Hey ChainWhip! Welcome to our lovely Cantina! There have been a few threads similar in nature to this, so I will first consider those, then try to answer you in a completely different fashion
This thread has some good info on why certain models are recommended, though many of the recommendations would not be as suited to you, ie Chitlangi, Siru, and Kobra. You might like a Gelbu, but it might not have the chopping power you'd need to say, clear a trail of a downed tree.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...get-my-first-Khukuri!-I-need-your-help-though
Then the thread about which one blade you'd take if the SHTF has and will have some great opinions. The ones that someone would spend the rest of their days with would certainly me a good starting point.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1351933-There-can-only-be-one!
First some background. I grew up MTBing trails around my house in New England. I was a boyscout and was always the one who loved knives and sharpened everyones knives just for fun. When my best friend and I, also a boyscout, would go out on the trails, I always brought my trusty Estwing hatchet and a nice fixed blade knife, whatever I chose at the time. I had that hatchet shaving sharp and could even whittle with it. Then somehow I lost it. My beloved hatchet mysteriously disappeared between moving out of my parents for a year, then back. It was at this time that I began looking for replacement trail blade, and I happened upon the Ka-Bar Kukri Machete. It was, in my opinion, better than the CS one, and those KLOs were the only khuks I knew at the time (I had decided a khuk was more versatile than another hatchet, and never once regretted it).
Fast forward to last summer, when I finally had disposable income again, and I went looking for a real khukuri. I found HI and this forum. Couple thousand dollars later, here we are haha.
Now about the knives. Here's a story to help guide you. I couldn't decide if it should be it's own thread or added to my recent one, but given the fact that both you and I have similar uses for these blades, I feel it will be most helpful here.
Yesterday, I was planning on walking some of those same trails I used to bike, but my goal was to find more Mile a Minute vine to take down with different blades. It was to be a follow-up to my AKB Vine Clearing thread. I had brought quite a few blades back to my parents house, including a 20" Kobra, 16.5" Tamang, the 15" AKB, and my 15" Reti, as well as the 15" KLVUK in kydex sheath and 17" Dui Chirra that both live in my Prius. Yes, you read that right.
I took all the knives in the backyard and played a little bit. Reti was too light for much more than twigs and pencil-thick vines, Kobra was too long and not choppy enough, AKB too heavy and not enough chop. This left the Tamang, KLVUK, and DC. I threw Keshar in my backpack for light stuff, and decided to grab the Tamang, just because the DC gets more regular use. It was a hard choice. Oh ya, I also swapped my normal Mini Micro Bowie for my new Baby Foxy Folly, to see how that would work for EDC.
Not even 10 minutes down the trail I ran into a problem, downed trees. Well not a real problem for me on foot, but I like to clear trails in case I or others choose to bike it. In any event, I took out the Tamang and started chopping away. The blade was flinging chunks of wood left and right, like a beaver from Hades.
Probably 10 minutes into my chopping I had to take a break. This was the first time I'd used the Tamang on a real log, and I was beginning to see some flaws. First was the size of the handle. It's one of the thinner ones in my collection, which up til then I'd seen as a positive. Now, my hand was starting to cramp as I naturally tried to grip the blade to keep control. The straighter handle wasn't allowing the blade to swing quite as freely as when I was using it on chest-height branches and such. Also, the Tamang has a very wide edge, in turn yielding a very acute edge. That helps it bite deep, but not necessarily chop the way an ax or beefier khuk do.
It was at this point that I wished I'd brought the Dui Chirra. On top of it's heavy curve, it has a much fatter handle, and is just a bit longer overall. That fat handle feels funny at first, but really lends itself to a loose but secure grip, that's comfortable for extended use. Combine that with similar weight, and you've got a better chopper.
I used that Tamang the rest of my time in the woods, and it served me well. Found me a nice rock with the tip, that's another story though (she's sharp and mostly straight again). However, I didn't do anything that the DC wouldn't have done just as well.
The KLVUK didn't once leave my backpack.
For now, that Thamar Dui Chirra will be my woods knife. It's big enough to handle chopping up logs, but light enough to pack/carry, and also comfortable enough to use all day.
However, when I got home, I realized there has been one blade I've been basically overlooking because of it's beauty: my 16.5" Purna Foxy Folly! The handle is probably second fattest only to the DC, it has about as much overall curve as the DC, but it has more belly and is lighter overall. I have a strong suspicion that the FF will end of getting as much is not more use than the DC, which currently holds the #1 spot.
In reality, you will find what works best for you after you try a couple styles. Light model, heavy model, straight model, curved model, short model, long model. The list goes on and many combinations can be had. Given the funds, I would say you can cover most bases with 3 blades. KLVUK, Tamang, and a heavier Thamar "x" Chirra. You could swap the Thamar for a 17-18" AK or M-43 if you really want a beefy blade, but I really don't think their worth the extra weight unless you're splitting lots of wood or something.
In my case, I think my 3 go-to khuks would now be, in order, Dui Chirra, Foxy Folly, Tamang.
Oh, and I can post pics of any or all blades I mentioned by the way. I know when I started here I had a hard time getting an idea of what model name went with what khukuri shape.
Sorry for the long winded reply, hope that helps though!
