Torn between M43 /WWII and CAK

E

enzymez

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Jul 7, 2011
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I know I've asked this before, but I' have narrowed it down to these 3, can anyone shed some light on the matter? I will be using it for firewood/camping knife but I have also trained in some knife work. Would appreciate a knife with decent balance. I am 5'8" 155 lbs and a capoeirista so arm/upper body strength isn't really a big issue. Thank you guys so much for helping me taking this step.

-ENZY
 
Enzymez, I can only vouch for the M43. A superb blade but at 31oz maybe a tad heavy for your intended purpose(s) ?
I will concur with other people's observations and say it's an excellent chopper if you wish to use it as such.
The CAK on the other hand, is warranted against failure (I think) which means Auntie is supremely confident it can handle the rough stuff.
Reading reviews about the CAK, it seems to be many people's "go to" blade for outdoors work etc.
I really haven't looked at the WWII in any depth, so can't comment.
 
Enzy-Since you stated that upper body/arm strength isn't an issue,it then boils down to how much weight are you willing to pack,and personal preference.I have both CAK and M-43,and like them both very much.Generally speaking, I like the feel in hand(balance,etc.)of the CAK better.The M-43 is usually a little too curvy and puts the balance far forward adding pressure to the wrist and fingers when carried in hand.I would not choose the M-43 for martial use.Both of these are very tough knives,but unless you find an M-43 with a little straighter profile,my nod goes to the CAK.
 
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Enzy,

All three will do the job of camp kukri with the CAK edging ahead in the heavy chopping department. None of the other two can hope to keep up with a CAK in a heavy chopping environment. That is what the CAK lives for. Now when it comes to smaller camp duties, the CAK will feel like you are spreading peanut butter with a surfboard.

But when the discussion turns to being used as a fighter, the M43 will edge far ahead of the other two. The CAK simply cannot be considered a fighting weapon because of its size, balance and weight; to a lesser degree this could even be said of the WWII, with most of them showing up with 1/2" spines. My newer Santosh WWII has a spine width slightly fatter than my newly acquired 22" Ganga Ram! I don't care how big or strong you are, the current WWII's cannot be considered "nimble" in the fighting role by any stretch of the imagination.

The M43 also edges ahead of the other two when it comes to smaller camp tasks. The lighter weight, less curved spine, flatter belly and thinner blade make it easier to do cutting and slicing tasks. It would be even better in this role if they used the technically correct M43 bevel. (note: this does not apply to the boomerang style M43's popping up lately) The CAK and WWII are like wedges and do not do smaller tasks well at all, especially slicing. (keep in mind I am not talking about WWII models made 4-5 years ago, I am talking about the ones currently available)

So in my opinion, for the best pure chopper the edge goes to the CAK hands down. This is especially true in the car (vehicle assisted) camping scenario where you don't have to hump it in. In the fighting role and probably as the best "all around" kukri of the three, the edge goes to the M43.
 
An M43 will out chop a 15" CAK but both can be used for prybars. 20"CAK trumps all in chopping. Balance and "livelyness" of the blade will depend more on the Kami than the design. Generally an M43 should be more "active" in handling especially if you can get one in the sub 30oz range. Hope this helps
 
I would not concern myself with smaller tasks and the kukri, that's why they come with a karda.

If fighting comes into play at all, then the M43 edges out the other two. It's an excellent all-round blade, though they can seem a bit blade-heavy due to their somewhat exaggerated drop compared to other kukri. The standard 18" is about perfect for this blade.

If it's just camp chores, it's no secret I love the CAK. I sharpened mine with a very shallow convex to the edge and it will cut grass and ferns with but a flick of my wrist, and cut up some major wood with ease. It's a matter of keeping it sharp, and letting its weight and gravity do most of the work for you. I've been using my 20" beast for the last five years and it has never let me down. At your size, I'd say a standard 16.5" CAK or an 18" CAK would be the sweet spot size-wise.

Unlike many others, I just never got along with the WWII.
 
I've spent most of my life in various bladed martial arts and I have to say that the curvature of the M43 just doesn't agree with me as a weapon. As a fighter I find the additional handle length in the WW2 to be almost required. IMO it alters the balance of the knife and allows for more griping options. I have a 16.5 inch WW2 and it's easily my favorite balde of any kind to train with (works well too but I live in a large city and don't make it out to camp as often as I would like).

What is said earlier about the weight is true. I can do most anything I can do with a more "agile" blade with my WW2 however I can say that's definitely a function of training specifically with that blade. When I first got it in hand I found it to be really well balanced but much heavier then something I was generally used to in that size.
 
G`day, enzymez, since you ask specificaly about chopping/ camp chores , then the CAK is a clear winner. The M43 is an more martial blade. The WWII sits somewhere inbetween. Cheers,Mike.
 
As has been said, it depends greatly on the kami, but models seem to have thier own specialties. My Tirtha WWII is a great all-around camp knife. It's no great wood axe, but carries easily at about 26 oz and chops well enough. My M-43 is a bigun' at 19" and about 32 oz. It chops great and carries fine. It is more nose heavy than the others, but still has a great feel. But once the swing starts, it isn't going to stop on command. It wants to eat something. My 16.5" CAK weighs about 29 oz. It is a great all around khuk. It's balance is really good also. Were I carrying the khuk around a lot, the WWII would get the nod. For a lot of chopping, the M-43 would probably be best. The CAK is a great, bullet proof beater. End of the world and I can only take one? The M-43. Good luck.
 
I should also note my WWII is a Tirtha. I don't have any reliable way of getting the weight of it but based on comparison with my Cold Steel Gurkah Khukri (which should be 22oz) I would say mine is somewhere between 26-28 ounces. Spine width on mine is thankfully the advertised 3/8 and not a full 1/2 inch!
 
I wanted to add one more thing. My CAK has a short handle while the WWII and M-43 typically have long handles. I can't say if all CAKs have short handles, but mine does. It feels great, but limits the utility just a little IMHO. The long WWII and M-43 handle allow you to really change the leverage of the khuk by sliding your hand between bolster and pommel. Take care.
 
Uncle Bill used to say the WWII was the best balance of tool and weapon. That was a good part of what prompted me to get a WWII as my first. It's a Kumar from '02. It's still my go to knife. I don't know if I'd call an 18.5", 28oz knife "nimble" but I have grabbed it to check out bumps in the night. I like the long handle, lets me change the balance with a simple change of grip. It's just a hair shy of 1/2" at the spine, which turned out to be a pretty good meat tenderizer while camping. Meat still in the zip lock, of course. Each blade calls out to each person differently.

Frank
 
A consideration here is that when you say M43 (or CAK or WWII) we may be talking about 3 completely different animals. Are we speaking of the real military issue M43? The M43 that HI made many years ago that was adjusted to have a slightly bigger handle to fit western hands? Or the M43's available today?

In many cases the same model from three different eras share none of the same handling characteristics, size, weight, balance or feel. So it is almost impossible to give a definitive answer based solely on model name. The individual blade and person would be more important factors than the model.
 
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