Kukri Knives

BFH44 said:
all the blades in the pics of this thread are really great I would like to be able to afford some of those -- BePrepared - the one with the Hammon can you tell me who makes that or is it one of a kind ?
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CAS knives. Brothers from Argentina.

They make fantastic knives. It is carbon steel welded/forged between stainless. Quite a few makers are doing it, and the results, as you can see, are just fantastic to the eye.


(Edited to fix CAS stupid auto correct on my phone liked CAN better).
 
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Jens Schuetz said:
So I guess you would also prefer a Katana shaped machete (CS makes these too) over a real Katana. What if one blade hits the other? Will the Samurai be laughing or you?
Same with thin Kukris, probably ok against boneless meat but add some leatherjacket, bones and another blade to the mean guy and some more robustness and chopping power on your side wouldn't be a bad thing.
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No, you're missing the point. I'd rather have a Katana with modern metallurgy. I don't have much use for machetes where I live. The CS Kukri is 5/16th of an inch thick, same as most of my HI ones. I'm not arguing for machetes, I'm arguing for modern materials and heat treat.

Since the Samurai are long gone, it's a moot point. It would have been interesting to get their take on things though. Since Miyamoto Musashi used wooden oars/sticks rather than swords in some of his fights, I suspect he would have loved 5160 or 3V also.
 
Beautiful San Mai! Pardon my ignorance but are they trade show only? I dont see a website or any contact info? I see they use three types of steel on some other knives. 5160,1095,and ??N??. Awesome set!
 
The best weapon of choice has to be one that you feel the most at ease with.
It needs to handle the jobs you need it to do. What ever you decide on, someone
will always be there to tell you they have something better (and they might).
"Something better" is always lurking around the corner.
How much better? is the big question. Unless one of the choices can swing itself
they're probably close enough not to really matter.
 
BePrepared said:
I prefer streamlined modern designs with modern materials and high quality fit and finish.

[snip]

I am in the minority. Most people seem to like the more classic designs, but i prefer modernized renditions
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I'm right there with you!
 
GWashington1732 said:
Kukris have really thick blades, they're basically somewhere in between a hatchet and a knife.
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Lot of folks use the phrase "Kukri shaped objects", like it means something. But what is the defining characteristic of a kukri? I've never seen "really thick blades" in that context.
 
BlackKnight86 said:
Lot of folks use the phrase "Kukri shaped objects", like it means something. But what is the defining characteristic of a kukri? I've never seen "really thick blades" in that context.
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Depends how YOu define real Kukri for yourself. There isn't any international Kukri society which provides any standards.
One approach would be to look at historical Kukris as they are the original ones and check their thickness (really thick)
Another way would be to see what actual Nepalese villagers use today (really thick)
How about what Gurkhas use in the British, Indian or Nepalese army?
...
But however smart we try to figure out what is a real Kukri at the end its up to you what defines a Kukri for you and what is important and what not.
I for example like full tang Kukris. Are they real? Not traditionally and not being used by the common Nepali...
 
BlackKnight86 said:
Lot of folks use the phrase "Kukri shaped objects", like it means something. But what is the defining characteristic of a kukri? I've never seen "really thick blades" in that context.
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I won't be the first to say that the definition varies, but I define a true khukuri by the presence of a cho. It has a couple names, but I'd describe it as something shaped like a number 3 near the base that separates the cutting edge from the ricasso. Anyone who tells you what it means is guessing at best and more likely wrong, because the meaning has been lost to time. To some degree, shape and geometry vary with region, but the cho is always there.
 
IIRC except in France, there is no body that officially defines any word, and even in France the "official" is usually ignored.

A khukuri traditionally has a "Cho," but that does not define a khukuri any more than what some individual thinks. Put a Cho on a bolo and you have a bolo.

While the meaning of words often changes over time, at present a bolo, parang, or machete is not a khukuri to the population simply because someone thinks that it is.

The kukri or khukri (Nepali: खुकुरी khukuri) is a Nepalese knife with an inwardly curved edge, used as both a tool and as a weapon in Nepal and neighbouring countries of South Asia. Traditionally it was, and in many cases still is, the basic utility knife of the Nepalese people. It is a characteristic weapon of the Nepalese Army, the Royal Gurkha Rifles and of all Gurkha regiments throughout the world, so much so that many English-speakers refer to the weapon as a "Gurkha blade" or "Gurkha knife". The kukri often appears in Nepalese heraldry and is used in many traditional rituals such as wedding ceremonies.
The "kukri" and "kukkri" spellings are of Western origin, the original Nepalese form being khukuri.
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There are pictures above. Some would argue (:)) that merely having the silhouette of a khukuri does not make a knife a khukuri - strictly a matter of opinion.
 
Is this a khukuri? I'll add that to my eye it is a likely candidate for the grandfather of the CS Gurkha.

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Thomas Linton said:
IIRC except in France, there is no body that officially defines any word, and even in France the "official" is usually ignored.

A khukuri traditionally has a "Cho," but that does not define a khukuri any more than what some individual thinks. Put a Cho on a bolo and you have a bolo.

While the meaning of words often changes over time, at present a bolo, parang, or machete is not a khukuri to the population simply because someone thinks that it is.



There are pictures above. Some would argue (:)) that merely having the silhouette of a khukuri does not make a knife a khukuri - strictly a matter of opinion.
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Who are the people you meet who confuse a bolo with a khukuri?
 
frank@knivesbyhand he sells authentic Nepalese kukris, the real deal. They are impeccable. And they are well priced. These kukris blow the ColdSteel kukris away, imho. I won't quote a price, but, lots less expensive than ColdSteel and cannot be destroyed in normal use. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ram6wpaGJiY comparison between Nepalese and coldsteel. Buy an imitation at a higher price or get an authentic piece of craftsmanship at less cost.
 
Just an aside has anyone been watching Dracula on prime time? One of the Dracula killers uses a pair of Kukris.
 
Who are the people you meet who confuse a bolo with a khukuri?
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Depends how YOu define real Kukri for yourself.
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To reply to the first quote, I disagree with the second quote. Respectfully, it does not depend on how YOu define khukuri for yourself.
 
Doug C said:
Check out HI as folks have already mentioned, don't have one but have heard nothing but good things about them. :thumbup:
Picked up my first khuk this year, not a HI, but a Custom by Jason Knight, sheath by scabbard smith extraordinaire Paul Long.

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DC
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I really appreciate those long wide fullers. Beautiful knife there brother.
 
Thomas Linton said:
To reply to the first quote, I disagree with the second quote. Respectfully, it does not depend on how YOu define khukuri for yourself.
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I felt fairly certain that I qualified it as my personal, and by extension subjective, definition. Usually, the question of "Is this a khukuri?" rises in the context of knives with a forward curve and a single cutting edge, so I've never felt compelled to rule out machetes, bolos, parangs, barongs, or pangas as khukuris, because of all those only perhaps the bolo or parang will have any kind of a forward curve.
This makes for a segue into another perspective. Let's start with a stricter definition of a khukuri: a knife with a forward-curved blade, single cutting edge on the inside curve, relatively thick spine, differential tempering, handmade Nepali construction, blessing, and a handle constructed from wood, horn or bone (not harvested from a cow), for example. At what point is a khukuri no longer a khukuri and just a KLO? What aspects can we strip away and still call it a khukuri?
I'll not get into the question of at what point in design does a khukuri cease to be a knife and become a sword, because I feel like asking when a khukuri ceases to be a khukuri is exhausting enough, but as long as we're bouncing ideas, I'd like to hear what you think.
 
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