A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to pick up an RMJ tactical Kukri from Tactical Elements. I pre ordered it, and it arrived before the expected delivery day. Really smooth transaction.
So I've been playing around with it a little for a few weeks now, though not as much as I would like due to the end of the semester coming up next week.
Lets start off with some specs.
Blade material: 80CrV2
OAL: 15.5"
Cutting Edge 9.75"
Weight: 21.6 oz without sheeth
Leather Sheeth weight 8.75 oz
Blade Finish: Black Cerakote
Full Tang
Ok, so on to it's performance a bit. As I said earlier, I've been a bit busy, so I haven't really had the opportunity to really abuse this knife yet, but I did do a bit of work around the house with it. My aspen grove was a bit over crowded and needed a bit of thinning, and the Kukri was the tool for the job! It chops saplings like butter. Larger saplings at 1.5" diameter require a second stoke to cut down, but that is probably due to my lack of technique as this is my first truly large knife. Its also no difficult task to split logs with this knife using a moderate sized log as a baton.
On to the design a bit. The knife is balanced very well. The balance of the knife really keeps the large size of the blade from feeling as cumbersome as one would expect. It's still a large knife, but it seems up to smaller tasks like limbing and some simple carving. The groves on the blade of the knife are intended to reduce drag when cutting. I can't really say if this part of the design was successful however, as I have not needed to use it for any tasks where drag might become especially detrimental.
So far, I'm really happy with this knife, and I look forward to taking it backpacking with me this summer.