I am currently recovering from major surgery hence why I haven't really gone out to play with any of my khukuris. However the urge became a bit much for me and I had an 3mpty gallon water bottle that I decided to test on. However when I went to chop the bottle the blade did more crushing then chopping. Is this because the plastic is too light weight when empty or is this indicative of a blunt edge?
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Question about knife/kukri edges
- Thread starter jhutter33
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Bawanna
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A khukri is a chopper not a slicer.
I'd say a little of both of your scenarios. Water bottle to light and forgiving and the edge taper on the blade.
Some here can sharpen a khukri that is shaving quality that would slice your water bottle, but they wouldn't last very long chopping real stuff like wood etc.
I'd say a little of both of your scenarios. Water bottle to light and forgiving and the edge taper on the blade.
Some here can sharpen a khukri that is shaving quality that would slice your water bottle, but they wouldn't last very long chopping real stuff like wood etc.
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Could be blunt edge but usually its the angle of attack. If you hit the plastic with a flat spot of the edge (belly) flat on the plastic that happens. Try to hit just behind the sweet spot so at impact you will be pulling the edge across the surface of the plastic. Use a more slashing action rather than a flat wood chopping action. Sometimes it even helps to have a toothy edge similar to about 400 grit paper rather than a micro polished edge. Thats just my experience. Im no martial artist by any means but sure is fun to chop stuff. The recurved part of a Khuk sure makes it even more fun. Once you get it down you owe it t yourself to try a Hanshee or something with lots of drop. Enjoy!
Empty gallon bottles don't cut easily. Filling them with water is more fun, and easier. The biggest challenge at that point is making sure you cut through the whole bottle and not just part of it. If you do that you can get a pretty clean cut. Not as clean as say a sword with a thin blade, but it will cut them.
I'll try to post this again. I lost the last post on this.
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?s...deforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1312880
On sharpening your khukuri:
There are many techniques, mine is really simple based upon the blade design. My HI collection is small compared to many on this forum. I have about fifteen. Out of all the HI blades I have, one is a convex grind. I'm quiet happy with that. A convex grind isn't needed when the V-grind is wide. HI blades are beefy, and display a nice wide V-grind. As wide as the grind is, there is no pinch from the cut, and wood separation is great, even on hardwoods. Yet, you still get the deep penetration from a strike of a V-grind.
With that in mind, I sharpen at about a 20 degree angle, graduating to a smooth stone, and eventually to a strop. This leaves the blade honed to the point it will actually shave hairs from your arm.
Some believe this makes for a fragile chopping edge, but it doesn't. The reason it doesn't is because the edge doesn't shave because it is thin. It shaves because the edge is homogeneous and aligned.
One of the worse edges you can put on a chopping blade is a rough toothy edge. This type of edge will bend or break due to the lack of a contiguous aligned supporting edge.
In the link I posted, the M43 was honed to the point it would shave hair on my forearm. After I fell the hardwood, it took only 5 light strokes on each side of the blade from a steel to reclaim the edge to a point it would slice paper.
As far as sharpening in the field, a diamond rod or small carborundum stone works well. I like carborundum stones for the field, because those stones are still serviceable without oil. Arkansas stones, which I love to use as well as India stones will stop cutting quickly, if not oiled. The stone clogs easily without a layer of oil to suspend the cut. Water stones are great for home and shop, but are a bit expensive and fragile for the field. And, of course water stones require a steady supply of water for proper usage.
Just one man's way. There are many others.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?s...deforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1312880
On sharpening your khukuri:
There are many techniques, mine is really simple based upon the blade design. My HI collection is small compared to many on this forum. I have about fifteen. Out of all the HI blades I have, one is a convex grind. I'm quiet happy with that. A convex grind isn't needed when the V-grind is wide. HI blades are beefy, and display a nice wide V-grind. As wide as the grind is, there is no pinch from the cut, and wood separation is great, even on hardwoods. Yet, you still get the deep penetration from a strike of a V-grind.
With that in mind, I sharpen at about a 20 degree angle, graduating to a smooth stone, and eventually to a strop. This leaves the blade honed to the point it will actually shave hairs from your arm.
Some believe this makes for a fragile chopping edge, but it doesn't. The reason it doesn't is because the edge doesn't shave because it is thin. It shaves because the edge is homogeneous and aligned.
One of the worse edges you can put on a chopping blade is a rough toothy edge. This type of edge will bend or break due to the lack of a contiguous aligned supporting edge.
In the link I posted, the M43 was honed to the point it would shave hair on my forearm. After I fell the hardwood, it took only 5 light strokes on each side of the blade from a steel to reclaim the edge to a point it would slice paper.
As far as sharpening in the field, a diamond rod or small carborundum stone works well. I like carborundum stones for the field, because those stones are still serviceable without oil. Arkansas stones, which I love to use as well as India stones will stop cutting quickly, if not oiled. The stone clogs easily without a layer of oil to suspend the cut. Water stones are great for home and shop, but are a bit expensive and fragile for the field. And, of course water stones require a steady supply of water for proper usage.
Just one man's way. There are many others.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
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A thicker edge angle doesn't equal dull and sharp doesn't equal a thinner edge angle.
Thus you can have a shaving sharp edge which still lasts when chopping wood.
I've seen industrial cutting tools with 45+ degrees edges which weren't just cutting metal but would have cut me with the lightest touch.
Provided your blade is sharp, at whatever angle you chose, edge alignment is another important factor. Kukris kind of align themselves due to the forward curve but I'd still check it.
Swing through the target and not at it. Try to increase speed and make sure you hit with the sweet spot which also somewhat prevents the bottle from going off in some wrong directions.
Thus you can have a shaving sharp edge which still lasts when chopping wood.
I've seen industrial cutting tools with 45+ degrees edges which weren't just cutting metal but would have cut me with the lightest touch.
Provided your blade is sharp, at whatever angle you chose, edge alignment is another important factor. Kukris kind of align themselves due to the forward curve but I'd still check it.
Swing through the target and not at it. Try to increase speed and make sure you hit with the sweet spot which also somewhat prevents the bottle from going off in some wrong directions.
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