Spine thickness and chopping effeciency?

[Vildmark]

I've never handled or seen a genuine kuk myself, but will probably buy one before the year is over.

But will a 1 cm spine not make the kukri less effecient for chopping, as that thick a spine will have a hard time getting into the cut and further into the wood? I hope you get what I mean.
As opposed to a 3-4 mm thick knife for example.

cheers

 

[Nasty]

Usually not...the convex edge acts as a wedge. these things chop like crazy!

.

 

[Kismet]

Vildmark?

The weight-forward blade design lends impetus to the strike.

The knife handle (as opposed to axe-handle on hatchet) lends itself to "snapping" the wrist to create additional momentum to the impact.

The longer cutting edge (again, as opposed to a hatchet or an axe) provides a margin of safety that a 3-4 inch axe-head does not. That is, you are less likely to miss, or hit a glancing blow with a khukuri.

If you read through the threads, you will note the variety of lengths, weights, and blade shapes--each with advantages or strengths for various work.

Study the threads, PLEASE ask questions (folks here like to help), and welcome.

 

[Big Bob]

From my experiences, the thick spines on most HIs help with chopping efficiency, especially with the wider bladed models. I have a thin spined Dui Chirra (just under 3/8") that I chopped down a tree with and it tended to stick in the wood. I have heard of the Cold Steel LTC kukris as well as other KLOs also having this tendency. On the flip side, Rusty's 30" Sirupati turned out to be less of a chopper than expected because of its 5/8" spine and narrow blade (2" at the widest). The thickness of the spine made the siru more of a maul than a chopper.

Bob

 

[Bri in Chi]

You have got to try a suitably sized Ganga Ram if you want chopping power. Also a BAS, WW II, an Ang Khola - You might have to tune-up the edge to get the exact chopping action that you like. Read the archives of this forum...it's all here.
Don't hesitate to ask questions. Everyone here knows everything

 

[hollowdweller]

Vildmark?

The longer cutting edge (again, as opposed to a hatchet or an axe) provides a margin of safety that a 3-4 inch axe-head does not. That is, you are less likely to miss, or hit a glancing blow with a khukuri.

Kismet,

That is a very good observation. To me that is one of the great advantages to the khukuri. For me, it makes it easier for me to chop in dark or in kind of odd positions because with the khuk you can more easily connect.

Vildmank,

I don't think the spine is as much of a consideration as the edge. Some khuks have a very steep angle to the edge. Like Big Bob said, more of a maul than a chopper. Others have a finer edge with deeper penetration into the wood. I guess that would be the efficiency you are talking about. I used to have an AK that would chop big logs but the edge angle was so steep it would just break off smaller limbs rather than chopping them.

However depending on your chopping style a steep edge may be better.

Satori and I were talking about this at the khonvention.

My chopping style is not to chop full force. I think Thomas Linton said I had the woodchuck method or something. I cut down from the top, and then cut in from each side kind of like a beaver, rather than creating a notch and cutting from the top down.

Satori was telling me he liked the steeper edge because he goes at it full force and the thinner edge has a tendency to stick when used that way.

So there's a lot of variables.

 

[Dave Rishar]

It all depends on what you're trying to do.

An interesting experiment is to test a machete and a khuk side by side on a clear piece of wood. Assuming the edge is good, you'll probably get that machete far deeper into the wood than the khuk despite its lighter weight. You'll also have the devil's own time getting it back out again. (Hint: use the khuk...that's why I included it.)

Which tool will make it through the wood first, assuming the same operator is using both?

My machetes are sharpened to the same level as my khuks but because of that nice thin edge, they have far better penetration. Even a considerably shorter khuk will whup them in a wood chopping contest. Obviously, penetration is not the name of the game - at least, not the only name.

I actually prefer poor penetration when chopping wood...yep, you heard that right. I only want to go in about an inch or two. Any further and the blade might wedge, meaning that I have to expend additional energy cursing and wrestling the khuk back out. I want to work smarter, not harder. (Actually, I do not want to work at all but that's neither here nor there.) If the blade does stick, I want it to stick just a little, so that a brisk twist of my wrist snaps off the offending piece of wood and frees the blade.

Then again, I'm not a finesse operator. I tend to just smash my way through things. I grew up with a machete and a splitting maul and anything in my hands tends to get treated as one or the other. (This is changing, slowly but surely.)

Hollowdweller, however, trades power for technique and gets a lot less tired than I do. His "woodchuck" method penetrates even less per swing than my swings do but he gets through those logs just fine.

Vildmark, what do you currently use (or would like to use) as a chopping tool and what is your favored technique? The more specific you are, the better the good people here can help you.

 

[Nasty]

I agree...I get larger chunks, but Hollow beats me just a nibbling away.

We'll have to rename him "Bucky" as in "Bucky the Beaver"

.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

..will a 1 cm spine not make the kukri less effecient for chopping, as that thick a spine will have a hard time getting into the cut and further into the wood?

No because the spine never gets close to the wood, it is the profile of the edge which is important and the Ang Khola's I have have nice high profiles which allow them to chop well.

-Cliff