Well that didn't take long...

[danboy357]

First, thanks to all of you who responded to the few threads I posted with questions and looking for recommendations such as "kobra or sirupati", "wood or horn" and "looking to get my khukuri collection started". So I bought my first Khuk from HI last week and it came last Thursday... I think. It was one of the dotd 18" cak's that karda listed, 32oz. I took it camping Sunday-Tuesday and just ordered three more today from Yangdu, a 25" kobra and requested it be no more than 25 oz. with horn handle, which I hope to use as one one would a machete for brush and such and 2, yeah 1 for each hand because I watch toooo many movies, 20" sirupati's for self defense.

I have to admit that when I got out there and started using the cak for chopping up old downed 6" tree trunks for fire wood, I was a little under-impressed. I was comparing it to some hand forged tomahawks I own and am more accustomed to. But, after getting over what I feel was a general leary feeling of using a style of weapon/tool I had never used and trying not to end up on as one of those examples of what not to do pictures, I realized that it was really just as good at chopping as most of my tomahawks were. I later used it to split some other dryer already cut logs and it was the most fun I had all that day. Wonderful product, hopefully I can restrain myself and not dump too much of my saving account into buying them, because my girlfriend would leave me (rightfully so) and i'm not getting any prettier.

ONE question, when I spoke to yangdu earlier, who is an extremely pleasent and delightful soul and as i'm sure most of you already know, she asked me if I would like polished blades or... and I cant remember what the other option was though I know I have read the term on other threads here at some point. She didn't say "villager" though that may be what the term refered to. She was telling me how busy they have been and spoke of some errands she had to run so I didn't want to bother her again but, got to thinking that maybe I should have given the option some thought rather than blurting out "polished please". I have tryed to go back through most of the threads but have been unsuccesful in finding the term and what it refers to. Can anyone help me with this so that I may change my order if I wish to do so before it is too late? Ok two questions, does the polishing process have any negative impact on the blade either by messing with the heat treatment or otherwise, other that the obvious tactical disadvantage of being seen more easily? THANKS AGAIN!

 

[in the flesh]

I prefer the matte finish of the villager finish. Looks better to me, especially after use, compared to the polished finish.

I have read on here that the buffing to make the polished finish can soften a small layer of metal.

 

[bric]

I, too, was a little disappointed at first that the HI Khukuris didn't cut through wood like a light saber when I first got one...actually the first one I got I swung with the grain into my older deck handrail and it did pretty much cut through light a light saber...I was pretty happy...then that khukuri got hung on a wall.

I got another khukuri and an old seasoned log and swung this one straight down into the log directly across the grain (thwoooonnnnngggg) and got the "not a light saber" disappointment. Nonetheless I bought up a few more HI khukuris because I was amazed and infatuated on a whole other level...and kept taking one or more on camping trips and using them on each trip to process firewood and chop downed branches. I was able to work on my technique and get a feel for the blades without wondering if all my neighbors were watching or what they may be thinking about my technique or me brandishing a two foot long knife in the front yard.

When I had a storm knock down a bunch of trees in the neighborhood I actually had a job to do and didn't think about it, just grabbed a "khukuri" and started chopping because I had actual work to accomplish. My farmcata (which I primarily use as a kitchen knife) tore through a pine tree as I worked up a sweat in the residual rain. When I was pretty much done with most of the work, just for "fun" I grabbed my WWII to chop a maple branch in half and thwoooonnnnngggg (...look around to see who may have been watching).

... I was comparing it to some hand forged tomahawks I own and am more accustomed to. But, after getting over what I feel was a general leary feeling of using a style of weapon/tool I had never used and trying not to end up on as one of those examples of what not to do pictures, I realized that it was really just as good at chopping as most of my tomahawks were. I later used it to split some other dryer already cut logs and it was the most fun I had all that day.

For me "attitude" and "expectations" play a large role in my perception of how well the knife works. The knife I select for a task and my technique play a very real role in how well the knife works. If I'm concentrating on a task and using proper technique and able to hit at the right angle, the performance of the HI khukuri is amazing. If I'm halfhearted, hurried or "shy" about using the khukuri they don't work so well. Also there are many different styles, sizes and proportions and different ones work for differet tasks. Searching the forum can give you great generalizations, but until you have different ones in your hand and try to use them seriously you can't really get a feel for which one works best for you for which job.

...she asked me if I would like polished blades or... and I cant remember what the other option was though I know I have read the term on other threads here at some point. She didn't say "villager" though that may be what the term refered to.

I'm not sure what term Auntie was using if not villager, but it must have been equivalent to villager (satin finish, forge finish, rough, worker)...there is no difference in performance (other than perhaps a very thin layer of soft metal that ITF mentioned that is easily taken off with a file or your first use). Don't worry - it's entirely a matter of preference of how you want the khukuri to look when you get it. It's easy to rough up a polished finish and turn it into a vilager with use or sanding/scotch-brite, etc...much harder to take a villager and polish it to a mirror finish yourself.

Not all blades (polished or villager) come from the "factory" with the same sharpness, even when they are referred to as "field sharp". What makes the difference is that you find the right blade that works for you for a given situation and learn how to sharpen it to your satisfaction.

 

[Richard Lev-Arieh]

I bought a 25" Kobra, and it's just too heavy -- it weights a couple of pounds.

 

[danboy357]

Hey Richard, that sounds awfully heavy considering the description says 25 oz. I requested about 24oz. but no more than 25, hope its not like 32-34 when it comes in.

 

[sweetcostarica]

... a 25" kobra and requested it be no more than 25 oz. with horn handle, which I hope to use as one one would a machete for brush and such and 2, yeah 1 for each hand because I watch toooo many movies, 20" sirupati's for self defense.

Regarding the weight of a Kukri that depends on your body type and what you want to do. If you want to make movies and cut a lot of wood in your back yard a big, heavy Khukuri will work; say 26 oz to 29 oz. weight and 12" to 13" long.



If you want (like myself) to use the Kukri on hikes or camping with other gear you want a classic Kukri. In saying classic I really mean an average Khukuri that a farmer/villager would use in Nepal. I'll let you check the history of those great Kukris. For now dandoy357 the Sirupati's are perfect for self defense, Marshal Artist and Gurkhas prefer it. Long reach and lightweight (17 to 21 ounces). I love them.

does the polishing process have any negative impact on the blade either by messing with the heat treatment or otherwise, other that the obvious tactical disadvantage of being seen more easily? THANKS AGAIN!

Only a little. So little it isn't noticeable. But if you're going to use a kukri tactically as in war you should coat it black or green anyway.

 

[bric]

I have a 21” 23oz Gelbu Special that is thin like a Kobra and it is ideal for light vegetation like a machete. The HI Storefront says that the 25" Kobra will come in between 1.5 and 2 pounds depending on the kami who made it ...not to many of that length show up here on the DOTD. Searching the forum some recent ones have been:
17" 20oz
17" 15 oz
15" 13oz
18" 17oz

The center of mass (point of balance) tends to get farther out the longer the khukuri gets which requires more strength. 25 inches is a very long knife and about the same length of the arm of a 6" male. Probably just shy of 6 inches will be handle and the rest blade. You'll be able to blaze a path through some thick brush.

 

[danboy357]

The term was "fit and finish". I'm still new.

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

Congratulations on your newly starting collection. Wait til you get into the HI swords though. Then you're in real trouble

 

[abdelhazred]

25 inches is a very long knife and about the same length of the arm of a 6" male. Probably just shy of 6 inches will be handle and the rest blade. You'll be able to blaze a path through some thick brush.

I laughed. 25" blade for a 6" male.

I'm 5'10" and it's just shy of 19" from my below to the tip of my fingers. So imagine swiping something the length your whole forearm past your grip. That's a short-sword right?

 

[falar]

25" is definitely a shortsword IMO, and I'm 6'2". Even my 20" Siru feels more like a shortsword then a knife.

 

[davidf99]

One way to tell the difference between a long knife and a shortsword is, if you can practice with it in your living room without breaking a lamp or gouging the walls, it's a knife.