Review of Chiruwa Ang Khola

[RockFarm]

Almost two weeks ago I received my triangle box, Auntie had told me "This one will serve you better" and she was right! I had given her my height and weight, other khukuris that I owned and the job (chopping wood) that I wanted the blade for. She sent a 16 3/4", 29.5 oz CAK forged by Kumar with wood scales just a hair shy of 1/2" thick. The balance was very similar to my 18", 34oz Tin Chirra by Tirtha just a bit faster. I felt the very serviceable edge and noticed a minor tweak of the blade to the right when compared to the tang. The grip felt wonderful so I immediately went to work testing it out.

Elm trees are not my favorite so I have been clearing then out on my farm. The CAK bit very deep for its size and did not stick in the wood. The handle ring let me know it was there but did not cause a blister, I think the reason is that the handle is slightly smaller that my Tin Chirra but again more comfortable. Next up was the main job for this blade, splitting firewood.

This picture shows the first chop into seasoned Oak, at this time not a single piece has been able to stop the CAK, which I am thankful for because it's been cold and we only use wood heat. The sheath and chakras were great, completely functional and looked nice too! I mess around with leather and have my own needs/style of carry so the next thing to do was make that. It also gives me the chance to mark on the sheath the dimensions and who made it. Kumar did an amazing job with the heat treat, after all the work its been thru a few strokes along the edge with steel brings it back to scary sharp!
Thank you Auntie for leading me to this fine blade, please let Kumar know that I would not hesitate to use this blade in dire straights.

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[Bawanna]

Excellent post. Nobody knows these knives better than Auntie cept maybe her dad. She'll never steer you wrong.

Seasoned oak is generally pretty tough stuff, it does look like the knife was well up to the task.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

A good robust khuk can be a miracle when it comes to splitting wood. I've got an axe, but most of my splitting is done first with a big ol' 21" GRS followed by a ridiculously thick 15" ASTK for smaller kindling.

Great review. The 20" AK is one of the only types of AK that I have never owned. Might need to correct that some time.

 

[Bawanna]

The handle on this one looks superb!

I think ridiculously thick is the key to making kindling. Helps pop it open. I kind of dread making kindling but I got me a box with a piece of wood on top and my CAK makes it fun again. I keep telling myself I'll stock pile in the summer when it's warm but never do, always out in the shop very cold but have fun.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I was very much a grasshopper and not much of an ant this year regarding splitting wood. My dad usually brokers a deal with a guy around here that works out for both of them. The guy needed a couple loads of busted up concrete to fill a giant pit. In return, my old man could load up his duelie with a dump bed with all the pre cut wood he can carry. Then he brings it out to my place and dumps it in my side yard. Several hundred dollars worth of wood (a full season's worth) that only costs me the time to wheel it back in a and stack it. Good deal for me and a great bit of kindness by my dad.

This year, no deal was brokered, so I'm running on fumes. Usually be November I have a stack about 6' wide by 6' high of kindling. It was 60+ degrees this year so I neglected to do that. It's made it up to 20 degrees today with a windchill of about 3. My wife asked for a for a fire for this evening, so at lunch today I stood out in the cold and split a bunch of wood. I hated it.

 

[Bawanna]

I did a lot of wood splitting, my wood shed is full. It's probably 10 by 10 and 7 ft tall and should make it through the winter is the wife isn't wasteful.
Last year I scored a bunch of split rail cedar fencing (wish I'd taken it all but it was a far piece) it sure was nice to split, real straight grain and no knots. City cut down a huge cedar and I got a bunch of that but it not near as nice to split.

Check out your neighbors house, if it has cedar siding your in good shape. Just take a piece here and a piece there and maybe they won't notice. Gotta stay warm ya know?

Remember when I was a boy scout we cut and sold firewood. I think it was 28 bucks cord delivered and stacked! Now around here it's like 200 and U Haul.

 

[stwm]

That's a fantastic looking CAK. About 16 and some inches would be perfect, that's for sure!
My 18" M-43 is doing that work around here, it sure is more fun than a hatchet!

 

[RayseM]

Really? You guys/gals almost have me sold. The handles look like 2 handfuls to me though. How do they compare in diameter to a normal US style hatchet? AND - how do these do with limbing work rather than splitting? Too heavy to be swinging at shoulder level?

Do these Kumar khukuris come up for trade? I really like the work look of this one - not in to the pretty shiny types.

You've got my attention.

Ray

 

[stwm]

Really? You guys/gals almost have me sold. The handles look like 2 handfuls to me though. How do they compare in diameter to a normal US style hatchet? AND - how do these do with limbing work rather than splitting? Too heavy to be swinging at shoulder level?

Do these Kumar khukuris come up for trade? I really like the work look of this one - not in to the pretty shiny types.

You've got my attention.

Ray

Okay Ray, here is the deal:
The M43 handle is smooth, with a nice palm swell and flared end that locks it into your hand. Mine is 18" and just long enough that I could get two hands on it if I wanted to do some really hard-core decapitating! Frightening to think of, swinging that thing like a baseball bat... That said, it has been brutalizing firewood, old hardwood dimensional lumber, and hardwood pallets and just laughs. The handle is about a bit smaller than an axe-handle with a rectangular cross section..it would be almost too big but I've got decent sized hands so it is just darn comfortable.

It would limb to a frightening extent if its performance chopping 2x4's in half is any indication - takes four maybe five strokes... it has the weight and edge geometry to chop. The thick spine splits wood into kindling matchsticks really well, I can just sink it in a little bit and pound it right the rest of the way through a board with just the impact of my palm on the fat spine...

If you're worried about weight I would go about 16.5" long overall length, the 18" I've got will tire you out but the excessive power it possesses makes it worth it for me personally.

Mine is a Lachhu-made, there are pics on here under "Lachhu family" thread. I'd also love a Kumar! (for sure!) but there really truly is NO bad HI kami/blacksmith.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions.
A Chiruwa Ang Kola, A M43 or a Regular Ang Kola I'd trust any of the three for really heavy work! (or a bunch of other tough-as-nails working models). It has replaced my hatchet for wood-stove located kindling preparation and chunking 2x10's into suitable 2x4's for the wood stove. Ive got a barn full of old depression-era wood that's now firewood... and it does the work!

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Really? You guys/gals almost have me sold. The handles look like 2 handfuls to me though. How do they compare in diameter to a normal US style hatchet? AND - how do these do with limbing work rather than splitting? Too heavy to be swinging at shoulder level?

Do these Kumar khukuris come up for trade? I really like the work look of this one - not in to the pretty shiny types.

You've got my attention.

Ray

Ray, there are so many different variations under the sun when it comes to khuks.

Tell ya what. I'll make you a deal. If you PM me your address, I'll send you a work/beater HI khukuri out of my own stash. She won't win any beauty contests, but she'll work well for limbing.

The catch, if you like it, please give Yangdu a fair shake and order one from her. Regardless, what I send you is yours to keep.

Lemme know and I'll find something to get out the door to you post haste

 

[stwm]

Um Steely... I um..have...serious...doubts...about them too... (I really don't, I love them and I am an addict)

Seriously though, outstanding generosity- you're a heck of a guy and a real ambassador. Proud to know you, way to represent the HI family!

 

[RockFarm]

Folks like him make this place special!!!

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[RayseM]

Ray, there are so many different variations under the sun when it comes to khuks.

Tell ya what. I'll make you a deal. If you PM me your address, I'll send you a work/beater HI khukuri out of my own stash. She won't win any beauty contests, but she'll work well for limbing.

The catch, if you like it, please give Yangdu a fair shake and order one from her. Regardless, what I send you is yours to keep.

Lemme know and I'll find something to get out the door to you post haste

I would be an utter fool to pass up on such a generous offer :thumbup: AND I absolutely would follow through with an order for one of my very own. I was just chopping and limbing this week with my 1/4" thick - 10-1/2" blade Siegel chopper and have at least 8 more days of the same ahead of me this winter so I would certainly work it hard and give it a fair comparison. Reading the RockFarm's post suggest to me that the Siegel will be getting lots of rest.

Perhaps we can just keep yours a pass around Jake for others not yet sold on the merits of khuks. I can pass it off to stwm later this winter/early spring More on that ...

Meanwhile Jake -I thank you very much. PM incoming. I'm feeling warm all over

Ray

 

[khukoo head]

My Kumar CAK is my most used and favorite khukuri. One of it's main uses is limbing and chopping stuff down to size so I can feed it to my chipper to make mulch for the garden.

Man, I love that thing...

Kumar sure does know how to make a great khukuri! The CAK will not disappoint.

 

[RayseM]

Okay Ray, here is the deal:
The M43 handle is smooth, with a nice palm swell and flared end that locks it into your hand. Mine is 18" and just long enough that I could get two hands on it if I wanted to do some really hard-core decapitating! Frightening to think of, swinging that thing like a baseball bat... That said, it has been brutalizing firewood, old hardwood dimensional lumber, and hardwood pallets and just laughs. The handle is about a bit smaller than an axe-handle with a rectangular cross section..it would be almost too big but I've got decent sized hands so it is just darn comfortable.

It would limb to a frightening extent if its performance chopping 2x4's in half is any indication - takes four maybe five strokes... it has the weight and edge geometry to chop. The thick spine splits wood into kindling matchsticks really well, I can just sink it in a little bit and pound it right the rest of the way through a board with just the impact of my palm on the fat spine...

If you're worried about weight I would go about 16.5" long overall length, the 18" I've got will tire you out but the excessive power it possesses makes it worth it for me personally.

Mine is a Lachhu-made, there are pics on here under "Lachhu family" thread. I'd also love a Kumar! (for sure!) but there really truly is NO bad HI kami/blacksmith.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions.
A Chiruwa Ang Kola, A M43 or a Regular Ang Kola I'd trust any of the three for really heavy work! (or a bunch of other tough-as-nails working models). It has replaced my hatchet for wood-stove located kindling preparation and chunking 2x10's into suitable 2x4's for the wood stove. Ive got a barn full of old depression-era wood that's now firewood... and it does the work!

Thanks for the extra info and comparison to an axe. As you can see from my post above I will be trying one out on my own terms soon enough Yes, I will certainly keep you all posted on my experience and pick your brains for what best to order for my back yard woods work.

I live on 5 hilly granite ledged acres surrounded by 130+ more of nature preserve - all falling down spruce forest. For years I have thinned and thinned creating a park out of my tangled mess - fire fuel all around us . Dangerous work really, as the tangle in the overhead and all the debris on the ground requires a methodical approach and full situational awareness. When I first began I considered it too dangerous to be out there with a chain saw. A buck saw and a machete (now replaced with an awesome Silky Katana Boy and a Siegle chopper) are my hand tools. The chain saw more useful these days as I have more room to work the bigger trees. Still, this Wednesday was all hand tools and a long day of burning. That's why you really caught my attention with this thread - though I have been a HI lurker for some time. At least 3 more 2 day work sessions of felling and slash and burns to go this winter. (More than 2 days and I can't move for the next 3 ) I also help maintain the trails in the nature preserve with the Silky and my chopper. I will be a sight to be seen on these trails wearing my 13-1/2" Basque beret and swinging a khukuri .

Here is a link to the Silky - http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws/Wood-Working-Saws/KATANABOY-with-500-extra-large-teeth#sthash.9o919uBy.dpbs An awesome tool.

Thanks all, for the great welcome.

Ray

 

[stwm]

Very excited for you, Ray! You sound like you are in the ideal situation for a nice Khukuri. I also really like my Bahco Bow Saw FYI, gotta try a Silky.