- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,660
Hey folks.
Been seeing a lot of "What kukri should I get?" posts, and I wanted to share my experience with what I have. I'm hoping There are enough tidbits in here to help out.
I am by no means an expert on knives, metallurgy, or woodscraft, so as with everything on the internet, take my reviews with a grain of salt
So, today's blades:
Tarwar
Kabar kukri
18" Malla
Kabar BK-9
15" GRS
17.5" Foxy Folly
18.5" Bahadur
Swamp Rat Waki
I'll focus on the HI blades.
The field where the blades were used:
Tarwar:
One hell of a chopper. We had a large woodsman axe, but smaller saplings and low branches were easier to take down with the longer surface area of the tarwar. It was too heavy for machete work. I chopped up a ~11" trunk while the chainsaw was being gassed up. Did the job, but came out with a few rolls, but that's more of me using the wrong tool for the job.
18" Malla:
Balanced more towards the handle. It is much livelier than its brothers and sisters, but does not have the same chopping power as the others I've used today. I thought it would be more of a machete kukri, but it's a little too heavy for that. Not sure what niche this guy is going to fall into in my line up.
15" GRS:
My favorite little chopper. Not too heavy, and balanced perfectly for the sweet spot to layeth the smacketh down. Easy to carry around, and the smaller handle means less grip fatigue. The steel really resists rolls and dings. My go to HI chopper. I'm hoping to snag a 17" version one day.
17.5" Foxy Folly:
Very light, thin blade. Balance is similar to the Kabar kukri, as is the weight. The thing blade gets stuck sometimes (rather than take chunks out, like the wider spined blades), but otherwise was an excellent hacker/ chopper with proper technique. Handle was a little too big for me, so I sanded it down a bit.
18.5" Bahadur:
Decent chopper, but was outshone by the GRS, Kabar kukri, Foxy, and of course Tarwar. It's a little more lively in the hand, and I can see it more of a fighter than a field worker. Handle is a little too big for my tastes for extended use. This particular model's blade easily chips, for some reason.
I hope this helps!
Oh, did I mention I really liked the Tarwar?
Been seeing a lot of "What kukri should I get?" posts, and I wanted to share my experience with what I have. I'm hoping There are enough tidbits in here to help out.
I am by no means an expert on knives, metallurgy, or woodscraft, so as with everything on the internet, take my reviews with a grain of salt
So, today's blades:
Tarwar
Kabar kukri
18" Malla
Kabar BK-9
15" GRS
17.5" Foxy Folly
18.5" Bahadur
Swamp Rat Waki
I'll focus on the HI blades.
The field where the blades were used:
Tarwar:
One hell of a chopper. We had a large woodsman axe, but smaller saplings and low branches were easier to take down with the longer surface area of the tarwar. It was too heavy for machete work. I chopped up a ~11" trunk while the chainsaw was being gassed up. Did the job, but came out with a few rolls, but that's more of me using the wrong tool for the job.
18" Malla:
Balanced more towards the handle. It is much livelier than its brothers and sisters, but does not have the same chopping power as the others I've used today. I thought it would be more of a machete kukri, but it's a little too heavy for that. Not sure what niche this guy is going to fall into in my line up.
15" GRS:
My favorite little chopper. Not too heavy, and balanced perfectly for the sweet spot to layeth the smacketh down. Easy to carry around, and the smaller handle means less grip fatigue. The steel really resists rolls and dings. My go to HI chopper. I'm hoping to snag a 17" version one day.
17.5" Foxy Folly:
Very light, thin blade. Balance is similar to the Kabar kukri, as is the weight. The thing blade gets stuck sometimes (rather than take chunks out, like the wider spined blades), but otherwise was an excellent hacker/ chopper with proper technique. Handle was a little too big for me, so I sanded it down a bit.
18.5" Bahadur:
Decent chopper, but was outshone by the GRS, Kabar kukri, Foxy, and of course Tarwar. It's a little more lively in the hand, and I can see it more of a fighter than a field worker. Handle is a little too big for my tastes for extended use. This particular model's blade easily chips, for some reason.
I hope this helps!
Oh, did I mention I really liked the Tarwar?
