Kobra and Sirupati thickness

dmcintyrelee

dmcintyrelee

Joined
Jun 9, 2014
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236
Looking at the 20" Sirupati VS. the 20" Kobra

any thoughts or opinions here?
Are the Kobra blades as thick as the Sirupati?

What are your uses for either or both?
 
I just purchased a Kobra and a Sirupati, and they both arrived here last Friday. The Sirupati is 20 inches and 32 ounces, by Lok Kami, while the Kumar Kobra is 22 inches and 26 ounces, by Rajkumar kami. The blade thickness of the Kobra at the spine is 3/8" at the handle, and 5/16" at the bend, tapering to 1/4" about 4" from the point. The blade thickness of the Sirupati at the spine is 7/16" at the handle, increasing to a full 1/2" at the bend, and then tapering back down to 3/8" about 2 1/2" from the point. So they are really quite different knives. The Kobra, while 2 inches longer than the Sirupati at 22 inches, has a much thinner blade forward of the bend and feels light and fast in the hand. This 20 inch Sirupati is just a beast of a blade, with the weight much more forward, and is much slower to manipulate. But I suspect that this 20 inch 32 ounce Sirupati is somewhat of an aberration, and most 20 inch Sirupatis would be significantly thinner and lighter. I also have another Sirupati that I bought in early May that is 17.5 inches, and it weighs only 20 ounces and the spine is just a hair more than 5/16" at the handle and at the bend, tapering to 1/4" about 1.5" from the point, and it is a very light and fast blade. So I suspect that it greatly depends on the particular kami that makes the blade, since no two HI blades are identical.
 
Moparsbob,

thanks for the great insight. Your Sirupati sounds like something I would really like! I just got a Chiruwa Ang Khola a few weeks back and just can't stop thinking about my next HI blade.
Still in thinking of a thinner towards the end blade and your description of the Kobra you just received, I am still a bit torn.
I was originally thinking about ordering the Sirupati at 20" but started comparing what I knew about it to the Kobra... leading to the post here today. Dang after nutnfancy's youtube review I feel I need to order one ASAP as the
stock will probably get blown out! good for HI... as for me.. Sirupati or Kobra.... hmmmm
 
Because these are handmade, and also because kami styles differ, there can be a lot of variation for a given model. That makes it hard to generalize.

However, it is safe to say that certain models are intended more for heavy chopping, certain models are more combat-oriented, and some are in-between. Those purposes affect weight (for a given length), blade shape and edge profile, etc.

The Kobra is definitely at the combat-end of the spectrum, while the Sirupati is one of those in-between blades, not a heavy chopper like your CAK, but more of an all-around blade.

Given the variation of individual khukuris, I prefer buying Yangdu's DOTD's from this forum, rather than ordering from the HI web store. At the store you see a generic photo and generic specs. Here, you see a photo or two of the actual knife, with its length, weight and handle type. Also, you know which kami made it, and the prices tend to be lower than at the store.
 
Thanks davidf99,, I am new the H.I. blade world and have been watching those DOTDs.. great values.
The CAK I recently ordered is my first and was intended as a heavy chopper,, I am 6'3-4 and I find the 16" a bit small
for my heavy chopping tastes, but the balanced weight and thinner profile of the Sirupati seems like a nice next purchase,
I just want to get more feedback on what people really use them for. I am no martial artist!
 
dmcintyrelee said:
Thanks davidf99,, I am new the H.I. blade world and have been watching those DOTDs.. great values.
The CAK I recently ordered is my first and was intended as a heavy chopper,, I am 6'3-4 and I find the 16" a bit small
for my heavy chopping tastes, but the balanced weight and thinner profile of the Sirupati seems like a nice next purchase,
I just want to get more feedback on what people really use them for. I am no martial artist!
Click to expand...

Since you're a good-sized fellow, I suggest you consider an M43 in the 18" range. This will likely have a longer handle and bigger blade than your 16" CAK and plenty of chopping power. The M43 is like a Sirupati on steroids, but more of an all-around knife than the CAK. If you're tempted to go for something in the 20" length or longer, pay attention to the weight, as a couple of inches of length can translate into a much heavier blade and maybe a thicker handle. (The kamis tend to upscale all the dimensions to maintain the proportions.)

Of the more common HI models, the two that are both good choppers and all-purpose blades are the M43 and the WWII. They tend to run a little lighter weight than the AK model, for a given length. The wide blade of the M43 gives it a lot of strength. The thick spine of the WWII gives it a lot of strength.

If you like the Sirupati, by all means go for it. The Chitlangi is very similar to the Sirupati in its specs, but nicer looking, in my opinion. The Gelbu Special is also similar in specs, but perhaps a bit more heavy duty, although we sometimes see heavier Sirupatis and lighter Gelbu Specials, due to the variation I mentioned. Any of these would be fine for all but the heaviest chopping.
 
great info david,, you seem to really know these blades and maybe you could really steer me in right direction here. I really like a thick spine but wanted to try a more balanced blade, I have been looking at all models in the 20" range and
am just bouncing around not really knowing which one to order. Out of all of them, which would you say is a nice thick spine balanced blade? 18" OK too, I realize these all vary. Thanks for your help!
 
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I'm a newbie in this forum, but I've been collecting other kinds of knives and axes for decades. I fairly recently found out about HI and this forum after buying a grip from ronin,who happened to have some information on HI on his web page (Thanks, Ronin!). I know a good blade when I see it, and I've been very impressed with the knives that I've acquired so far. I knew from the 32 ounce weight in the description that the 20" Sirupati I recently bought was going to be heavy for it's length, but I really didn't expect it to have a 1/2" spine. Davidf99, you obvously have a lot more experience than I do, so I'm curious if you've every seen a 20" Sirupati that weighed 32 ounces and had a 1/2" thick spine before, or is this one as unusually thick and heavy as I think it is?
 
Moparsbob,, not to be sleazy but if you ever wanted to unload that Sirupati........ with all respects of course. :)
 
dmcintyrelee said:
great info david,, you seem to really know these blades and maybe you could really steer me in right direction here. I really like a thick spine but wanted to try a more balanced blade, I have been looking at all models in the 20" range and
am just bouncing around not really knowing which one to order. Out of all of them, which would you say is a nice thick spine balanced blade? 18" OK too, I realize these all vary. Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

Most of the models with very thick spines are heavy choppers: AK, Ganga Ram, Bonecutter. These can be very heavy at 20".

The WWII usually has a very thick spine, relative to its weight, and a longer-than average-handle as well. It's likely to be a more reasonable weight at 20" than the above models. When you get to the 20" khukuris weight becomes an issue even for a big guy.

Again, these are generalizations and might not be true of any given knife, which is why I prefer buying from Yangdu's forum postings rather than the HI web store.
 
moparsbob said:
I'm a newbie in this forum, but I've been collecting other kinds of knives and axes for decades. I fairly recently found out about HI and this forum after buying a grip from ronin,who happened to have some information on HI on his web page (Thanks, Ronin!). I know a good blade when I see it, and I've been very impressed with the knives that I've acquired so far. I knew from the 32 ounce weight in the description that the 20" Sirupati I recently bought was going to be heavy for it's length, but I really didn't expect it to have a 1/2" spine. Davidf99, you obvously have a lot more experience than I do, so I'm curious if you've every seen a 20" Sirupati that weighed 32 ounces and had a 1/2" thick spine before, or is this one as unusually thick and heavy as I think it is?
Click to expand...

The ones I've seen (of that length) mostly had spines about 3/8" thick, which is a lot considering that the thickness runs about half the length of the blade and usually tapers down to 1/4" toward the tip. That applies to Sirupatis, Chitlangis and Gelbu Specials, though obviously I've only seen a tiny fraction of the ones out there.

Even the M43s, which are warranteed for heavy chopping are usually about 3/8" thick at the spine. Only the WWII's, of the all-around blades, seem to often have the thicker spines.
 
Ditto that. That's unusually thick and heavy for a Sirupati. I'd like seconds behind dmcintyrelee if you ever part with that. Has to be a beast.

I'm a little bitty guy barely 5' 6 and sitting down full time to boot but I'm wiry. Ya know. I like beast.
 
I have a few Siru's. My Tirtha 21 inch is about a hair over 3/8 ths and my 25" is not much over 3/8ths. I also have an 11.5 " and its just over 1/4" thick. The 21" is a fine blade light and fast but id put it just under the KLVUK as far as chopping ability just because of the lack of forward weight. The speed does make up for that difference somewhat though. 21" Siru is a great blade for light brush, delimbing small stuff, and some light chopping like building shelter etc. I would pick a heavier blade for anything over 3-4" diameter though. The 20" AK yall mention earlier is pretty dang heavy at around three pounds but I love mine for chopping. It is a fantastic blade as long as you dont have to live with it on your belt all the time. If I have chopping to do and dont have to go far from home then 20" AK is my go to blade. If I have to carry a blade any distance or chop for extended sessions id pick up that CAK on todays DOTD:thumbup: Next to that idea a 21" Gelbu Special would yank my crank. That heavy Siru yall speak of sounds really khul! OK theres my dos centavos!
 
Well it seems that I want something similar the that beastly Sirupati mentioned above,, maybe that Gelbu Special at 21" or even the Malla. I see that the m-43 and other bigger more curvy blades are good for chopping,, I researched a bit before picking up my CAK (posted it last week or so in the other forum). I will probably order a 20" AK, M-43 or WWII model as my third or fourth but currently I wanting that straighter ended more balanced blade.
Those AK Bowies are looking really nice too,,, need to call and see what is in stock.
I appreciate everyone's feedback, it has helped and educated!
 
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