UBE range report...

manghu67

American Kami Custom Blades / Knifemaker
Joined
Oct 24, 2000
Messages
443
Well, I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to wait until my YCS got here, but the itch was in my bones and something had to be done.

My parents have these three massive spruce trees in their back yard. They have been after me to take down a limb on one that is wrapping around the phone pole at the end of the yard. Friday was a beautiful day, so it was time for me to play part time arborist.

I have my Kobra, Hanuman, and UBE sitting out on my office table where I can look at them. This time, the UBE got the nod. I grabbed it, my WWIII khuk, a pair of Mechanix Mpact gloves, some CLP, and some Gatoraide and headed out the door.

I was not prepared for the magnitude of the task at hand. From the ground, the limb didn't seem so formidible. Once I was 15 feet up the tree, I discovered that the limb was full of knotty goodness, was a good 12" in diameter, and probably weighed in around 500lbs. I returned to the ground and got a saw, for safetys sake. That limb was so big that went it came down, I felt the thud from my position in the tree. I then had to drag the bastard away from the trees and onto the patio to facilitate sectioning and removal of it. It was one heavy SOB. After a Gatoraide break, I chose my weapon.

I chose the WWIII first, because I was familiar with it and it would be an accurate yardstick for me to measure the UBE's performance. I attacked the felled limb with it. The limb was not impressed. The knife was sharp, but it just didn't seem to be cutting well. After about ten minutes of wailing away, the WWIII found itself buried in a stump, and my hands found themselves wrapped around the UBE.

As I unsheathed it, the UBE gistened brightly in the sunlight. I thought for a moment how beautiful it was, how it was too beautiful to even use. About how it should be in a nicely fashioned, velvet lined display case in a den somewhere, and not in my grubby hands, about to be awash in tree blood. About how it was going to be covered in ugly scuffs after I had finished violating it. These thoughts were driven from my head upon the first swing. One chop, and a two inch in diameter branch lay severed on the cool bricks of the patio. I was astounded. I swung again. Another branch fell. What followed for the next hour was a symphony of woody carnage.

The UBE absolutely devoured everything I sent it's way, even massive burly knots. The only blade damage resulted from me following through a cut and banging the edge and tip against the patio brick. :eek: The result? Chipped brick, and a slightly rolled edge that I was able to burnish back out. Had I done the same thing with my WWIII, the edge would have been badly damaged (it has been, in fact).

End result? Scuffed and dirty UBE 1, 500lbs worth of wood, 0. Two blisters on pinky of chopping hand. Sore chopping hand. The UBE cleaned up with some scrubbing and an industrial strength hand cleaner. Blade is all scuffed up, but I think it ads character so I will probably leave it like that. Handles are too big (thats why my hand is sore), so I will probably recontour them like I have my Hanuman, and restain. Chakma and Karda are too soft for burnishing. Need to be hardened. Other than that, I was thrilled. I couldn't get the stupid grin off my face.

I liked the UBE so much that I almost forgot the WWIII buried in that stump in my parent's back yard, and left there without it.

Next up? The HANUMAN!
 
Excellent report:) I feel that you're really gonna dig the YCS. I've never handled the UBE, but it sounds like you'll get similar results from the YCS when it gets there. I've been cutting up similar limbs for the last few sundays. I always have to grin when people chuckle at me for attacking those branches with just a "big knife". I love the look on their faces when you neatly bisect a 2" limb with a single stroke. Once again, great report. The UBE is way up there on my list of HI products i have to get:)

Jake
 
How do your WWII and UBE compare by the numbers? Is the UBE longer? heavier? have a thinner edge? I only ask because the big WWII is my "go to" knife. At 18.5" and 28oz. it hits like a ton of bricks, even in my not so muscular arms, and is about as big as I care to go. The 25" sirus I had were awesome to behold and chopped like an axe but were just too heavy for me. Guess I'm just a 15"-18" kind of guy.

Frank
 
Very nice writing, Manghu.

The UBE is the only HI "khuk" for which I've had a special holster, er... scabbard made. Funny, I held off buying one for a long time because of the funny shape, but I love it. As you've noticed, the handles tend to be pretty big, but that's the way I like them.

Be very interested in your review of the Hanuman. I'm expecting mine in the next day or two.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Excellent report:) I feel that you're really gonna dig the YCS. I've never handled the UBE, but it sounds like you'll get similar results from the YCS when it gets there. I've been cutting up similar limbs for the last few sundays. I always have to grin when people chuckle at me for attacking those branches with just a "big knife". I love the look on their faces when you neatly bisect a 2" limb with a single stroke. Once again, great report. The UBE is way up there on my list of HI products i have to get:)

Jake

Thanks!

I've been going crazy waiting for the YCS. It's my "holy grail" of khuks.

I am astounded by the cutting power of the UBE. Mom was impressed too! :D
 
We need to know the weight and exact length of each blade; WWll and UBE.

My UBE is a fine tool. I kinda doubt it would greatly excel beyond what an equvilant weighted WWll would do, though it might a little with the forward weight represented by the upturned blade.


munk
 
SilverFoxKnows said:
How do your WWII and UBE compare by the numbers? Is the UBE longer? heavier? have a thinner edge? I only ask because the big WWII is my "go to" knife. At 18.5" and 28oz. it hits like a ton of bricks, even in my not so muscular arms, and is about as big as I care to go. The 25" sirus I had were awesome to behold and chopped like an axe but were just too heavy for me. Guess I'm just a 15"-18" kind of guy.

Frank

The UBE probably has about an inch in blade length on the WWIII. Blade thickness, the WWIII is slightly thicker at the spine, but towards the edge, they're both about the same. Strangely, the UBE feels much quicker in the hand. The UBE is about 18".

I'm not a big guy either. The WWIII has always been my "go to" up until now. I like it because it's got a kydex sheath and micarta handles that my hand likes alot. I doesn't cut like the UBE though.
 
Aardvark said:
Very nice writing, Manghu.

The UBE is the only HI "khuk" for which I've had a special holster, er... scabbard made. Funny, I held off buying one for a long time because of the funny shape, but I love it. As you've noticed, the handles tend to be pretty big, but that's the way I like them.

Be very interested in your review of the Hanuman. I'm expecting mine in the next day or two.

I've been thinking of making a kydex rig for the UBE, as the tip seems to bite the original scabbard if youre not careful resheathing it.

The handle is on the big side. I was expecting that from what I had heard prior to buying the UBE. Nothing some sandpaper won't fix.

I love the Hanuman, but it's a lot of knife, and it has a massive handle as well. I had to recontour it, and then I restained it and all the tool handles green, and sealed them with polyurethane. Then I polished them all up with buffing compound.

I expect the Hanuman will demolish anything I put under the blade. Once I get my digital camera, I will post some pix.
 
munk said:
We need to know the weight and exact length of each blade; WWll and UBE.

My UBE is a fine tool. I kinda doubt it would greatly excel beyond what an equvilant weighted WWll would do, though it might a little with the forward weight represented by the upturned blade.


munk

I shall take measurements when I get home.
 
Green, huh? I'll be interested to see that. Why did you do it?

The resheathing problem is exactly why I had the custom rig made. One of Terry Sisco's quick-draw models.
 
Aardvark said:
Green, huh? I'll be interested to see that. Why did you do it?

The resheathing problem is exactly why I had the custom rig made. One of Terry Sisco's quick-draw models.

As soon as I can get some pix taken, I'll post em. I did green because it's my favorite color, and I wanted something different than plain old brown. I figured since I would be taking all the original stain off when I was recontouring the handle, I would do something different. Turned out quite nice, if I do say so myself!

:D

The kydex rig I'm going to do will be along the lines of Terry's sheaths, with an open area along the spine to facilitate the draw.
 
The resheathing is nothing compared to the Movie Model. I busted out my Sheath for it first thing.


munk
 
munk said:
The resheathing is nothing compared to the Movie Model. I busted out my Sheath for it first thing.


munk

The movie model is one of the next khuks on my list!

I have had friends fight with the UBE trying to resheath it, some of them trying to jam it back in (which usually results in me snatching it out of their hands). I'm surprised none of them has split my sheath yet.
 
I've never considered coloring the wood handles. Hmmm. Opens the mind.

I do, however, have a sheath that looks like a banana slug. Came that way, though.
 
Aardvark said:
I've never considered coloring the wood handles. Hmmm. Opens the mind.

I do, however, have a sheath that looks like a banana slug. Came that way, though.

LOL!

Yeah, I just thought it would be nice to have something totally different. I've never seen a khuk with green handles, so I thought "why the hell not?".

Took me about a week with all the sanding, contouring, sanding, sanding, sanding, staining, drying, sanding, staining, drying, sanding, staining, drying, spraying, drying, spraying, drying, spraying, drying, spraying, drying, drying, drying, DRYING, cleanup, and polishing.
 
So we could have a green stemmed banana khuk? (Handle of khuk green, sheath dyed to look like banana)

That's just crazy enough to do.



munk
 
munk said:
So we could have a green stemmed banana khuk? (Handle of khuk green, sheath dyed to look like banana)

That's just crazy enough to do.



munk

I've got leather dye! Keep away from me! I'll do it, I swear I will!

:D

Is it possible to strip the black off our sheaths? It seems like the skin is kind of thin, and I would be worried about ruining it.
 
LOL!

Thats awesome, Kismet!

If someone can explain to me how to strip the black off my sheath, I will totally do this.

Yellow and green go well together.
 
Unfortunately, I don't think there is a way to get all the black out, enough to achieve yellow afterwards.


munk
 
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