Who'da thunk it (about WWII's)

Yvsa said:
Well if no one has a BGRS and a WW II, how about an 18" AK and a WW II and how do they compare?
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My 18" AK was a serious chopper. Felt like you could splinter a telephone pole in one blow. But not very agile at some 31-32 oz.

My 18" WWII on the other hand is very handy (pun), possessing a decent presence to it and yet still quite agile. I reckon it's also several ounces lighter too.

Don
 
heeheee.

I'm an AK fan meself, but got to handle some WWIIs at the khon. B4 that, I thot I could do without one, now I'm not so sure.

Gelbu is good, but Falcatta is fine!:D:D:D (Well, mebbe cept for that monster custome Gelbu that yo have Danny!)

Keith
 
At the Pen faq, the 18" model looks like it has a 7" handle (plus bolster/habaki) and 11" blade. The 16 1/2" model appears to have a slightly smaller and narrower blade, but not 1 1/2" shorter as the overall lengths might indicate.

Is the handle really that long on the 18" WWII?

On a similar note, the 20" Sirupati appears to have a handle/habaki of almost 6 1/2", while the 21" Chitlangi appears to have a handle/bolster/habaki that runs about 7".

Do the handles get this long on the longer Khukuris?
 
Well, I've decided that I like the Kumar 16.5" WWII a bit more than the Bura 18-incher. Not a surprise I guess considering how Kumar's handles always feel like they were customized for my hand.

I have to confess that the Kumar 16.5-incher though, is probably the ugliest Khukuri I have (smile). But I love the thing. Kinda like the hound dog that's perfect in every way except you wish at times he weren't so homely (think French Mastiff - a purebred perfectly engineered for what it does, but lacking the sleek, graceful aesthetics of a Huskey or German Shepherd or Dobermann).

In fact, I have to say that of the 18 Khukuris I currently have or have had (sold four of them, and really wish I'da kept at least one of them now - lousy seller's remorse - seemed like a good idea at the time.............)....

Anyway, I digress - of the 18 HI Khuks I have owned, this 16.5" WWII feels the best in my hand. When I grasp it, it just *locks* into position. Absolutely 100% perfect fit with perfect control as result.

Who'da thunk it.

Don
 
Yvsa said:
Anyone have a BGRS -and- a WW II?

My favorite all around khuk is my BGRS and I'm wondering how it compares to the WW II?
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Yvsa, sorry I missed this thread until today. I have a BGRS that Uncle Bill says was bit shorter than most at 17". It handles very nicely. (I then got a monster GRS at 22", so I have both extremes covered!) I also have WWII's in both 18" (horn) and 16.5" (wood.) I thought that I would like the BGRS hands down, and it is a nice blade, but overall for balance I like the 18" WWII best of the 2. I actually prefer the GRS to the BGRS as far as balance, but I don't know, it could just be my model. The 17" BGRS puts too much weight to the back to be that comfortable to me. Overall, of course, I still love my 21" Chitlangi (my first HI blade) more than anything else for the way it feels and handles.

After the 18" WWII, I think I like the AK's still better than the BGRS, and the fatter the handle the better. Bottom line, I am going to pick two of mine to have new sheaths made once Terry gets free, and I think I'm picking the horn 18" WWII and my 16.5" Wood handled Chiruwa AK. Any 18" AK would be a close follow up. I have a 20" AK and it handles great for me. I am pretty good sized at 6' 8" (203.2 CM to Danny) and have big hands so the 20" is not a big problem for me. (I just wish I had been here when the 25" AK had been available!) The 20" AK is one hell of a chopper, but for carrying purposes the Chiruwa has it beat.

Just my .02¢ worth.

Regards,

Norm
 
Thanks Norm.:D
I've shrunk quite a bit from my pre back surgery days when I was 5' 10 1/2". I'm now 5'7" and a lot bigger around than I used to be as well, and also not as strong in my upper body.:rolleyes:
I can still swing my 18" AK like a banshee from hell, but it's for destroying wood and doesn't have the precision of my BGRS for me.
My BGRS is also not as tiring for me being lighter than my AK.
I guess the only way to see if I would like a WW II would just be to get one, but in this case I'm really having a hard time of trying to justify one.
But then again I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I'm missing something.:rolleyes: ;) :D
 
Yvsa said:
Thanks Norm.:D
I've shrunk quite a bit from my pre back surgery days when I was 5' 10 1/2". I'm now 5'7" and a lot bigger around than I used to be as well, and also not as strong in my upper body.:rolleyes:
I can still swing my 18" AK like a banshee from hell, but it's for destroying wood and doesn't have the precision of my BGRS for me.
My BGRS is also not as tiring for me being lighter than my AK.
I guess the only way to see if I would like a WW II would just be to get one, but in this case I'm really having a hard time of trying to justify one.
But then again I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I'm missing something.:rolleyes: ;) :D
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Damn, 3 1/2 inches in height! That must have been a hell of a back problem. But I can sympathize about being bigger around! I need to lose a solid 70 lbs. to get down to my target weight of 260.

As far as the WWII, I would just wait for one to show up on special or as a blem. You're bound to see an 18" there sooner or later. If you're not happy with it I know someone else will take it off your hands for the same price if you just let us know.

The only one I can't decide on whether to get or not is the 18th century. I just can't see the difference between that model and the WWII by sight, espcially now as they don't seem to come with the hash marks on the blade.


Regards,

Norm
 
Hi I am new to the forums and after an email conversation with UB I have decided to purchase a 16.5 WWII. My great Uncle had one from his service in Malaysia and I fell in love with it. Now at 35 I want one of my own.
Could I ask for an opinion regarding

1. Does everyone agree with Don that it is considered 'ugly' compared to some of the others?
2. What is the better handle horn or wood for this knife?

I intend to use the knife for camping etc twice a year at most and at other times it will be hung on the wall in my 'den'.

Love these forums by the way.
 
Welcome to the cantina Moff8! I may be mistaken, but I took Don's comment to mean that his WWII is ugly compared to his other Khukuris. In my own opinion, the Khuk is a premier example of "form following function"-and thus there are no "ugly" Khukuris. :)

Since your anticipated demands for it are light, almost any Khukuri would serve your purpose, but the WWII you are considering is probably the best "all-arounder" for the western hand. In a way, it doesn't matter what you get- it isn't likely to be your last. :D ;) :D

So again, welcome! Please be sure to let us know what you decide, and what you think of it once its in your hands.
 
Ugly is a subjective thing. I've never liked the point of the WWII models myself. To me, it looks like a really big tanto. On occasion some with different, more pointy tips show up. I waited for one of these. Just a personal preference. Have a look at a few pictures, you may think differently.
 
Moff8 said:
Hi I am new to the forums and after an email conversation with UB I have decided to purchase a 16.5 WWII. My great Uncle had one from his service in Malaysia and I fell in love with it. Now at 35 I want one of my own.
Could I ask for an opinion regarding

1. Does everyone agree with Don that it is considered 'ugly' compared to some of the others?
2. What is the better handle horn or wood for this knife?

I intend to use the knife for camping etc twice a year at most and at other times it will be hung on the wall in my 'den'.

Love these forums by the way.
Click to expand...

Hi, Moff;

Well, as they say, beauty, or ugliness is only skin deep. And they also say beauty or ugliness is in the eye of the beholder. Given those two very applicable sayings, my advice is to go where your heart takes you.

I am a firm believer in function over form, but if form happens to come along, then think of it as Christmas. My less than strong attraction for my Kumar 16.5-incher is due to it having one of the most paddle shaped tips I've ever seen on any khukuri, far more so than is typical of the WWII's I've seen displayed or photographed. If you do a search for WWII's on this forum you will see that they are all basically paddle or spatula shaped, but they vary in degree as to how much and how much taper or point they have. I've seen a lot of WWII's here that look almost like BAS's. Mine just happens to be very spatula-shaped instead.

But I am willing to gladly overlook that because it is the nicest feeling khukuri I've ever hefted, and I know that if it performs as well as the other dozen and a half HI khukuris I've had, I've got a real winner here. I'll never sell this one.

When you know that my most preferred Khukuris in terms of looks are the Gelbu Specials and Sirupatis you can then understand how this particular WWII might not trip my trigger from a looks standpoint. :D

As far as wood or horn, it "seems" based on my readings here that wood might be a bit more durable, but I can't say to what extent.

I've tried real hard to have a preference in terms of aesthetics and feel, but I can't. They both look and feel great, especially if you get a Kami who seems to magically know how to fit a khuk to your hand the way Kumar apparently can with mine.

Don
 
I was up at Uncle's once and picked up one ( don't remember which ) and ended up buying it. I guess I picked it up and didn't put it down for 5 or 10 minutes. He said " I thought that was the one " or some such thing.

All bets are off when you go to a convention and get to actually hold a bunch of khuks in your hands. You can have it all planned out, you want one model, ( say an 18" Gelbu and end up with a 20 inch Sirupati or 12"AKOne may talk to you. Nonverbally. It may be nothing like what you thought you wanted. But when one comes alive in your hands, and it calls you, you are sunk.
 
Moff8 said:
Hi
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Hi.
Welcome.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
:rolleyes:
Unless you're tied to the idea of a wwii,
just go browse the HI site and
see which pix you keep going back to stare at.

That's the best one to start with.

Once you have used one,
you'll have a better idea if it's the
-right- one for you,
and what change might be better for your tastes.

One of the reasons for HIKV.
Even within a type,
such as wwii,
there are many subtle differences between individual knievs
that you may prefer or not.
 
Moff 8 ?

First: Welcome. :)

Second: The first H.I. khukuri you get will astonish you. Read the safety links NOW, because you won't think to once the box gets to you.

Third: My advice would be to get the one that called you here in the first place. If it is because of a historical relationship AND you want some function, then you will be very happy indeed.

Fourth: On ugliness or beauty. It is my personal experience that I am more handsome with a khukuri ! (Certainly, no one makes comments about my looks when I have one on. Your experience may vary.) It is an edged tool, it appears as it appears. Your judgement is the only one which matters.


Enjoy the chosing.

Kis
We have so much.
 
Thanks for all your comments I will bare them in mind when I make my final decision. I will certainly post pictures.

This will be my one and only Kukri as my wife doesn't approve of any knife and the laws in scotland are quite strict regarding thier use. It is only the fact that it is something that I have always wanted that has softened her disapproval. she thinks they are ugly.

moff8 is a name I use as it is short for Moffatt, a surname I can rarely use on the Internet due to some boy band in the US. :)

Thanks again.
 
Svashtar said:
The only one I can't decide on whether to get or not is the 18th century. I just can't see the difference between that model and the WWII by sight, espcially now as they don't seem to come with the hash marks on the blade.
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Mine is a hatchmarked model, in comparison the two are very similar. The biggest difference is that the spine on the WWII is angled, while the 18th Century is totally curved. They *do* feel different though.


ps: "This will be my one and only Kukri as my wife doesn't approve" - ROFLMAO :D We all know it will *not* be your only. They grow on ya!
 
Moff8 said:
Thanks for all your comments I will bare them in mind when I make my final decision. I will certainly post pictures.

This will be my one and only Kukri as my wife doesn't approve of any knife and the laws in scotland are quite strict regarding thier use. It is only the fact that it is something that I have always wanted that has softened her disapproval. she thinks they are ugly.

moff8 is a name I use as it is short for Moffatt, a surname I can rarely use on the Internet due to some boy band in the US. :)

Thanks again.
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Hi, Moff;

Please don't take this wrong, but, how does she prepare the meats and vegetables for meals without knives? Seriously. If she's concerned about the appearance of Khukuris in your home suddenly making you insane and causing you to kill her in her sleep, she might want to know that more people are killed with standard kitchen knives than all other types of knives, swords, machetes or implements combined.

Don't recall where I read it - one of those Dept of Justice or university studies somewhere.

Don
 
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