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This sounds like a line from Track of the Cat, Finn.
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What is the best all around khukuri for camping/backpacking?
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Hey guys, thanks again for all the responses. Prn: I agree with what you said. I do not intend to go hacking my way through the national parks. I live in So. California, and spend most of my outdoors fun in the desert. In reality, I probably won't use a khukuri much, but I'm trying to rationalize buying one (or several). Since this will be my first, I keep telling myself that the first one I buy should be the one that I will get the most use out of over, hopefully, a long life. I like the martial aspects of the knife, but when will I use it on another human? In today's world I'd rather have a .45. Still, I'm on the verge of sending Uncle Bill a check in order to prepay for two knives, so that I can pick the best balanced of the two. (possibly a 15" AK and a 16.5" WWII) The one I don't like, I plan on giving it as a gift to my business partner. The input from all you guys is great. PLease keep it coming.
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Ad, if I have not formally welcomed you to the cantina (memory is failing) then let me do so now and most sincerely. A man who buys two knives, one for himself and one for a friend, is my kind of guy.
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Bill,
I've been waiting for my "good" friends, Koz, THAT NDN & Blues(might not hear from him NOW that he is a famous MOD. on not just any forum has to be the Custom forum)to buy their friend jim a K !
jim
I've been waiting for my "good" friends, Koz, THAT NDN & Blues(might not hear from him NOW that he is a famous MOD. on not just any forum has to be the Custom forum)to buy their friend jim a K !
jim
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That's what friends are for.
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Ad,
I'm a known sufferer of "hoof in mouth disease" so if I came across as seeming like I thought you might go "hacking [your] way through the national parks" I'm sorry. I really didn't think you might. I intended to be more illustrative and less accusatory.
Nor do I wish to suggest to you, Finn or anyone else that you should forgo emergency equipment because "it's too heavy, [and] you probably won't use it." My point is merely that one's emergency equipment ought to be chosen with an eye toward what kinds of emergencies one might reasonably expect to face. If you think there is a reasonable probability that you might find yourself in an emergency where you would need a khukuri and a smaller blade would simply not do the job, then by all means carry the khukuri. Of course, if you expect to use the khukuri for non-emergency purposes, e.g., trail maintenance, then naturally you should carry it.
I can think of lots of situations where I would rather have a khukuri than a smaller blade, but few of them strike me as emergencies where I could not muddle through with the smaller blade. Obvious sorts of cases are like the medical emergency when you might have to chop and trim a couple of poles to form a stretcher or travois to evacuate a comrade. With a khukuri you can do the woodworking part of that in 1/4 or less the time that would be required using a 4-5" knife. OTOH, the woodworking part of making a stretcher or travois is probably less than 1/2 the total time (even with the lighter knife) so your total savings is a much smaller percentage of the task. If I'm worried about mountain lions, I'd imagine that a pistol (per person) would be at least as effective.
I certainly don't have any problem with rationalizing buying a khukuri. I may be more rational than some folks (or not
). I only have 8 (plus a couple of kagas katnes) at the moment. I really don't want to discourage you from buying one. I find my khuks pretty useful around home.
If I were planning on living off the land for an indefinite time, I would definitely want a khukuri. OTOH, for a weekend backpacking trip in the desert, where there is probably not a lot that I'd need to chop in any case, I doubt that I'd want to carry a khukuri badly enough to spend much of the strength that I could otherwise be using to carry water. YMMV.
Paul
I'm a known sufferer of "hoof in mouth disease" so if I came across as seeming like I thought you might go "hacking [your] way through the national parks" I'm sorry. I really didn't think you might. I intended to be more illustrative and less accusatory.
Nor do I wish to suggest to you, Finn or anyone else that you should forgo emergency equipment because "it's too heavy, [and] you probably won't use it." My point is merely that one's emergency equipment ought to be chosen with an eye toward what kinds of emergencies one might reasonably expect to face. If you think there is a reasonable probability that you might find yourself in an emergency where you would need a khukuri and a smaller blade would simply not do the job, then by all means carry the khukuri. Of course, if you expect to use the khukuri for non-emergency purposes, e.g., trail maintenance, then naturally you should carry it.
I can think of lots of situations where I would rather have a khukuri than a smaller blade, but few of them strike me as emergencies where I could not muddle through with the smaller blade. Obvious sorts of cases are like the medical emergency when you might have to chop and trim a couple of poles to form a stretcher or travois to evacuate a comrade. With a khukuri you can do the woodworking part of that in 1/4 or less the time that would be required using a 4-5" knife. OTOH, the woodworking part of making a stretcher or travois is probably less than 1/2 the total time (even with the lighter knife) so your total savings is a much smaller percentage of the task. If I'm worried about mountain lions, I'd imagine that a pistol (per person) would be at least as effective.
I certainly don't have any problem with rationalizing buying a khukuri. I may be more rational than some folks (or not
). I only have 8 (plus a couple of kagas katnes) at the moment. I really don't want to discourage you from buying one. I find my khuks pretty useful around home. If I were planning on living off the land for an indefinite time, I would definitely want a khukuri. OTOH, for a weekend backpacking trip in the desert, where there is probably not a lot that I'd need to chop in any case, I doubt that I'd want to carry a khukuri badly enough to spend much of the strength that I could otherwise be using to carry water. YMMV.Paul
Uncle Bill: thanks for the warm welcome to the cantina. Prn: believe, me, I wasn't not offended at all. When I made the statement about "hacking my way through the national parks" I was joking. I clicked on a smiley face, but it popped up at the top; not at the punchline. I'm still trying to get this computer thing down. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to send Uncle Bill the $ without having my wife figure out what's going on. (Smiley face) She worries a lot. Anyway, I am really enjoying this forum. Thanks to all.
I prefer a decent chopper for camping. The ones I bring along the most have probably been an 18-inch WWII and a 15-inch villager AK with comfortable racquet-taped handle. Now that I've got an 18-inch AK I'm eager to try it out. My kids are still of an age where we're pretty much car camping. The K's weight is therefore a nonissue. The kids expect a roaring campfire made from windfallen timber; they want a show. The dragging, chopping, and splitting--the flashing blade--that's all part of it.
When it's just me out hiking, though, I generally don't carry a khuk. I like to feel light. When I have carried one, I've found myself fussing around trying to find a comfortable belt position for it.
In a few weeks I'm going to be doing something new for me: helping pace a running buddy through the late stages of the Leadville Trail 100--a preposterous but classic 100-mile endurance event. My 5-hour stretch will involve accompanying my pal in going up and over an 11,400-ft pass in the forest on rough trails in the middle of the night. My first thought was, What If (we encounter a bear, need to build a raft, a catapult, etc.)--sounds like I should bring a khuk. My second thought, though, was a good strong headlamp is a much higher priority.
When it's just me out hiking, though, I generally don't carry a khuk. I like to feel light. When I have carried one, I've found myself fussing around trying to find a comfortable belt position for it.
In a few weeks I'm going to be doing something new for me: helping pace a running buddy through the late stages of the Leadville Trail 100--a preposterous but classic 100-mile endurance event. My 5-hour stretch will involve accompanying my pal in going up and over an 11,400-ft pass in the forest on rough trails in the middle of the night. My first thought was, What If (we encounter a bear, need to build a raft, a catapult, etc.)--sounds like I should bring a khuk. My second thought, though, was a good strong headlamp is a much higher priority.
Hi Ad,
I saw the thread and thought I'd post a recent experience here. I went hiking for a long weekend with my brother-in-law. It was the first time we'd gone hiking together, and he's not a knife person, so I wasn't sure how we'd get along.
We were due to be in an area which included bears, so I thought it best to have something bigger than my ususal camp knife accessable. (WARNING: No big drama here - you may want to skip to another post)
At first I had no idea which khuk to bring, but settled on my WW2 18" blem. I'm pretty big, so the pack weight is bearable for me. It's a good utilitarian knife with the added bonus of a missing brass tip on the scabbard. That may not seem like a bonus at first, but khuks weigh a fair amount, and I've had some experiences with the tip poking through a pack .
The first evening I took the khuk to a dead hardwood tree that had come down during the last year, and had dried out nice and tough. Only made a few cuts, but as usual I was amazed at the cutting power of the khuk. It went through half and three-quarter inch pieces of dried hardwood like the proverbial hot knife through butter. No effort at all. That night I slept like a baby, but the next morning I was asked "Did you hear that animal last night?"
Evidently there was a largish animal that came snuffling around the camp while we were snug in our bags, which woke up Tom. He said he'd actually been able to go back to sleep more easily knowing I had the khuk in the tent. The rest of the trip passed uneventfully, and we got home without any drama (except for the lightning which caught us on the ridge, but that's a story for another day.
So, even if you don't <i><b>need</b></i> one, my vote is for a WW2 without the brass tip on the sheath.
I saw the thread and thought I'd post a recent experience here. I went hiking for a long weekend with my brother-in-law. It was the first time we'd gone hiking together, and he's not a knife person, so I wasn't sure how we'd get along.
We were due to be in an area which included bears, so I thought it best to have something bigger than my ususal camp knife accessable. (WARNING: No big drama here - you may want to skip to another post)
At first I had no idea which khuk to bring, but settled on my WW2 18" blem. I'm pretty big, so the pack weight is bearable for me. It's a good utilitarian knife with the added bonus of a missing brass tip on the scabbard. That may not seem like a bonus at first, but khuks weigh a fair amount, and I've had some experiences with the tip poking through a pack .
The first evening I took the khuk to a dead hardwood tree that had come down during the last year, and had dried out nice and tough. Only made a few cuts, but as usual I was amazed at the cutting power of the khuk. It went through half and three-quarter inch pieces of dried hardwood like the proverbial hot knife through butter. No effort at all. That night I slept like a baby, but the next morning I was asked "Did you hear that animal last night?"
Evidently there was a largish animal that came snuffling around the camp while we were snug in our bags, which woke up Tom. He said he'd actually been able to go back to sleep more easily knowing I had the khuk in the tent. The rest of the trip passed uneventfully, and we got home without any drama (except for the lightning which caught us on the ridge, but that's a story for another day.
So, even if you don't <i><b>need</b></i> one, my vote is for a WW2 without the brass tip on the sheath.
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:
I have seldom bemoaned the fact that I had brought along a big knife and didn't need it, but I have often bemoaned and gave myself a good mental A$$ kickin when I thought I wouldn't need the big knife and took a little one instead.
So quite a long time ago I gave up on the thoughts of taking just a little knife along and now and for a long time I always have a larger one when I am fortunate enough to get out in the woods anymore.
The really nice thing about the khukuri is that you have a smaller knife along in the form of the karda.
AND with khukuris such as the new Dui Chiarra Chainpuri, the YCS and possibly the GS that are all on the lighter side I can't see any reason not to take a khukuri along and for me it doesn't matter what the terrain or the type of vegetation, but that's just me.
Anyone ever tried to dig a reasonably large hole with a 4"-5" knife? Or possibly ran across a viper unexpectedly and wished they had the reach of a 12'-15" blade?
I have seldom bemoaned the fact that I had brought along a big knife and didn't need it, but I have often bemoaned and gave myself a good mental A$$ kickin when I thought I wouldn't need the big knife and took a little one instead.
So quite a long time ago I gave up on the thoughts of taking just a little knife along and now and for a long time I always have a larger one when I am fortunate enough to get out in the woods anymore.
The really nice thing about the khukuri is that you have a smaller knife along in the form of the karda.
AND with khukuris such as the new Dui Chiarra Chainpuri, the YCS and possibly the GS that are all on the lighter side I can't see any reason not to take a khukuri along and for me it doesn't matter what the terrain or the type of vegetation, but that's just me.
Anyone ever tried to dig a reasonably large hole with a 4"-5" knife? Or possibly ran across a viper unexpectedly and wished they had the reach of a 12'-15" blade?
A cool thing is - you wear a HI rig and you automatically have a small knife (karda) to go with your big knife. As a general rule the longer the khukuri the longer the karda.
Some ways to deal with wearing heavier kuk's are:
1) The ancient but reliable Sam Brown belt. These are usually reinforced with an extra layer and do a pretty good job of distributing the weight around your waist. You can hang all sorts of goodies from one in addition to your kuk. You can usually get a decent one for under $40.00.
2) The double wrap sword belt. This one really does a good job of making a heavy kuk feel lighter. Of course we are getting more and more picturesque as we go here. These are more available than you might think and can be had with adjustable end loops to fit just about anything.
3) A perennial favorite - the baldric. THE way to swash and buckle your way through the wilds. Works great though. Also more readily available than you might think.
Whatever you get from Uncle Bill will be good, and will probably do more varieties of work than you ever thought a knife could do. Good luck on your outings!
Some ways to deal with wearing heavier kuk's are:
1) The ancient but reliable Sam Brown belt. These are usually reinforced with an extra layer and do a pretty good job of distributing the weight around your waist. You can hang all sorts of goodies from one in addition to your kuk. You can usually get a decent one for under $40.00.
2) The double wrap sword belt. This one really does a good job of making a heavy kuk feel lighter. Of course we are getting more and more picturesque as we go here. These are more available than you might think and can be had with adjustable end loops to fit just about anything.
3) A perennial favorite - the baldric. THE way to swash and buckle your way through the wilds. Works great though. Also more readily available than you might think.
Whatever you get from Uncle Bill will be good, and will probably do more varieties of work than you ever thought a knife could do. Good luck on your outings!
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I'd also recommend a villager Bhudhuni which are occassionally available through HI.
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****
1) The ancient but reliable Sam Brown belt.
2) The double wrap sword belt.
3) A perennial favorite - the baldric.
Thanks Bro.
Finn will you please further explain on these carry systems?
I know I only have a vague idea of what 2 and 3 are, well actually only #2 and haven't a clue as to what #3 is.
Terry Sisco has probably a sort of equivelant of a Sam Brown in I think a British Army Belt. Real heavy canvas material and with a nice adjustment feature as well as good solid brass hook style buckle. And it isn't the nasty old US Military Olive Drab, but a really nice tannish brown color IIRC.
I really like his set up.
All I have at the present besides my standard belts is one of the older US Army belts with the grommet holes and again the nice solid old hook style buckle.
A khukuri on one side and a quart of water in the old style canteen on the other balance out well.
It's always hard to beat the old "tried and true" outfits IMO.
Osiyo Bro, et al,
The "double-wrap sword belt" is comprised of two belts that attached to a frog or directly to the scabbard on each side. When these are wrapped around your waist and buckled, you in essence have a very long belt wrapped around your waist twice, the weight of the piece being distributed over a much wider area.
The baldric is simply a wide strap that goes over one shoulder diagonally and hangs the blade at the side of the body. Terry Sisco shows one of his at the Sarki Shop site:
www.geocities.com/t_sarki/Page_2.html
Hope this helps.
The "double-wrap sword belt" is comprised of two belts that attached to a frog or directly to the scabbard on each side. When these are wrapped around your waist and buckled, you in essence have a very long belt wrapped around your waist twice, the weight of the piece being distributed over a much wider area.
The baldric is simply a wide strap that goes over one shoulder diagonally and hangs the blade at the side of the body. Terry Sisco shows one of his at the Sarki Shop site:
www.geocities.com/t_sarki/Page_2.html
Hope this helps.
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Remember the movie "Braveheart" where Wallace carried the sword ( pre-claymore ) at an angle across his back with the hilt behind his right ear? That's a baldric.
As for the double wrap sword belt, the ones I've seen have been one piece, but material for a two piece would certainly be easier to come by.
As for the double wrap sword belt, the ones I've seen have been one piece, but material for a two piece would certainly be easier to come by.