Not trying to pick any fights or anything, I just want to know from people that use and like Kukris, what they think of them as an all around cutter vs. something like the plain old U.S. machete. I have a Ontario U.S. PE plain Jane machete and it has served me well as an all around outdoor cutting tool for about 15 solid years now. I have bought several other items to try and take the place of it but every hachet, bowie, saw or whatever ends up on the shelf somewhere and the old machete gets all the use.
It may be that after 15 straight years of using the same tool, I have grown too used to it to be a good judge so that is where you all come in. Am I missing something by not owning a good quality Kurkri? I did buy a cheap Colt Steel Kukri, it is the one that costs about $15. I was not impressed with the cutting ability of it and I don't think it had anything to do with the quality. It appeared to be of about the same quality and price of my beloved Army Machete but it just didn't work as well. I fear it may be a design thing so I don't want to risk big money on a nice Kukri only to find that the design is what I didn't like.
It felt hard to chop with and gave my hand cramps because of the angle. It felt like I had to grip it very tight where the machete can be gripped a little looser and takes much less effort to do just about any task.
In all honesty, can a Kukri be a better user and all around outdoor cutter than a good machete?
