Stupid question - sweet cutting point of a khukuri

H

hunglvq

Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
232
Hi everyone in the HI family!

Do we have any guide about the area of the blade where the cut is sweetest? Is it near the tip or the ricasso?

Is the sweet point different btw slender profile (Chitlang, Siru,..) and chopping profile (AK)?

It's best with visualizing pictures for a newbie to better absorb.

Wish everyone a nice day! Thanking you in advance!

Hung
 
I am no expert but I think it depends to a certain extent to what you are cutting and why - hacking a limb in tow is different to making a fuzz stick is different to digging out roots is different to...you get my point.
 
Welcome Hung !!!

All khukuri follow the same pattern of heat treatment (hardening). They are all hardened in the same way. This is called Differential Hardening or Differential tempering.
The sweet spot should be used for chopping. The rest of the blade is used for slicing. The tip is left unhardened so that it does not shatter if impacted on a rock etc.....

scan0001-1.jpg
 
Karda has it right:thumbup: Also, every khuk is different. Some have a sweet spot that starts less than an inch from the tip. Some have one that extends back almost into the recurve.

A really cool way to find out what kind of sweet spot YOUR khuk has is to etch a patina on it. Using lemon juice or other acidic liquids will cause your khuk steel to darken and dull the shine of the blade. If done properly, you'll see a nice contrast between the the softer tougher body of the blade and the harder chopping edge. Obviously, don't do this if you want your khuk to remain pristine and shiny:o:foot:

Oh, and WELCOME:)
 
I agree with what's been said. But to clarify, we may be talking about 2 different things.

1. The "sweet spot" normally refers to that point on the blade where mass, speed and geometry of the blade combine for the best cutting action. This is best determined by feel, for each blade. Often it is where Karda has drawn. Sometimes it's farther back.

2. Khukuris are differentially hardened. Karda has drawn an excellent picture of where the hardest zone usually is. This can be seen on a khukuri by etching with vinegar or ferric chloride. The harder portion of the blade is darker after etching.

The two places are hopfully in the same spot.:)

I'll rummage around and see if I can find a pic of an etched khuk.

Steve
 
Thanks so much, Karda! I now got it clear!

Steely Gunz, I will try your test! My 21" Chitlang used to be mirror finish. However, when I used it to smash down a young coconut tree, there was some matte scratch to the mirror finish. That make me sand off the whole blade. So, there wont be much problem with lemon juice!

Hung
 
Good luck, Hung:)

Also, Steve is spot on as well...as usual:) A lot of of us have gained a lot of knowledge from him over the years:thumbup:

If you want a step by step to etching, try thumbing through the FAQ sticky at the top of the forum. I don't remember if it is in there, I think it is, however it's just good reading anyway;)

A quick and dirty version of how I etch, I wash the blade with really hot water. I dry it and clean it with a little rubbing alcohol. Any acid will do, but I have muriatic acid on hand so I make a solution and coat the blade a few times. After a few minutes, the steel will darken and gray. I wash it down with water and neutralize the acid with baking soda.
 
Under normal use, you can see the sweet spot which is hardened compared to the rest of the blade profile. The sweet spot is about 60rc, inherently harder to sharpen than the rest of the blade. On my Chiruwa Ang Khola, it stands out because it is more dull when used than the newly sharpened profile of the back and point. Viewing the edge straight on in sunlight will offer a telltale glimpse. It is almost dead on with the diagram provided by Karda.

It's tough to get this part as keenly sharpened as the rest of the blade. But leaving it slightly dull will ensure you don't risk dinging it on harder objects.
 
MrMike said:
It is almost dead on with the diagram provided by Karda.
Click to expand...

I would also like to state, very frankly, that drawing a khukuri's shape, accurately, is a real pain, and Karda deserves a round of applause just for trying!
 
Nicholas said:
I would also like to state, very frankly, that drawing a khukuri's shape, accurately, is a real pain, and Karda deserves a round of applause just for trying!
Click to expand...
Why thanks, but all i did was pull out my silver mounted AK and trace around it on a piece of printer paper, it warnt hard at all. :D
 
Doing that, you could have easily sliced your pencil in half! Thank the heavens for small favors......
 
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