Recommendations for Khuk-noob?

F

Foilist

Joined
Dec 20, 2004
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I'm planning to get some sort of chopper to use mostly around the property or for camping. The tasks I anticipate are harvesting and preparing kindling and small wood for fires and limbing trees, etc. around the property. I have been cosidering either a golok or a khukri for this.

Although I've never had one, Khukris appeal to me as an attractive, traditional design. As a teacher of Classics by profession, I also like their resemblence to the ancient Greek kopis.

Which HI would be best for me? At a glance, the Ang Khola, WWII, or M43 seem like they would fit the bill, but I'd like to hear from the experts.
 
Foilist,

All your choices seem to be very nice, you should also look at the Chiruwa Ang Khola, this is essentially the Ang Khola but with a full tang, very strong and is a great chopper. If you look at the last day of christmas sale there is one on there to look at. Again however all your choices are good ones. Hope you find what you want.
 
For the type of work you're talking about, just about any kukri will do just fine.

I make good use of both a CAK (Chiruwa Ang Khola) and M43. Seriously, unless you need it to do very heavy work, or be very fast (like a weapon), pick the one that looks the best to you.

Uncle Bill said that you don't pick a kukri, a kukri picks you. So I'd peruse the pic threads and see if there's one you keep coming back to. If there is, pick that one. Then email Yangdu to see if she has one with the type of handle (wood or horn) you prefer and go for it.

Don't forget to post a review an pics when you get it.
 
I am a bit stuck on the M-43 model as it provides a fantastic combination of weight and chopping power, while remaining very lively and fluid in the hand.

However the Chiruwa Ang Khola, 15' Ang Khola, and the BAS. All would make a fantastic starting point.
 
My brother started out with an M43 and that's the only khukuri he wants.

I have one now too, it's an unusually heavy one but I can handle that weight. It's a really good chopper.

Chiruwa Ang Khola - another good one to start with but don't disregard the standard Ang Khola either.

Chitlangi if you want something halfway between tool and short sword.
 
Cpl Punishment is right on. For the uses you described, any khukuri will suffice. Look at the khukuris on himalayanimports.com and at the store site. The one that keeps drawing you to it is the way to go. After that first one you can branch out and experiment with the others.

Others to consider would be the Ganga Ram Special (15" can be seen-and may still be available-on Christmas Sales for 12/9) and the Gelbu Special.

Rick
 
Any of the above would be good, I would put my vote for the BAS or WWII as great starter kurkris, and then add to your collection.
 
Here a pic of three of my khukuris to show the differences in blade proportions:

HPIM0934.jpg


Top: 20" Ang Khola - power chopper; you can use this one to chop down trees and for construction work

Middle: 21.5" Chitlangi - halfway between hatchet and short sword, this is a good jack-of-all trades khukuri; it can be used to cut vines, saplings, and small-to-medium tree branches. It has some of the Ang Khola's cleaving power combined with some of the agility and speed of the Sirupati.

Bottom: 20.25" Sirupati - wicked fast and very nimble, the Sirupati is a good choice as a weapon. However it is capable of doing some chores too. It's deadly to multiflora rose, briers, and grape vines, and can even take on smaller tree branches and saplings.
 
Ah! How time flies! To think that only half a year ago, i was making the same kind of posts, and now own 4 HI products, including 2 khuks!

Welcome to the family, Prof. Foilist. As a lifelong fan of Greco-Roman mythology, I can definitely relate to your classically-inspired interest in the khukuri! I almost gave my M43 a Greek name, but had to settle for a Latin one. (It's a long story.)

Anyway, on to recommendations:

I'll second (or "third"?) the earlier suggestions to at least consider an AK or CAK. The 15" AK is HI's top seller for some very good reasons, not least of which is how heavily guaranteed it is. Even more so, the CAK, since that one is also warranted for use as an emergency pry bar! However, you have plenty of options, and you need to establish your own set of standards.

Take, for example, how I chose "Rufus," my M43. Having learned from members of this forum that the military models were good all-arounders (I don't like to specialize, on principle), I started looking there, first at the British Army Service, and later, at the WWII's and M43's. What tipped my decision was that the M43 also had two traits that i specifically wanted: A) it had a curved handle, which I anticipated would be more comfortable, and B) it had the riveted, chiruwa-style handle. The only other model with the latter 2 traits was the Bonecutter, a model I hadn't heard of yet, and since that wasn't one of the military models, my choice was made. (By the way, the Bonecutter could be worth considering, too.)

So far, the blade has worked well. I outpace most of the other workers on the volunteer workdays where I use the M43 (except for one old-timer, who's HELL with a handsaw), and I've even figured out how to get use out of it in the kitchen! The only problem is, that at 18.5", it can be hard to carry as comfortably as a 15" model, especially when trying to fit it into a shoulder bag, or a bicycle basket! Those little nuances can matter.

Think of what's important to you: ease of carry? Similarity to Classical models? A given handle design? A favorite maker? Think those sort of things over, and you'll be able to narrow it down to an appropriate "first" model. However, be advised that you may very well wind up with more than one of these, so don't sweat over it too much!;)
 
Thank you for the comprehensive replies (keep 'em coming). I am not too concerned about ease of carry, since this tool would be primarily for use around the yard, at a base camp, or for short walks in the woods behind the house. Cleaning up unwanted limbs, small trees, brush, windfalls, etc. would be the main tasks, as well as preparing fires.

I'm thinking of Khukris rather than machetes because they ought to deal with hardwoods better and because - let's face it - they are aesthetically pleasing!
 
Foilist said:
I'm thinking of Khukris rather than machetes because they ought to deal with hardwoods better and because - let's face it - they are aesthetically pleasing!
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I understand: part of the reason I decided on a khukuri was, because I couldn't see whether a hatchet/hawk or a machete would be more useful all-around. As the khukuri was the only tool that could straddle those tools' functions, I decided to get one.

Meanwhile, if you don't worry about ease of carry ("EOC"?), then you don't have to confine yourself to 15" models. Which is good, in a way, since the extra inches do, quite frequently, add noticeable chopping power.
18"-20" of just about anything in the HI catalog should serve your purposes; just be prepared to use both hands, from time to time.

Here's some specifics about models:
The AK, CAK, and Bonecutter are the purest workhorses of the bunch, far more tool than weapon. This sounds about like your kind of use.
The military styles are the jack-of-all trades blades, about equally split between martial and working capability. The bigger you get, within this category, the more powerful they are: the BAS is the second- or third-biggest seller, our late Uncle Bill strongly favored the WWII, and the M43 is elevated, by some, onto a level of effectiveness with the AK and company.
The Chitlangi also has (as you've seen) some popularity as an all-arounder, and both that, the Ganga Ram Special, and even the AK Bowie have their advocates as working khukuri.
The Sirupati seems to be the lightest model that still gets working use. However, that and the other "ultralight" khukuris, like the Kobra, etc., are most popular with martial artists, and some think them more weapon than tool, the opposite of the AKs. (The light work that you mention, though, does sound like it's potentially up the Sirupati's alley.)
 
I forgot to mention: if you have to give up, and go back to a more machete-like implement, there's always the Jungle Bowie, the Mountain Bowie, or the Bamboo Cutter, among others.

All of these, along with the Bonecutter and other designs, can be found here, as part of a thread to cover merchandise not found on the website....yet.
 
I have an 18" WWII and 17" CAK. While I haven't chopped with the CAK yet, the WWII has chopped some fairly large branches very smoothly.
 
What do you all think about the 16.5" CAK on the 12/22 deals thread for my purposes? The price is certainly right.

I like the M43s also. I suppose I can't go wrong as long as I stick to the utility khukris rather than the weapon-oriented ones.
 
Foilist said:
What do you all think about the 16.5" CAK on the 12/22 deals thread for my purposes? The price is certainly right.
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If it's still available, it's probably the best choice you could make: the toughest, most popular model in the line, bigger than standard, but still in a manageable size, and at a discounted rate. Go for it!

[quote0I like the M43s also. I suppose I can't go wrong as long as I stick to the utility khukris rather than the weapon-oriented ones.[/QUOTE]

Very likely, yes.
 
The 16.5" CAK would be a good choice for the uses you laid out. Send Yangdu an email to see if its still available. You could have it by the end of the year.
 
You keep mentioning the M43. Go ahead and try one. You probably won't stop at one anyway.:) The others are fine choices too.


Steve
 
I use my khuks for the same purposes you intend to use yours for as well as some food prep (it's just FUN to prepare dinner with a khukuri!). I would suggest the M-43 as the most efficient knife for your intended purposes, but really, any of the utility models (AK, CAK, WWII, GRS, M-43, BAS) in the 15" to 20" range would suit you well. Just depends on what catches your eye. You may also want to consider a BDC as well. Even in the smaller sizes, they are surprisingly efficient and effective. Check my very informal chopping comparo here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=674005&highlight=chopping+comparo to see how some of the suggested blades compared to each other in a head-to-head chopping comparison. Unfortunately, the only AK/CAK's I own are a 12" black blade CAK and a 9" Baby AK, which are both awesome small knives, but a bit small for what you will be using yours for.

Good luck with your choice and let us know which one(s) you end up getting!
 
My first khuk, on Uncle Bill's recommendation, was a 16 1/2" WWII; I later got an 18" AK, for more chopping power.

Depending on the task ... usually I'll choose the WWII if I'll do a fair bit of work, the AK if I'm doing less ... but the wood will be thicker. The heavier khuk is wondrous fine at going through things, but can get tiring. The lighter one still has a whole lot of chop in her, and is significantly faster, delivering more punch from sheer velocity.

When I took down an ancient lilac bush this summer, it was the WWII I trusted to actually fell and clean the branches off the 2-5" stems ... but the AK that I used to chop them on a stump to the right length for the woodpile.
 
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