NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CUBIC INCHES

Cobalt

Cobalt

Platinum Member
Joined
Dec 23, 1998
Messages
17,709
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CUBIC INCHES!!

This is an old muscle car saying. The more motor you had, the faster you went. When I had my 389 c.i. , 1966 goat, I went fast. When I got my 400 c.i. RAIV goat, I went faster yet and when I got my 440 magnum 1970 challenger I went faster still. So what the hell does this have to do with knives?

Well in knives I have allways searched for the toughest, strongest possible. But there isn't many who like to make beefy knives. In the manufactured knife field Cold steel leads the pack with the Trailmaster and Recon Scout, these are miniature tanks at 5/16 inch thick. Gerber has a little known Bowie that is also 5/16 and supposed to be excellent. Then there are many offerings in 1/4 inch and just as many in 3/16 inch.

To top it off, most custom makers use 3/16 thick steel, stating that it is plenty tough, lighter and holds an edge better.

Then you have types of materials used. Hiteck. alloys, hiteck steels, forging, rolled, damascus, san mai, etc. Some feel that they can go thinner with stronger alloys or laminates, so they get an excellent alloy and make the knife in 3/16 stock, same goes for the laminates. These knives bend easily usually if they have blades greater than 7 inches long.

So I'm still not getting to the point. Well, the thicker the blade the stiffer it is for it's length. For example I have a few CS knives in 3/16. They are the SRK and Recon Tanto. If I try to flex them, the SRK is almost unnoticeable in it's flex, while the Recon Tanto flexes a bit more due to it's slightly longer blade of 7 inches. Both knives are guite stiff. I now go with a larger bowie, with the same thickness and a 9.5 inch blade. That blade flexed so much I thought it would break. I guess that extra couple of inches in length made the difference in the applied felt force. The only cure for this is extra thickness. A large 9 ibch knife of 1/4 inch thickness has always been stiff. But if you can, why not go for more, say 5/16, say 6/16 or even 7/16. And if you make it longer go thicker, what a novel Idea. VIOLA, H.I khukuri.

I was thinking, about the people on this forum arguing that the Ang Khola is to heavy and that the BAS is too light(at least to me). But the fact is that all these blades are thicker than anything else available on the market. Even the BAS at 3/8 inch thick.

You will see many custom makers not wanting to make knives thicker than 3/16 because they feel this is plenty strong enough. I disagree. If you make a knife you term survival, then this means that it may end up being your only tool, ie. shovel, ice pick, axe, machete, pry bar,can opener, skinner, spear, etc.

If you look on other forums you will see people complaining that a little 1/4 inch 12 inch long knife being tooooooo heavy. They always quote weight as being important. But what are we talking about here? A 1/4 of a pound? Give me a break like that is a big deal. I go on long hikes with over 60 pounds in a ruck sack. I go running 7 miles every other day with my 15 inch A.K. in my hand.

Sorry, but I'm willing to take that extra 1/4 pound or so for the strength it will give me. So the next time your thinking, should I go 3/16 or 1/4 in my survival knife, think about how many knife pieces you want to return with. Of course any of the H.I. khukuri's are thivker than any knife made and are heavier also, but they are worth it in my opinion.


Hey, if the little Ghurka at 5'4" can carry a big knife why can't anyone else.

Make mine thick!! and THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CUBIC INCHES.

Just more of my rantings!!!
 
"Thin blades break, thick blades don't."

Nepali Kami saying.

Cobalt, seems like you and the kamis think the same way.

Uncle Bill

 
"I go running 7 miles every other day with my 15 inch A.K. in my hand."

Ummm.... are you doing this in an urban or residential setting? How have the neighborhood watch folks responded to this practice?
smile.gif

 
DC, I live in the country, basically, and only cross a few streets on my runs. My runs are in the dirt and sand trails with nice hills and scenery. Besides open carry is legal in CA. and I don't much care what other people think when they see me. I should mention that I carry it in the scabbard and hold the scabbard in my hand. When I get the 20 incher, I'll be doing it with that one instead. Also, the time that I run at, there isn't many people out, except people going to work(Between 5 and 6 AM)
 
I don't know, Cobalt. Even the Yetis in Canada won't come near Cliff when he is carrying his 20 inch Ang Khola and Cliff told me he looks just like them!

When your own kind avoids you because of the 20 inch AK, what will strangers do?

Uncle Bill
 
Size does matter, hehe, and don't let anybody ever tell you different.

I have a good little story about size; A friend was at a party with some of his buddies. One of them(probably all of them) was drunk. He went up to this beautifull girl at the party and exposed himself. Her line was; "who do you think you're going to satisfy with that little thing?". and he answered; "ME".
 
One thing worth mentioning is that besides the fact that the Ang Khola is a tough knife it can actually cut things up rather well. The rather blade heavy balance does take a little getting used to, which is why I am rather glad now I started off with the 20". After having that for a few months all the others seem really light.

By the way Bill, in another post you mentioned that people in Nepal who get khukuris made don't usually get scabbards made. Do they make their own or just carry the bare blades around?

-Cliff
 
The khukuri as a tool in Nepal is usually carried in the hand -- from home to field. Up at Kamis ranch there are a dozen or so khukuris that are used on a daily basis and most of them hang out in the barn.

Uncle Bill
 
But Cobalt, didn't you have a 409? I enjoyed your post on cubic inches, it takes me back. I'll never get used to liters, or litres if you're British. And in recognition of the fact that bigger is better, my next purchase that I'm saving for is a 20" Ang Khola.

She's real fine my... Ang Khola?
 
Ivy, my friends dad had a '62 409. My family was always into Poncho's. We had a '63 421 SD catalina, that cranked high 12's at OCIR. MY goats were always in the low 13's with no work done to them. But that Challenger was brutal. Now for the one you're gonna love. I have a '67 plymouth GTX, 440. I will be purchasing one of the new HEMI crate motors-528 C.I., 674 factory Hp. I will one up the bumpstick to .61 lift and 330 duration to get me closer to 760 Hp.

Sorry guys, Back to Khukuries--I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY 18 INCH AND 20 INCH A.K.'S TO ARRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
It's not popular to quote Lennin these days, but he had a point when he said:

Quantity has a quality all its own.
 
Cobalt;
The only thing that goes faster than cubic inches is, retangular dollars.

FO
 
Oh, the days of chromed Bumpers and bright paint schemes. Now it's all plastic.
 
Car story to fit into this thread.

In 1966 I drove my 65 GTO from SE Kansas to San Diego -- 24 hours non stop. Average speed, 68mph. Stopped for gas, coffee and burgers.

Those old muscle cars were real goers.

Uncle Bill
 
Bill,

If you'd gone through Nevada, you could have upped your average speed a bit. I went through there in '67 - average was 100+. That was on 2 wheels.

In those days, you only had to slow down while within city limits. Oh boy, I sure miss Montana and Nevada driving.
smile.gif
 
I remember, Bob. As a kid growing up in Kansas the state speed limit was "reasonable" which meant on those long lonely stretches "as fast as you can go."

When they opened the Kansas Turnpike the speed limit was 80mph.

Gone but not forgotten.

Uncle Bill

 
Blacktop memories. Bob, I drove my '56 Triumph T110 'Tiger' from Long Islnd NY to San Francisco in 1967 and when I hit Nevada opened her up legally. I probably hit 80/85 (according to my Smith's speedo) and was totally shocked when a Highway Patrol car blew by me without even a glance. The bikes I have now have a lot more guts, but I doubt the local CHP would ignore that kind of speed.

------------------
JP
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top