New guy with a question about the CAK

Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
15
Hello everyone! The name is Greg and I have been looking at the CAK and had a quick question about it. I'm an archaeologist that works in Belize and those cheap machetes drive me crazy while trying to clear dense jungle, so it is time for something better. I was looking for something in the 18" length and I have seen people reference CAK's in lengths up to 20", but on the site I noticed it said "usually 16-17".

How do I go about getting a CAK in 18"? Would this just be something I would email Yangdu about to see if she had any in this length in stock?

Thanks for the help! I'm looking forward to catching the HI bug that has been going around. I hear it leads to the possession of some beautiful blades while removing all that excess weight from your wallet... :D
 
A mail to Aunt Yangdu will probably do the trick. HIMIMP@aol.com The CAK is a pretty massive (and beautiful) blade, and a lighter blade like the sirupati or the cobra might be better for prolonged work clearing jungle. Likely you'll get them all eventually, so you might as well get them right away. The HIKV is funny that way :) The deals posted on this forum by Yangdu are great places to get these awesome knives at a great price.
 
welcome-mat.jpg


Acinonyx speaks the truth...

If you don't want to just keep an eye on the DOTDs (Deals of the Day) and wait for the khukri that calls to you, just drop Yangdu an email, she will take good care of you.

The CAK is my favorite khukri hands-down, but I sure wouldn't want to spend all day hacking my way through a jungle with one. It's a pretty massive blade that eats machetes for breakfast. You might want to consider sticking with the standard 16.5 inch CAK just so as to not add any more weight.

Whatever you decide, you won't be disappointed, HI khukris are a perfect blend of beauty and function...
 
The CAK is a pretty massive (and beautiful) blade, and a lighter blade like the sirupati or the cobra might be better for prolonged work clearing jungle.

Pushbutton...... the skinny blade with the black handle 4th from the left is an 18" sirupati (from the "20th Anniversary" DOTD):

1-21-09%20001.jpg
 
CAK's are awesome, period.:D But they are designed for chopping and would be the wrong choice for hacking through jungle vegetation.:thumbdn: The Cobra would be a much wiser decision for your application.

Its very easy to build up a ton of inertia with a CAK, swinging something that big for hours will fatigue you, quickly. An 18" CAK should weigh in at well over 2 lbs.. Its mass, IMO, puts the user at a disadvantage when clearing light to moderate vegetation. Get something lighter and thinner, like the cobra.:) If you want too annihilate trees/wood/cars gets a CAK.

Get both.
 
Welcome:)

You might want to keep in mind that the length given is OVERALL length, not just the blade.

For your application, I honestly think that a lighter 20" Siru, Gelbu Special, or something from the 20"ish chit family would serve your jungle hacking needs a lot better than a CAK. An 18" CAK is going to come in upwards of 2lbs.

As much as I love the Kobra, i would steer clear of it for heavy jungle use. It is far more martial than utility based.

As others have stated, the best advice is to email Yangdu directly and see what she has in stock. No one knows the ends and outs of the various khukuris than her. Nepal has many different geographical regions where various styles of khuks evolved.

Once again, welcome:):D!
 
Muchas I love the big CAKs, Steely has it right that a 20" Sirupate or Chitlangi would be better for the jungle. CAKs are more for large pieces of wood and such.
 
Im a newby to HI, thought the Kobra "looked" good for you. Listen to these guys^^^.:D
 
Im a newby to HI, thought the Kobra "looked" good for you. Listen to these guys^^^.:D

Wanna know a secret? My 20.5" 20.5 oz Kobra is my machete:o It's the best machete I have ever owned. However, it really isn't designed for constant hacking use. It also isn't covered by the typical iron clad HI warranty since it really is more of a sword. I use it as such under the knowledge that if I ever bend it or snap the blade from the tang that it is my fault. As a matter of fact, if that day ever comes Yangdu won't hear a peep from me. I'll just quietly bury it in the backyard and sob quietly to myself. It really is one of my absolute favs made by the Amtrak kami.

That said, what do some of you think about a stout Tarwar for his needs? It would certainly have the reach and probably a more substantial tang than a Kobra. I have handled a few variations of this blade, but never really fully tested it.
 
Welcome Pushbutton! :)

As my screen name suggests, I know a little about machetes, but I am far from being the most expert member here. What type or types of material are you needing to cut? If it isn't more substantial than leaves and lianas, then a Khuk probably isn't your best choice for that purpose. If you are cutting woody stems and saplings from finger-to-forearm sized, then a Khuk would be much more warranted.

As the others have said, a Khuk is much, much heavier than almost any machete, and using one all day on lighter stuff would be like swatting flies with a frying pan. Sure, it'd get the job done, but geez it would wear you out.

Perhaps you could describe your dissapointments with the machetes you've been using, and we can steer you toward something that will perform better?

Again, WELCOME! I hope we can help you out, and I'll just say that you should go ahead and get yourself a Khuk anyway. You may not use it the way you intended, but you definately won't be sorry you got it. ;):thumbup::cool:
 
Welcome Pushbutton!

In all honesty...... And not to diss anyone elses opinion.

If it were my butt out there in the jungles of Belize I wouldnt mind packing a little weight on my belt for the sake of self assurance. I would be packing an up to 18" CAK, AK, M-43 or Bonecutter or something of similar stature. I would also keep using a machete for the times when conditions warrant it.
I have never been an advocate of taking just one knife into situations, such as Trekking or hunting in the wild and the like, where my survival may depend on me having one at my disposal.
 
Hey there Pushbutton, welcome.

Yeah, what the folks are saying is right on. I love to chop big things with my 18" CAK, it's got the weight and it's built like a tank. Yet, as Jake uses his Kobra, so do I use my 18" Kobra for vines, cattails, small branches, etc, although I am always aware of it's lightness and use it in a much more controlled swing and cut, than I would go all out with a machete I wasn't worried about abusing. My Daughters 12" Sirupate has a different and stronger construction that might lend itself to multi-tasked rain forest work the best. If I could carry only one Khukuri for all tasks- ANYWHERE in the world, for all terrain and forest duty, I will always choose my 17 1/4" WWII by Bura.
It is MY gem;)

Be Well
Mark
 
Thanks for the information. I am looking for a fairly substantial blade for two reasons. The first is that I would like to only carry a larger blade into the field to be used alongside my lighter weight machete and secondly I will generally be using this for the big stuff. The normal cheap machetes take care of vines and such without a problem, but when we are clearing trees or working with the wood to build any number of things we use the light blades of the machetes do not have enough weight behind them to really bite. I use a pack horse so weight isn't really an issue and I'm a bigger guy, so swinging one of them all day wouldn't be a problem.

I was looking at the CAK because it seemed like the heavyweight of the group. That blade that no matter what happens it will come out on top one way or the other. I figured it would be a good place to start, but I will defiantly take a look at some of the others you all have mentioned!


Edit: Hummm... the more I read on this site the more I just want to ditch my light machete and buy two......
 
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Thanks for the information. I am looking for a fairly substantial blade for two reasons. The first is that I would like to only carry a larger blade into the field to be used alongside my lighter weight machete and secondly I will generally be using this for the big stuff. The normal cheap machetes take care of vines and such without a problem, but when we are clearing trees or working with the wood to build any number of things we use the light blades of the machetes do not have enough weight behind them to really bite. I use a pack horse so weight isn't really an issue and I'm a bigger guy, so swinging one of them all day wouldn't be a problem.

I was looking at the CAK because it seemed like the heavyweight of the group. That blade that no matter what happens it will come out on top one way or the other. I figured it would be a good place to start, but I will defiantly take a look at some of the others you all have mentioned!

If you are going to also carry a machete, then the CAK (IMO) is the way to go...:thumbup:
 
Churwa Ang khola, M-43, Ang Khola, Ganga Ram special, Bonecutter would all be good ckoices for what you want to do IMHO.
Forum member WildMike built himself several Cabins and lean to's using the M-43 model and even credits it with saving his life.

A thread you might want to check out is this one:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=601448
It will give you some insight as well as ordering information.
 
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OK having said it's for heavy use, the CAK is really the way to go.
Email Yangdu with what you want, and she'll either have one in stock or be able to hook you up.

Oh, and since you said you are a big guy, think about a 20" CAK. ;)
 
As with handguns, no one is best for everything... but for my .02, consider an 18" Sirupati. Little heavier than a Kobra but still not really heavy.


Mike
 
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