Reti review

[Scara]

So I bought the Reti knife from a few days ago, and it arrived yesterday afternoon. I've been swinging it a little and have a few impressions already.

This is my first villager finish knife, so its fit and finish are not as nice as what I'm used to, but I didn't pay much for it, and I knew it would be this way, so it was just a matter of seeing it. It's also a lot lighter than I expected. I knew to expect a light knife, but when you're going from 18 inch ≥24 oz kukris, it's a bit of a surprise. I was also wondering if the file texture on the side would still be rough and file-like, but it's actually not rough at all. Running a fingernail over it shows that it's not smooth, but it's definitely not a file anymore. One thing I found interesting is that the wood handle isn't finished wood, it's still raw. I plan on putting a coat of something on it just to protect it from moisture changes.

Moving on to its performance as a knife, it's fairly sharp, but not my sharpest knife. I ran a chakma over it to improve the edge a little. It's got a few small burrs, so I'm pondering taking my Lansky stones to it and giving it a good go-over. However the thinner blade certainly cuts well. I test all my kukris on the box they come in, and this one on one stroke nearly cut through the whole box. If the tip hadn't made it to the other side of the box at the wrong angle, it may have sheared through the whole box, or if the box had been braced it would have cut through it all the way. My other kukris can't make that claim, though they also tend to send the box flying, so that may make some difference.

Swinging it a little, it is incredibly easy to get it moving fast enough to get the air whooshing around it. It's also easy to handle, being the only kukri I own that I can use in the fencing grip instead of the hammer grip. One thing I noticed is that the ends of the brass plate on the pommel are just slightly pointy, not enough to break flesh, but enough to remind me of their presence during some strikes.

The balance is about one inch forward of the cho, compared to my full-sized kukris which balance around the shoulder. I've tried doing the balance kukri with it, but I always worry that I'll slice into my finger.

One interesting thing is that unlike my full-sized kukris, it doesn't really ask for anything special. The others all have some distinct preferences, and odd little strikes that they in particular enjoy that don't work with other knives. It also doesn't develop the same momentum as my other kukris. All in all, I can't say if I prefer this one as a fighter compared to my others. I like the range and power of my bigger kukris, but I like how my reti doesn't require so much physical strength, and doesn't leave me tired after I give it a whirl. It also doesn't tweak my wrist if I swing wrong. I've also experimented just once or twice with the Reti in my right hand, and a Suga held in reverse grip in my left hand, or a V-42 (Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife variant) held in fencing grip in the left.

I don't own a camera, so I'll just give y'all Auntie's picture. Fourth from the left.

 

[DanTheKnifeMan]

Thanks for the write up. I assume you own a few knives and practice with them, where would the Reti sit amongst your favourites?

Also, the pommel plate and middle ring were a bit intrusive when I got my CAK, I filed/sanded them back post haste, makes a world of difference.

If anything, it'd be a good practice knife, and one with an interesting story when anyone asks Pass on that HIKV brother.

 

[Gehazi]

i love my reti because it is so super light and fast-- agree totally it would be a superior fighter just because of weight

 

[gurkha berserka]

Cool write up man, thanks for the info. I have a few unfinished handle's from HI also. I actually prefer them this way because I can work my magic on them. Go to the automotive store and get some good black wet/dry sandpaper in 600, 800, then 1000 grit, oh grab some boiled linseed oil as well.
Sand the grip with 600 grit but keep the paper dry.

Then move to the 800 grit again keeping it dry. Once that is done coat the handle with the boiled linseed oil. Let it sit for ten minutes or so then DONT DRY IT OFF. Sand the handle with the BLO (boiled linseed oil) still wet on the handle. Build up a "slurry" with the BLO and sandpaper. Wipe and dry and coat it again... do this two or three times.

Once you are done with the three slurry coats move onto the 1000 grit. This time wet the handle down with BLO and let is soak in for a minute or two, then wipe in down a little bit, you still want wet wood just not soaked wood. Use the 1000 grit with the BLO and make another "slurry". Do this two or three times... once this is done apply another coat of BLO and let it sit for ten minutes. Now you can wipe the final coat of BLO with a rag and you are finished! You will have a stunning show quality handle that will only need a coat of BLO every six months or so. The slurry will fill in all the pores of the wood and bring out the grain. Please dispose of all rags properly due to BLO rags spontaneously combusting when keep without proper ventilation. I always leave them in my kitchen sink or the middle of my shop floor until they are dry.

 

[Shavru]

Scara, Thanks for the write-up. I am wondering about something. For me the weight vs reach of the reti almost screams to be used off-hand, with a slightly weightier blade say a Suga as the primary hand. The benefit of this is you have the weight and extra strength of your primary for the heavier attack strokes and the quick slashes from an off-hand without the extra weight to slow your parry. As an example use your off-hand to perform a parry counter-six against an imagined four line attack and then repost with your primary to the septime line. The lighter weapon to parrying then the heavier attack would provide significant advantage. Plus if you have enough balanced with both hands then the fast attack from the off hand would gain from the reti-knife's speed. Just a thought of something you could try to see how it works for you.

 

[Scara]

Cool write up man, thanks for the info. I have a few unfinished handle's from HI also. I actually prefer them this way because I can work my magic on them. Go to the automotive store and get some good black wet/dry sandpaper in 600, 800, then 1000 grit, oh grab some boiled linseed oil as well.
Sand the grip with 600 grit but keep the paper dry.

Then move to the 800 grit again keeping it dry. Once that is done coat the handle with the boiled linseed oil. Let it sit for ten minutes or so then DONT DRY IT OFF. Sand the handle with the BLO (boiled linseed oil) still wet on the handle. Build up a "slurry" with the BLO and sandpaper. Wipe and dry and coat it again... do this two or three times.

Once you are done with the three slurry coats move onto the 1000 grit. This time wet the handle down with BLO and let is soak in for a minute or two, then wipe in down a little bit, you still want wet wood just not soaked wood. Use the 1000 grit with the BLO and make another "slurry". Do this two or three times... once this is done apply another coat of BLO and let it sit for ten minutes. Now you can wipe the final coat of BLO with a rag and you are finished! You will have a stunning show quality handle that will only need a coat of BLO every six months or so. The slurry will fill in all the pores of the wood and bring out the grain. Please dispose of all rags properly due to BLO rags spontaneously combusting when keep without proper ventilation. I always leave them in my kitchen sink or the middle of my shop floor until they are dry.

I've actually finished wood before. I'm on a color guard, and the finish someone else had put on our M1s was awful stuff. It was practically paint, it even coated the metal. I put together the plan and procedure for refinishing them, though I used pure tung oil instead of BLO. I got those rifles from purplish-brown with no woodgrain, all the way to deep beautiful woodgrain with a good shine to it.

Dan: I'm still undecided on where the Reti stands in relation to my other knives. It seems to be the fastest, and there's a lot to like, but I'm just not sure. I am however sure that it needs to be judged with my smaller knives. My full-sized kukris are just in another category all together. I suppose if I had to say right now, it's my favorite of my smaller knives. I certainly like it better as a fighter than my M5A1 bayonet, and I like it better than my Grayman Dinka and the little thing I hang from my bedroom doorknob. It's hard to place it in relation to my Suga and my V-42. And it's just in a different category from my Siru and WWII kukris.

As a fighter, it compares well to other knives of similar sizes, being very fast and cutting well. However I think my Siru might be my preference as a fighter because of the range and momentum advantages, or at least it would be if I got around to building up that handle.

 

[Scara]

Scara, Thanks for the write-up. I am wondering about something. For me the weight vs reach of the reti almost screams to be used off-hand, with a slightly weightier blade say a Suga as the primary hand. The benefit of this is you have the weight and extra strength of your primary for the heavier attack strokes and the quick slashes from an off-hand without the extra weight to slow your parry. As an example use your off-hand to perform a parry counter-six against an imagined four line attack and then repost with your primary to the septime line. The lighter weapon to parrying then the heavier attack would provide significant advantage. Plus if you have enough balanced with both hands then the fast attack from the off hand would gain from the reti-knife's speed. Just a thought of something you could try to see how it works for you.

I gave it a quick try after I posted my comment (I didn't see your post until after I posted my last one) and at the moment it feels like I can get good strength out of my left hand but not the same speed as my right. That could just be because I had a hard workout this morning that both arms and legs hard. Once my arms recover I'll give it another try, because I'm not even getting the same speed out of my right arm today.

One thing I want to find out but I'm not sure how is how well kukris cut through thicker fabrics and clothes like jackets, hoodies and scarves. Because everyone is now switching to winter clothes, and I suspect that the Reti may not be a good winter choice. Bigger kukris shouldn't have that problem because they have so much weight behind them, but the Reti may not be able to overcome some winter clothes. So during winter something like the V-42 with its thin point for thrusts and stabs may be a better choice for fighting.

 

[J W Bensinger]

I gave it a quick try after I posted my comment (I didn't see your post until after I posted my last one) and at the moment it feels like I can get good strength out of my left hand but not the same speed as my right. That could just be because I had a hard workout this morning that both arms and legs hard. Once my arms recover I'll give it another try, because I'm not even getting the same speed out of my right arm today.

One thing I want to find out but I'm not sure how is how well kukris cut through thicker fabrics and clothes like jackets, hoodies and scarves. Because everyone is now switching to winter clothes, and I suspect that the Reti may not be a good winter choice. Bigger kukris shouldn't have that problem because they have so much weight behind them, but the Reti may not be able to overcome some winter clothes. So during winter something like the V-42 with its thin point for thrusts and stabs may be a better choice for fighting.

I think it depends more on how you sharpen than the shape of the blade-a khuk sharpened to a fine but "grabby" edge works quite well against all manner of interferences-brown ceramic provides a nice balance between hair-flinging and bitey.
Friend of mine and I have messed with all manner of things wrapped around tatami rolls and that bitey edge is the only one that would cut some things-a $40 indo golok and my hudie dao with that edge were the only thing that reliably sheared through silk, for instance-this included several Japanese swords, both repro and Nihonto.
(Not to day that the silk woulda kept the target from being badly mauled-but it was interesting technically).

 

[Scara]

I think it depends more on how you sharpen than the shape of the blade-a khuk sharpened to a fine but "grabby" edge works quite well against all manner of interferences-brown ceramic provides a nice balance between hair-flinging and bitey.
Friend of mine and I have messed with all manner of things wrapped around tatami rolls and that bitey edge is the only one that would cut some things-a $40 indo golok and my hudie dao with that edge were the only thing that reliably sheared through silk, for instance-this included several Japanese swords, both repro and Nihonto.
(Not to day that the silk woulda kept the target from being badly mauled-but it was interesting technically).

How would you go about putting that kind of edge on?

 

[J W Bensinger]

I sharpen on a diamond plate, and then use one of the spydie brown ceramic sticks (or one of the dogbone gatcos) as though it was a butcher's steel, at a slightly steeper angle to take the burr off.

 

[Scara]

Any way of doing that with just a Lansky Deluxe five stone kit?

 

[J W Bensinger]

I think you could-holding one of the finer stones in hand, but the little gatcos are $10 or so and a good addition to your sharpening stuff

 

[Scara]

I think you could-holding one of the finer stones in hand, but the little gatcos are $10 or so and a good addition to your sharpening stuff

Well I already hold my stones in hand when I sharpen. I've used the guides before and I never liked the result. Now do I have at it, or do I buy the Gatco and wait... part of me wants to have at it, and the other part is afraid of ruining the blade. I don't think I would ruin the blade by having at it with normal stones instead of trying the sandpaper––mousepad method.

 

[Yangdu]

Thank you for the Reti review

 

[Scara]

So something I noticed tonight is that the Reti actually draws from its scabbard quickly, faster than my other kukris, as long as it is attached to the belt. Drawing with both in the hand is slow. At a guess this is because it is short, and there is less blade, weight, and inertia to worry about. I suspect a leather coated scabbard would still be faster because the opening is a little wider and the leather is slicker than cloth.