School me on the Kukri

Edwood7

Edwood7

Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
2,890
I posted this question on the general forum and was told that this is the place for this.


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Got this one at a swap met in Sonora a few months ago. Just fished sharpening it, and oiling the wood on the handle.

School me on the Kukri
Don’t know much about it. Does anyone know any good sites where i can learn about this type of knife?
I think I’m going to be using it for what i would use a machete for, when out in the jungle region of Oaxaca.

Any positive experience whit this type of chopper???
 
welcome to the Himalayan Imports forum, be aware that any information found here is going to be biased toward HI products

with that stated... check out http://www.himalayan-imports.com/ and read the stickies on this forum

also, either you are really really good at polishing, you only had to touch up the edge, or you just sharpened the very edge. your khukuri will benefit from having a convex edge on it rather than a straight "v" edge
 
Google "windlass steelcraft khukuri". That should put you in the right direction.
It may or may not be a Windlass, but this design is copied over and over by many khukuri makers.

With that said.....
As it is not an H.I. product, i must move it to the Cantina.
 
Edwood7,

What Karda's link shows you is that your kukri is similar to the kukri issued to part of the Indian Army. The official issue is made by the company in Karda's link, Windless Steelcraft. If the kukri that you have is an actual Windless Steelcraft then it will make a fine tool for you. However, this style seems to be the most popular model for the tourist copies.

Just in case you are not familiar with the differeence between a real kukri and a tourist kukri, it is vast and it will dictate what if anything you can do with it. The real kukri is made by a master craftsman commonly called a kami or what we in the western world call a blacksmith. The kukri is made from leaf spring from trucks that have been handhammered, shaped and hardened by these master craftsman. When done correctly they are tools that will last more then a lifetime.

The tourist models by comparison, use whatever steel they can find and since they are meant to be trinkets or show pieces they are not hardened. Many will come out of the box with loose handles and the blades would probably dent or break if it was used. The problem is, you can't tell which is which just by looking at them, especially in a photo on the internet.

One indicator is usually price. A $10- $20 kukri is more than likely a tourist model but sometimes people, especially on the internet (ebay) will buy big lots of these poor quality models and then market them as if they were the real thing. One such ad mentions that some kukris are hardened using traditional methods and they even provide a link. As if average Joe is going to be able to harden their own kukri!

Most on this forum have been in your shoes and eventuallly sought out a real working kukri. And while there are several good companies out there, we have all found that Himalayan Imports consistantly puts out a great product. If you take the time to read their story you will understand why this company is special. They make a great product and they stand behind it.

I wish you luck with your kukri. I wish it were possible to tell you which you have by the pic but, that is not possible.
 
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Edwood7 said:
...School me on the Kukri...
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There are a variety of khukuris. Some guys will give you some tips, but your real schooling will come from the khukuri itself.

Take it out and do some work with it.

Chop some wood. Split some wood by batoning. Use it to prepare a meal.

I had one similar to yours quite a few years ago. I did a lot of work with it. There were a few points on mine I didn't care for. The handle slabs didn't fit too well and the gaps between the tang and the slabs tended to hurt my hand. The central ring was too big for comfort. It was not very hard and so needed frequent sharpening. Still, all in all it was a servicible khukuri and much better than no knife at all.

I ended up trading mine to a young man in exchange for some yard work.

The HI models I have do not have the issues I had with that knife. The handles are more comfortable and the blade edge is hardened, making sharpening less frequent.
 
Hi Edwood7,
There are some great khukuri photos listed in the DOTD (deal of the day) threads in the HI forum.
When I found these khukuris I ended up with over half a dozen of them in various sizes.
They are serious working tools, made in Nepal out of old p/u truck leaf springs.
Hand made, differentially heat treated (I think that means they put the chopping part in the hot coals to harden it).
I think that you would probably be able to appreciate them for what they are.
The difference in mass between the larger Khuks and regular style combat type knives is downright silly.
Here's a link with a photo of some HI khuks next to a Busse FBM.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...d-my-real-name-is-David?p=9367587#post9367587
Check them out.
pete
 
MK4-looking object.

The Wilkinsons were frowned by Gurkhas hence it was only used as Officer khuk despite better steel.
Captain Indra Gurung did complain on the large ring.

Nice Para bag Ed!
 
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Ed!

Glad you finally decided oncoming to test out the finest blade style in all of history - the kukri!!

First off, the HI sales pitch: An HI kukri is to a tourist kukri what your Winkler hawk is to a Cold Steel.

I know a lot of times, they aren't worth going through, but seriously read the stickies. There's a huge amount of info and pictures there. You're probably in the best place on the internet to find out about kukri usage, there's some really, really knowledgeable people here, and they've certainly taught me a lot.

After reading up a bit, we'll be happy to answer more specific questions. It's hard to answer "school me on the kukri", since at least for me, kukri have become a way of life, not just a tool. In the end, Howard is right: the kukri itself will teach you how to use it (although I highly recommend reading the safety thread in the stickies first).

Pete: thanks for the props, man.
 
An HI kukri is to a tourist kukri what your Winkler hawk is to a Cold Steel.
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Oh yeah Ed. The metal HI use to make khuk is the same as what your Combat Axe II are made out of; 5160, differentially hardened.
 
JayGoliath said:
MK4-looking object.

The Wilkinsons were frowned by Gurkhas hence it was only used as Officer khuk despite better steel.
Captain Indra Gurung did complain on the large ring.

Nice Para bag Ed!
Click to expand...

Might pass for an mk.3 never a mk.4 :)

I can understand Indras point though, he personaly prefers the current issue mk.5 with a just over 10 inch blade I was told?;)

I would also say dont belive evry story about the Wilkies..:eek: Ive heard dozens of them, including that one which came from a letter written to Wilkinsons.

I do think many gurkhas or indeed Nepalis have preferance to any partial tang kukri rather than full tang though, which of course would be a factor with any mk.2/3 or 4 issue kukri.

Spiral
 
Might pass for an mk.3 never a mk.4
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Thanks for the correction, Spiral! i learned something today.

Always wanted a Wilkinson. What a shame that it's basically scattered around my radius but i just can't find it.

I do think many gurkhas or indeed Nepalis have preferance to any partial tang kukri rather than full tang though, which of course would be a factor with any mk.2/3 or 4 issue kukri.
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The partial tang indeed feels good on hand. The weight are all focused on the front, making light chopping enjoyable but certainly not on hardwood.
The tang on my partial tang Budhune was "visibly pulled off the handle" after several whacks on seasoned wood. A rivet on that area will put the khuk back to work.
 
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