Worst Kukri? (And a Give-Away)

My worst is the CS Khukri machete. Like others the coating was coated on and the edge was thick with it. When I sharpened it it barely took an edge and it rolled so easily. The thing had literally no heat treat to it. i would have done better grabbing slag steel from Home depot and sharpening it up. The handle as everyone knows is atrocious.

I actually tried to re-do the heat treat since it was a simple steel. I make knives and have all the tools. Still....no bueno.

WORST KNIFE EVER! And I have held frosts stuff. I'd take a big ole Frost Cutlery fantasia knife over one of CS Machetes. At least there stuff comes kinda sharp.
 
Yeah i need to change my answer to the worst kukri is the one you don't have when you need it. Now i realize that logically that probably makes the giant three foot "buff's head" kukri the worst, since it would be hardest to ever have on you, and unfortunately by the same logic makes the CS Rajah the best since it would be the easiest to have on you when you need it, but i still think the worst is the one you don't have.
 
The lowest level of kuk that I have would be a newly made, 'damascus' piece hailing from Pakistan. Rumor has it that they utilize all manner of metals in the billet production which includes tin, lead and some odd type of brass mixture. What you have is a pretty pattern with zero edge strength and poor edge holding ability. Buyer beware!

The kuks from Kukhri House have been ok for the most part. Heat treat is average to good with the emphasis being on lower RC readings. You are not likely to break one of these 5/16th to 1/2 inch monsters, but the edges will roll and deform readily following impact with more strident materials. HI represents a better quality at a premium price when contratsed with the CS version from South Africa.

The CS products work considerably well if the edges are reprofiled. Wear a glove if the hand hurts!
 
TheLastDaze said:
...I'll say this is the WORST Khukuri (i own couple more and they're equally bad).. And intend on selling all of them..

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...
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Sell it to me :D (seriously).


mdole said:
did I miss what the answer was? What IS the worst kukri? Just checking!
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Not yet. I want to get a few more responses, so let's say by this time (8:30pm Eastern time) on Monday I'll call it.
 
the worst for me was a "genuine ghurka kukri" made in India - the BudK/CTD/Atlanta cutlery/flea market special I got for $20. (it's gone now)
there was no fit/finish.
edge was worse than blunt - and so soft you couldn't even sharpen it.
 
Honestly I have not used a bad Khukri, as all that I have used have been authentic Nepalese imported by a local mans in-laws. I have a CS kukri machete, but as far as machetes go it is perfectly serviceable, and I have had worse. This post can't win, but it is my honest opinion.
 
seelow123 said:
worst one is the frost kukri-styled machete

i picked it up at smkw a couple years back and i thought it was great but i was sorely mistaken

the finish was terrible, the blade was incredibly dull, the handle was really cheap, i never really choped anything with it so i dont know how well it would have performed

i would have never bought it but i didnt know any better at the time:o

thanks for the chance:thumbup::)
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Winner! I know I was a little late in posting the results, but I actually have one of these and had to test it. The edge tore and the blade bent. Worst $7 I've spent in a long time. E-mail me your address and I'll get a kukri (post a photo when you get it) out to you. You won't be disappointed :D
 
JNieporte said:
Winner! I know I was a little late in posting the results, but I actually have one of these and had to test it. The edge tore and the blade bent. Worst $7 I've spent in a long time. E-mail me your address and I'll get a kukri (post a photo when you get it) out to you. You won't be disappointed :D
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holy crap, i actually won! thank you so much:D:D:D
 
Congrats! Now I'll chime in: the worst one, by far, was a KLO I bought from Sarko. I hammered the blade broadside over the end of a 2x4, and bent it into a U-shape. And when I opened the box, the fumes from whatever they used to tan the leather in the sheath made everyone nauseous, and I had to open the windows & run fans to clear it out. The KLO went into the dumpster lass than an hour after I got it...literally, no more than fifty minutes of owenership at the most. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough.

~Chris
 
Took a chance and ordered the CS Kukri Machete. Already already have plans to regrind the edge, reprofile the blade shape, and paracord wrap the handles. We'll see how it performs. Will post my results.
 
When I was 13 I bought a "Tourist Lion Head" Kukri in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. The "steel" was thick but felt like it was some strange lighter alloy. Pommel and hilt metal looked and felt like pewter. Black buffalo bone handle was poorly shaped with sharp edges. The sheath fit about as well as a shoebox for a pen knife. I bought it for around $12 which was a lot for the time and place. It was junk that was good for nothing. I kept it around for years until I got tired of looking at it in disgust and threw it away. It was just taking up space.

I currently have a 7 3/4 inch blade $35 Khukri House small Kook and a Sarco M1937 Indian Special at 19 inches total.

Sarco carries the Pewter Lion Head type Kukri's, the exact same I bought some 30 years ago in KL, two types of Windlass standard military type at $13 and $18. My M1937 looks like a Windlass that was made to look like an antique with a ton of brass at $26 + $6 shipping.
 
i know im about to get some hate mail for this ,but i think the worst i owned is himalayan-imports ,just becuase i do not like the handles, i have owed four,i sold them all but my first one i ever got, i modified the handle to my liking..to me i do not like the ring in the middle of the handle it tears up my palms,an i dont care for the flared butt,the handles can be to short an thick which i dont care for..but thats just me..
the last one i sold you can see the ring in the middle,an flared butt
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handle i modified
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Although the contest is over, I have to agree that the rings on traditional khukuri can be quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, I'm very comfortable modifying knives, and I usually sand or grind down the ring a bit so that it's comfortable in hand. But, used right, I've never found anything that excels at quite as many tasks. Yes, there are better choppers and better slicers out there. But there aren't that many knives that do as many tasks as well, IMHO. The big problem is that they have a very different grip style required than most choppers. Many new khuk users grip the khuk tightly as if it were a baseball bat or something, rather than letting the blade do the job on the chop. That's why the butt is flared; so that the blade doesn't fly out of your hand because you're supposed to be using a loose grip on most of your fingers. So it's not exactly the most forgiving knife for bad technique, especially because if you fub your chop, you could lose a limb.

The worst khukuri I have ever used was a Smith and Wesson KLO. It broke after about 5 minutes of fairly light chopping, blade went flying off and nearly killed my backpacking buddy. I will never buy Smith and Wesson knives again. I don't really like Cold Steel's handles, but they're pretty nice for the money, as are the Kabar variation. I haven't had the privilege to try a Machax yet, so I can't speak to that. I love my HI's, but obviously they're not for everyone. I think it's indisputable, however, that if you are looking for a good traditional style khukuri, they're hard to beat. They're certainly head and shoulders above the crap tourist khuks you get most places.

I think it would be fun to design my own khuk. Just need to get some steel for it...
 
I only have one and have yet to see another in person, so my experiences with them are limited. The cons of mine are that the handle is getting loose and I need to practice sharpening convex re-curved blades. but aside from that its performed quite well as my big knife during hikes and camping and has lasted quite well for a ~60yr old knife
 
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FortyTwoBlades said:
The worst I've personally used (which isn't many--I'm CERTAIN there are much worse!) is the CS Kukri Machete. The handle (as it comes from the factory) is a blister machine. Nothing a little sandpaper doesn't fix though.
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That was my experience too. Traditional pommel shape + deeply checkered rubber = blisters. Plus I didn't care for the balance / center of gravity. I gave it away.
 
CS LTC kukri. I broke the first one chopping a pine sapling. Permanently bent the second one. And my friend at the time ended up breaking his blade too.
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
Although the contest is over, I have to agree that the rings on traditional khukuri can be quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, I'm very comfortable modifying knives, and I usually sand or grind down the ring a bit so that it's comfortable in hand. But, used right, I've never found anything that excels at quite as many tasks. Yes, there are better choppers and better slicers out there. But there aren't that many knives that do as many tasks as well, IMHO. The big problem is that they have a very different grip style required than most choppers. Many new khuk users grip the khuk tightly as if it were a baseball bat or something, rather than letting the blade do the job on the chop. That's why the butt is flared; so that the blade doesn't fly out of your hand because you're supposed to be using a loose grip on most of your fingers. So it's not exactly the most forgiving knife for bad technique, especially because if you fub your chop, you could lose a limb.

The worst khukuri I have ever used was a Smith and Wesson KLO. It broke after about 5 minutes of fairly light chopping, blade went flying off and nearly killed my backpacking buddy. I will never buy Smith and Wesson knives again. I don't really like Cold Steel's handles, but they're pretty nice for the money, as are the Kabar variation. I haven't had the privilege to try a Machax yet, so I can't speak to that. I love my HI's, but obviously they're not for everyone. I think it's indisputable, however, that if you are looking for a good traditional style khukuri, they're hard to beat. They're certainly head and shoulders above the crap tourist khuks you get most places.

I think it would be fun to design my own khuk. Just need to get some steel for it...
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very true ,once i modified the handle i really like it,i just cant get use to the three finger snap cut,,i realy like the coldsteel handles ,they are on the rough side an can tear up you hands but the size an feel in the hand i like..
 
I've only had two, the worst being the cold steel kukri machete. if you buy one you pretty much need to expect to sharpen it right out of the box. now my sheath seems a bit sturdier than ones I've seen in vids so maybe they started using thicker material recently. it's ok for transport but forget about carrying it on your person with the lazy design. with that said it is under $20 and after a decent sharpening it is a wicked blade. I carved the flare off the top part of my handle and did a cord wrap and now it's a pretty good blade. I ordered a kydex sheath for it and if that works out it'll move up a few notches in my blade hierarchy. when you buy a knife for less than $20 you have to really expect to do some mods to it anyway but the way that edge comes from the factory is all jacked up and the grind was uneven down near the handle.
 
I have 2. An Ontario Spec-Plus Kukri & one from my step-dad, who is from England & was in the Royal Navy, who was in WWII & said he got it from a British Gurka on a ship during the war, when they got newer ones. Truth-???? Who knows. Anyway, it had no sheath by the time i got it.

I like them both. The Ontario takes & holds a MUCH better edge than the other. The WWII one is plenty sharp, just not hair shaving, paper sliceing sharp like the Ontario. I like it. I have batoned with it, & cleared trails with it. It is a cutting/chpping machine. I think most people either like them or they don't. They are not for everyone.
 
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