M 43 at Work

[Andrew Colglazier]

I own quite a few HI khuks. I have used several of them, some of them pretty hard, but the majority of them have yet to bite wood. I am changing that right now as I make a concerted effort to clean up some of the oak groves around our house and property.

Today, I got a chance to use the M43. This knife is an 18" model, I don't know its weight. It has a full tang and a horn handle.

I've mostly used smaller (lighter) khuks such as pen knives, WWIIs, and BAS models. But I knew I'd need to cut some heavier wood today, so I pulled the M43 out of the safe.

The wood I cut was mostly mesquite, but also some live oak.

The forward curve of this knife makes draw cuts easy and natural. The edge bites deep, and doesn't wedge into the wood.

I did not cut with my hand there; it's just there for reference.

The M43 handled the size branches I needed cut with ease. I may have to find some bigger stuff tomorrow!

My only complaint about this knife is the thickness of the handle. I don't have large hands. But, I do have a belt grinder, and it would be simple enough to take some of the girth off with that.

This is a very nice sized knife. Not as heavy as some, but heavy enough to use for extended periods without becoming worn out. And, it is capable of heavy use! :thumbup:

Andy

 

[wildmanh]

Andrew, thats a really nice M43. Thanks for taking the pictures of it while you were using it. As I've said before, I love pictures like that. You sure did a number on that oak tree. :thumbup: Please keep the pictures coming if you can.

Heber

 

[Ugly Duck]

Dang! The stuff I need to cut is only about half the diameter of that log. I gotta feeling I came to the right place for choppers.... very encouraging!

 

[greenwoods]

Thanks for the nice pics,Andy. Glad you included the disclaimer about the hand in the pic

Mark

 

[wildmike]

That blade looks just like my first M-43. I used mine to build a couple cabins. Still my fav orite blade.

 

[Moff8]

I always think there is a sweeping grace about the M-43 that the other Khuks lack.

 

[Wolf_1989]

I bought my brother an M43 for xmas last year and he just loves it.

It's a bit smaller than my 20" Ang Khola but its cutting power is almost on par with it.

 

[H2OCutter]

Good shots, The M-43 is on my short list, maybe before Christmas.

 

[wildmike]

I like the M-43 so much that I bought a second one. It is one of the only pieces of equipment that I have a duplicate of, And it is the only knife I have a duplicate of.