Which Khuk to use for clearing anise reeds?

U

Ugly Duck

Joined
Oct 6, 2008
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I ordered my wood-choppers, but there is a weed that probably warrants a different khuk (any old excuse, eh?). In the Bay Area, anise grows 8-10ft tall. The reeds are only about 1 inch thick, but they dry hard & hollow. A weed-whacker just bounces right off of them. My machete will cut them, but the thing is so thick & heavy that it bends the reeds at the end of the swing where the blade velocity is reduced. You folks know these khuks inside & out so I know I've come to the right place for advice. Which khuk will keep its blade velocity all they way through the swing of a 6ft 180lb guy? I'd like to cut this stuff off at about 1ft from the ground.

ANISE3.jpg
 
A Kobra or Sirupate, especially the long ones would seem to be made for this.

Or, one of the swords -- Tarwar, HI Katana, Tibetan sword, etc. . . :D
 
Thanks, CP... I'll check into them....

Of course, you'll be there to back me up when I try to explain to my wife that I need to buy an HI Katana to cut down the weeds, right?
 
Hey UD, the 20 Sirupati is my go to brush blade. Have used it on light grass all the way up to 9" diameter Quaking aspen (softwood) and it has done great! Thick stalky thistles are no match for it. It's all in ones technique and wrist. Cutting stuff at a 45 degree angle with a snap cut works really well for me.

Heber
 
Based on cutting similar type of stuff, I agree......
A 20" or 21" sirupate, very fast angled cut, ideally with a 1.5-hands grip to maximise force.
 
If you can find a Gelbu Special in the 18-20 inch range, that would be the way to go IMHO. It has the shape and spine thickness of the Sirupate, but the full length fuller lightens it up for increased speed and control. I find it a better choice than say a Kobra. Love all the advantages a fuller gives you, strength and speed.:thumbup:
 
ArchAngel said:
If you can find a Gelbu Special in the 18-20 inch range, that would be the way to go IMHO. It has the shape and spine thickness of the Sirupate, but the full length fuller lightens it up for increased speed and control. I find it a better choice than say a Kobra. Love all the advantages a fuller gives you, strength and speed.:thumbup:
Click to expand...

I concur and would also suggest the Chitlangi in the same length range for the same reason. One thing to be aware of though is they're Sirupati's and then they're Sirupati's.
The same thing applies to Gelbu Special's, Chitlangi's and all the others mentioned.
Whichever you should choose or order try very hard to get one of the lighter, thinner, examples....
 
Fennel (which is what you have) is pretty soft, so I'd go with a light, fast khuk, as the others have recommended (like a sirupate). A cheaper option is to get a diamond hone and really sharpen your machete. Even the lightest khukuri is thicker and heavier than a machete, and if you think your machete is too heavy, the khukuri will not be an improvement. You can also invest in a decent pair of loppers, which would probably be faster.

I hate to be annoying, but in addition to cutting the stems, you need to get the roots, either ideally with a shovel or, if you can't do it, with roundup painted on the stump (NOT sprayed, since it will go into the water). IF you've got a lot of them (the problem in parts of coastal southern California), herbicides are often the only viable option for controlling large, expanding patches.

F
 
l've had a lot of success using sirupati's and chitlangi's for slaying multiflora rose. The lighter, quicker khukris are better than an Ang Khola for such uses.

My latest H.I. acquisition is a 20.25" Sirupati by Bura. The old master craftsman forged it with unusually deep fullers and the effect is a sort-of a Sirupati/Gelbu hybrid. It's strong and stout, but it's lighter in weight than the last 20" Kobra I saw offered on a DotD. The result is an amazingly agile and quick khukri which is still strong enough to sever tree branches, and it's perfect for battling briars and such. :thumbup:
 
fearn said:
A cheaper option is to get a diamond hone and really sharpen your machete. Even the lightest khukuri is thicker and heavier than a machete, and if you think your machete is too heavy, the khukuri will not be an improvement.
Click to expand...

Its not your average thin-metal stamped machete. It was forged from a truck leaf spring in Thailand and is over 5/16" thick. The blade is 21" inches long & heavy (27" overall).

I rigged an EdgePro with DMT diamond stones & put a paper-slicing edge on it.

The dry fennel reeds are crowded close together & have slick, hard coverings. The blade goes through about 30 of 'em, but is slowed enough at the end of the swing that it bends #s 31 thru 40. I figure that with a shorter, faster blade I'll take out fewer per swing... but it'll cut through what it hits & thus be easier on the hand. Just wanna make the creek where the kids play visible from the trail.

machete.jpg


Sharp enough to slice paper:
machetecuttingpaper.jpg


I need to cut through this stuff 8-10ft high:
fennelreed.jpg
 
Ugly Duck said:
Its not your average thin-metal stamped machete. It was forged from a truck leaf spring in Thailand and is over 5/16" thick. The blade is 21" inches long & heavy (27" overall).
Click to expand...

Sorry to go OT but is there any chance for a few full length photo's please? The blade is very much like a traditional Thai Darb with a Pla Nalea Suan form/style?

Sure is a very appealing machete!;)
 
Now thats what I call a Machette spiced up with a hot Thai tang, not to mention the blade!:D

Many thanks for the photo's and I hope you get your Khukuri very soon!:thumbup:
 
Wolf_1989 said:
My latest H.I. acquisition is a 20.25" Sirupati by Bura. The old master craftsman forged it with unusually deep fullers and the effect is a sort-of a Sirupati/Gelbu hybrid. It's strong and stout, but it's lighter in weight than the last 20" Kobra I saw offered on a DotD. The result is an amazingly agile and quick khukri which is still strong enough to sever tree branches, and it's perfect for battling briars and such. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

So is a Sirupati/Gelbu hybrid like yours an unusual bird, or can I expect to see something similar parading along in the DOTDs?

Or maybe like ArchAngel sez an 18-20 inch Gelbu Special with full-length fullers or Yvsa's thin, light Chitlangi or as seaice suggests a 20" or 21" sirupate with a 1.5-hands grip and a very fast angled cut or Cpl Punishment's Kobra.

OK.... got it! (I think....)
 
20" or 21" sirupate with a 1.5-hands grip
Click to expand...
Oops, that's my poor wording.... Not meaning a 1.5-hands long handle as such (although that would be good!) -- but with a normal, westerner-length, kukri handle unless your hands are big you can usually get some extra grip on the end of it with your spare hand.
 
Ugly Duck said:
So is a Sirupati/Gelbu hybrid like yours an unusual bird, or can I expect to see something similar parading along in the DOTDs?

Or maybe like ArchAngel sez an 18-20 inch Gelbu Special with full-length fullers or Yvsa's thin, light Chitlangi or as seaice suggests a 20" or 21" sirupate with a 1.5-hands grip and a very fast angled cut or Cpl Punishment's Kobra.

OK.... got it! (I think....)
Click to expand...

Well, I don't think Bura set out to create something new. It more than likely just turned out that way. I'm a flintknapper. Sometimes when I'm working on a biface, the stone tells you how it wants to turn out despite your original plans for it. This is how I reckon this sirupati came to be.

I already had a 25" Sirupati (Vim). When I took the new 20.25" one out of the tribox and drew it from the scabbard, those gorgeous deep & wide fullers were the first thing I noticed. It's normal for a khukri to have some degree of concave-ness on the sides of the blade, but these fullers are strikingly deep. This aspect on the 25" sirupati isn't even close. The second thing I noticed was how lightweight it was and how alive it felt in the hand.

Maybe this is how Bura makes his sirupati's. I don't know. It definitely works though because that sirupati handles like a rapier; very quick and very agile.

About a month later I saw a 20" Kobra on a DotD which was a few ounces heavier than my 20.25" Sirupati, and that caught my attention and made me wonder...

(Another odd thing is the sirupati came with two kardas instead of the usual karda & chakma combo. Both had villager type unpolished and unstained handles which I polished a little and stained with Minwax walnut stain.)
 
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