Using khukuris in extreme temperatures.

SkagSig40

SkagSig40

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Feb 1, 2001
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I live in Colorado and sometimes the temp drops below 0. The other night I left one of my AK's(15 inch horn handle) outside over nite and used it to chop up some seasoned oak in the morning to see how the freezing temp would affect the knife. It didn't affect the khuk at all. I was wondering if any of you fellas' have used your khuks in even colder temperatures like 30-60 below. It would seem that the blade could chip out at those temps but maybe the blade is to thick for that. I doubt it will ever get cold enough here to find out and that is a good thing!!:D
 
I've used mine in temp's around 0. I think the biggest problem is keeping a solid grip on it when swung with alot of force.
 
I've read that in Extreme Cold (-51 to -80 degrees F or colder) weather, steel becomes very brittle and that axe blade will shatter if used. I'd assume that the same would happen to a khukuri.

Bob
 
On a post not long ago, someone in Colo. left his Khuks in his car overnight and found cracked handles the next morning. My reaction was advice to avoid sudden temp or humidity changes. There could be some important variables at play here - he asked what dressings/methods would protect handles, and got our standard "oil the wood, dress the horn" recipes. So, had the horn handle of your AK been treated? There seems to be a good corollary here, if I could remember enough about the other thread to find it, and compare. Obviously, khukuris that stay at home and do work on the farms in Nepal are used in extreme weather.

-30°/-50° weather is something I've experienced only once (-42°) when we lived in Minn. Don't know about steel axe heads - the only metalurgical reference I recall is my neighbor's comment, "Yaysus, dis is Brass Monkey wedder". :rolleyes: :D
 
Wal, The horn was never treated with anything and already has a few cracks in it. It has been in use in colorado for 10 years so maybe it is "adapted" to this climate? I do need to get some hooflex or lanon for care in the future. I think all of my horn handled khuks have cracks in them but none have gotten any worse over time.
 
Id believe the adapting to the climate. I have a knife that I inheritted from my folks, with a horn handle that has seen some of the worst Minnesota winters and summer's, and surprisingly is in decent shape. Seriously though my folks used to leave it in a grill they kept outside, for a good ten years or more before I got it. I remember some of the coldest winter's Ive experienced in Minnesota, and its been out there, along with some of the hottest summers. They never cared for the thing at all. Still its one of my favourites since its my first.
 
If the horn cracks just so much, and stops, it has to be considered "natural stress relief", and it would be the same in the Himalayas as in the Rockies. There has to be some lanolin/grease/oils transferred to the horn handles through daily use, at least in Nepal. All of the wood I've seen from BirGorkha, and one villager, have had a coat of oily wax. In fact, Kesar put a good coat of it on my M43 scales, and I hit it with Tru Oil heavily, to see if the Tru Oil would penetrate and bind with the original. It seems to be working. The cracks in my horn UBDOTDs haven't grown - a couple have closed, as they absorbed lanolin.
 
Is lanolin good for wood also? Maybe I'm lucky but I've never treated and of my handles and have had no trouble with them! I think Terry Sisco said he dosen't treat his handles eithor but I think I'm going to start because I plan I using these khuks for a long long time and it will be good for them!
 
I can't see where lanolin would harm wood, unless it softened it too much. The "usual" tung, linseed and mineral oil treatments bring out the grain much better and protect as well. The "onionskin" technique I use is for beautification. Several heavy, hand-rubbed coats will also bring up at least some of the grain, and protect as well, but will have a foggy, film-like appearance in places. It will wear clear with use (or a ton of rubbing) but won't be as attractive as the gunstock finish. The main purpose of either one, assuming your wood is well seasoned, is to prevent further drying and cracking, and protect it from the elements.
 
I think the very hot dry weather is tougher on handles than cold. I don't think the steel cares that much.
 
Chris,

It depends on the steel but I don't think 5160 is affected by cold at the temperature ranges you discussed. They still drive cars at those temperatures and the springs don't crack. More flexing but less impact compared to a knife.

Though Ford had a recent recall to springs giving out, but I think that was due to corrosion.

Will
 
Originally posted by Walosi
On a post not long ago, someone in Colo. left his Khuks in his car overnight and found cracked handles the next morning. My reaction was advice to avoid sudden temp or humidity changes. There could be some important variables at play here - he asked what dressings/methods would protect handles, and got our standard "oil the wood, dress the horn" recipes.
Click to expand...

That was me Wal. The cold was close to 0 here on Glade Park those nights. You were right as to treating the handles. I put some medical grade lanolin on them for a few nights and haven't had a problem since. I watched the lanolin treatment debate with some interest as I was wondering the same things. I post very few times as the vast majority of my q's are answered or are available in the archives.
 
Agree with the above suggestions. Would favor wooden handles over horn as I've had considerably less cracking or other problems with wooden handles. As for steel chipping, I've had some khukuris that chipped at normal spring/summer/fall temps as well as at freezing temps and others that took everything I tossed at them and came out unblemished. Heat treat is the key here.
 
Originally posted by Walosi
I can't see where lanolin would harm wood, unless it softened it too much. The "usual" tung, linseed and mineral oil treatments bring out the grain much better and protect as well. The "onionskin" technique I use is for beautification. Several heavy, hand-rubbed coats will also bring up at least some of the grain, and protect as well, but will have a foggy, film-like appearance in places. It will wear clear with use (or a ton of rubbing) but won't be as attractive as the gunstock finish. The main purpose of either one, assuming your wood is well seasoned, is to prevent further drying and cracking, and protect it from the elements.
Click to expand...

When I started on my kumar karda, I did not use the armor-all. I put about 25 coats of tung/steel wool. I have about 10 more coats with the proper 3 elements. Should I have a problem with the different treatments? It looks good...
 
..which is sort of a milestone, nowadays. Look at an old shovel handle that has been used for years and at best hung in the toolshed when not in use. In time, they fall apart, but for years they weather, crack some, and stay tough. The original treatment (at one time, anyhoo) was a hot-dip in an oil solution, drying, and varnish for the store display. The wood was usually kiln dried for a time before final turning. I've done "manufacturing in transit" records for rail shipments that were in storage for more than a year, moving on one freight rate from original cutting and rough turning, to kiln storage and final finishing, to the tool manufacturer. Trivia, but it gives the history of a wood item that goes to work, and receives little attention (the wooden portion, at least) in its' useful life. For every person who cleans and spruces up their yard tools, wood and blades, there are hundreds who just chuck them in the corner of the garage or shed for the winter. Keeping the Khuk in the perspective of a farm implement, we are the few out of hundreds who do more than wipe them down and stick them back in the sheath. O course, we'uns is picky :D
 
This thread is going so fast, and I type so slowly, that two went up while I was thumping out my last one :)

Roger, the Armor-All acts (they claim) as a polymer molecular binder (verified by Turtle Wax's CEO in an old article) but it just helps to make a tougher coat and has little effect on the appearance - in fact, it can slow things down at times. Past a certain point (depends on the individual piece of wood) it is just therapy.
 
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