Thoughts on a second khukuri?

[dvancleve]

Howdy folks.

I scored a DOTD WWII last month, about 18.5” and 28oz with a horn handle. I know there are MUCH heavier khuks from HI and some that are longer, but i can’t see any need for a bigger one anytime soon. I am pretty sure I want #2 to be lighter if not a bit shorter, and I think I would prefer a wood handle and different kami if possible (mine is Ram Kumar), just for variety. I am thinking maybe a villager/VUK or Tamang knife would be cool, but a Sirupati or Chainpuri (what’s the difference?) might also be good. How much lighter makes a worthwhile difference? I know quite a few of the knives I mentioned can come in around a pound to 20oz or so. Any thoughts?

Not super related, but one thing I have found in my few months of ogling khukuries is that the nomenclature and best use is unclear. Outside of the very light and/or small compared to the large and particularly heavy, there doesn’t seem to be a lot that differentiates the various styles. HI is better than most in that there aren't 100 different choices, but even the HI menu is confusing. To me, my WWII looks about the same as most Sirupatis (obviously not the really long skinny ones). Something all khukuri vendors, including HI, could do better in my opinion is make it more obvious why you would pick one over another. It would also be good to spell out what makes the seemingly similar types different and why that matters or if it is just style/personal taste.

Anyhoo, what do you think is a smart choice for #2? Also, am I correct in thinking that the HI faithful buy pretty much all of their knives here as special offers or DOTDs? BTW, if this belongs in the cantina please feel free to move it…

Thanks, Doug

 

[davidf99]

These are all good questions. I'll try to answer some of them.

1. You are "correct in thinking that the HI faithful buy pretty much all of their knives here as special offers or DOTDs." There is a greater varieties of models, lengths and weights available here than at the HI online store. When Yangdu posts a blade here on the forum you know the exact length, weight and kami, and you get a picture of the specific knife rather than a generic picture. Often the prices are better than at the HI online store.

2. If you just browse this forum for awhile, including some of the past postings, you'll get a better idea of the differences between models and the best uses for each. Roughly speaking, there's a spectrum from light, fast fighters at one end, to heavy choppers at the other end, with the more multipurpose blades in the middle. Heavy choppers include the AK or CAK, Bonecutter, Ganga Ram Special. Their edge profile and heft is best suited to that purpose. Fighters include the Kobra and some other models, although practically speaking any HI knife can be used for self defense, and actual knife-fighting is mostly obsolete in this age of firearms.

3. Your WWII model is an excellent multipurpose blade that can do heavy chopping and is also light enough for other purposes. Another good multipurpose model is the Gelbu Special, which is somewhat lighter than a WWII (for a given length) but has a good edge profile for chopping. A VUK, Tamang, Sirupati, Chitlangi or Chainpuri is not built for heavy chopping, but would be great for everything else including clearing lighter brush and saplings. In a pinch you could do some heavy chopping with one of the larger versions of these models, but they're not the best choice for that. There are also models that have historical interest, such as the ASTK (Amir Singh Thapa Knife) which is based on a khukuri carried by the famous Nepali General Amir Singh Thapa. There are models like the Reti knives that are made from old worn out files. The HI kamis are creative artisans and come up with a great variety of blades in addition to the more common models.

4. The Sirupati, Chitlangi and Chainpuri are very similar functionally and in size. In my opinion the main differences are cosmetic. The Chitlangi is especially beautiful with its twin fullers (and a single fuller Chitlangi is occasionally available). Keep in mind that all of these models come in a wide range of lengths and weights (unlike the generic examples at the HI online store). Personally I consider weight more important than length in most cases, since a few ounces can make a big difference in how practical a blade is for a given person. A 24 oz khukuri feels very different than a 30 oz khukuri of the same model, especially if you spend a lot of time chopping with it or carrying it on hikes.

5. Since you prefer your #2 blade to be lighter than your 18.5" 28 oz WWII, a VUK or Tamang would be a good choice, or a smaller Sirupati/Chitlangi/Chainpuri. A good size for me in those models is 15"-16" long (that's overall length from tip to butt) and about 16 oz. Here is a picture of one of my personal favorites, a satin finish Chitlangi by Lokendra Kami (who unfortunately is no longer with HI). The knife is 15.5" long, weights 16 oz, and is ideal for just about everything except heavy chopping. It has an elegant shape and is comfortable in the hand. Also, this particular knife has steel bolster and buttcap (rather than the more common white metal or brass), and the "U.B." initials are in devangari script, which is a nice extra touch.

 

[3fifty7]

Skipping the Woodmans Pal
20" 26oz Char Chirra Satisal wood
17" 15oz Char Chirra Bamboo
16" 17oz Tamang Villager Bamboo
15" 20oz CAK Bamboo
11" 11oz Baby Di Chirra Satisal

I bought all of these last year.

I couldn't imagine want/needing something larger than my 20" 26oz.
I love EVERYTHING about my Tamang, it's just a no frill user that makes no apologies.
The Baby Di Chirra is an all around sweet blade.
I can't recommend these 3 styles, length and weight combos enough.

My CAK is a "small" beast in and of itself.
And my 17" 15oz Char Chirra would make a great Khukuri if you were looking for a one and done.

Yes I was also overwhelmed by the vast offerings in a language I didn't really understand so I simply based my purchases on length, weight, materials, and full tang vs hidden tang. In the end I bought the ones that spoke to me.
The thinner offerings, blade height, just don't scream Khukuri to me. But each to their own.

I believe you would love a villager Tamang with a wood handle close to the 1oz per inch range.

 

[dvancleve]

Thanks guys

So I think you agree that bigger/heavier than my WWII is pretty much hatchet substitute territory? I don’t need anything like that in my current situation...

davidf99, it seems like the Chilangi is the fanciest of the lighter styles with the “dui chirra” but functionality is determined by length & weight, no? The Chainpuri seems like a plain Chitlangi, and the Sirupati more a traditional khukuri that is longer & skinnier. That one you have is cool...

3fifty7, I assume you intentionally only bought wood handled knives? I would guess your 20” char chirra would chop similarly to mine. Any of your others (except maybe the smallest) would seem suited to my imagined second blade use. You mention preferring the styles with more belly, that is just a style preference? I would think cutting and chopping ability would be driven strictly by length and weight, no?

Doug

P.S. My mom’s dad was an army doctor in World War II. He took a personal Woodsman’s Pal overseas to the Pacific theater when he went. His had a metal loop around the handle, like a Sabre. I’m not sure what happened to it when he died, I would’ve loved to of had it

 

[ndoghouse]

Welcome to the forum Doug!
The differences can be quite subtle sometimes yet make a huge difference depending on what your intended task may be at the time. Look not only at the shape and weight but look at edge profile and weight distribution and balance as well. It cannot be understated how important the edge profile is!
Maybe this will help:
If your an outdoors man and know how to read a contour map then this is self explanatory. If not then basically what i have done here is marked like thicknesses of the blade at the edge at every millimeter of thickness. First line closest to the edge is 1mm thick, second line 2mm,...and so on. Note the differences in the edge profile from the CAK (third knife from left) and Chitlangis left of it. At a glance the edges may appear similar but mapping them shows the obvious differences. This also changes from tip to cho but ill keep it simple for now. CAK has a thick edge made for chopping. The Single fuller Chitlangi next to it tapers off more gradually and is much thinner making it very good for lighter bushwhacking where you need speed to cut say hanging vines or small green shrubbery or even flesh if the need should arise. Now note the Sirupati on the right. It has a different profile from the others as it is thick at the very edge then tapers off more gradually after the first two millimeters of thickness. This is no accident! The Kamis know exactly what they are doing and these subtle differences barely noticeable to the naked eye make a huge difference in performance. Use that Chit to cut hardwood and you could easily roll an edge if your not careful yet trying to cut a green swinging vine with a CAK doesnt work so well either because its extra weight makes it hard to get up to the speed it needs to whack through the lighter stuff.

Note the Gelbu special below how similar its edge is to the CAK. Thats because it is the same and is made to CHOP! Gelbu took the edge profile of an AK and used a deep fuller to lighten the blade so that higher speeds could be attained and in my opinion did a wonderful job. The KLVUK on the right is also a compromise between both styles. It has a thick enough edge for gen utility work but is at neither extreme making it a wonderful general utility tool. You must look at the Single Fuller Chitlangi now. See how thin the blade edge is all the way beyand the middle of the blade. This is a fantastic blade for light chopping bar almost everything. Along with the Gelbu Special this is still one of my favorite blades and beautiful it is.

This is just a few examples and I could go on but I hope this gives you an idea of what to look for. I havent even gone into the balance aspect or anything else but there are many. In general if you go to the storefront descriptions and revisit them once in a while you will catch much information you may have missed the first time you read them. ENJOY!

 

[Mateos]

My recommendation for you if you chose only one additional knife for purchase would be a Kumar villager utility knife. He has raised these knives to the next level. They are absolutely amazing. Yangdu seems to be receiving a fair number of these lately as they've been showing on deals of the day. Most of them seem to come with the beautiful satisal wood handles too

 

[EricTheRedBeard]

I agree with everyone who said the villager utility knife. It is my go to knife most of the time.

 

[dvancleve]

Thanks again, guys

ndoghouse, that’s a pretty amazing khuk topography map project you did there! I think the edge on my WWII is more like the AK or maybe Siru than the others. As Ben from BladeHQ often says, “I’m a cheap sucker” so cost always plays into my decision making process. That may rule out the more exotic blades, we will see.

I dig the black, moderately sized blades (VUK and Tamang). It seems to me that given similar length and weight, functionality of those should be similar. OTOH that 15” Chainpuri for $55 seems like a crazy good deal even if it isn’t one of those 2...

Doug