Modern materials Khukuri

kookery said:
That's exactly why I've always wanted a kukri, since I was tiny kid. They looked so natural to me.
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I had a lousy tourist wall hanger kukri that my folks brought back from Turkey. But i chopped stuff with it anyway. So when i started looking for a new camp knife and hatchet, I thought about how handy that old kukri design was. And my search landed me here also.

The power of a knife is in the cut, and the curve makes the cut as you said. I think you got a good one. Your WW2 - 17.5" at 23 oz, is a very good ratio. Get some epoxy so you can fix the handle crack when you get it. You shouldn't have any further problem out of the horn handle after the epoxy sets.
 
I will probably try wrapping it with paracord for better grip, too. I'd like to see if maybe I can customize the shape using paracord. It'll probably end up as a twisted mess unless I remove the horn handle. We'll see.
 
I have a bunch of kukris from 15-21 inches and 20-41oz and the WWII design is my favorite. I hope you will find joy in using yours.
 
kookery said:
I will probably try wrapping it with paracord for better grip, too. I'd like to see if maybe I can customize the shape using paracord. It'll probably end up as a twisted mess unless I remove the horn handle. We'll see.
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Love the paracord grip also. It might work over the handle if your hand is big enough.
I have never removed the handle of a stick tang knife, so i can't help you either way.

Perhaps someone has a photo and advice to share of an handle replacement on a stick tang knife?

You might try a tennis racket handle wrap material, it is pretty thin. I would try to use the horn handle till you totally break it.
Rather than break it right off, before you even use it. I like the feel of my horn handles, but still prefer wood too. But for marine enviro, don't forget that horn works a little better vs water.
 
GoodStuff said:
Love the paracord grip also. It might work over the handle if your hand is big enough.
I have never removed the handle of a stick tang knife, so i can't help you either way.

Perhaps someone has a photo and advice to share of an handle replacement on a stick tang knife?

You might try a tennis racket handle wrap material, it is pretty thin. I would try to use the horn handle till you totally break it.
Rather than break it right off, before you even use it. I like the feel of my horn handles, but still prefer wood too. But for marine enviro, don't forget that horn works a little better vs water.
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you know if i was going to sea with your WW2, i might just dip the whole handle in rubber cement. There are a few spaces inside a handle assembly for water to get into no matter what you do.
Just thinking out loud really.... never tried this, but it couldn't hurt. If it doesn't work just peel the rubber cement off.
 
kookery said:
I might try this: http://www.plastidip.com/
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HA! Exactly what i was thinking about.
Definately post a how-to regarding your experiences if you do this.

Or, how about that spray on rubber stuff they sell on late nite TV? the one where the guy has a john-boat with a screen door bottom? LOL.

You might try to put this in a vacuum chamber to get the plastic stuff down in the spaces. or a vac bag? You can put a canister vac on to achieve this if you have one.

....But we might be starting to get *too* wacky here.... again try the recipe before you change it. Good advice i need to follow! (i can be a bad influence to your hacker inclinations. Don't let me cancel out all the prior good advice I and others have given.)
:)
 
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The WWII is a great model. I would try the handle before worrying too much. I have two WWIIs and the handles are superb. As far as removing it. Hung (I believe it was he) has a great post somewhere you should dig up. The process is more or less just removing enough of the tang end, which is peened over the keeper, to allow the keeper and butt plate to be removed when the laha is loosened. To loosen the laha, as far as I've read anyway, it's a matter of wrapping the handle in a thick ziplock bag and boiling it until the laha becomes liguid (ish). They say it stinks like hell:), so I'd try to do it outside. At that point, the handle can be slid off the tang. We've had forumites rehandle with stacked leather and micarta. Both turned out fantastic. Steve handmade a handle without power tools for a vintage blade from Atlanta Cutlery. It looked great and put the old war horse back in service. Do some research and you'll find a lot of great ideas and see some incredible talent as well. First, check out the handle it comes with as it may fit perfectly. I did a 550 wrap on my CS Gurkha's rubber handle as it was too small for chopping and that worked well, but I've not tried it on anything else. Take care.
 
Bigfattyt said:
Busse Combat. They make two versions.

KZ and the KZII. 12 inch blade. .257 thick nearly indestructible Infi steel, guard. Micarta or G10 handles.

But pricy, and tough to find.

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I just saw this, WOW!!!!!11oneone

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...terile-Steel-Heart-today?highlight=triple cut

This one is also very interesting:

http://www.ramanon.com/forum/showthread.php?79158-busse-s-newer-khukuri-vs.-their-test-team-design

I might have to make a few calls...
 
kookery said:
I might have to make a few calls...
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And get a second job!

For one Busse i can buy (6) HI kuks and throw away any that get a chip. I couldn't tear up that much steel in my lifetime. My elbow and shoulder would need joint replacement surgery first.
 
I agree. The only reason I would want such an expensive knife is for the gadget-lover appeal. It is apparently the "ultimate" knife, but the difference in practical usage is much smaller than the difference in price. I don't often need to hack my way through chains, etc. But, I suppose if I wanted the satisfaction of knowing that theoretically I COULD, then I might be willing to wastefully tie-up the money into something like that. According to people that own the Busse kukris, they are not balanced for utility use like the Himalayan Imports are, because the Busse versions are too heavy in the handles.
 
I'd much rather buy several HI Khukuri, and maybe a sword or two. It isn't like HI blades have any durability issues, so I don't understand paying so much for any knife.
 
kookery said:
I agree. The only reason I would want such an expensive knife is for the gadget-lover appeal. It is apparently the "ultimate" knife, but the difference in practical usage is much smaller than the difference in price. I don't often need to hack my way through chains, etc. But, I suppose if I wanted the satisfaction of knowing that theoretically I COULD, then I might be willing to wastefully tie-up the money into something like that. According to people that own the Busse kukris, they are not balanced for utility use like the Himalayan Imports are, because the Busse versions are too heavy in the handles.
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I know how you feel. Why I wanted to share some of my experience, and help free you from the burden and expense of seeking the "perfect" kukri.
It just isn't worth it for chopping knife. How high tech does peice of steel need to be, really? Your WW2 will do whatever you need done.
And who chops through chains? If i needed to, i would just sacrifice a kuk to do it, and buy 2 replacements in honor of it sacrificing itself to break my bonds.
Likely I would just blow the chain apart with a 12ga slug... but that is another forum entirely.
 
kookery said:
This video is interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erc7f_CBc_8

Notice how the kukri handle causes it to rotate in his hands. He isn't able to use as much accurate force as he can with the modern handle in the Busse knife...
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Thank you for posting this. It is good for everyone on this forum to see. I'm glad the gentleman in the video did not hurt himself.

The late survival instructor Ron Hood, although quite capable of using a khukuri himself, did not like to allow them in the hands of his students for this very reason. After watching that video, I can imagine a survival instructor 10 miles back in the woods watching his student and visions of lawsuits and mortuary bills going through his head.

The khukuri is used a little differently than a straight knife. Its use comes naturally to some people and not so much to others. Even for those unused to the blade, some careful and sensitive attention to what the knife tells you will often illuminate the appropriate technique.
 
Howard Wallace said:
Thank you for posting this. It is good for everyone on this forum to see. I'm glad the gentleman in the video did not hurt himself.

The late survival instructor Ron Hood, although quite capable of using a khukuri himself, did not like to allow them in the hands of his students for this very reason. After watching that video, I can imagine a survival instructor 10 miles back in the woods watching his student and visions of lawsuits and mortuary bills going through his head.

The khukuri is used a little differently than a straight knife. Its use comes naturally to some people and not so much to others. Even for those unused to the blade, some careful and sensitive attention to what the knife tells you will often illuminate the appropriate technique.
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OMG.

Ready....flail!

"Hmm this glove is hindering my out of control flailing. Lets get *that* nonsense off..."

flail,flail,flail.

Thank god he didn't buy a chainsaw.
 
Yeah, I was impressed. The saw is very handy, and much better than competitors out there, and it's only a tiny bit more expensive. Hack saws are pretty handy for all sorts of stuff. I use them on plastic sometimes because they will cut it without tearing it up like a wood saw does.
 
kookery said:
Yeah, I was impressed. The saw is very handy, and much better than competitors out there, and it's only a tiny bit more expensive. Hack saws are pretty handy for all sorts of stuff. I use them on plastic sometimes because they will cut it without tearing it up like a wood saw does.
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Or you could just cut through it all at once...plastic, wood, steel, rubber, masonry etc.

with this.
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/Sawzall/SawzallHome.aspx
 
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