SHTF Bad Situation Khukri recomendation?

jeremy, I moved this to the Cantina so the discussion can go any direction.

There are a multitude of HI knives that are made for tuff use. The Chiruwa AK is a pry bar with a sharp egde.

The WWII, the M43, the list goes on and on. I'd take a gander at the website to see what appeals to you, bearing in mind that the website is only generic, sizes and option vary immensely.

Then watch for Yangdu's daily deals to snag what you like or call or email her and describe your wishes. See what she has on hand.

She'll take extremely good care of you and fix you up proper.
 
KLVUK or Ang Khola come to mind with minimal instruction on what you plan to do with it. The more information you can give us the more we can drill down and get you the blade you really want. There are light blades for camp and pack and capable of chopping and processing light wood etc. (KLVUK) and there are thicker blades with stronger edges you can go to town on hardwood and still get some compromised functionality that you would get with a lighter utility blade. Then depending on your health and knowledge of the use and proper technique of using a Khuki then you might do well with certain other models and lengths. Gelbu Special, M43, ... comes to mind. If your new to Khukris personally id go with KLVUK which is a stripped down no frills workhorse youll never call whimpy. Its a villager model which means not polished so you dont have to look at yourself in the morning after a hard night of camping:) and its much cheaper the the ones that come with the accessory knives and sheath. The Ang Khola is a super polished blade you can probably see yourself well enough to shave with. Like I said before it depends on what you want to do with it, fight, chop, cut veggies, etc. Now if you want a Zombie killin blade then theres way too many to choose from there! Good luck and welcome. Im sure lots of good folk will be right behind me to say what I didnt:thumbup:


Ya beat me Mr. B! I talk too much:D Oh yeah and how could I forget? The service and quality you get here is second to NONE!!!
 
Having handles a KLVUK, they are incredibly durable, sturdy, and they feel great in hand. I keep forgetting that I need to get one. That reminds me of a question that I will put in another thread, so as to not detract here.
 
Yup, if you were to only have one the KLVUK, M43, or Chiruwa Ang Khola would be my first choices. Advice - i wouldn't go super huge and heavy on your kukri. I have a 16 inch M43 and I take down small trees (10-12 DBH). That being said - if you have only one - I would try a 17 inch M43. That would be big enough for serious chopping but not too heavy. Yangdu is great. While very busy, she could help to fit you with a size weight and model that would best fit your need.
 
Brother Mateos has said it all. KLVUK, M43, or Chiruwa Ang Khola. All three are lifetime tools. My personal mantra is that if you can have only one, get thee an M43.
 
I'm with Bookie. I have several Khukris but, my first was an M43 after doing much research and speaking with Auntie. I don't think it's possible to go wrong with an M43. I know the VUK's are highly rated. I only have one that was made by Bura. Ergo, it's a shelf queen mostly. However, it handles as others describe about a VUK.
 
I must add that many prefer the Chiruwa Ang Khola to the traditional Ang Khola. I do not. I have three Bura Ang Kholas and a few other Ang kholas by Lachhu and Kumar and also some other Chiruwa Ang Kholas and I use them like they were stolen. I have to say over about six or seven samples I prefer the traditional handle style. If you plan to use them and beat on them daily or for long periods of time then there is no question to the shock absorption properties of the traditional style. Just my personal experience. Mine aint no shelf queens. They got plenty of daily use and have sap and scratches etc. Ive have had to rely on them to get wood processed to keep my arse warm for the night and every night. I didnt have electric heat and relied only a wood stove to heat my house and the Ang Khola did the job. Love my 20" AK. Nothing better in the world in my opinion. So far! The Chiruwa AK may be overbuilt in my opinion but if it is done right and distal tapered radically and some Kamis can do it right then it is still a fabulous knife. I have a 20" Bhakta Super Chiruwa AK that is balanced and feels so wonderful but after an hour or so of chopping you can start too feel the shock effects in your arm. My arm at least. Yours may vary. I can grab my Tirtha built 20" AK and chop all day long and no problens at all. Im a bit sensitive cause I got some arthritis going on but thats why I can say this in the first place. MIleage may vary depending on your conditions but if i had my choice for a new one id get a traditional handled blade. You dont have to worry about them failing and if for some reason they did then Mrs. Martino will fix you up GOOD!!!
 
They are all good. If you have to break through walls and process hard firewood I'd get the Amar Singh Thapar.
If you have to traverse bush then something lighter like a Gelbu Special.
If the shtf is entirely zombie then a Sher Attitude aka Himalayan Razor :-o
HI also makes swords but since you asked for Kukris that's what I listed.

Other things to consider when chosing a Kuk are your size and strength.
 
Yes, the ASTK is highly under rated. The Gelbu Special is special indeed even according to UB and his postings. The Himalayan razor is of a different class, much like a bamboo cutter. Specialized indeed.
 
Buy the blade you find the most striking because they will all do the job.

If you plan on carrying it keep it to shorter lighter models. The 15" BAS and 16.5" WWII in 18-24oz are my favorite do it all blades.

Once they hit 2 pounds they are tough to carry unless they are mounted to your pack.
 
For lightweight carry and being a do-it-all blade, I would look at the KLVUK. The thin edge makes it suitable for a large number of jobs. If you are looking for a warhorse, it's tough to go wrong with an M-43, especially, IMHO, the 15" version.
 
I thought of another candidate for brute force powerhouse is indestructibility is desired:

The 15"ASTK. Mine is a beast. 1/2+" thick at the spine, chiruwa construction, narrow tip but a very axe-like convex edge. It may not be the first khuk I would grab for finesse, but it can split, pry, poke, and rend with the best of them. The recurve sports a fine enough edge that most delicate scraping tasks (like fuzzy sticks) could be accomplished.

I've split literally tons of fire wood with mine over the last 3 years. I might be able to wear it out in another 70 or so, I think.
 
Love, Love, Love my 18" M-43.
Gelbu Special is also fantastic. The former is amazing for my firewood kindling... the latter is for loppin' heads.
 
My 14 year old kumar 43 has survived being dropped, used to chop, used to dig, used to pry, and subject to abusive misuse and the rear of the handle has a chunk missing but it's solid as ever.

Oh and it's got a new convex edge and it will bite deeply again.
 
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