Sirupate Compared to Mutiny

[rjdeanware]

For my next Kailash Blades purchase, I am deciding between a 16" Sirupate and a 15.5" Mutiny. Comparing the two, the Sirupate has a 6.5mm spine and weighs 600g, while the Mutiny has a thicker 8mm spine but actually weighs less at 530g. How do these two blades compare in terms of balance, handling, chopping power and durability? I am also wondering where the extra weight of the Sirupate comes from given that it is both more slender and has a thinner spine.

Thanks and namaste!

 

[Kailash Blades]

Hey there mate! While similar in profile the blades are actually quite different.
-The sirupate is a simpler blade in terms of shaping and grinding. The mutiny tapers more strongly, features a strong spinal fuller as well as a hollowed out and leaner grind. This accounts for the weight difference between the two.
-As a result of this the mutiny has a more refined feel in hand and will bite deeper in chops as well as slice through material more readily.
-In general the blades have a similar amount of chopping power and a lot of overlap in utility. However I'd say that due these other factors the sirupate is more suited to a rough and ready camp/yard role. If you're going to be doing a lot of prying, batoning, log splitting, clearing brush around rocks and fences then the added beef will give a lot of comfort and ease in use. It pairs well with a full tang, particularly at 16" and up. The mutiny can handle all the work described aside from heavy prying but asks for a little more care and a sensible outlook. In return if offers a lot higher cutting performance and a more exciting feel in hand. Both blades obviously have martial capabilities but the mutiny jumps ahead in this regard.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash

 

[Daniel L]

I went through a similar decision process, but since I already own a Sirupate from HI, I went with the Mutiny. I still haven't had a chance to use it a lot, but with the light use I did I was very impressed from a camp tool and martial tool perspective.
It does seem unrealistically light compared to my HI Sirupate (which is a tank by comparison) - but it has enough heft to do most jobs short of requiring a dedicated axe.

 

[rjdeanware]

Hey there mate! While similar in profile the blades are actually quite different.
-The sirupate is a simpler blade in terms of shaping and grinding. The mutiny tapers more strongly, features a strong spinal fuller as well as a hollowed out and leaner grind. This accounts for the weight difference between the two.
-As a result of this the mutiny has a more refined feel in hand and will bite deeper in chops as well as slice through material more readily.
-In general the blades have a similar amount of chopping power and a lot of overlap in utility. However I'd say that due these other factors the sirupate is more suited to a rough and ready camp/yard role. If you're going to be doing a lot of prying, batoning, log splitting, clearing brush around rocks and fences then the added beef will give a lot of comfort and ease in use. It pairs well with a full tang, particularly at 16" and up. The mutiny can handle all the work described aside from heavy prying but asks for a little more care and a sensible outlook. In return if offers a lot higher cutting performance and a more exciting feel in hand. Both blades obviously have martial capabilities but the mutiny jumps ahead in this regard.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash

Hey Andrew! Thank you so much for the thoughtful and informative reply. I expect that I will eventually order a Mutiny, but for my next order, I think I will go with the 16" sirupate. With regards to the full tang, is it considerations of balance and weight distribution that make it particularly suited to the 16" and longer sirupate?

 

[rjdeanware]

I went through a similar decision process, but since I already own a Sirupate from HI, I went with the Mutiny. I still haven't had a chance to use it a lot, but with the light use I did I was very impressed from a camp tool and martial tool perspective.
It does seem unrealistically light compared to my HI Sirupate (which is a tank by comparison) - but it has enough heft to do most jobs short of requiring a dedicated axe.

Hi Daniel. Thank you for your reply. I don't think I will be able to resist ordering a Mutiny one of these days, but for this particular blade I am leaning toward the sirupate. Take care!

 

[Kailash Blades]

Hey Andrew! Thank you so much for the thoughtful and informative reply. I expect that I will eventually order a Mutiny, but for my next order, I think I will go with the 16" sirupate. With regards to the full tang, is it considerations of balance and weight distribution that make it particularly suited to the 16" and longer sirupate?

That's exactly right- it's quite a beefy blade up front so the 16" can handle a full tang without becoming too handle heavy. on 18" and up I'd say it can be beneficial. This is something you may have seen written about HI or KHHI blades, that people prefer the balance that a full tang blade provides. The same effect is happening there but at a shorter blade length due to significantly thicker and heavier blades.
The other reason it matches well with a sirupate is that the kind of hard utility that is opened up by a full tang matches well with the grind and balance of the blade style itself. This isn't to say I prefer a full tang 16" sirupate over a rat tail. My preference remains with a rat tail for the kind of use I get from these blades. However if your use and needs necessitate a full tang then the sirupate cooperates well with it.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash

 

[Daniel L]

I personally don't like full tangs on chopping knives (and swords)... the tapered "rat tail" tang puts the weight/balance and center of percussion where it needs to be. I find tapered rat tangs dissipate hand shock better than full tangs (which tend to transmit the shock along the handle.) There is a reason why katana's are not full tang (or practically any western historical sword too).

Unless the user is doing a lot of prying in which case.. they should use an axe or a wrecking bar

 

[rjdeanware]

That's exactly right- it's quite a beefy blade up front so the 16" can handle a full tang without becoming too handle heavy. on 18" and up I'd say it can be beneficial. This is something you may have seen written about HI or KHHI blades, that people prefer the balance that a full tang blade provides. The same effect is happening there but at a shorter blade length due to significantly thicker and heavier blades.
The other reason it matches well with a sirupate is that the kind of hard utility that is opened up by a full tang matches well with the grind and balance of the blade style itself. This isn't to say I prefer a full tang 16" sirupate over a rat tail. My preference remains with a rat tail for the kind of use I get from these blades. However if your use and needs necessitate a full tang then the sirupate cooperates well with it.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash

Thanks again mate!

 

[rjdeanware]

I personally don't like full tangs on chopping knives (and swords)... the tapered "rat tail" tang puts the weight/balance and center of percussion where it needs to be. I find tapered rat tangs dissipate hand shock better than full tangs (which tend to transmit the shock along the handle.) There is a reason why katana's are not full tang (or practically any western historical sword too).

Unless the user is doing a lot of prying in which case.. they should use an axe or a wrecking bar

I appreciate your input. Thanks again Daniel.

 

[fishface5]

Kailash Blades this was helpful info - I was also looking at a pensioner, how does it compare with these 2?

 

[Kailash Blades]

Kailash Blades this was helpful info - I was also looking at a pensioner, how does it compare with these 2?

The pensioner and the mutiny are quite similar blades- in our current lineup I'd say there's been an accidental family of "performance traditional working blades" that's formed where certain models offer the highest level of performance in their respective area of use.

The mk1 is the performance chopper. If getting through thick wood is your priority then the mk1 will bite deeper, hit harder and require less effort than anything else at its size. With that said it's not too big or too heavy and is very usable for other camp or yard tasks.

The Pensioner is the performance all rounder. It's still very much capable of hard chopping but the weight and balance give it a big edge for small fine wrist cuts (say to clear fine branches precisely etc) as well as larger brush clearing swings without loss of control. It's also a bit handier which makes it more suited to carving, food prep and other knifelike work.

The mutiny is the performance brush clearer. The added length and reduced momentum helps it even more with brush clearing and similar work while still retaining a lot of great all rounder capability. An example of a true brush clearing specialist would be a latin machete- unlike that the mutiny retains stiffness, durability and power to allow it to hack through larger branches as well as split and baton. The profile is halfway between a sirupate and a regular khukuri. The extra width across the belly helps it to cut more efficiently than is possible in a narrow sirupate shape and the slightly increased tip drop helps amplify power and hook material more than a sirupate. Due to ti's length it's capable of hitting very, very hard, but requires more input from the user to do so than the mk1.
The shorter 14" version is also very popular- the lower weight and smaller size makes it a really mean, handy and compact bushcraft blade. At this length it's very similar to the pensioner but a bit handier, lighter and maybe not quite as hard hitting. Super versatile and very controllable.

Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash