My 'Famous' M43 Kukri

Living in the Cascades! I did some backpacking north of lake Chelan years ago, but never for more than 2 weeks at a time. It's fantastic but rough country, I'm impressed that you could live there for years, you must really know your stuff... You must have some tales to tell!
 
Thanks for all the info in this thread Wildmike, it's been a very interesting read. A minor shipping mix-up happened with my first khukuri order (a 20" Chitlangi) but that ended up working out well since it became possible to switch my order to an M-43 by Bhakta. It arrived today and you sure didn't steer me wrong, this is one hell of a sturdy blade but still feels remarkably light in the hand. I'll give it a better review and post some photos when I have a chance to test it out.
 
They are amazing blades Torm! The more you use one the more they grow on you.

Make sure to read the safety thread!!!!!

Now go out and have some fun, practice some skills...no time at all and it'll be a part of you.
 
Geargeek, yep one or two.

With good skills, and following the seasons (descending in fall and winter, ascending in spring and summer) it isn't too bad.

Once the weather starts getting cold you MUST build a tight shelter you can have a fire inside of. During 3 seasons I often just lived under a tarp.
 
Mike,
If you're still around (with apologies for re-opening an old thread), can you tell me how you sharpened & kept the convex edge on that 43 in the wilds?

I am aware of numerous methods & devices and know how to sharpen knives, I'm just wondering how YOU did it on THAT blade under THOSE field conditions. :)
Denis
 
wildmike said:
Mus....now you're sunk. These things are highly addictive. You'll love the M43 it sings in the hand, a bit of use to get used to it, and you won't want to let it go.

Steve most of the time it just depends on what I want to carry, and if I'm just going out to play I may take several tools on the same trip. The Kukri's wins for versatility over the most applications. The axe is far preferable in winter camping and when keeping a large fire going. If I were again in a situation where I was likely going to be building survival shelters, cooking outdoors on a small fire or improvised stove I'd be taking the kuk hands down. My GB hatchets will do much of the same work but not with as much versatility. For example I can use a hatchet to drawknife with a bit of adaptation and work....but nowhere near as well as can be done with the kuk. Overall the Kukri is the clear winner from my experience.

But I still love my axes and hatchets.
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WildMan, I am curious. I have an M43 at 16.5 inches long coming and I thought it ma y be too heavy to carry in the woods all day. Yours, at 18" sounds great, but I am curious if you, or if anyone, carries their kuk accross their chest. That seems to me to be a practical way to carry these in the woods. Also, it seems that it would draw out nicely. Any comments?
 
That's how I carry mine. Being a full time sitter (not babies) hanging from the belt is not an option.

I wear mine frequently when riding my lawn mower for branches and such that get in my way, overhang etc.

Plus is makes the neighbors wonder bout me, that's actually the best part.

I had Pugs build me a sheath with a loop on the side and at the top, a simple camera strap works like a champ.
 
sawgrass said:
WildMan, I am curious. I have an M43 at 16.5 inches long coming and I thought it ma y be too heavy to carry in the woods all day. Yours, at 18" sounds great, but I am curious if you, or if anyone, carries their kuk accross their chest. That seems to me to be a practical way to carry these in the woods. Also, it seems that it would draw out nicely. Any comments?
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I always wonder what it the best way to carry these. In the wild, you may take a fall sooner or later :) and having a few broken bones by landing "wrong", or worse, is a possibility. Id' say that suspended on your side might be the best bet.
 
At the risk of opening a can of worms (again) HI needs to make their original M43 again. Short handle and less than 25 oz. as an addition to the new model, which is much more dedicated chopper, it could only increase khukuri sales👍🏻
 
Length of the wood section on my new one is pretty much 4 1/4 inches.
In a natural grip, where the bell curve of the pommel positions my hand, I'm extending my index finger slightly up onto the bolster.

Medium-sized hands.
15-inch, 27 ounces.
The older 43s had shorter handles than that?
You'd want to go lighter?
Denis
 
DPris said:
Length of the wood section on my new one is pretty much 4 1/4 inches.
In a natural grip, where the bell curve of the pommel positions my hand, I'm extending my index finger slightly up onto the bolster.

Medium-sized hands.
15-inch, 27 ounces.
The older 43s had shorter handles than that?
You'd want to go lighter?
Denis
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The vintage M43 had a short handle which wouldn't be suitable for many in the US, but the standard issue/private purchase Mk. II, at the least the six or so I have/had, had a handle of about 4.75". That gives plenty of handle, but not too much. Your HI M43 is 2.5" shorter than the vintage/original model, which was close to what HI made in the early days when Bura made WildMikes. My vintage Mk. II handle extremely well. Now, personally I prefer a lighter khukuri and that is a personal preference. I have a modern Mk. II copy which is 17.5" and 21 oz. It's a perfect length to weight ratio for ME. It's not a hand axe, to be sure. I would love to see an original spec. Mk. II be produced by HI along with the newer, very popular, and much heavier (18+" and 32-38 oz.), version. Many would be surprised at how well the original spec. Mk. II can cut, slice, and still chop within reason. So, what I'd like to see is a 17.5" 22-24 oz. M43/Mk. II. I've handled a few and liked them a lot. They'd sell like hotcakes! Very few here buy just one, it's all about variety:)
 
So- longer blade, shorter handle, and lighter weight, would be your preference?
Denis
 
DPris said:
So- longer blade, shorter handle, and lighter weight, would be your preference?
Denis
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Absolutely. As with everything else, my khukuri preference has changed over time with a better understanding of my use and needs. I don't spend a lot of time chopping logs. Much of what we have here is Oak and Mesquite anyway. You would kill yourself trying to chop a large Oak log. What I prefer is a light, well-balanced khukuri which can stand up to chopping reasonably-sized, tough wood like Mesquite, but can also slice green, flexible vegetation. I also want something which dances in my hand and cuts with the flick of my wrist.

I have several khukuri, traditional and modern, which do all these things and I really enjoy them. To me, that 17ish" length and weights from 19-24 oz. hits the sweet spot for those qualities. The shorter handle and longer blade improve balance and aesthetics IMHO. Add to that a distal taper from bolster to tip and you'll have a wonderful khuk. The Newer HI M43 is a great working tool. It's heavy-duty and forward-weighted for chopping, but balanced well for such a blade. The long handle allows one to choke-up for lighter cuts or move their hand toward the pommel for heavy chops. It works very well as a really heavy-duty khuk, but isn't ideal for slashing saplings. The original spec. M43/Mk. II works extremely well for a general-use khukuri. It lasted from WWI through WWII as a weapon and a camp tool. They were used to take out Germans and Imperial Japanese, as well as, cut wood, chop bamboo for trail clearing, and cutting your way out of crashed gliders:D
 
I have been gone from here for years and years and unfamiliar with it all, but forwarded this thread link to friend who has been into weapons and survival items and skills for decades...just his cuppajoe...

As for personal preference, as noted, it all depends on location/need.....but seems most any basic khukuri quite fine for most anything including carry and use....luckily Yangdu is able to spoil everyone with selection of huge variety. I would not hesitate to take the recently arrived quite basic WWII anywhere/anytime and be supremely happy. Or a BAS. Or a shorter Ang Khola. Or etc etc. On left side sturdy pistol belt or tied to side of pack (also fun to fall on) with pack far more likely on actual trail....
 
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JD,
The handle on this newest M-43 is essentially 4 1/4 top to bottom on the wood slabs, 10-inch blade, bolster to tip.
The wood on the CAK that preceded it by a couple weeks is 4 3/4 inches with an 11-inch blade. It's by far the longest handle of any of the khukuris I have here. Biggest khukuri, too.

The hornies on the other three HIs run 3 3/4 (one) to 4 inches (two), not counting cap or bolster. 10, 10, 10 1/2-inch blades.
Oldest from about 92-94 is a 4-incher.

All seem to fit my hand about equally well, with each blade. Obviously much more room on the bigger CAK.


Hope Mike drops by to answer my question.
Denis
 
JD,
How long were the wood handle sections on the original M-43s?
Trying to get a feel for the difference between those & mine.
Denis
 
The first thing to remember is that the M43 is an enigmatic off-shoot of the GI MK II. The original M43 handles, as in vintage, were around 4 1/4" IIRC. I don't have my data with me at the moment. The blade on them, as well at the MK II, were both around 12". The MK II handles added about a 1/2". M43 handles were too short to be ideal and the MK II seemed better suited for larger hands, though the M43 handles like a dream.

In contrast, my HI M43 Model had 6" wood handle slabs, a 1/2" bolster, and a 13" blade. It is a great khukuri design, just nothing like the original.

So, to answer your question, a period MK II/M43 would have a handle of 4-4 3/4", a blade of 12", an OAL of 17.5", and a weight of 22-25 oz. this is just from my samples and from reading about others. There were period MK. II made heavier, up to 26-27 oz, but they seem later WWII production and it seems handling qualities drop off at that point.

Please don't take this as bashing HI's current M43. It's a totally different khukuri than the vintage or some of the original HI models. People love them and it's one of the best HD choppers made. For a big blade, they handle very well.
 
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