buy a kukri from Thailand

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furood

Joined
Jan 24, 2012
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69
Hello guys,
I am going to Thailand, phuket for 5 days and I want to buy a kukri.
Can you tell me which brand I should buy?
What tips I should consider?
And is there any place in phuket, so that I can find it?
Thanks
 
From my reading, in Thailand the kukri knife is more commonly called an "enep/e-nep". I would look to buy an Aranyik e-nep, Aranyik blades are very good user knives(they may not be pretty to look at, though they suit my taste), and they make eneps in a variety of sizes. This is the K-1 enep, their largest model:
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Dshiflet for the win! Yep, Enep all the way. They are about 5 US dollars there, and are sold mostly without sheaths. I'd recommend you try to find a sheath, because you pay more back in the states to have one made. They are crude blades, spring steel, not very sharp, but very useable and serviceable.
 
I just spoke to my buddy who lived in Thailand, he said don't get it in phuket as it's more expensive and questionable quality. He says go to Bangkok, JJ market, this is where there is a knife dealer in a "pet" section. Take the subway there, as this is the easiest way.
 
furood said:
Did you buy it from Thailand ?
And how much did you pay?
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I bought mine via the US distributor, but it was made in Thailand(they use 5160 spring steel). It cost me around $40, but I hear they're much cheaper if you actually buy them in Thailand, though the finish is rougher and the edges aren't as sharp(when Miles gets them in Hawaii, he puts his own handle scales on them, and brings them to a great edge). The only complaint I have is the lack of sheath. Either way, I own a bunch of Aranyik blades, and if I ever went to Thailand I guarantee I'd be coming home with several more. They really are great user blades(if you look up the Aranyik Youtube channel you can see them put through some serious abuse and come through with flying colors).
 
furood said:
Yo mama
The problem is, I directly go from airport to phuket.
:-(
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Do you have anyone that can buy in Bangkok and mail to Phuket? That may be your only option. Bummer though, they are really a great deal in the market.
 
Hi,
There are many good quality knives in Thailand but not that one in the picture above.
E-nep is Thai traitional knife that use in Thailand for long time untill now especially in the central region.
E-nep is definitely not Krukri just their shape look similer.
I am Thai and I don't want you to get some bad knife from my country then say, Thai knives are bad.
 
1615 said:
Hi,
There are many good quality knives in Thailand but not that one in the picture above.
Click to expand...

Tell me more bro, why is the one pictured above not "good quality"? It holds an edge really well, is sturdy as hell, can chop like a monster, is comfortable in the hand...sorry mate, but if you say it's not good quality you frankly don't know what the hell you're talking about.
 
DShiflet said:
Tell me more bro, why is the one pictured above not "good quality"? It holds an edge really well, is sturdy as hell, can chop like a monster, is comfortable in the hand...sorry mate, but if you say it's not good quality you frankly don't know what the hell you're talking about.
Click to expand...

Hi,
Don't get me wrong, I really happy that you like Thai knives and have many good experiences with them. I didn't mean your knife (the one in the picture) is not good I was just surprise that you got a good one.

Nowaday knives made from Aranyik are mass production. That model also some other models are made by plasma cut or laser cut but it doesn't matter how the blades were made but the important thing is the heat treatment is done very quickly that made the quality is unstable and they use any wood that they buy as cheap as you said that the knife was rougher finished and the edge wasn't as sharp.
I think your knife is 1 in 100 you are very luckly that you have had the good one.
 
1615 said:
Hi,
Don't get me wrong, I really happy that you like Thai knives and have many good experiences with them. I didn't mean your knife (the one in the picture) is not good I was just surprise that you got a good one.

Nowaday knives made from Aranyik are mass production. That model also some other models are made by plasma cut or laser cut but it doesn't matter how the blades were made but the important thing is the heat treatment is done very quickly that made the quality is unstable and they use any wood that they buy as cheap as you said that the knife was rougher finished and the edge wasn't as sharp.
I think your knife is 1 in 100 you are very luckly that you have had the good one.
Click to expand...

No, I never said my knife was rougher finished and the edge wasn't sharp. I said I got mine from the American distributor(based in Hawaii), who always sends his out razor sharp(I said some of the ones in Thailand might not come sharp, but the ones ordered from Miles do). And he doesn't use poor wood either. I have probably a dozen Aranyik products ordered through him, and every single one of them was a good quality user blade. I said they weren't made "pretty", they're not something to hang on your wall and be display pieces, they are made to be used. Maybe Miles puts them through more of an inspection before they're sent out from him, cause I know he puts a lot of work into them after he gets the blades.
 
DShiflet said:
No, I never said my knife was rougher finished and the edge wasn't sharp. I said I got mine from the American distributor(based in Hawaii), who always sends his out razor sharp(I said some of the ones in Thailand might not come sharp, but the ones ordered from Miles do). And he doesn't use poor wood either. I have probably a dozen Aranyik products ordered through him, and every single one of them was a good quality user blade. I said they weren't made "pretty", they're not something to hang on your wall and be display pieces, they are made to be used. Maybe Miles puts them through more of an inspection before they're sent out from him, cause I know he puts a lot of work into them after he gets the blades.
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I think what he is saying is that if you didn't buy the knife from Miles it would be just OK quality. I don't think he ment to bad mouth your enep. I have one on order through a guy I met on Ebay. He's taking care of me. He picked one out and sharpened it. He is a user on here but I'm not sure if he would want me to tell everyone on here who he is. But if you get a good person in Thailand to find the blade. They take care of you. There are some good people in Thailand if and when you can find one.
 
I dont have a great deal of trading experience in Aranyik blades but from what more than one of these sellers has told me is that they are made from rock saw blades and one specifies 5160 spring steel which leads me to believe that probably most all of them are. I speculate that those grooves stamped across the blade are remnant from the saw blade for coolant circulation during the cutting process. I have been told by one seller that he buys blanks and finishes them himself for resale. I don't know if that includes hardening and tempering or do they come from Thailand like that. Are they hardened and differentially tempered or are they differentially hardened like traditional Khukris? I would think that is is possible to find a few sellers that vary greatly in price depending on how well they are finished, sheath no sheath, micarta handle or wood handle or even steel pipe handle. I have an E-toh that is nicely hardened and came very sharp with steel pipe handle at a very reasonable price.
 
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