WWII as my First

C

crguin

Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
35
Just wanted to give back a little to the group and to Uncle Bill.

I read everything on the HI site and then I ended up here at the forums. Lots of great info at both places. The loyal fans here at the forums really impressed me, and the tone and feel of the HI site was a rare treat. That was probably the most down to earth, heartfelt FAQ that I have ever read. I felt right at home at both places.

After much debating and reading, I finally settled on the WWII as my first Khuk. I wanted a mixed use blade. Chop/Weapon
I am a martial artist and I was concerned about the flow and feel of the blade. I wasn't disappointed with my choice. It feels like an extention of my arm just like I had hoped it would. When I took it out of the box I was amazed at the workmanship and feel. I can't emphasize "FEEL" enough. You should see the look on my friends and family's faces when they hold it. They look almost scared! I guess I looked like that too.

How does it cut? I went from admiring it, back to scared after about 2 swings. It cut thru the limb that I was aiming at and the 3 under it. It wasn't a hard swing either. It commands respect.

The maker is Kumar. The fit and finish is awesome. I would consider it an honor to own any khuk made by him. My hat's off to ya Kumar!

Uncle Bills service....It was at my house in 2-days after I made the phone call. A real pleasure to deal with.

Thanks to all you folks on the forum. All of your info helped me to make the right choice.

Am I gonna order another? You had better believe it.

Thanks

Chris
 
Hello crguin,
I'll echo ferguson's welcome and also your praise of Kumar and the WW2! :)

Now the big question: what will the next one be? It may be just a casual thought now, but it will begin to haunt you shortly. :D
Warren
 
A Kumar WWII? Yup, that's my second favorite khuk. My favorite is my 18" Ang Khola, also by Kumar. :D Great choice, and welcome to the Cantina. The other kooks should be along shortly.
 
Actually it might be awhile. The job situation for me hasn't been looking that bright. With Christmas coming up fast I'm gonna have to think of a few others besides myself. Most of them probably won't have any use for a khuk. I'm just glad I'm single at the moment. Whew! Girls cut WAY into gun and knife money!

Anyway, I'm gonna be thinking hard about a dedicated chopper, and a dedicated weapon. Thinking along the 18" AK line for the chopper (I hear ya roadrunner). Maybe a Kobra for the weapon. Any suggestions on the Kobra length?

Thanks for the warm welcome you other guys. You don't see that too often.

Chris
 
That WW2 18 or 16.5"? I have a BAS by Kumar, it has slowly become my favorite kukri.
 
16.5" WWII. Completely forgot to mention that.

Having picked one that is pretty much in the middle of the road, I wish I could go down the line and handle all of them just to see and "feel" the finer points. I know what to look for now. I think.

As Skeletor mentioned the BAS has slowly became his favorite. I'm thinking that my tastes might change over time too.

That brings up a question. (probably been beat to death though)

BAS or M43? My buddy loves my WWII but I think he wants something different. I'm glad because that way I'll get to handle another one.
hehehehe


Chris
 
My guess is the M43 would be more of a different/new feel compared to your WW2 than the BAS. I dearly love my BAS, but I find the overall feel to be slightly quicker than my WW2 16.5...no more or less. Mind you, that isn't a criticism, since both are awesome, but I think the curvier M43 would be a bigger change.
 
When I cut something in half, I usually don't put a lot of force behind my cuts, and I usually don't start in one place and cut clear through. When cutting a log I usually try to work all the way around the log The last bit is usually in the middle of the log about a third of the way up.

With the curvy blade I can kind of lean over a log with the knife and the cuts seem to take a lot of wood out of the underside of the log. Like at say 7 and 8 o'clock. With the straighter blade it seems to come off more at 9 and 10. For me for some reason it seems to be easier to remove more of the wood from the outside in than from within the notch. I guess cause you can get more of an angle. That is the advantage I have found from the curvier blade.
 
I have an 18" WW2 by Kumar and love it. It surpassed the Chiruwa AK as my favorite chopper. If you like fast, the Kobras are obvious- but the 18" Chitlangi is also excellent for snap cuts.
The Reti - Bura's kobra-style special made from old files- is very fast and takes a wicked edge. They show up now and then, and are definitely worth a look.
 
I'm not a martial artist, and haven't handled a kobra, but my deadliest blade by far is the chainpuri. They seem to be a little harder to find, though.
 
Originally posted by crguin
BAS or M43?
Click to expand...

Hey, Chris, welcome to the Cantina. The M43 and BAS are two different beasts. I have one of each, and you can't go wrong with either one. The BAS is similar to a WWII in terms of overall feel, though the BAS is usually a bit smaller at around 15". Makes for a great camping khuk in my opinion. The M43 has a more extreme curvature, and really puts the weight out towards the end of the blade. Makes a great chopper, but doesn't have the more neutral balance of the WWII. Also, the handle on the M43 is usually a bit smaller, and can have a tendency to twist in the hand while chopping; this can be fixed pretty easily by roughing up the horn a bit with some 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. With all that said, the M43 is one of my favorite khukuris. It looks awesome and feels great in the hand.
--Josh
 
WWII's rule the roost among the standard models as far as I'm concerned. If you like the 16" then for sure try the 18". No need to get into the other types until you have a few of each size, several by each kami, chiruwa-style, etc :D
 
I appreciate all the input.

I'm gonna push my bud toward the 18" WWII. He likes my 16.5" but wants something bigger.

I have settled on the M43 over the BAS.

I think I will be looking for the weapon next though. Just can't get it out of my head. "I feel the need, the need for speed"!


Gonna have to wait though, and that's TOUGH.



Chris
 
Please be welcomed to the cantina or the nut house like Yvsa says.
I like my 16'5" WWII better than the 18". If you go to the kobra I would suggest the 18". I have a 20" and wish I had the 18" myself. Seems to be just a bit more blade hanging out in front than feels
right for me. The 20 is still a pretty fast blade for a fighter.

I can't comment on a lot of the khuks having not handled many of them.
Others can say what they wish but to me the 18" Sirupati is another khuk that sure is another working weapon. The 12" and 15" khuks all make good tools and weapons for defense.

Again welcome to the Cantina and hope you get to like this place.:)
 
Welcome to the cantina, Chris. You will really like the people here; great bunch of human beings. I have an 18" Chiruwa WWII by Kumar (one of several by him) and I truly love the flow and feel of it. I have had blades by Sher, Shanker, Amtrak and Bura also. Each will have their own subtle (sometimes not so subtle) differences, but I have to say that Kumar is one of my favorites.

I see where you have chosen the M43. I had one and passed it on to another forumite. The handle was too small for me. Whatever you do, try and end up with a BAS. There have been really good specials on them in the past. I believe you will find it to be one of the most useful and handy blades of the bunch.

As for a "weapon"? Well, Uncle Bill sent me an 18", 18 oz. Chitlangi several weeks ago. I am just about finished "woodchucking" the handle and will be sending it off to a young Army Ranger stationed on the DMZ. I can tell you it will be hard to part with it even though I bought it knowing it would be going out the door. It is an OUTSTANDING blade. I will have to replace it as soon as possible. And then there's the Sirupati as a weapon. I gave my son a choice of four different khuks before he was sent to Korea. I knew by the smile when he picked up the 18" Kumar that he would keep that one. He tried the last two just to humor me, but I would have picked the same one. Of course the selection was limited and I know he will end up getting a WWII along with several other when he gets back.

Every khuk that I have looks so much better in person. Have you noticed that? There have been some great pictures posted, but it has yet to fail that the blade in person is something else again. Enjoy yourself and be careful.
 
Been too long since I said hello to a newbie, but one that starts with a 16.5 WW2 is worth it. Welcome!

I'll be getting another one myself one of these days. Right now, there are too many almost perfect substitutes that my wife knows about.
 
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