What weight khukuri do you consider optimal for general use?

Yvsa

Yvsa

Joined
May 18, 1999
Messages
15,395
:
I understand that the question depends on what term "general use"
means to each of us.
it depends on the job at hand to determine the "right" khukuri for the job.

Jim,Gonesailing,brought up the fact that one like the 20" AK is too much for his wrist. I have had the carpal bones removed from my right wrist and I have to be careful of how I use it if I want it to last so I can really apprciate what he's saying.

I Love my 18" AK as you all know and at 2 Lbs.it's my knife of choice for really heavy work.
The MS is rapidly becoming my favorite for a longer khuk.

I think one from 1 1/2 to 2 Lbs and from 15" to 21" is optimal for most "general use." That covers a Lot of Khukuri styles!!

What's your choice?

What would be your thoghts on an Ideal Khukuri from H.I. for "general use"?

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

If you mix milk of magnesia with vodka and orange juice do you get a phillips screwdriver?

Khukuri FAQ


 
Yvsa,

I tend to agree with you on the dimensions and weight range, especially if I am around camp or a car where the khuk's are stored. However, if I am trekking or hunting, I think the 12" to 15" khuk's in my collection get the nod. So it does come back to the context. That means we just have to keep collecting a wider assortment to make sure we are covered in most if not all situations.
smile.gif


sing

AKTI #A000356

 
Yvsa, my preference is for an 18" khuk, weighing in the neighborhood of 2 lbs. I've found from experience that this is the ideal weight/length for me. Beyond this, style isn't all that important -- for example, WW II or 18th Century doesn't matter a whole lot.
 
I'll go with Steven.

If it was a matter of great importance (life or death) I'd take my Hanuman 18" with the WW2 blade. Partly it's spirit, partly the most comfortable handle for me of any khuk, and partly the most perfectly balanced for me blade.

There's something else to my Hanuman too, but I can't describe it, just feel it.

Otherwise, my 19" villager with the Sirupati style blade and the Chainpuri type wood handle could serve for most anything.

Before I got that, my favorite general purpose khuk was a 17" 20 oz. Chainpuri villager. Incidentally this and a companion 17" 14 oz. Chainpuri villager led me to lobby for what is now HI's villager line.

The 20" Sirupatis with horn handle ( both shop 1 and shop 2 ) are a little long, and feel less alive. An 18" AK would probably be too much, but if a run of them turned out a 16.5/17" runt, I might be interested.

 
I'd have to agree with the others, the 17 to 18 inch range seems optimal for me, but the 20-21 inch range is quite comfortable as well. The 15 inch range moves like greased lightening for me.

Balance is important.

Style is also important. I like the Sirupatis, but think that a BAS or WWII or 18th Century blade would be more versatile for use. I do have a Kumar 18th Century that feels pretty good, but intend to work on the handle until it is just right. A Bhudhuni Villager is also pretty good.

Harry

[This message has been edited by Kozak (edited 20 December 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Kozak (edited 20 December 1999).]
 
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Uncle I wasn't considering combat as general purpose.It seems that from most people that live as the Nepali
People live use the tools they are used to as weapons because of the availibility and familiarity they have with them.I wouldn't want to go up against a potatoe fork or hay fork for instance.

I find it fascinating that it appears in the case of the Khukuri that it was primarly a weapon that became a tool.Perhaps it was warriors becoming farmers and using what they were familar with.



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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

If you mix milk of magnesia with vodka and orange juice do you get a phillips screwdriver?

Khukuri FAQ


 
My son's 15"BAS has a great feel to it I think for combat, although the 20" Sirupati has excellant reach. I have a 15" AK that weighs 1.66 lbs. and it feels just right for me, but just a tad slower than the BAS.
 
I would say 1.5-2 LB and 18" overall size is optimal for a general purpose khukuri without combat applications.

The WWII blade style would be my preference. This will give it a decent bush clearing, cutting capability, and chopping performance.

I believe a WWII will chop better than an Ang Khola of the same weight. The Ang Khola will split much better.

Will
 
For what it's worth, there are a number of common medieval European implements that were used both as weapons and as tools for other purposes. The same people farmed most of the time and fought when invaded or when opportunity offered to hire out as mercenaries, and used the same implements, which were designed to serve multiple uses. Many of the polearms were used as billhooks, to chop and pull down limbs from trees, and in time of war to chop at armored knights and pull them off their horses. The axes were designed with as much consideration for chopping armor as for chopping wood -- the common people couldn't afford to have both a battleaxe and another axe for wood, so they had one ax designed as a compromise to serve both purposes reasonably well.

In many cases it's hard to say which purpose an implement was originally invented for.

Going off on a tangent, it's not clear whether the bow was invented as a musical instrument first and later someone discovered instead of fiddling on it he could shoot his fiddle bow with the fiddle, or invented as a weapon first and then someone discovered he could play music by scraping the bowstring with an arrow.



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-Cougar Allen :{)
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This post is not merely the author's opinions; it is the trrrrrruth. This post is intended to cause dissension and unrest and upset people, and ultimately drive them mad. Please do not misinterpret my intentions in posting this.
 
Uncle Bill --- I use all the khukuris just for the sake of getting to know them. Length, weight, etc. I forgot to mention the 18th century model. That thing is a devastating weapon, but I also keep in mind the strength or model of the blade I am using.--- I do martial arts forms with them, it helps me learn control. --- I like to use heavy and thick blades so when I pick up a 2 lb. or less khukuri, I can handle it with ease and still have a really strong blade. The 15" AK that is 1.66 lbs. (1/2" thick), seems to be very strong and agile.

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You bet uncle Bill, I will send some pix. I haven't been able to keep up with all the posts and reply's but i've been picking up bits and pieces. That plaque the Kamis sent you for Dasein is sharp. It's not easy to stay tuned tight and I missed many things. --- This forum has really grown. By the way, the 15"AK that I mentioned looks a lot like the one Leroy Thompson used in the Sept.98 issue of S.W.A.T.

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Hi All,
Except for the heavy duty stuff, I find that the Village sized knives do all the things that I want a Khukuri to do.

I use mine for chopping slicing and poking. I have in the past used them ( those of lesser quality) for social purposes at the behest of the government. And in retrospect, one of the "Villagers" would have worked even better.
Dan
 
It depends on your ability rather strongly. For example my father grew up doing axework on a regular basis. Woodstoves were the heat and cooking source one generation ago. They used one axe for all the felling, limbing and splitting. The axes would generally be in the 5 lbs area with wide thin faces and would take trees down really well, they would split really poorly and it would usually take reverse strikes on the poll unless the wood was very small. However the important point was that this same axe would be used for more precise work like limbing and such (which is best done with a much smaller axe). This was often done one handed.

What was the point of this? Well if I was to chose an axe for general work and my father was to do the same you would see two very different blades. I can't use an axe one handed (I don't mean choke up on it), for any length of time if it has any weight to it. He can still do this with full size felling axes. I keep meaning to get a decent axe and remedy this situation and probably will next spring.

Back to the original question, I would currently go with an 18" AK. This time next year hopefully I can say the large Salyan or 22" AK. I can manage everything except extended brush clearing with those two blades now.

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 22 December 1999).]
 
I believe most of dear forumites share this feeling, "The optimal weight is the last purchased HI khukuri's until the next one gets in my mind".
My optimal weight was 3.5lbs. of a 20"AK but now it's 2 lbs. of a Gelbu Special. If any one of you feel suffer from your choice, I'll help you by emailing my address to send your source(s) of suffering to me.

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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
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