When the poet John Keats wrote, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever," he wasn't writing about khukuris, but his words certainly apply to my latest acquisition -- an 18-inch, horn-handled Panawal. The khuk is truly a beauty to behold: the dark, almost black, handle is strikingly accentuated by the stainless(?) bolster and brads. Though very nice to look at, the khuk is obviously up to any task it might be called upon to perform. It weighs in at a little over 2 and 1/4 pounds, is a shade over 18" long, is 2 and 1/4 inches wide, and right at 1/2" thick. But the thing I like most about this Panawal (other than its looks) is the hefty handle. I don't consider myself a big person, but the handles of some khuks are just too small for me to use for extended periods; however, the handle of this khuk is almost like grabbing a baseball bat -- it's big enough to get a solid grip on and comfortably use all day. However, there was one tiny problem -- on the handle where the rings are carved in, the metal of the full tang stuck up just a hair and made a tight grip a bit uncomfortable, but a few quick passes with a file took care of the problem in short order.
I highly recommend this khuk to anyone looking for a khukuri that is just as much at home chopping down small trees as it is gracing a wall display.
I highly recommend this khuk to anyone looking for a khukuri that is just as much at home chopping down small trees as it is gracing a wall display.