Bowie knife vs Kukri knife - repost

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SnowmanBob01

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Feb 20, 2010
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I'm still in the market for another large bladed utility knife. I'm a big outdoors-guy, and use my knife for...well...everything. When it comes to large choppers, the argument always seems to boil down to the two most famous knives in history. The American Bowie and the Indian Kukri. So...in your opinions which would be the better more versatile choice? I know the Kukri might gain more ground on chopping, but the Bowie trumps on slicing and stabbing. I'm an all american guy, and the bowie appeals to me. But the world isn't large anymore, and cultural boundaries are vague. So, please give a guy some help!
 
Although the Kukri's look really cool and might, in most cases, out chop a Bowie, I think that the Bowie can be used in more situations than the kukri. For example, battoning is awkward, for me, with the kukri, IMO, and living in the Rockies fire starting is standard. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking that this might also be a question of Geography. For example, the Kukri might be better in Tropic Regions as the Bowie might be better in the Mountainous Regions. Just a thought, as you don’t have to baton wood in the Jungle as much because there is so much fuel readily available. Whereas, in the mountainous regions, especially during the winter, you have to process way more wood. Therefore, I would choose a Bowie if I was not in the tropics and a Kukri of I were in the Tropics. Does anyone have any other comments, as this is a great discussiontopic.
 
The khukuri is a product primarily of Nepal. Nepal is one of the most mountainous countries on earth. I therefore think that the statement about Bowies being superior in high country could be questioned.
As far a jungle use goes, I believe that the machete has proven itself the most useful. Machetes and machete-like knives (goloks for example) are used by the natives in most jungle countries.

As for batoning, why would you want to baton a knife (khukuri) that is heavy enough to chop/split on its own? To my mind batoning is used when a hatchet or other splitting tool is not available. Bear in mind that when I say khukuri, I am talking about the real hand-forged, zone hardened blades as made in Nepal, not some Khukuri Like Object made by CS and others.

I will say that I am prejudiced toward khukuris. I own several, and use them to do a lot of trimming and chopping in the yard. I have also used them when camping, though I am far from being a survival expert.

In my mind, the Bowie is more of a combat-oriented blade. But maybe that's just me. Bowies generally are better for "sticking" than a khukuri. Then again, nobody can question the combat effectiveness of a khukuri in the hands of a Gurkha.

I also think that the user's skill and knowledge will be more important than the blade he uses.
 
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[youtube]LM7cqLkpK4Y&feature=youtube_gdata[/youtube]


bokri5.jpg
 
I'm a fan of both, however I think the bowie wins out in terms of overall versatility, particularly if you are going to be working over a lot of hard wood.

I think the kuk is ideally suited to softer vegetation myself. But both are excellent and versatile designs.
 
Point taken. The reason you “wood” need to baton is to make kindling and split wood to make a fire. Chopping is great but it sure is hard to start a fire if you don't have small tinder readily available. For example, if there are only large branches/logs available then you would definitely need to process the wood into smaller pieces in order to start a fire. Also if it has been raining you need to split the wood to get to the dry parts in order to start a fire.
 
My first kukri from a couple months ago..I love it...and my Battle Rat! :) The Tamang kukri out chops the Rat though!

IMG_2323.jpg
 
Great pics. How do you like the handle on the Kukri? Does it move around on you? Meaning does it twist in you hand since it's circular?
 
Jer-mah said:
Great pics. How do you like the handle on the Kukri? Does it move around on you? Meaning does it twist in you hand since it's circular?
Click to expand...


No prob in the woods or in martial arts practice...:D
 
Buffalohump said:
I'm a fan of both, however I think the bowie wins out in terms of overall versatility, particularly if you are going to be working over a lot of hard wood.

I think the kuk is ideally suited to softer vegetation myself. But both are excellent and versatile designs.
Click to expand...
You have that quite backwards, IMHO. The bowie knife was designed as a fighting knife with all other uses secondary to that goal. The khukuri on the other hand was designed as primarily a farming instrument with it's goal as a fighting knife secondary.
For eons the khukuri has chopped everything from hardwoods to jungle vegetation, cleared hundreds of thousands of miles of farmland, dug holes, processed game and prepared food for dinner. It has served in civil actions to all out war and has come thru it all with outstanding results and honor.

Yes they are both outstanding designs....But the khukuri stands head and shoulders above the bowie in terms of usefulness and versatility, IMHO.
 
Well said Karda.
Another glitch is that what is called "a knife like Bowie's" today, is nothing like what it was 50 years ago.
A hundred years ago it was different from 50 years ago.

IMHO...
Just in the years of my watching/reading about knives...

What is now called an ABS Southwest Bowie, used to be called a "Fighter".
What used to be called a "Camp Knife" is now a Bowie.
And what used to be a Bowie is now a "Classic style" or "Sheffield Style"

The only hard and fast rule is get one (or more) of each :D
 
Ebbtide said:
Well said Karda.
Another glitch is that what is called "a knife like Bowie's" today, is nothing like what it was 50 years ago.
A hundred years ago it was different from 50 years ago.

IMHO...
Just in the years of my watching/reading about knives...

What is now called an ABS Southwest Bowie, used to be called a "Fighter".
What used to be called a "Camp Knife" is now a Bowie.
And what used to be a Bowie is now a "Classic style" or "Sheffield Style"

The only hard and fast rule is get one (or more) of each :D
Click to expand...

Now that's advice i can embrace! :thumbup:;):D
 
It does seem like everyone is dead set in there own opinion. Course I heard one guy say that he loved the Bowie, because it was OUR giant knife. I'm guessing geography plays a big part in which blade you pick. Even if the different designs would perform just as effectively elsewhere.
 
SnowmanBob01 said:
It does seem like everyone is dead set in there own opinion. Course I heard one guy say that he loved the Bowie, because it was OUR giant knife. I'm guessing geography plays a big part in which blade you pick. Even if the different designs would perform just as effectively elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Actually, i don't think that geography plays all that much of a part at all. It is all in what style or design you prefer and what works best for you. I'm american and live here, but i'll still pick a khukuri over a bowie everytime because i've used both and i can definately chop a heckuva lot more wood and vegetation with a khuk, with much less effort.
 
SnowmanBob01 said:
It does seem like everyone is dead set in there own opinion.
Click to expand...

That's kind of what makes it their opinion. Would you find it more comforting if they were dead set in somebody else's opinion?

As has been mentioned, there are so many variables that this is really an unanswerable question, at least as far as any qualitative answer can go. People like one or the other or both, and in every case it's based on their experiences. I have khukuries that are over 20" long and don't get wider than 1.5" anywhere in the blade. I have others that are hardly more than a foot long and have bellies that take the blade width out to 3". Some weighted for chopping, some with points designed for thrusting, some with hardly any curve, some so curved they look like a boomerang. Same thing for bowies--some are so slender they look like small sabers, others that really are meat cleavers with points. Thick, thin, light, heavy, on and on and on and on. It's somewhat like asking, "So if you had a blonde girl and a brunette, which would be prettier?"

In your very first post on this thread, you pretty much some up what the typical differences are. I guess, after multiple threads on the same subject, I'm not sure what you're hoping to hear.

My advice to you would be a point that I usually fall back to when these things devolve into over-simplified 'which one is best' kind of discussions that just go around in circles:

The first outdoorsmen, who lived by their wilderness survival skills and tools every single day of their lives, were called cavemen. Cavemen found the sharpest rocks they could and that's what they used to cut stuff with. They would have either killed you or given you every single female in their group (both blondes and brunettes--and in those days the very extensive carpets ALWAYS matched the drapes) in exchange for a $20.00 Walmart-Schrade hunting knife as it would be vastly superior to anything they'd ever seen. Pick a knife you like that comes from a production or custom maker with a good reputation, and spend lots of time with it learning to take advantage of its strengths and sidestep its weaknesses.
 
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That's an outstanding video, and illustrates the point that learning to work with a knife very well opens up its potential enormously. And yes, a bowie could have done it too.
 
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