Two questions - one re: heat treatment of cutting edge, second - usage

M

Moonw

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Nov 19, 2014
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Just wondering: while I do understand the need for differential tempering going from the cutting edge (belly) towards the spine, can someone enlighten me why the same process is employed along the cutting edge as well? I understand that a more malleable tip won't chip when digging etc. ...I am still not sure about having the sweet spot harder than the rest of the cutting edge that "flows" toward the handle. Can someone explain this? Other than adding to the "springiness" of the blade, having a portion easier to sharp for non-chopping chores - feel free to correct me / add something new. I see other traditional makers having this feature, while I am not sure the "modern" ones follow the same pattern.

Also, on kukri w/o the traditional ring handle...such as the M43...any tips on minimizing the chance of one parting with a few fingers? :rolleyes: How "grippy" are the handles? Haven't handled one (yet), but thought why not ask first, while the USPS still does its thing :grumpy:.
 
The sweet spot is harder than the recurve because it is going to see the most use and thus will need to stay sharper longer as it slammed into wood over and over again. You're correct about the tip being softer as to not chip or break. Actually, some of my favorite khuks have very little in the way of an acute point.

The recurve doesn't need to be any harder than it is simply because it won't get the amount of business as the area as the sweet spot. Keeping it softer makes it easier to touch up without as much effort and by being softer allows for the blade to take more abuse without fear of cracking at the cho.

Once you lock your grip onto a well made khuk, you'll see how difficult it would be to cut off your fingers. They don't slide much, and you really won't be thrusting with them much at all. You have to kinda rock your wrist back to thrust so it really won't slide forward.

Hope this helps:)
 
Moonw said:
Also, on kukri w/o the traditional ring handle...such as the M43...any tips on minimizing the chance of one parting with a few fingers? :rolleyes: How "grippy" are the handles? Haven't handled one (yet), but thought why not ask first, while the USPS still does its thing :grumpy:.
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This I can answer. I got my m43 in yesterday. What a beast, at 36 ounces. It's jus slightly too large a handle for the weight of the khukuri, I can tell after about an hour of chopping I'll get lethargic and probably lose it lol. I'll sand down the handle, drill a lanyard hole so I don't let it go flying through the bush haha and it should be right.

It'd definitely be grippier with the middle ring, but with the bulge and the lanyard it'll be fine, I've got a pretty good grip and with proper technique and learning the blade weight it'll be a good tool. I'll be posting pictures soon and you'll see what I mean about the handle thickness :p
 
Moonw said:
Also, on kukri w/o the traditional ring handle...such as the M43...any tips on minimizing the chance of one parting with a few fingers? :rolleyes: How "grippy" are the handles? Haven't handled one (yet), but thought why not ask first, while the USPS still does its thing :grumpy:.
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Fingers are for wimps!

Speaking of grip, anyone here wear rawhide or leather gloves when using their Kukri?
 
mcatalfano said:
Fingers are for wimps!
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But without fingers how am I to play with all my khuks?! And without fingers how am I meant to fing?!

I used to wear leather work gloves when I was out in the bush chopping wood, it does help, gives better grip and protection, but I forget to take them sometimes and it's really 6 of one or half a dozen of the other. All depends on personal preference, how tough your hands are and such. I usually carry a pair for when I'm cooking, burning yours hands suck lol
 
I've found that the angle of most khuks makes them ride up in your hand on a thrust rather than straight back-like a single action revolver's recoil as opposed to a double action. I train a lot with a couple different khukuri, and as long as the point's the right shape (or very well sharpened) they thrust nicely and very instinctively. The arc is really the same as a lot of Filipino blades-difference being the khuk has most of the arc in the blade, while sundang and such have the majority of the angle at the hilt/blade juncture.
The ring seems to be more oriented towards the "Gurkha snap" style
Of cutting than thrusting.
 
J W Bensinger said:
I've found that the angle of most khuks makes them ride up in your hand on a thrust rather than straight back-like a single action revolver's recoil as opposed to a double action. I train a lot with a couple different khukuri, and as long as the point's the right shape (or very well sharpened) they thrust nicely and very instinctively. The arc is really the same as a lot of Filipino blades-difference being the khuk has most of the arc in the blade, while sundang and such have the majority of the angle at the hilt/blade juncture.
The ring seems to be more oriented towards the "Gurkha snap" style
Of cutting than thrusting.
Click to expand...

You have an amazing knack for both understanding blades and for imparting said knowledge. Just out of curiosity, could you post a picture of a sundang? A friend of mine picked one up in Tacloban, and I'd like to see what one of yours looks like compared to his.
 
Thanks Scara-it's a symptom of a wildly misspent youth lol. Here are two-one old one with a very talibong-like profile and a modern Jun Silva. The old one is the single nicest Filipino bolo I've ever handled.
image.jpg
Sorry for the rotten nocturnal phone pic-off the grid and it's DARK up here...
On a side note there are so many words from that part of the world that refer to the same blade shape there are gonna be differences.
 
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Interesting. The one sundang I've handled looked a lot like the bottom one, but didn't have the bolo recurve. It also had a sawback, a non-traditional feature that my friend requested custom from the little old lady on the side of the road that made and sold them. He also had them stick a lump of metal in the pommel for smashing skulls. It's a poorly finished blade, but it's surprisingly fast. One reason I ask is because I've talked to multiple people who lived a while in the Philippines and each one has completely different names for the same knives, and I know a lot of Americans who lived in the Philippines and learned one or more of the lingos.
 
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