When is a khukuri too thick?

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To me, part of it is the ability of an overweight khuk to train you - much like doing a form perfectly at slow speed increases the difficulty. After using the 30" Sirupati even briefly, handling the supersalyan has me thinking I have got to slim the handles down on the salyan so I can put some oomph into my moves. The balance is already there for Sally, either when choked up close, or hand slipped back toward the buttcap for a full swing.It's just the Hulk Hogan sized handles when I'm a Pala sized guy. Then I pick up the 26" kora and the same thing, a reduced handle diameter and it could sing with Pavarotti, Domingo, or any of the three tenors.

Finally, now I pick up the 20" Sirupati that I used to think felt so heavy and clumsy,and it handles so sweetly now.

The other part of these thick spined blades is that they are mind boggling, mind opening.
These are real, not stage decorations. They were meant to be used, and what would require their use? Slaying dragons? Then threre must really have been dragons, because here's the proof!

It's the same with elephants. They say they exist, you lok at pictures in the books, but until you hold a double rifle, or you walk out of a gunshow with a Safari Grade 700 Remington in 458 Magnum, you can say you believe, but you don't really know it in your heart. Yes, elephants are true. And the Birghorka blade tells you there are many other wondrous things in this world. Therein lies a large part of their value to your soul.

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"They asked would I fight for my country, I answered the FBI, yea!
"I will point a gun for my country but, I won't guarantee you which way!"
Woody Guthrie
 
There is no real point to increasing the spine thickness except to increase weight.
Click to expand...

Will, I think I see your point.

However, increasing the spine thickness doesn't necessarily result in a much heavier weight. If I'm not mistaken, a lot of models are much lighter than one would expect from their spine thickness because they are really deeply fullered (and two fullers are even prettier...
redface.gif
).

Fullers strongly affect blade strength and thick spines would additionally affect splitting ability even if the weight is the same due to deep fullers.

OTH, I'm much in favor of thin (by BiGorkha standards, anyway), swift blades with deep fullers and you are one of the resident chopping experts, so I might be off base...

Best wishes,
kai
 
A khukuri is too thick when it is that heavy that it is not practical for you to use for whatever you want to be doing with it. This determination then of course depends both on the user and the application. My 22" AK is excellent for heavy wood cutting and splitting but is very difficult to use when cutting light brush.

Most of the complaints I have had with people and wood chopping blades are from those who are chopping using wrist or elbow action with really heavy blades. This method has a very high fatigue rate. If you chop pivioting at the waist and drawing on your upper body strength and weight the power gain is extreme and the fatigue rate is very low.

You cannot use this method with lighter blades. Well you can, it just doesn't achieve anything as you reach terminal velocity to soon and you can't generate a push behind the blade. You need a knife with significant mass and a very good handle to make this practical.

I was recently showing some techniques to friends and had them handle the 18" AK and some 7" class blades. The objective was simple, clear through a four to five inch piece of Birch. Not an extreme piece of wood by any means but the difference in performance between the khukuri and the other blades certainly was.

-Cliff
 
I'm with you, Uncle Bill -- souped-up GTOs and thick khuks go hand-in-hand! (I, also, am a former GTO owner -- 400+ ponies.) Ultimately, there's no substitute for horsepower!
 
Steven, I think we are seeing not only the personal preferences come out in this thread but we are seeing physical limitations show up a little bit. Cliff and Will are young and strong and very active. Rusty and I are on the downside of the curve, both have health, strength and endurance considerations. Cliff and Will and many others who are very physically able love the heavy thick bladed khukuris because they are able to use them well and the performance is a sight to behold. And for me personally I love them, too, I just can't use them efficiently anymore.

As far as the GTO's go, the main reason I don't drive 100mph plus anymore are two fold -- I'll get busted and my insurance rates will go sky high, and second, my reflexes, eyesight, strength -- everything -- are not what they were 30 or 40 years ago and when driving 100 mph plus I present a danger not only to myself but to every other person I meet on the road. Not good.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Uncle Bill, I'm in my mid-50s, and while I still admire the old muscle-cars and enjoy checking them out at car shows, I've gone around the bend also in terms of reflexes and eyesight. I would certainly like to have my ol' GTO back, but I'd probably never get it over the speed limit (well, maybe a little).

[This message has been edited by Steven F (edited 06-02-2000).]
 
My GTO and my Austin Healy are long gone, my last motorcycle went at about age 50, my little two seater 100 hp Ercoupe before age 40.


BUT, I still have a 1972 El Camino 402cid big block, that I bought new. It is near original except I put a big Holley double pumper on it. Sometimes when I take it down a lonely Nevada highway and there is not another car in sight I'll pump it up to 100 and then let is slow back down.

Every now and then I get the urge to race some kid away from a stop light but either I have too much sense or too little guts.

Mostly I just tool around in my old Toyota.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Originally posted by Kozak:
... it doesn't need to be very thick. ... barely over a 1/2 inch thick ...

What do you think?
Click to expand...

I think I'm tempted to repost that over at the general forum just to watch people freak out.
smile.gif


-Cougar :{)
 
Cougar, in one word...no.

I will not be misquoted by having piecemeal portions of what I posted twisted around from its original intent.

So do you think khukuris are better thicker or thinner?

Harry

Cougar:
quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Kozak:
... it doesn't need to be very thick. ... barely over a 1/2 inch thick ...

What do you think?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think I'm tempted to repost that over at the general forum just to watch people freak out.

-Cougar :{)

Unquote.
 
On second thought, Cougar, tell them to read this thread in its entirety. We who own and use khukuris have different requirements than other knife knuts.

Harry

smile.gif
 
Harry --- I think if you're going to have a collection of khukuris you should include the thick blades also because you don't see knive's this thick. (They really are cool) --- I like the 15"AKs, which are actually around 15 1/2" to 16"s and are about 1/2" to 7/16" thick. They fit my hand's great! --- I have a 20"AK that is 3.05 lbs and 9/16" thick which is darn nice.
 
Jay, as Uncle Bill said previously, it's also a matter of personal preference.

Vive la difference!

Harry
 
When is a khuk too thick ? That is like saying when is a steak too thick , it's all a matter of taste and what you like . Me , I like them thick and rare (steaks and khuks ) .
 
Sheesh -- the way communication goes astray on the net.... I could rephrase that post without changing the meaning at all, to wit:

"If someone from the general forum happens to wander in here and reads all of this thread, all that will register will be ... it doesn't need to be very thick. ... barely over a 1/2 inch thick ... and his reaction will be ACKKKKKKKKKK!"

I shoulda wrote it that way in the first place.

-Cougar :{)

P.S. Knives are not made that thick for strength -- 1/4" is plenty for strength and toughness unless you really fork up the heat-treat. Chopping knives need weight ... if a khukuri were only 1/4" thick it would have to be very wide to get the same weight ... hmm ... a knife eight or ten inches wide would probably get that "ACKKKKKK!" reaction just as well ... but you'd be tempted to use it for a frying pan, and that could overheat it and ruin the heat-treat....

:{)
 
Uncle, wasn't the Ercoupe the one they had the special licence for back in the old days because it had those elevons intead of rudder and ailerons?

I always was into flying - I got my CAA license the day my dad left his laying around without watching til I had 3/4 - 7/8ths ??? eaten. Ever since, I've had flying in my stomach, if not in my blood.
 
Rusty, the Ercoupe had no rudder pedals -- controls were tied together so you HAD to make coordinated moves whether you wanted to or not. I liked it because I could fly with my legs stretched out across the seat but it was hell for cross wind landings.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
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