With a 300lb bear, it won't make a lot of difference what khukuri you're carrying, because if it catches you, it can maul you over to the point of incapacitation, if not death, within 5 seconds, regardless whether or not you're lucky enough to get in the first blow. That thick fur is going to take a lot of the bite out of your slash anyway, and in his blind rage, he won't even notice it. No, I'm not an expert, and no, I've never been mauled by a bear, but every incident I've ever read or heard firsthand account of, or seen occur live on video affirms this. In this situation a $15 cannister of bear spray, or at least a good pair of running shoes, will be a better investment than any knife, to carry into bear country. I think it's a little bit of romantic fantasy to entertain the idea of fending off a large bear attack with a knife (speaking for myself mainly, because I've often thought of the same thing), because if you're ever in that situation, and it's too late to run, then you might be better off just dropping face down with your legs tucked underneath you and your hands covering your head and neck than you would to attack with a knife. You'd likely only agitate him further. He'll no doubt lose interest in you sooner if you're immobile and very still, perhaps thinking you're dead. I mean, there's a chance you'll die either way, but the experiences of survivors suggest that you improve your odds of survival by playing dead. At least that's the way I'm going to do it if I'm in that situation, God forbid. And odds are, I'll be carrying a khukuri with me at the time, ironically enough.
Perhaps Cliff can do a field test to see which khukuri penetrates into bear hide the deepest. I'd pay to see that.
