seeking advice on a khukuri

R

Red Flower

Joined
Oct 13, 2004
Messages
178
I am the only one in my family who don't own a khukuri. I am thinking to get one for myself sooner or later. I have small hands and small body size too. I'm 5' 3" tall, to give you an idea of my size. I don't know what kinds of khukuris match me well. Any advice or suggestions will be very helpful. I appreciate your help in advance.

Thank you.

Red Flower
 
Welcome Red Flower,

Depends, what do you want to do with it?

Dan Koster's (Pendentive) thread on khukuri dynamics will give you a graphic sense of the differences in design and size.

http://www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/physics/Khukuri_Dynamics.html

If you want light chopping and quick handling, I'd say a 12 in sirupate. If you want light chopping, a 12in AK, or possibly a Pen knife.

If you want a big honkin' blade...well, hell most of them will seem huge to a person of your dimension...they did to me at first.

Some of the "belt" knife sizes, 10 in BDC, JKM knife, Bilton knife, KK knife, or the Sarge don't really qualify as khuks, but their utility is pretty well proven.


Define more precisely what you are interested in, and folks here will help as they are able.



Be well and safe.
 
Both Kami Sherpa*, ( HI's owner ) and I are 5'4". My favorite - the one that feels the most right to me is a Bura WWII 16.5 inch. The 18" WWII isn't really that much bigger but it's handle is longer. The guys over 6' tall push the 18" WWII.

The BAS at 15" might be right for you - it's got no zip or zing in it to me. Others love it. The BDC ( Bura Daily Carry ) at 14" may be for you or you might enjoy a 15 or 18" Sirupati. You have to realize that around here many will admit ( off the record ) that something about the picture of one called to them, and said I was made for you.

Go up to the "How to order" thread stuck at the top and read and reread it. Get a draft prepared and all set to go with the knife and price left blank. Then watch for daily specials til one calls you. When one does, fill in the blanks and fire it off before another guy beats you to it. We don't call it a feeding frenzy of Great White sharks for nothing.

And WELCOME to the Cantina.

* Kami Sherpa is sherpa, and they are Tibetan Buddhists, not Hindu. But in both there is a common belief in a personified "Death" needing to make his daily quota. The higher caste he takes, the fewer he needs. So the owner's parents named him after an untouchable caste so his name would trick Death into thinking he was "small fry" and Death would pass him by and keep looking for a better catch.
 
Red Flower is what the Wolves and other animals in the forest called Man's fire; is that where your name comes from? (Jungle book)

Welcome.



munk
 
Dammit! I knew this was going to happen. Rusty's last post up a couple showed that he could do it better than me. Mumble, grumble, hell, take a couple of morphine tabs and forget it -- and everything wlse.

Really good work, Rusty, and thanks again for all you do and all you've done.
 
munk said:
Red Flower is what the Wolves and other animals in the forest called Man's fire; is that where your name comes from? (Jungle book)

Welcome.



munk
Click to expand...

My Chinese name is 丹 DAN1 (red) 华 HUA2 (flower or China). I think it's easier for people to remember me as "Redflower".

Thank you for those good advice. Uncle Bill, please don't take too much pain medicine, save some for later use. Danny would like to bring some good Chinese wine back for you soon. ;)

Red Flower
 
I am the only one in my family who don't own a khukuri.
Click to expand...
That is inexcusable. Howard should be ashamed of himself. (only kidding).

The 16.5" WWII is as excellant choice for your size or any other, as a first khuk. It's the first of the khukuri line that can really be called choppers. Others (Pen knife, BDC, 12" AK, etc) require quite a bit of muscle to do other than cut.

You will, of course, need to decide if you like wood or horn better. Or get one (or more) of each.
 
Red Flower, welcome to the Forum! There are a couple of unscrupulous guys here you have to watch for, (especially one ne'er-do-well called <snipped> who is always up to no good), but everyone else is pretty much OK! :)

Seriously, as far as khuk choices, I can't say enough for the 14" BDC or Baby Dui Chirra as a great all-around khuk for someone getting started, and especially for someone of a smaller stature. They are very well made by Bura, and are big cutters without being too big in size. The two I have average 14.25" in length, and just 18.5 oz. in weight.

I agree with Rusty about the BAS not being that inspiring of a blade, at least to me, and also that the 16.5" WWII is a great all around khuk as well.

Good luck to you, and jump right in with any questions; someone here will know the answer!

Regards,

Norm
 
Rusty said:
* Kami Sherpa is sherpa, and they are Tibetan Buddhists, not Hindu. But in both there is a common belief in a personified "Death" needing to make his daily quota. The higher caste he takes, the fewer he needs. So the owner's parents named him after an untouchable caste so his name would trick Death into thinking he was "small fry" and Death would pass him by and keep looking for a better catch.
Click to expand...

Interesting stuff. So, (learning here), I thought "Kami" was his title, but you're saying that is his real first name? Or is the caste name Sherpa?

Always wondered about that..

Thanks!

Norm
 
Thanks guys!


Rusty said:
Both Kami Sherpa*, ( HI's owner ) and I are 5'4". My favorite - the one that feels the most right to me is a Bura WWII 16.5 inch. The 18" WWII isn't really that much bigger but it's handle is longer. The guys over 6' tall push the 18" WWII.

The BAS at 15" might be right for you - it's got no zip or zing in it to me. Others love it. The BDC ( Bura Daily Carry ) at 14" may be for you or you might enjoy a 15 or 18" Sirupati. You have to realize that around here many will admit ( off the record ) that something about the picture of one called to them, and said I was made for you.

Go up to the "How to order" thread stuck at the top and read and reread it. Get a draft prepared and all set to go with the knife and price left blank. Then watch for daily specials til one calls you. When one does, fill in the blanks and fire it off before another guy beats you to it. We don't call it a feeding frenzy of Great White sharks for nothing.

And WELCOME to the Cantina.

* Kami Sherpa is sherpa, and they are Tibetan Buddhists, not Hindu. But in both there is a common belief in a personified "Death" needing to make his daily quota. The higher caste he takes, the fewer he needs. So the owner's parents named him after an untouchable caste so his name would trick Death into thinking he was "small fry" and Death would pass him by and keep looking for a better catch.
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Rusty, great explanation! Danhua does know a little about Kami Sherpa though. She's the second one from the right.


Picture_25.jpg


Red Flower said:
My Chinese name is &#20025; DAN1 (red) &#21326; HUA2 (flower or China). I think it's easier for people to remember me as "Redflower".
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Can you guys see the Chinese characters in the quote above? I can but I have a chinese character set loaded in my computer.

Aardvark said:
That is inexcusable. Howard should be ashamed of himself. (only kidding).
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Good memory, Aardvark! Of course, Danhua has tried a number of my khukuris and I've offered her her pick. She even models one in the FAQ on the carry page. The picture is from one of our adventures.


BagCarry2.jpg


She wanted to consult with the experts here prior to choosing one for herself though. Once she decides what she wants, (with all of your help) I'll probably work with Bill, Yangdu, and Kami Sherpa to get her something special. We probably won't go for a UBBB on this one.
 
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It's nice of you to say that, Uncle Bill.

But it also seems appropriate at this point to remember the year Babe Ruth led the league in home runs he also led the league in the number of times he struck out.
 
Welcome to our little place on the web Red Flower!
I am small for a man, at 5'-5".

The largest khukuri that I have used very much to chop with is the 16.5" chiruwa (full tang) AK. Rusty's choice of the 16.5" WWII might be a better choice for you.

If you wanted a very light khukuri that has a longer reach for cutting vines or clearing brush, the Kobras, or Chainpuri in 16-18" length might be appropriate, and are truly beautiful.

The khukuri that feels the best in my hand is the 15" Sirupati. It feels very lively, and would be ok for light chopping.

If you need something shorter for portability when hiking, a 12" Sirupati, or even a 12" AK would make an excellent camp knife, and would be a much better chopper than a plain knife of the same length.

You are lucky to be able to try Howard's. That will give you an idea of what fits you the best. Just let the khukuri do the work. Don't swing too hard, and be careful.

Again, welcome.
Steve Ferguson
 
Red Flower,
Try the BDC 14" will handle most anything,horn handle is nice & very cool to the grip,wood has a dif. feel,more gripper! This is just my opinion & like Howard I have a "few" to choose from.Be advised,you will really love the BDC!
THE DUCK! :cool:
 
another vote for the 14" BDC - it is amazing and beautiful....;)






Howard - I can see the chinese characters.
 
What is a BDC? Can anyone provide description and/or links?

Unfortunately Red Flower can't try out khukuris at this time. She is posting from Beijing. Since March 2004 we have been engaged in a Kafka-esque exercise with the US government to get her permanent residence status. She was here in the US on a student visa when we met and married, but her permission to stay expired last July and she had to leave our home and the US at that time. We have an immigration attorney working the issue, and he assures us that everything is fine, the US government just works at this pace. Danhua has already been granted permission to apply for permission to apply for an interview to apply for a US visa. (This is the US CIS "petition for fiance," the expedited form used for fiances and spouses of US citizens. It only took them 9 months to process it.) Then the completed "petition for fiance" went to the national visa center, where they sat on it for a while and then forwarded it to the US consulate in Guangzhou China. The consulate just sent Danhua a packet to apply for an interview to apply for a US visa. She sent the packet back to them immediately, and their website says after they get it they will schedule her interview to apply for a US visa 3 to 5 months in the future. I did write an e-mail to one of my US sentators requesting help in expediting the immigration process a little while ago and got this e-mail back.

US Senator said:
Thank you for contacting me about your frustrations with President Bush. I
appreciate hearing from you on this issue. As a U.S. Senator, I have tried to
work with this Administration on the issues facing our state and our nation.
For those issues on which we share common goals, I believe it is best to find a
mutually agreeable solution that helps all Americans. However, there have been
numerous instances when I have disagreed with the President's policies. In
those instances, I have not been afraid to speak up about how I believe we can
best improve America.

It is imperative that Congress and the Administration work together to address
the challenges that face our nation. However, this cooperation can not come at
the expense of honest and genuine debate. Only by honestly representing our
views and by listening to the views of the other side can Congress and the
President develop policies that will meet America's needs. Rest assured, I will
continue to stand up for those principles and ideals that I believe make our
nation great, and I will remain actively involved in discussing solutions to our
present and future challenges.

Once again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of assistance in the
future, do not hesitate to contact me.
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I'm not quite sure what that means but it appears to mean that we are not going to get any help from that quarter.

Since Red Flower and I were seperated this Valentine's day I illustrated a little webpage for her at http://www.aolisi.net/XuPoem.htm . We are determined to do what ever it takes to reunite our family.

In the meantime, we are figuring out the best khukuri for her. She is not an accumulator of possessions like me. She likes to give careful thought and get a single good tool that she will use for a long time. Hopefully, with the help of you forumites and HI, I can have such a tool waiting here at our home upon her return.
 
Thanks Aardvark.

2-10-05-1.JPG


The top one is the BDC. 14 inch 14 ounce Bdc by Kumar. That does look like a strong contender. I am personally a fan of the "inch per ounce" rule. What does BDC stand for? Is it a dui chirra or tin chirra?

We'll see what Red Flower thinks about this style.
 
BDC = "Bura's Daily Carry" or "Baby Dui Chirra".

It's a very elegant blade. I find that the chopping angle takes some getting used to. Others really love it.
 
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