The glancing thing

H

hollowdweller

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Sep 22, 2003
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I read on a lot of other forums about how one should be careful with a khukuri because they have a tendency to glance off.

I was just wondering what y'alls experience is with this?

I have found as long as the edge angle is not too steep that most of my khukuris glance less than a hatchet, and are actually safer because there is less of a chance to miss your target because of the greater length of cutting surface on the khukuri.
 
I've never had a problem with glancing, although people I trust and respect have reported this as a potential concern. People owning highly curved models (similar to the old weapon-oriented khukuris) report more glancing from those models.

Nonetheless, I always plan my cut as if it would glance. It may take me an extra 10 seconds to move around to the other side of a log, but I figure a limb of mine is worth the extra time.
 
I've noticed a bit of this with my AK, but for the moment I'm still attributing it to my poor sharpening and novice technique. ;)

Hopefully my technique will improve faster than my sharpening skills, or else I'll have to really think before cutting. :o
 
I seem to get less glances when working on horizontal logs. Ones that have already fallen. On the vertical saplings and such I think I get more glances with khukuris. My AK seems glance prone, but when it bites it really bites. You are a more experienced woodsman than most of us (including myself) HD and Howard you too. Ever watch young boy scouts learning to chop with an Axe? SCARY!
 
I've had minor glances with most models at one time or another, usually if I hit a knot or the wood wasn't solidly anchored.

The worst one, for me, is the 22" GR. I've had two very bad glances with two seperate GR's of this size. One resulted in a hand injury and the other would have caught my leg, had a seperate piece of wood not been in the way. I'm guessing that it has to do with the size and weight. (And probably my lack of technique as well.)
 
Howard Wallace said:
Nonetheless, I always plan my cut as if it would glance. It may take me an extra 10 seconds to move around to the other side of a log, but I figure a limb of mine is worth the extra time.
Click to expand...

I agree with the mighty Howard Wallace.

I also find the m43 styles have a tendency to twist with a poorly placed chop. As long as I don't try to put too much power into the chop, my glances are controlable.
 
Well it's been a long while since I've actually used a khukuri for heavy chopping but I've had glancing problems as well.
And I have to side with Dave as it's been the larger khuks I've had the problems with. My Super Salyan and my large 22" GRS's were the worst culprits.
That is until I took the extra large handle sizes down to a comfortable hold for me and then the glancing problems diminished greatly.
Before I took the handles down to a comfortable size for me I managed to sling everyone of these models out of my hand at one time or another and especially if I was a little tired.
It's a dayumed scary feeling when a three pound khuk goes flying across the yard or patio.:eek:
The one time I got to use my 22" Foxy Folly as a limbing khuk I had no trouble at all controlling it but then I had carefully reworked the handle to fit me exactly before I ever used it.
It may not be the same for everyone but the handle size has played a large part in any troubles I've had with a khuk glancing or flying out of my hand. YMMV.
 
Just thinking out loud, when you let the weight of the tool do the work, it'll only bite off as much as it can chew, swing too hard and all the surplus energy has to find someplace to go. Khuks ain't laser guided, a badly aimed one will go where it was pointed. ;)

Sarge
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
Just thinking out loud, when you let the weight of the tool do the work, it'll only bite off as much as it can chew, swing too hard and all the surplus energy has to find someplace to go. Khuks ain't laser guided, a badly aimed one will go where it was pointed. ;)

Sarge
Click to expand...

That's usually my style. I'm not a "power chopper" maybe that's why I haven't really experienced it.

Another thing that Yvsa touched on is the ergonomic aspect of it. My favorite choppers all have easy to hold handles and thinner edges. I also don't like or use very heavy khuks.

That is one of the things I like about some of Bura's is he makes a bit more slender handle. And the thinner edge. Some of the villager Bura's have fat handles, but if you look at the one in the Khukuri Cutting thread I used you can see I slimmed it down.

My favorite handle is one like on my GK Bonecutter which I posted in the Terry Sisco thread. That is my favorite handle because the wide flare at the back, but thin handle allows me to kind of use my ring finger and pinkie to hold tightly and kind of swing the thing at the instant before impact while loosening my grip with the front two fingers which cuts down on wear and tear on my tendons.
 
It all has to do with grip and technique.

As evidenced, the grips were too large for some people, this likely led to an improper grip... either too tight, or misaligned.
 
Other than the "aiming" suggestions....two things come to mind:

If you swing a khukuri like you would a flat-ground large bowie knife, expect glancing.

If you swing without fully expecting to go all the way through the log, then expect glancing.
 
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