Kukri, which one and what are they best used for

cziv said:
From a website:

Isn't this a folder or small blade steel? That might explain breaking it? I dunno?
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440c is an ok steel. Fairly hard and seems to hold up. I think the heat treating is key, seems to be for many companies. Heat treating can be the make or "break" for a blade. I have seen many long blades made of it. Some Condor machete are made of 440c. I have one and it has taken a beat down Ike Turner style.
 
I have Nepalese Khukuri myself... till zombies invade my house, my khukuri works as my dream catcher as its hanged above my bed. Works like a charm :D
 
440C is not regarded as an ideal choice for impact tools, as is true of stainless steels generally.
 
Thomas Linton said:
440C is not regarded as an ideal choice for impact tools, as is true of stainless steels generally.
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I would agree with you but straw, saplings, tail grass, bambo, meat, wood even bone should not effect it as much as one would think. RW can go between 56-59. But repeated long term impact will show even on the softer stuff. For most of us, I dont really think we can bang it up as much as you think...I have tried and have banged it up, but grounded it and it was pretty beat, so was my 1095 kabar when I grounded it for that matters.. Grounding it or digging...maybe a different story. But I do agree I would rather have something that is better for impact consider the use of this tool as a chopper it will see lots of impact...so hello Condor!!!!!
 
I have a Himalayan Imports WWII I picked up about a month ago, and a Condor Khukri. Khukris in general use a dramatic recurve design to effectively pack a longer cutting edge in a shorter, more convenient package. They shift a good deal of balance forward to assist in the basic chopping motion. Other than combat, I'm not sure what specific utility purposes they were designed to meet in Nepal, but traditionally they are very thick and feature dramatic tapers. It's amazing how functional my HI WWII is as a slicer when it features a spine more than half an inch thick. Since a majority of the weight is so close to the balance point. they feel betrayingly light. Most manufactured modern khukris are different-they feature much thinner blades that aren't tapered-more of a traditional large blade feel, with the weight shifted forward. Both of my khukris are extremely well constructed, very ergonomic with a natural feel and both are extreme choppers. Both are tough high carbon steels-1075 and 5160.
 
P1010054.jpg

HI WWII 18.5 in 26 oz
Condor (I'd adamantly recommend this over a Cold Steel)
P1010053.jpg

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Comparison shot
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spine thicknesses
 
WOW...I cant believe how thick the HI is compared to the Condor. I believe you said the weight is 26oz on the HI and I believe the condor is 18-20oz (could be wrong). I couldnt imagine the condor keeping up with the HI in chopping but for clearing the HI would wear you out faster. The curve is less dramatic on the condor as well. Handle wise I wouldnt know which one is more comfy. This is a tough choice!
 
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think what you notice in blade width is that the Condor is billed as a Kukri Machete whereas the HI is a full on Kukri fighting & other stuff, heavy use blade. I think? :)
 
Correct. Most of what you see billed as kukris are more like a bent knife or machete (KLO, kukri like objects). They have blades that are of steel that is less than 1/4" thick, usually with a saber grind (many times concave in profile). They have a uniform heat treat throughout. They do not perform, balance, etc like a kukri made in the traditional manner with complex profiles, tapers, fullers, and convex edges. They have their use and place (at which they can even excell), but they are not kukris.

Also, 440c is not a great choice for this blade style even with perfect heat treat. BTW, most large Condors are 420 because it has higher impact resistance. They have a few 440c models, but they are investment cast.

Hope this helps,
Steve
 
Steveomiller who should we buy from to get the Kukri you are posting about?
 
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Just picked up the CS Kukri on ebay for like $15. Seems fine. Not sure why I bought it, I guess it will replace my machete that sits in my console of my truck that I keep for road ragers.

We tend to have a lot of those out here.
 
Kukri history reveals a lack of conformity.These have often been made by many and lack conformity.You can have specs.of a kukri but that does not work as the standard for all.
 
I am finding two different models of the Condor Kukri one made with
1075 high Carbon Steel saying its 18in overall while another with
1095 Carbon Steel saying its 19in overall

Whats with that? As far as I can tell they are the same I know it says there are differences but is that old model info? Their website states the 1075 carbon steel is their only model.

Here are some links
http://yourcornerstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=28757
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CN49013HC
 
For your first kukri I would second the Condor Kukri machete. I don't own one, but is in my wish list. Its 1075 steel which is a good compromise for a large/heavy chopper. The handle is more like the traditional Nepalese kukri handle, which believe it or not is comfortable and feels very secure in your hand. The blade's recurve is less pronounced, so it has a smaller sweet spot (area of optimum chopping power) which is fine. Keep in mind that to maximize the chopping power of a kukri you want to flip your wrist just before impact. That takes a little practice, but you will like the results.

I have a CS kukri machete, Kabar kukri machete, and a HI Foxy Folly (picture attached). CS has quality control issues with their machetes. A good CS kukri machete is a great machete and light chopper, but if its not a good one, you have to work on the edge geometry before it will work as intended. It sounds like you got a bad one. The Kabar kukri machete is a good workhorse and the handle is very comfortable. Being 1085 steel is something I don't like, and its not as good as the CS for bush clearing. The HI Foxy Folly is something in its own league. It feels lighter than it actually is (the fullers help), and is a very good chopper that doubles as an excellent all around wilderness/camp knife. For more detailed work you can always use the Karda that comes with the Kukri. That's another difference between real kukris and KLO, real kukris usually come with at least two additional tools, a Karda (small utility knife) and a Chakma (sharpener/prying tool/digging tool/firesteel striking tool) both made of 5160 (like the kukri itself).
 

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nate1714 said:
I am finding two different models of the Condor Kukri one made with
1075 high Carbon Steel saying its 18in overall while another with
1095 Carbon Steel saying its 19in overall

Whats with that? As far as I can tell they are the same I know it says there are differences but is that old model info? Their website states the 1075 carbon steel is their only model.

Here are some links
http://yourcornerstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=28757
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CN49013HC
Click to expand...

Both the links you posted list 19" as overall length. The "1095" listing is a typo. Condor uses 1075 for their carbon steel machetes. 1095 would be too hard for such a big, heavy chopper.
 
Kitkat, it is true that there is lack of conformity in historic/traditional kukri - it is the nature of something that is hand made. Ad further to this that there are different styles intended for different uses and environments. However, what does show some conformation is a spine that was/is 5/16- 7/16 thick, and complex geometries: they do not give the appearance of a stamped blade with a short edge bevel put on as a second thought. Additionally, up until about WWII they all had a hidden or partial tang. All of these things add to the feel and performance of the tool. As far as where to look or buy, go to the source - Himalayan Imports, Kukhuri House, Tora. They are made in Nepal with traditional tools and techniques, to traditional designs.

As stated earlier there are other bent knife options, and they can be fine tools in their own right - they just aren't kukris.
 
stevomiller, I couldn't agree more. There is not one standard for all kukris, but there are certain design characteristics typical to any kukri. I would add the recurved design as a universal kukri characteristic. The different styles referred too actually fall withing design families that reflect different intended uses (as stevomiller stated) and geographical traditions from northern and southern Nepal. The point is, design and application diversity doesn't mean that because some hammers look different, they aren't hammers any more.
 
If you are talking about HI ok but if you are talking about Kukris in general that is another story.That is a story that
involves confusion.If you are into conformity and everything is 1.2.3. ok.I know better.You sight HI imports like they are the divine ones but they
have only been around as an exporter since the 1980s.Bill Martino had a vision of helping the poor.Many have made from these things.I know India and Pakastan have produced many of these knives also.I agree with some of your thoughts but only some.The style of the kukri was brought in by war or through culture.Some say it is from Egypt or from the Greeks.The Greeks had a sword called the kopis that may have been copied.Alex The Great invaded what today is Pakastan not Nepal with the kopis.It would have been copied by the people of India and later inroduced to Nepal.But does it matter?No more than if the kukri is made in Pakastan or India.If it is well made people will buy it.
 
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kitkat52 said:
If you are talking about HI ok but if you are talking about Kukris in general that is another story.That is a story that
involves confusion.If you are into conformity and everything is 1.2.3. ok.I know better.You sight HI imports like they are the divine ones but they
have only been around as an exporter since the 1980s.Bill Martino had a vision of helping the poor.Many have made from these things.I know India and Pakastan have produced many of these knives also.I agree with some of your thoughts but only some.The style of the kukri was brought in by war or through culture.Some say it is from Egypt or from the Greeks.The Greeks had a sword called the kopis that may have been copied.Alex The Great invaded what today is Pakastan not Nepal with the kopis.It would have been copied by the people of India and later inroduced to Nepal.But does it matter?No more than if the kukri is made in Pakastan or India.If it is well made people will buy it.
Click to expand...

I don't dispute the historical problems which leads to some confusion regarding kukris. And I'm not into forcing things into arbitrary calcifications. We don't really know if the Kopis or the Machaira or the Falcata or all the above had some influence in the development of the kukri, and that's fine. Not everything has to fall into little neat lines. We assume that the line of influence went Greece - Egypt - India - Pakistan - Nepal, but that is a historical assumption that can't be proven. There are other theories that may be as valid. What I do see is that regardless of the mudded history behind the kukri, is that what constitute a kukri today is easily identifiable, regardless of design variation or place of origin. I agree with you that the history of the kukri is not clear, but to me that is secondary to the clear perception we can have on what constitutes a kukri and how the different design variations imply specific uses and applications.

Personally I'm partial to HI kukris for 2 reasons:
1. I like Uncle Bill's idea of making sure that the kamis (knife makers) got paid a wage that reflect the true value of their work.
2. Because HI kamis are paid better, they can spend more time on quality and detail per item without sacrificing their income; in other words, they aren't forced to rely on volume to make ends meet.

Kukri House and Tora make good products, but if I could spend a little more, I would prefer to buy HI and make sure that a just portion of the price goes to the kami.
 
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