that gets to be the EDC and go to survival knife of a lot of folks.

Now, for you guys over in the States, there seems to be a massive folder craze, likely because of the legal situation banning carry of, especially large, fixed blades. Do note, though, that America is not the world. I dare say that in most of the world the legal situation is different, and the population isn't "forced" to carry folders. Here in Finland, for example, there is no other reason to carry a folder except the small size and weight, since carrying a folder is exactly as illegal (or legal, depending on where you're taking it and why) as carrying a zweihänder or that kukri, if you'd prefer.

Otherwise, yeah, I agree with what you said. Nothing beats being prepared for the unexpected, and being equipped to face that unexpected, whatever it is. Unfortunately, as I said, practicality creates certain limits to just how well equipped we can be.
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I can see the next article coming: “Zweihänder, the ultimate survival blade?” It can’t skin a rabbit worth a damn, but that Swiss Hedgehog never stood a chance! Clears blackberry brambles good, too.
 
Just a quick fact to add some perspective... Any knife a person has with them in a survival situation magically becomes a survival knife, whether it be a 15" kukuri or a SAK farmer with scales removed. If you have it with you, and you need it to survive, its a survival knife. And you know what? Whether its a kukuri or SAK or whatever, you're still going to make it work - because you HAVE to. Unless you're carrying several different kinds of blades, you're always going to have an advantage at one end of the spectrum and a disadvantage at the other.

A side product of being a highly intelligent species is that we like to be efficient. Carrying a kukuri in ANY city, aside from one where you feel the need to carry a weapon (probably better off with a concealed firearm anyway), is NOT efficient. Carrying a SAK in a city, however, which can be used for any number of tasks you may encounter in a city, IS efficient - due to its ease of carry, weight class, and versatility in small tasks. Many factors come together to rate the efficiency of carrying one item or another in a given situation. We tend to carry items that we feel we would most likely need in a given situation. You would hardly carry a kukuri into a city because you think you may need it to chop some wood or plane out a bow. When heading into the forest on a camping trip, however, you would probably take the kukuri along with you.

It seems to me that pineapples are being compared to blueberries here. These are two VASTLY different items being thrown into the mix against each other. On top of that, we're using two VASTLY different situations in which to compare them!! Each is very well suited to its end of the spectrum, and very ill-suited for the opposite end. I think everyone can agree that a kukuri is a far better option for cutting down a tree when you can carry it on your hip, and a SAK is a far better option for cutting a tag off of a newly purchased shirt when there is a version that you can hang from your keychain. No?
 
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as I mention in almost any thread.... (why break a trend) we as knife nuts tend to get hung up on the specifics of things.. as sumitmonkee points out any knife on you is a survival knife...the best or worst knife in the world isn't gonna make a lick of difference if your skills aren't up to par... Wits are better than kits in my way of thinking, now if you happen to have both even better..while survival for a day to 3 can be insured through preparedness.. longterm survival only can be bought with the currency of skill, and experience.
 
As to the EDC problem.

When I was in my difficult days I carried my M-43 every single day, on my belt and I was often in town and around people. I naver had any negative comments or rpoblems with either other citizens nor law enforcement. The only feedback I ever recieved was from fpolks who admired the blade. Which surprised me.

My tryst into the woods did not happen with pre planning and when I wound up in the situation it was with summer weight clothes,a pocket knife and a book of matches In late september. Thank God for a lifelong fascination with survival, the BSA and S.E.R.E for the knowledge that carried me through.

As I said before I survived just fine with just a 5 inch blade. The kukri made it possible for me to thrive.
 
I carry a Khukuri when ever I'm out in the mountains or woods. A khukuri is also part of my B.O.B and 72 hour kit. When I owned a car and drove it, there was a Khukuri with me.

So pretty much if I end up needing to survive somewhere sometime, I have my Khukuri with me. I'd rather skimp on something else then my blade.

Went backpacking a few years ago in Coyote Gulch in Southern Utah, never made a fire and never chopped anything but I had my 15" Sirupati Just In Case. Because if I did get stuck there I'd want to have a blade I trust to get me out of the bad stuff.

Living in Provo, I don't EDC a Khukuri but I have one close enough that if I need it, I can get it.

Heber
 
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