My new Mini-Jungle just arrived

P

p1445

Joined
Sep 14, 1999
Messages
138
Craig,

The Mini-Jungle just arrived, and I am very happy with it. I'll post a review a little later with a few criticisms, but overall I think this is a good knife at a great price. I would also like to say thanks for the great customer sevice.

more to follow, but now I gotta go play.
p1445
 
P1445,

Glad it arrived finally! I look forward to your comments, especially the criticisms. It's the only way we can keep improving - if we get negative feedback that's constructive. I pass on all suggestions to Lalit, and he is very good about always improving his product to meet the US customer's needs.

And be sure to post those kydex pics when they are finished. I can't wait to see them.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Let me start by saying I am very happy with the M-J, and at $49 it is a steal.

The blade shows a few tooling marks in various places, but in an inexpensive hand forged knife like this, I think it shows character. The only blade flaws that would concern me are two folds/flaws that are at the bottom of each side of the chos. I belive these stress concentrations will lead to blade failure under extreme use. I know that Craig will exchange this knife with no hesitation, but since he offers a life time warranty I think I'll keep it and see if it will fail where I predict. The M-J was purchased as a working knife, and I am interested in seeing how well it holds up under hard use.

The rose wood handle displays some rough carving, which again I think adds character. The tips of the handle are a little too pointy. This will be no problem, as a little work with my dremel tool will soften the points.

The overall construction of the sheath/scabbard is pretty good, except for the frog. This leather (Buffalo Hide?) seems pretty tough, but it is way to thin. Craig I think this really needs to be improved.

The chakmak and the karda are kind of crude, however they are usable. I would be happy to pay a little more for a little better quality here. The karda seems to be very soft, and the finish is kind of rough. Too bad as I think this would have made a great bird/trout knife.

Overall I think this knife shows great promise. I wouldn't hesitate to recomend the M-J to some one who is looking for a good belt knife, and at $49 how can you go wrong.

p1445

I tried to buy the kydex on wednesday, but my company was redoing their employee sales computer system and policies and no one can tell me how long this will take. I'll give them a few weeks, then I guess I'll have to find a new source for the kydex. This knife just screams for a kydex sheath, and I can't wait until I can start making one.

[This message has been edited by p1445 (edited 24 September 1999).]
 
p1445, Bill Martino of Himalayan Imports, in conjunction with several other heavy-hitters on the review scene (i.e. Cliff Stamp) have done extensive testing on their khukuris that show forge lines and no stress fractures have occurred. That said from Cliff Stamp speaks VOLUMES! Craig's product comes from a different manufacturer, obviously, but it would stand to reason that if similar quality is being put into GH's khukuris (I would say this is true), then those folds will never be a problem for you.

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My Custom Kydex Sheath page:
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels


 
P1445, that's a pretty accurate assessment of the Mini-Jungle. Chiro is right about the lines. The blem I use for camping (a WWII) has a couple of fold lines and I've abused the hell out of it. But if something does happen with those lines, you have a new one waiting for you.
smile.gif




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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
I took the M-J to the gun club with me this afternoon and tested it on some brush. For a knife of this size and weight, I thought it preformed rather well. I wouldn't want to chop down a tree with it, but it cut small branches, vines, and weeds quite well. The M-J was comfortable to use and I think it will replace my CS trailmaster for general woods use. Now I need to get a real Chopper to replace the CS HTC, as it as well as the Trailmaster are severly lacking in style. My thanks to Craig for bringing out such a classy knife, and don't be supprised if I add my name to the WWIII list. That is if I can get a checkered wood handle instead of micarta.

p1445

oh yea, I chopped the hell out of a cardboard box with it too. It was like a hot knife going through butter.

[This message has been edited by p1445 (edited 24 September 1999).]
 
P1445: I'd be glad to do it, but I'm worried about getting away from the WWIII idea and theme. Here's what I suggest: that you make your own grips out of a WWIII. You seem pretty talented, what with the micarta project with the MJ (I like the name you gave it). Of course, once you get the WWIII if you sign up for one, you'll probably want to keep it the way it is. I don't mean to be stubborn, but the idea for the WWIII is to have something indestructable for the "big day" (hoping it never comes
smile.gif
)

Micarta, I think, fits the bill better than wood. The customizing that I am glad to do is on handle color. Maybe we can get some wood colored micarta? Does it exist?

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
P1445: I think that the arrival of the new 10 inch Bhojpures and 10 inch sirupatis and 10 inch chianpures will solve the problems you noted with the mini-jungle. In my experience, the kamis who make the bhojpures do a better overall job than the mini-jungle kamis.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig,

The more I use the M-J the more I like it. The 10" knives sound interesting, but overall I think the 12" M-J will suit my needs just fine. The 10" knives and the M-J should make great camp/ belt knives. With your low prices, and lifetime warranty you can't go wrong. My only "improvement" to the M-J would be a thicker handle, as it is a bit thin. I hope you post picture of the new knives, as I would like to see the different blade styles.

I bet you've about had it with special projects, but I think one of these smaller Khukuris with a blued(Matte) blade and a checkered or micarta handle with a Kydex sheath would be an optimum hunting knife.
 
Craig,

I may be ou of line here, but I suggest you send off some of these smaller khukris to various magazines for review. American Survival guide, Bowhunter, and some of the other hunting magazines come to mind. For thier size these knives have a lot of performance, and the price is right. I know when I was bowhunting, I always had so much crap to carry, that a bigger knife was just too much hassle. Hopefully next year I'll be able to test the M-J out in actual hunting conditions. The larger size khukris are great for the intial lane clearing. I think if more hunters read about the performance offered buy a khukri they would buy buttloads of them.

p1445
 
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