kukris and other bladed tools , just meat and potatoes ?

[hauntedchild]

Let me start by saying I know HI is the company of choice by most kukri owners here , duly noted . Im not questioning the quality or service of this company . My limited experiecnce with these tools has not lead me to this brand yet . But I do own kukris from a reputable Nepalese manufacturer and haven't felt as if I've missed anything for my primary use . I'm an ambitious outdoorsman . And use my tools accordingly , im not here to argue the merits of techniques or tools for the jobs at hand . I use them all to some degree and most with enough skill and knowledge to know when they should be used .
For my needs what would set one manufacturer apart for another , all things taken into consideration , mainly the way there made . I know the blades I use are manufactured in traditional ways using time tested materials and techniques . And most importantly they serve my needs admirably . I can out chop any other blade I own with them , they baton like no other knife , if a baton is even necessary . I have yet to need to do any major prying , but if I do and manage to bend not break the softer tip according to what ive read I can just tap it into place , absolute genius in my humble opinion . It's a draw knife for camp chores . I can stick the tip into the a log and pull my wood against the razor sharp section closer to the handle and make curls that are more than sufficient , at a fraction of the cost of even some of the more popular mast produced blades that aren't nearly as bullet proof. And surprisingly enough to me some modern blades labled for extreme outdoor use weigh more than some kukris . I have learned through my personal use that some things dont need improvement . I own kukris , machetes , parangs and bolos . And I cant really think of a modern twist on any of these that make them do what they were designed to do any better , with the exception of handle fastening on parangs . What are your thoughts ?

 

[Derzelas]

When a foreign product works, don't change it. Just copy it with a gimmick twist. It's the way the world works, inventing something functional and easy to produce is a dead end street - all is already created.

 

[Mecha]

When a foreign product works, don't change it. Just copy it with a gimmick twist. It's the way the world works, inventing something functional and easy to produce is a dead end street - all is already created.

...said nobody who has ever invented or developed anything new.

 

[Derzelas]

...said nobody who has ever invented or developed anything new.

How much you pay for a Tops with kukri shape blade?
Reality is what it is, even if you don't accept it.

PS I developed something based on my needs. The knife is posted here, sketch and end result. But I will never say will be better than any other knife or "I invented" something.
I am sure you invented something based on your condescending tone.

 

[hauntedchild]

My thoughts exactly , those tools have carved out a hard knock existence in there environments for eons by people that use them daily in every aspect imaginable . I quess it's just in us to believe we can make everything we touch better . Most short comings with these tools have been addressed long before modern technology as we know it existed with primitive tools and methods . Things that need changing like handle sizes or stronger attachment methods are all that was needed but even some of those things were designed to be easily done with as little as a fire by their original users .

 

[Mecha]

How much you pay for a Tops with kukri shape blade?
Reality is what it is, even if you don't accept it.

PS I developed something based on my needs. The knife is posted here, sketch and end result. But I will never say will be better than any other knife or "I invented" something.
I am sure you invented something based on your condescending tone.

It's not meant to be condescending, and my remark wasn't about kukris. It's just a philosophical peeve of mine when someone throws up the "nothing new is ever made" mental roadblock. We're awash in new inventions and developments every day, that's reality. But hey, if you want to use only knapped obsidian knives, be my guest.

By the way, I agree with the OP that the types of blades he's describing are damn near perfected edged tools.

 

[JayGoliath]

Hauntedchild,

May i suggest you hang around the antique khukuris (or tools i.e axes) website where you could get better idea what the Nepalese used?
I gotten a few and it has changed my view on most of the khukuris in the market nowadays.
I's not so much about the steel since technology takes care of it.
Understand that such tools are very dear to these people as trade tool and their life depend on it.
Put aside the sentimental values, i'm a firm believer that each tool is dedicated to each tasks (ask the Japanese) and we can improvise tools only for specific tasks that never existed before.
Hence we could design or improvise the current using what were proven in the past.

I have been scouring for a carving axe made for my use and i have always enjoyed what i saw. Some of the designs and specs are just hilarious and some are, eye-opener.

Coming back to thick blades in the market, i also noticed they don't have distal taper or the balance needed for the job.
You really have to test your blades consistently before you can make any educated claim about it. At least that's for me.

 

[Derzelas]

Basic shapes for necessary and sufficient needs are all invented. The recurve is good for x,y,z, and etc. At one point I was thinking to contact you for a pseudo katana in that superkalifragilistic steel but at the end I decided I don't need it since it has nothing from the functionality I expect and receive from original. If you want to make pseudo shaped things from super steels more power to you. Technology is other thing, not the subject here. But don't tell me about roadblock mentality.

 

[Mecha]

Basic shapes for necessary and sufficient needs are all invented. The recurve is good for x,y,z, and etc. At one point I was thinking to contact you for a pseudo katana in that superfragilistic steel but at the end I decided I don't need it since it has nothing from the functionality I expect and receive from original. If you want to make pseudo shaped things from super steels more power to you. But don't tell me about roadblock mentality.

Even if I didn't make blades I would have made the same comment toward your blanket dismissal of the new and novel, which is apart from any specific item like kukris, "pseudo shaped things" or any other edged goodies.

 

[Derzelas]

Even if I didn't make blades I would have made the same comment toward your blanket dismissal of the new and novel, which is apart from any specific item like kukris, "pseudo shaped things" or any other edged goodies.

In that case you really read what I said? Something like "..functional and easy to produce is a dead end street - all is already created."

 

[Mecha]

In that case you really read what I said? Something like "..functional and easy to produce is a dead end street - all is already created."

Exactly. All is not already created. "Reality" isn't that the limits of humanity's inventiveness has been tapped. Every new thing imaginable has not already been dreamt and made real, to which we can only add gimmicks.

 

[Derzelas]

Exactly. All is not already created. "Reality" isn't that the limits of humanity's inventiveness has been tapped. Every new thing imaginable has not already been dreamt and made real, to which we can only add gimmicks.

Creativity applied on a product is function driven and we work with the shapes we already know in this case. When a knife will have a corkscrew shaped blade because it is easier to get samples from the guy we stab with, that will be invention for me. Until then, we agree to disagree.

 

[hauntedchild]

In the knife world I believe that tools exist for most things that I particularly use mine for out of doors that don't really" Need" further advancements to do the tasks I need , As an example I'll use an debate an acquaintance and I had . He wanted a large knife for wood processing in our area and was pretty much sold on a BK9 he's heard and read so much about . I told him that while it a decent knife overall I believed for his intended use he could be better served by a knife designed with that purpose in mind . At the time I had been using a parang from Malaysia that I had done what I felt was a necessary Mod to better secure the handle at a fraction of the cost of the BK9 .
He made his purchase and was thrilled , that's all that matters . We went for a day in the field and he did well processing his wood . Then he used my Parang and hesitantly handed it back and said " I see what you meant " . I had simply explained that are knives that will chop and ones designed for it are different tools . I showed him how to use the tool in a pinch grip near the top for finer task as well as other techniques and he was enlightened . Familiarity with a tool goes a long way , I've only been able to get that from constant use like the people's that rely on them daily. My wife just laughs because I will use a new type of blade for every possible task until I'm intimately familiar with it's quirks from the field to the dinner table .
Forgive me if I got of topic a touch . But things like super steel's are nice as are modern handle materials , but steels sourced from these leaf springs and wooden handles work just fine if done properly . Having to sharpen periodically goes with owning and using edged tools . And is more likely to happen since we got the idea too drive our knives edges into trees in effort to fell them and other things most knives aren't intended for . It's all relavent and personal preference in the end , I only started this thread because I was thinking about purchasing another large knife and had these very thoughts lol .

 

[JayGoliath]

I showed him how to use the tool in a pinch grip near the top for finer task as well as other techniques and he was enlightened . Familiarity with a tool goes a long way , I've only been able to get that from constant use like the people's that rely on them daily.

Very glad to know you grasp the idea of the parang. It's still the tool i will carry if i must choose just one knife.

 

[Mecha]

Creativity applied on a product is function driven and we work with the shapes we already know in this case. When a knife will have a corkscrew shaped blade because it is easier to get samples from the guy we stab with, that will be invention for me. Until then, we agree to disagree.

I think that's already been invented:

I agree with you that most new things are adaptations or advancements upon what's already been conceived, but truly new concepts are still brought about all the time.

Invention is often the mother of necessity.

 

[Planterz]

I thought Frank Zappa was the mother of invention.

 

[BladeScout]

I agree, that some of the tools mentioned by the OP are dang near perfect. Small wonder, as they have been improved/perfected over time.

Whether or not perfection can be improved upon, Id say that IMO the epitome of the Khukuri is this Knight Combat Khukuri, which is drop dead gorgeous.

This is of course just a personal preference and not meant as a slight to traditionalists. YMMW.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...(-Happy-Halloween-)-)?highlight=custom+kukhri

It's the way the world works, inventing something functional and easy to produce is a dead end street - all is already created.

Interesting POV to say the least. Not something one expects to see posted in 2017.

Reminds me of the apocryphal tale of Charles H. Duell, who was the Commissioner of US patent office in 1899. Mr. Deull's most famous attributed utterance is that "everything that can be invented has been invented."

Guess that was proved wrong (too).