Sirupate 14" - First Impressions

[Maya_steel]

Hey everyone,

I purchased my first Kailash khukuri back in April, and received it last week. I had heard so much positive feedback about them and was eager to place an order. I own three khukuris from Himalayan Imports, and though I love and have used them extensively, I've always wanted a khukuri that has a more martial or weapon-like feel to it. At the same time, all of my khukuris are users, and this blade should still be able to serve as a sturdy camp knife. After going back and forth with Andrew a bit, I settled on a 14" Sirupate with a black kydex sheath, desert camo micarta handle, traditional rat-tail construction, and copper hardware.

I noted the lightness of the blade before even opening the shipping container. I opened the box to find a lovingly packed khukuri wrapped in Nepalese newspaper, tied with twine, and coated in a generous amount of oil. Despite this, there were some fine lines of rust along both sides of the blade. This is to be expected with such a long journey, and a few minutes’ work with a scotch-brite pad cleaned it right up. The result was pretty stunning:

Handling the blade, I again noticed the lightness, as well as the balance; it has just enough forward weight to want to pull the tip downward when holding it vertical as pictured. I opted for the medium-sized 4.75" handle and am happy with this choice - it fits my hand perfectly and gives me just a little room to choke up/down on the grip. The traditional rings in the middle help lock the last two fingers of my left hand in place, which, when combined with the acute point, would make for a very effective thrust.

I've never owned anything with a micarta handle before - my other knives and swords all have grips made out of traditional materials. Because of this, the micarta feels a bit foreign to me; it almost reminds me of something that was 3D printed. That said, the desert camo pattern is very cool--in photos it looks like an exotic wood grain, but in person it reminds me of snakeskin. I wanted a bold design, so I chose copper hardware - I was a bit nervous that it might look incongruous, but I think it came out great. The copper will age nicely and darken a bit, and I may or may not oil the micarta.

Andrew and Bisnu were kind enough to configure the kydex sheath for left hand draw at my request. However, after trying it out I decided to switch it to a right-handed configuration, as I prefer to draw it straight up with my left hand. I find this faster and more comfortable to sheath and unsheathe when hiking or walking around a campsite, and flipping the blade from reverse to forward grip isn't too tricky, given how nimble it is.

I couldn't help but compare the Kailash Sirupate to my HI Khukuris. I'll state again that I love the HI blades and have the upmost respect for the company and their community. You can tell from the photo that these khukuris have been with me on many adventures and have served me well:

The models pictured are, from top to bottom:

Kailash Sirupate 14" blade
Angkhola Dui Chirra 18" (total length)
WWII 16.5" (total length)
Foxy Folly 12" (total length)

In terms of feel and handling, the difference between the Kailash and HI khukuris is night and day. The Kailash feels lively and nimble in the hand - it's as much a short sword or large fighting knife as it is a tool. The HI khukuris, while rugged and tough as hell, feel like khukuri-shaped hatchets, or sharp metal bars with handles. Below you can see the difference in spine thickness between the Kailash Sirupate and the HI Dui Chirra:

They're both effective blades that are simply constructed with different philosophies. It's worth noting that the Dui Chirra and Sirupate have different spine thicknesses by design, however, all of my HI khukuris do not have much distal taper, if any. The Kailash Sirupate tapers nicely and it shows when handling the blade.

Time will tell how the Sirupate holds up to use - I haven't cut anything with it yet, but the edge is very sharp, and I have no doubt it will perform well. Overall, my first impressions are extremely positive, and I want to thank Andrew, Bisnu, and the rest of the Kailash team for their excellent craftsmanship and great service.

Cheers!

 

[Kailash Blades]

Hey there!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review and give your impressions on so many aspects of the knife. Great photos too!

Great to hear you think the options you ended up going for are a good match- especially the handle size. An uncomfy handle can be a real dealbreaker at times!
We get a lot of comments from people wanting a wood grain-like micarta option and the desert camo is often chosen for this reason. You're right that up close it has a very different look- very finely rough and clearly layered.
Feel free to also experiment with giving it a light sanding- this can often expose a bit of fabric and provide a softer, plusher feel vs from factory.

The sirupate profile does make it hard to compare vs these HI but you're very right about the importance of taper for the way a blade feels in hand. We've found that it doesn't negatively impact chopping power as much as one might expect either- potentially why it is so prevalent on historical examples.
Our blades in general tend towards the lighter side of things but we're also taking some steps to increase blade weights and spine thicknesses for certain models- both for specific intended utilities as well as greater historical accuracy on certain models.

I've passed on your kind words to the team and look forward to an update once the blade has seen some miles

Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash



Top

 

[Grizzly3]

Hi Maya_steel, that is a beautiful blade. I always thought the desert camo was much lighter in color, but for some reason, yours has much more darker tones and looks great with the copper. I wonder if they all come out that way. That Sirupate is an intriguing, even very useful design. I shied away from it since I first saw its use to be more machete like and I already had 3 machetes, plus I wanted something that could also chop well. But even though it could fill that purpose, its usefulness goes way beyond cutting brush and things that get in your way.

I can see now why many carried that style Khukuri in wartime over the other popular models. That shape may not have as awesome a scissor like cutting effect as some of the more curved blades, but nonetheless, it would do great damage. What is appealing is how much better it can thrust. They say these Khukuri are not designed for that and more for slashing, but it is hard to imagine the Sirupate not being used that way when needed. The question is though, will the hand slide up onto the blade when you try. I still have to wonder if those rings alone will keep your hand positioned snug enough. Maybe they just never considered using it that way. Has anyone ever tried it with hay bales or some soft target? I know guards throw these blades off balance, but that Sirupate seems to beg for one. How hard would it be, if right behind the rear of the cho, you let the steel come down to form a guard that ended at the bolster, similar to what you have done with the Plain Jane Bowie?

Oh yes, one more use for these Khukuri that no one mentions. Most of us love to sharpen our knives and then test them on paper. Inevitably, we have many little snips of paper on the floor around our desk. I had to laugh the first time I used my HSI to stab one of those little pieces of paper on the floor. The tip on these blades is so pointed and fine, that it picks them up with ease. No more bending over trying to find and edge on the paper to lift it up. Just stab them with your Sirupate .

 

[Kailash Blades]

The colour of micarta can differ quite a bit whether it is oiled or not- this is a nicely saturated example.
Scholagladiatoria did some stabbing testing with an mk3 into steel here:

An integral blade heel guard wouldn't be hard to execute. The only things standing in the way are tradition and some stress concerns- we could sort it out though.
Aluminium guards have been discussed, however these cannot be welded to steel and would be simply pinned in place. There are also galvanic corrosion concerns. We have been doing some recent prototypes with micarta guards as another alternative.

There has been some discussion that the internal kaudi on the chitlange provides a small ramp to stop the hand sliding onto the blade. I don't agree with this though- if you ask a smith to leave out a cho on a khukuri they naturally leave a flat spot with small peak just as seen on a chitlange- implying that the geometry of that area is not planned with specific intent in mind.
An overlooked characteristic of many earlier khukuris is a swollen bolster area. Here's an image from Peter Dekker.

https://www.mandarinmansion.com/sites/default/files/2020-03/kukri-overall.jpg

If we assume that the handle ring is placed between the middle and ring fingers this means that there is 2 fingers worth of grip between the handle ring and the flare. This is quite a small space and implies quite small hands. If we project that two fingers of space in front of the hand there is a lot of unused space in that grip towards the bolster. Notably this area is also very wide for such a small hand and could be perceived as "forwards flare" that helps to keep the hand in location and prevent sliding up on the blade.

In general though this doesn't seem to be an issue in terms of actual use of khukuris. Sliding up onto the edge during use is not a reported issue. While these blades certainly can stab they are not historically optimised for it (especially into hard targets as seen in the above video). Finally many blades older than 100 years show handle shapes and more intense handle rings that seemed to provide more redundancy against sliding up a blade- especially compared to more modern examples as well as the mk3 shown in that video.

Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash

 

[Maya_steel]

Grizzly - these were my thoughts exactly—the blade shape of the Sirupate seems optimized for stabbing compared to other khukuris. I was also not totally drawn to the Sirupate initially, but after describing what I was looking for to Andrew, he helped me to realize that the Sirupate was the best fit. I’m glad I listened to his advice, I truly cannot overstate how good this knife feels in my hand. It’s so nimble and well balanced, but still feels powerful.

I now realize that adding a hand guard would make this a real thrusting weapon, but I really like the look of the traditional bolster on khukuris.

Thanks for posting the Matt Easton video - he’s one of my favorite YouTubers and also is a huge fan of Kailash Blades!

I have a camping trip to Acadia National Park on 9/7 - I can’t wait for the chance to try this blade out in the field. I’ll post here once I have the chance to test it

 

[d762nato]

That's a beauty, Congrats that's one model I do not have. I pretty much like everything about your new Sirupate. Is your blade oil quenched?

 

[353]

Hey everyone,

I purchased my first Kailash khukuri back in April, and received it last week. I had heard so much positive feedback about them and was eager to place an order. I own three khukuris from Himalayan Imports, and though I love and have used them extensively, I've always wanted a khukuri that has a more martial or weapon-like feel to it. At the same time, all of my khukuris are users, and this blade should still be able to serve as a sturdy camp knife. After going back and forth with Andrew a bit, I settled on a 14" Sirupate with a black kydex sheath, desert camo micarta handle, traditional rat-tail construction, and copper hardware.

I noted the lightness of the blade before even opening the shipping container. I opened the box to find a lovingly packed khukuri wrapped in Nepalese newspaper, tied with twine, and coated in a generous amount of oil. Despite this, there were some fine lines of rust along both sides of the blade. This is to be expected with such a long journey, and a few minutes’ work with a scotch-brite pad cleaned it right up. The result was pretty stunning:

Handling the blade, I again noticed the lightness, as well as the balance; it has just enough forward weight to want to pull the tip downward when holding it vertical as pictured. I opted for the medium-sized 4.75" handle and am happy with this choice - it fits my hand perfectly and gives me just a little room to choke up/down on the grip. The traditional rings in the middle help lock the last two fingers of my left hand in place, which, when combined with the acute point, would make for a very effective thrust.

I've never owned anything with a micarta handle before - my other knives and swords all have grips made out of traditional materials. Because of this, the micarta feels a bit foreign to me; it almost reminds me of something that was 3D printed. That said, the desert camo pattern is very cool--in photos it looks like an exotic wood grain, but in person it reminds me of snakeskin. I wanted a bold design, so I chose copper hardware - I was a bit nervous that it might look incongruous, but I think it came out great. The copper will age nicely and darken a bit, and I may or may not oil the micarta.

Andrew and Bisnu were kind enough to configure the kydex sheath for left hand draw at my request. However, after trying it out I decided to switch it to a right-handed configuration, as I prefer to draw it straight up with my left hand. I find this faster and more comfortable to sheath and unsheathe when hiking or walking around a campsite, and flipping the blade from reverse to forward grip isn't too tricky, given how nimble it is.

I couldn't help but compare the Kailash Sirupate to my HI Khukuris. I'll state again that I love the HI blades and have the upmost respect for the company and their community. You can tell from the photo that these khukuris have been with me on many adventures and have served me well:

The models pictured are, from top to bottom:

Kailash Sirupate 14" blade
Angkhola Dui Chirra 18" (total length)
WWII 16.5" (total length)
Foxy Folly 12" (total length)

In terms of feel and handling, the difference between the Kailash and HI khukuris is night and day. The Kailash feels lively and nimble in the hand - it's as much a short sword or large fighting knife as it is a tool. The HI khukuris, while rugged and tough as hell, feel like khukuri-shaped hatchets, or sharp metal bars with handles. Below you can see the difference in spine thickness between the Kailash Sirupate and the HI Dui Chirra:

They're both effective blades that are simply constructed with different philosophies. It's worth noting that the Dui Chirra and Sirupate have different spine thicknesses by design, however, all of my HI khukuris do not have much distal taper, if any. The Kailash Sirupate tapers nicely and it shows when handling the blade.

Time will tell how the Sirupate holds up to use - I haven't cut anything with it yet, but the edge is very sharp, and I have no doubt it will perform well. Overall, my first impressions are extremely positive, and I want to thank Andrew, Bisnu, and the rest of the Kailash team for their excellent craftsmanship and great service.

Cheers!

I have the exact same knife, love it. Only I wrapped the handle a bit with rubber tape to make even more comfy.

 

[Maya_steel]

That's a beauty, Congrats that's one model I do not have. I pretty much like everything about your new Sirupate. Is your blade oil quenched?

Yes, I believe all Kailash blades are oil quenched, but I will let Andrew confirm that

I have the exact same knife, love it. Only I wrapped the handle a bit with rubber tape to make even more comfy.

Yes, I read your first impressions post, and it helped me make the final decision to go with the sirupate. Thank you for sharing - that’s a beautiful blade, and I’m impressed with what it’s done to those branches.

I’m bringing the sirupate camping next weekend, and I intend to put it through its paces. I’ll report back with photos

 

[Grizzly3]

Yes, I believe all Kailash blades are oil quenched, but I will let Andrew confirm that



Yes, I read your first impressions post, and it helped me make the final decision to go with the sirupate. Thank you for sharing - that’s a beautiful blade, and I’m impressed with what it’s done to those branches.

I’m bringing the sirupate camping next weekend, and I intend to put it through its paces. I’ll report back with photos

I just ordered some kevlar cut resistant gloves. Why? 7 stitches to my thumb. I was cutting with my new 11.5 HSI with the performance edge of course and was determined to cut through some overgrown vines growing along a fence and up a neighbor's garage that were about 2 or 3 feet into my mil's back yard. My machete hadn't done much to them a few weeks ago and I tried the khukuri the other day. I was at first cutting away from my other hand but when that didn't work, I stupidly tried cutting the vine the other way and it deflected down the vine towards my thumb. Luckily, it didn't go deep enough to cut tendons, but deep and long enough for 7 stitches. So today, I ordered some kevlar gloves to use in case my mind goes stupid again and also for the kids to use also. Something to think about. One slip with these big blades and it's gotcha time if you're not paying attention. I ordered some level 5 for the kitchen and or gardening for me and the daughter and level 9 for outdoors work.

 

[Kailash Blades]

Yes, I believe all Kailash blades are oil quenched, but I will let Andrew confirm that

Unless requested otherwise by those with a traditional lean, then all are oil quenched

I just ordered some kevlar cut resistant gloves. Why? 7 stitches to my thumb. I was cutting with my new 11.5 HSI with the performance edge of course and was determined to cut through some overgrown vines growing along a fence and up a neighbor's garage that were about 2 or 3 feet into my mil's back yard. My machete hadn't done much to them a few weeks ago and I tried the khukuri the other day. I was at first cutting away from my other hand but when that didn't work, I stupidly tried cutting the vine the other way and it deflected down the vine towards my thumb. Luckily, it didn't go deep enough to cut tendons, but deep and long enough for 7 stitches. So today, I ordered some kevlar gloves to use in case my mind goes stupid again and also for the kids to use also. Something to think about. One slip with these big blades and it's gotcha time if you're not paying attention. I ordered some level 5 for the kitchen and or gardening for me and the daughter and level 9 for outdoors work.

Ow! Big blades can definitely be unforgiving if you're not careful. Particularly when you're getting tired from a long day the overswings can be very dangerous.

 

[fishface5]

Ow! Big blades can definitely be unforgiving if you're not careful. Particularly when you're getting tired from a long day the overswings can be very dangerous.

So true! I have learned to always stop and at least rest at the very first sign of fatigue, same with axes & hatchets.

 

[Maya_steel]

Okay - returned from Acadia and am finally sitting down to write the follow up.

TL;DR - the Kailash Sirupate was fantastic.

It performed all of the camp duties I wanted it to - batoning firewood, whittling logs to make kindling, and clearing brush - very well. I won't say I put it through abusive testing, but I didn't hold back on any of these tasks. We got a batch of particularly sappy firewood that was very tough to baton - the Sirupate performed the best at this out of all of my khukuris, and once I wiped it clean with an oiled cloth, showed no signs of damage or wear.

I brought the Kailash with me on all of our hikes - I really appreciated the light weight of the blade and ruggedness of the kydex sheath. My other khukuris are much thicker choppers, so when clearing brush, I had to adjust my technique to focus on generating enough tip speed to make up for the relative lack of mass. Once I understood this, it proved to be just as effective, if not more so.

In all of my appreciation for the breathtaking scenery (if you have a chance to visit Acadia National Park, I *highly* recommend it), I didn't end up taking many action shots of the Sirupate (for shame!). Below is a quick picture I grabbed on the last day as we were packing up.



Needless to say, I was pleased and impressed - I can't wait for the next opportunity to use the Kailash Sirupate!

 

[Kailash Blades]

Great to hear the blade performed well! (doesn't look like that image link has worked though)
Sirupates really are very handy and versatile blades. While they may not hit the nail on the head for a particular customers' exact needs it's very rarely that they're not amongst the better options in our lineup.
Thanks for taking the time to write up a review and leave some feedback- it helps a lot.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash

 

[Grizzly3]

So true! I have learned to always stop and at least rest at the very first sign of fatigue, same with axes & hatchets.

I have to chuckle at your comment. At 76, with rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease, I'm almost always on the verge of fatigue. But still, I enjoy working with these big knives and always have. As with most things that can be dangerous, I and all of us have to be very much aware of what we are doing and how we are doing it. In this case, my focus went to a determination to cut those vines which over road my basic knowledge of always cutting away from yourself with any blade. My bad. Hopefully, those gloves will provide a bit of safety when this old geezer plays with them again.

Also, thank you Andrew for your recommendation for that 11.5 HSI. Now that I've spent more time with it, I've grown to really like how it handles. I think with just a bit of a small guard on the front of the handle, it would be about perfect. With my small exposure to these Khukuri, I imagine that both the 11.5 HSI and the Sirupate would make excellent blades for many looking for one to try. I wonder if when ordering, we would supply an outline of our hand, if that might help your smiths shape them to size in a way that would benefit the buyer.

 

[Kailash Blades]

Hey there,
Glad to hear that you're warming up to he HSI. So far our handle measurement system is working and it has the advantage of being simpler. We've recently altered how we apply these measurements for certain handle styles which are disproportionately restrictive for their lengths.