Who makes the best Kukuri?

Kwon Kwang said:
A caveat to my previous post.

HI makes kukris that are bigger, thicker, longer, and will obviously offer superior chopping power to the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri because of that. They are also differentially hardened for shock resistance and overall durability. They're exemplary blades. The Cold Steel kukri's handle and sheath is still much better IMO, and it's a lot lighter. If I were to carry a bigger blade than that backpacking or in some sort of emergency situation, I'd pick a machete. Just my preference.

So, overall, OP, I think the answer to your question is a matter of preference; kukris come in all shapes and sizes.
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Good points. You can go old style with wood/horn handle and carbon steel or go modern with G-10 and stainless steel. Also, a machete or parang or panabus are sometimes better. Weight matters a lot when carrying a lot of gear. Even shorter blades turn out to be handier at times. The sheath matters too. Weigh all options.
 
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RamZar said:
Good points. You can go old style with wood/horn handle and carbon steel or go modern with G-10 and stainless steel. Also, a machete or parang or panabus are sometimes better. Weight matters a lot when carrying a lot of gear. Even shorter blades turn out to be handier at times. The sheath matters too. Weigh all options.
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Can't +1 this post enough. If I'm carrying a lot of gear, I'm going to pick lightweight options first. I'm glad I did the last time I went camping; my back is still thanking me.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
Can't +1 this post enough. If I'm carrying a lot of gear, I'm going to pick lightweight options first. I'm glad I did the last time I went camping; my back is still thanking me.
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+1
It's alla about weight and balance! I have to quote!
 
I agree with weight issues, however, the khukhri is based on weight and shape to do what it does best.

Light wont work as well as well balanced and heavier. Besides, 1lb or 2- its 16 ounces/1 lb difference, which do you prefer - get what you want. However, if you are going to go with a khukhri, go Original - honestly, have you ever seen a Ghurka? They are not large people, work out a bit more and lose some weight, trust me, a heavier khukri makes all the difference. And again, Nepalese made is in my opinion not only individually made (not stamped out) giving them amazing individuality and quality.

I love my khukhris and if I carry one, it will always be an Ex Gurkha House fighting knife - or working blade from Himalayan imports. :)


This is my reply on the himalayan thread...

I love mine :)

(And my ex ghurka house one as well)

Nothing like real quality individually made awesomeness


On the right is himalayan imports and left is ex ghurka house - both function amazingly and compared to other knock offs from stamped out production types like cold steel and fox make my friends (who own those) very very jealous!

 
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I"ll stick with mine, my father brought it home from India after WWII. I had a knife maker clean it up a bit a couple years ago but it's all original, handmade by the Gurkha's.

8PCG2f5l.jpg
 
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THE best? Probably one from someone like Jason Knight. but I suspect that you are not actually asking about THE best. ;E
 
EGKH or HI all the way all day- for $200 or less you get better value and quality just saying

Check em out- ill post more pics
 
painkilleraz said:
I agree with weight issues, however, the khukhri is based on weight and shape to do what it does best.

Light wont work as well as well balanced and heavier. Besides, 1lb or 2- its 16 ounces/1 lb difference, which do you prefer - get what you want. However, if you are going to go with a khukhri, go Original - honestly, have you ever seen a Ghurka? They are not large people, work out a bit more and lose some weight, trust me, a heavier khukri makes all the difference. And again, Nepalese made is in my opinion not only individually made (not stamped out) giving them amazing individuality and quality.

I love my khukhris and if I carry one, it will always be an Ex Gurkha House fighting knife - or working blade from Himalayan imports. :)


This is my reply on the himalayan thread...

I love mine :)

(And my ex ghurka house one as well)

Nothing like real quality individually made awesomeness


On the right is himalayan imports and left is ex ghurka house - both function amazingly and compared to other knock offs from stamped out production types like cold steel and fox make my friends (who own those) very very jealous!

Click to expand...

FWIW...the one on the right is a GK Bonecutter. You are confusing them with another Kukri House. Although this is a rather old thread, it may help someone.
 
Himalayan Imports makes the best Khukuri in fit, finish, balance, and customer service, each piece they make is quite literally a work of art. The only problem is most of their models run a bit heavy and while this isn't a problem for a backyard chopper for someone on the go in the field the weight becomes a problem.

Tora Blades make the second best Khukuri, they base all of their models on past and present historical military and village models. Though their fit and finish can be lacking they are truly impressive blades, also tend to be lighter which is great.
 
HI is the best you can get in regular production. The CS Ghurka khuk will be lighter than most HI khuks. Nepalese khuks made the traditional way are heavy due to their saber covex grind. Gives a lot of weight up front for chopping which is their main purpose. There are lighter khuks for fighting. Collecting them can become an addiction.
 
I've had 2 or three Khukris over the years but finally realized that while i like the blade pattern i personally loathe the traditional Khukri handle/grip shape. The ergos just don't work for me. Of course thats a totally personal thing, YMMV. But currently i'm seriously considering getting a Becker Reinhardt Kukri, i'm comfortable with the Becker grip and it appears to be a very good chopper!
 
I recommend HI for quality and service. You can't do any better. Rec. a "farmers" kukuri just after Xmas and the thing is rough finished, lite in the hand and is razor sharp. I also have an India made WWII style that is a bit heavier but definitely not as sharp, close now that I have been working on it but still not in the same league as the HI. The India made has the broadhead arrow mark on it.

I've used the India made more so than the HI for the simple reason when rec. the India made was dull as butter BUT even with the edge in that state it still would cut well when hacking wild rose bush and a type of very large fibrous shrub we have growing between our property and the street nazi's porperty. Put a nice big flat spot out towards the end of the sweet spot and filed it out reasonably well and like I said now is pretty sharp. It is also hardened more towards the center and tip and softer back on the recurve and mid point of the blade going towards the spine. Wild rose puts a good patina on the blade also. keepem sharp
 
Depending on your budget, you could go full Custom.
Jason Knight MS, made this fullered version and Paul Long dressed it.

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DC
 
Pradip (GurkhaKnives here on BF) makes some really exemplary working grade khuks. His bonecutters are heavy but the geometry and HT on mine are stone perfect.
 
+1 i that JW, I've got a Bonecutter and a AK (angkhola) and they are on top of my "always take" knives
Mate you need to pick a reputable maker and contact them.
Tell them your height,weight,strength and what you want to use this Khukuri for and get them to make what you want.
They are craftsman and take pride in providing great knives.
Don't just buy the thickest most badass looking knife you can find,cause it will probably be rubbish to use.
 
I have a fairly large amount of khukuris and my favorites are the GK bonecutter and the HI Ganga Ram.

The Ganga Ram you can get in a shorter variety so it's lighter. However in my experience the tempering is sort of hit or miss on the HI models. I've had them chip from being too hard and also bend from being too soft. The Tora ones I have had did not seem to have the balance or the fine edge of the others but may just have been the models I owned.
 
hollowdweller said:
I have a fairly large amount of khukuris and my favorites are the GK bonecutter and the HI Ganga Ram.

The Ganga Ram you can get in a shorter variety so it's lighter. However in my experience the tempering is sort of hit or miss on the HI models. I've had them chip from being too hard and also bend from being too soft. The Tora ones I have had did not seem to have the balance or the fine edge of the others but may just have been the models I owned.
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Come on HD!, you never owned a khukuri or a nessie in your life :D:p lol lol
I have a EDMF khukuri and love it , had for many years and is done a great job so far.
 
I think there's a lot of merit in the argument toward owning a khukuri with a more moderate weight. If your blade is too heavy you have to put a lot of force into getting it to start moving and if you're going through saplings, a lot of force to get it to stop. It's seriously tiring swinging a 1kg khukuri for anything more than ten minutes and your wrists will be the first to let you know. As well as being more efficient, they're more varied in their utility and better for brushwork etc.
Amongst the existing makers, KHHI, HI, EGKH etc are all making knives that are very heavy, primarily because it's easier when forging from a 12mm leaf spring IMO. The only nepalese manufacturers that are making blades at more functional weights are of course Tora at the very light, martial arts end of things, and two new makers, Gurkhasblades and Kailash Blades. Gurkhasblades are taking the same CNC route of production as KHHI has in recent years but are carving out a small and devoted market with their very light blades and ornate sheaths. Kailash Blades are still entirely hand forged and makes some knives that are intended for martial arts at the lighter end of the spectrum but mostly blades of more moderate weights around the 700g mark for a 13" blade that function a lot better for all purpose outdoors use, as well as a few hefty choppers. They also are the only Nepalese manufacturer to Normalise, Oil Quench or even Temper their blades so their steel is miles ahead of the rest.

IMG-2436.jpg


I think if you look into the newer manufacturers that are trying to innovate that's where you'll find the highest quality these days.
 
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I have khukuris from Becker/KaBar, CS, and HI. So far, I would rank them in that order. I greatly prefer non-traditional handles, as wood and bone tend to split badly here in Colorado. I think that attention to detail is somewhat lacking in the HI models (I have 5). The brass buttcap tends to be proud of the handle and cut my hand when I swing it, uneven grinds, etc. The modern metallurgy of the others really shines when optimizing for weight and balance, IMO.
 
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