Need help for the 18" Ang Khola and the Chiruwa Ang Khola

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bob124

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Aug 15, 2010
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Need help for the 18" Ang Khola and the Chiruwa Ang Khola

Hello everybody, i would like to buy a good kukri, it will be my fisrt kuk and i want a good quality and practically indestructible, it will last for years and years... and years.

-the price and the weight of the Kukri is not important in this purchase.-

I need it exclusively for choping woods, trees, ropes and for yardworks.

So for now i have three choice :

1) 18" Ang Khola from HI
2) 16.5" Chiruwa from HI
3) Gurkha Kukri San Mai III from Cold Steel

I need it for work, not for admiring it in my desk so it must be resistant and the best quality.

So what would be the best choice?

This is my first post here, so please be complaisant ;-), and sorry for my short and simple english, i'm french.
 
bob124, I would go with any size Chiruwa Ang Khola. The warranty says they are warranteed for use as a prybar. The standard Ang Khola will probably hold up just as well but the "full tang" pinned handle of the Chiruwa is just additional insurance. Also take a look at the M43 it comes up often in these suggestions for a reason.
If one in particular calls to you go for it. They are fond of saying around here that the Khukuri picks you not the otherway around. The M43 kept calling to me so I grabbed one and was very happy now I'm waiting to see if the 20" Ang Khola I grabbed yesterday de-thrones it.
Good luck
 
The most indestructible kukri in the HI lineup is the Chiruwa Ang Khola -- the only one warrantied to pry with.

It's also one of the heaviest (I know you said weight isn't a consideration).

You can get Ang Khola (AKs) in just about any size with a Chiruwa style handle. Just email Yangdu and ask her what she has in stock. The things listed on the HI store are not the only ones available.

I wouldn't even bother with the Cold Steel. They are very different from HI offerings, and you'll probably end up buying an HI in the future anyway.

If you want to save some money, you can see if Yangdu has a Villager type kukri in the style you like. A villager is a kukri that isn't polished, and the wood or horn aren't finished and buffed.
 
Wow thank you for your quick responses, thank you oldschool45 for your M43 suggestion i will do more research for this one but the Chiruwa seems to be the most resistant and i think i'm stick with it.

I am surprised that cold steel kuk is not in your choice, have you watched the videos of Kukri San Mai III, it's quite impresive..no?

But for now i think i will go first with the 16.5" Chiruwa Ang Khola instead of the San Mai III.
 
Welcome to the Forum bob124. Sounds like the CAK has already picked you. That's where you should start. From the models that you mentioned, I would suggest the 16.5" CAK for the work you mentioned. The slightly shorter length might be a little handier for yard work.

Once you've got your HI CAK in hand I believe that the CS will rapidly recede from your memory-and I doubt that you'll ever look back.

If you haven't read it yet, please read the Safety Sticky. If you get any other questions (such as what your second khukuri should be), you'll be sure to get what help the other forumites can muster. Once again, Welcome Aboard.

Rick
 
Welcome to the forum, bob124
 
Thanks for the greetings, i heard on this forum that there was also a Chiruwa Ang Khola in the length of 18 ", I've looked in the HI website but i couldn't find it..it was discontinued?
 
bob124 said:
Thanks for the greetings, i heard on this forum that there was also a Chiruwa Ang Khola in the length of 18 ", I've looked in the HI website but i couldn't find it..it was discontinued?
Click to expand...
Welcome bob124!
Nothing is ever really discontinued.
Keep watching the DOTD's or Email auntie Yangdu to see if she has or can get you one.
 
As others have noted, store items are the standard models, but variants are fairly common -- send an email inquiry to Yangdu (it never hurts to ask).
 
Late in but a CAK in the DOTD is normally 1/3 the price of the CS 3mai Khuk. I'd go for the HI CAK in a heartbeat instead of the 3mai.
 
bob124, I made a comment a while back about the "force" needed to break a standard HI Khuk I believe the reference I used was "risk a train derailment by putting it on the track." The HI's are made out of mainly Mercedes Benz, or other brand, truck springs more commonly know as 5160 carbon steel. Don't knock it, head over to the makers subforum and 5160 is almost a benchmark with which other blade steels are judged along with O1, A2 & W2. An HI isn't a piece of good edge steel sandwiched between 2 different pieces of steel the way SanMai is. I'll not incur the wrath of TaiGoo and demean sanmai it has it purpose. An HI Khuk will rust if not kept oiled but neglect is about the only thing short of "destruction testing" that will hurt one:rolleyes:
Good luck and do a review when you get it.
Ray
I'll be doing a re-handle WIP thread within the week and I will be going over a few ways to sidestep the "rust" issue.
 
Another concern with the CS kukri is the handle. Kraton is VERY sticky grippy, which in use on a kukri leads to blister city in use.

The way the blade is ground also contributes to it's sticking in the work.
 
bob124 said:
Thanks for the greetings, i heard on this forum that there was also a Chiruwa Ang Khola in the length of 18 ", I've looked in the HI website but i couldn't find it..it was discontinued?
Click to expand...

The best practice is to email Yangdu.

There's a lot of products available that are not on the store.

CAKs come in all sizes -- I've seen them from 12" up to my monstrous 25" CAK.

The M43 uses a Chiruwa handle (Chiruwa is HI speak for a full, exposed tang, with scales pinned on), however, only the CAK is warrantied for use as a prybar, albeit I can't imagine what I could do with my M43 in prying by hand that would break it.
 
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Corp. When I was building my cabin I flexed the blade of my M-43 over 35-40 deg. while poping out cotches for the logs. It never had any kind of problems at all.
 
Wicked, it didn't take any permanent bend after flexing to that degree?? Also, how thick was the spine on your M43?
 
I have to say my CAK 18" has proven to be indestructable, I have been very happy with it. Order one and I know you wont be dissappointed. It's tough as nails.
 
No permanent bend at all. In fact you can't tell it was ever bent at all.

That knife is my Bura made knife. Spine is roughly 3/8 inch (the older ones were a little thinner than the current 7/16-1/2" spine models.
 
moogoogaidan said:
Wicked, it didn't take any permanent bend after flexing to that degree?? Also, how thick was the spine on your M43?
Click to expand...

That's the beauty of differentially heat treated 5160 -- it will bend and not break, and usually, unless it's an acute bend (like hammering it over a sharp edge), it simply returns to original shape without any noticeable deformation.

The only steel I've seen that does this better is Busse's proprietary INFI, and you won't notice a difference unless you put a pipe on the end, or use a machine to bend it.
 
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