Light vs. Heavy Khuks

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Mar 9, 2000
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I have had the chance to try out my Kesar 16.5" chiruwa AK now, and it bites deeply; in short, it's awesome. I think it has a heavier chop than an 18" AK that I tried a while back.

Last night I finally had the chance to weigh this chiruwa, and it weighed exactly 32.5 ounces. So this is a heavy blade, as the specs for this blade are, I believe, supposed to be 28 ounces.

Is the heavy bite of my chiruwa due solely to the extra weight (approx. 15% more); or does the heavier bite depend on design, angle of blade, etc?
 
Ad, I think both the weight and angle of the blade make the "chop". Also, the person using the khukuri fits him or her differently. The old human influence matters too.:D
 
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Everything affects performance; steel density, spine thickness & blade angle are a few. Tapered tang versus full tang. 2lbs. isn't all that heavy with this design; balance point adds to or takes from this perception.

With a heavy knife, it is harder to learn to snap the kuk, but it ain't impossible, & it gives a lot of muscles a chance to work. What works for me is to hold the knife as lightly as possible sorta like you would a good cue stick. Just before blade contacts target, close up your grip; let all of your fingers come around the handle fast & tight. That last minute tightening up adds a sudden & fairly large increase to the blade velocity. If that sweet spot is lined up on target, you may surprise yourself at how deep that cut will be.

Each & every one of these kuks is handmade; so everyone of them is different. That, to me, is the cool thing. You have to find the sweet spot on everyone of them & everyone of them has one in a slightly different place. Reminds you kinda of the only thing better to look at than kuks..................them soft, curvy female bodies.

Remember our National Holiday on March 20th.
 
My chiruwa weighs about 27oz. That chiruwa will "outbite" every 18" knife I own (AK included) except the M43. Inch for inch and ounce for ounce, I think it's the best thing going.
 
Thanks for the replies. The uniqueness and individualtiy of these blades is a lot of fun to become acquainted to. This chiruwa's weight, although it's 2+ pounds, seems very well distributed. I am sure each person on these forums has his/her preference as far as design. Right now I am more enamored of this blade than any other I have ever owned. I gave it a name: Apis (after Rudyard Kipling's killer bull).
 
One more question about this blade: I have been assuming that it was made by Kesar. It has a half-sun and above it, the intials "S.B." Is this Kesar? I saw on the HI website that Kesar uses a half-sun. But perusing some of the Kesar posts, I see that he was using the flag of Nepal at times. Hopefully, Uncle Bill can enlighten me on the maker of this fantastic blade. Thanks.
 
I think the half-sun is Sher now. Kesar of late has used a Nepali flag and sometimes the letters "K.S."
 
Thank you. Maybe that's what accounts for this blade being on the heavy side.
 
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