Differences between old style and new style M43 Kukri.

[wildmike]

This post is to answer a visitor message question I received from FSCjedi.

I have both styles of M43.

My old style blade is a Bura made blade. This is the knife I used during my several years of survival living.
It weighs 25oz., length is 17 3/4", it sports a horn handle.

My new style blade (can't remember the kami ), weighs 29oz., length is 18 1/2", it has a wood handle.

When one knife is laid over the other it reveals that all of the length difference is in the handle.
The new style knife also has a thicker spine, though the body of the blade is nearly identical in thickness to the older blade, nice and thin with great shearing capacity.

While the new knife may be a tiny bit slower, it performs just as well as the old style. The added length in the handle makes it much more comfortable when chopping hard material(such as pitch wood) as less vibration is transmitted through my pinky joint. But I have large hands.

The wood handle works just as well as the horn, initially I purchased a horn handle due to concerns that the wood handle may be too grippy, leading to blister problems. That has proved to be of no concern at all.

I hope this helps those who wonder if the new style M43 is as good as the old style.

 

[ndoghouse]

Great input from experience! Thanks wm. I have to agree with the slippy vs grippy. Definitely less shock to the skin when it is allowed to slip a bit rather than be "glued" to the handle. I have two 20" AK's that are different in the same ways you describe. One older Bhakta with short dropped handle and another Lachhu with a longer straight handle. The Bhakta is Chirruwa and tho it bites and dig deeper it adds more shock like you describe. The straight longer handle on the Lachhu can be grabbed further back with the ring slipped back one finger and very little shock can be felt after extensive chopping. The only thing I have to say about the differences is Id rather use the short handle for shorter more aggressive chopping sessions and the longer straight handle for all day sessions. Just my observations for two different animals. Not M43 related but should apply to M43 as well?

 

[mtngunr]

For those who only collect and want as authentic Nepali khukuri as possible, i am sure there is disappointment over the longer handle.

For those of us who actually use them, such as my Ang Khola bought from Bill via a phone call before the internet really existed, and used in several combat zones on the ground and outside the wire on patrols, it was an exceptional knife and i blessed the horn handle in the tropics.....but the rear flair point of handle worried the heel of my palm and i wished for a bit longer handle...

The recent WWII handle is wonderful with plenty of room no matter the grip or work....it is wood and only lacks the water resistance of the horn....otherwise a tie....

I also adore the extra long Tarwar handle which again allows hand to slide rather than getting pinched in a strike....

Thanks for popping in and recounting "differences" for those who were curious....your old thread is not far back as it was recently active with all manner of queries....this new thread will catch their eyes better than tacking on to the old one...

 

[davidf99]

On the question of "slippy" versus "grippy" handles, I recently acquired a large Blackjack bowie that I like very much except for the handle. The textured rubbery material is so grippy that I can hardly stand to hold it. It almost feels like my hand is glued to the handle, and that is not good at all. If the day ever comes when I have time on my hands, maybe I'll try sanding off the texturing.

 

[Robin Shooter]

I've noticed that the handle scales on the older M43's are secured by 3 rivets while the newer ones have only 2.

 

[ndoghouse]

On the question of "slippy" versus "grippy" handles, I recently acquired a large Blackjack bowie that I like very much except for the handle. The textured rubbery material is so grippy that I can hardly stand to hold it. It almost feels like my hand is glued to the handle, and that is not good at all. If the day ever comes when I have time on my hands, maybe I'll try sanding off the texturing.

Thats a good idea! I have a checkered rubber KLO handle like that as well. Good for a short session but all day no way. Forget gloves! Ill put shoes on before ill put gloves on...well maybe? I though about replacing mine with wood but im afraid the tang is likely hardened as well since the whole knife seems to be ceramic in nature

 

[Moonw]

I've noticed that the handle scales on the older M43's are secured by 3 rivets while the newer ones have only 2.

Shorter ones have 2, vs 3 on the longer versions

 

[wildmike]

The grippiness of the textured rubber handle is what made me choose an M43 over the Cold Steel kukri (the old ones, this is a good while back). I figured that it would be a blister factory. The grind of the CS kukri was also less optimal than the M43 as it was much more prone to sticking.

Either the horn (smoother) or wood (still smooth) will work way better than rubber.

 

[mtngunr]

The grippiness of the textured rubber handle is what made me choose an M43 over the Cold Steel kukri (the old ones, this is a good while back). I figured that it would be a blister factory. The grind of the CS kukri was also less optimal than the M43 as it was much more prone to sticking.

Either the horn (smoother) or wood (still smooth) will work way better than rubber.

I can also tell you from personal experience and observation that slip-on kraton handles leak, and with amphibious assaults hold seawater which immediately rust tangs and rot the kraton which swells and splits and will leave a guy with a blade and no handle....use only some manner of solid tang whether full sized as handle or reduced as traditional, and inside a solid handle rather than wiggly squishy sleeve of a water trap...and any tacky handle is indeed a blister factory waiting to happen....a roughed smooth hard surface is what is needed along with an "idiot loop" lanyard if risk of dropping 3000 ft out of a helicopter door....

 

[Aeromat209]

WM can you post a pic showing the 2 blades so us newbies can benefit ?

 

[Aeromat209]

Hey Mtngunr ! Thank you for your service ! I appreciate your wise input as you seem to have used the Kukris in real world applications can't get better than that !!! Good on ya !

 

[Steve Tall]

The last photo below (from wildmike) shows both old and new style M43:

This is the M43 Kukri I used to build a couple trappers cabins and several dozen other shelters during my several year survival living slog. I ordered it from Yangdu through snail mail as I didn't have much access to the Internet in those days. It is a Bura made blade. The sheath was rough when I got it....and use has made it a bit rougher.

This last pic shows the Bura blade in the old style with one of the new type.

Hope you all enjoy....and I hope all the pics post as I'm very new to this.

 

[mtngunr]

Unrelated but had noticed in a thread or two of comments on loose rivets and even unsubstantiated conjecture they were just glued into place....the Howard video here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/785433-A-virtual-tour-of-HI-in-Nepal
shows the thorough peening, and loose rivets easily explained by extensive handle shaping may in some cases remove expanded ends....which only means a repeening (while wet with glue and slight repolish of handle to mate with peening) is all that would be required...

Edited in PS....best repeening method would be to simply polish and reduce handle slightly with rivets removed, slightly/lightly chamfer the holes then reinstall any loose rivet and thoroughly peen now protruding head to fill chamfer, and then polish down flush while taking care to not remove filled chamfer....

 

[FSCJedi]

Thank you so much for replying, wildmike. I'm just now seeing this thread and can't wait to finish reading it. Wanted to reply first. Haha

 

[wildmike]

Tried to send this as a pm to you FSC, but it was too many words.

 

[mtngunr]

One thing for sure, Mike, this subject surely has bumped the M43 into the top three of the "what next" list.....

 

[Moonw]

Well...you and Ndoghouse are the only serious collectors of kukris 'round here that don't have an M43...deaf. something to be corrected in the future...

 

[Moonw]

Heck, I'd get a second one...they just feel so good in hand.

 

[mtngunr]

The only thing keeping the M43 in third place is my desire to pick up one or two more traditional versions first before going for a later WWII factory full width tang, despite its obvious appeal......i would defer to experts on internal construction of mass produced military issue pre-M43 khukuris as for tang design in them, but if they had a true rattail tang with square shoulders as shown in another modern mass produced shop posted elsewhere, the M43 full width tang might easily be seen as a vast improvement..

However, the Bir Ghorka radiused shoulder, wide, thick, full length, full tapered tang inside a handle would seem to make the M43 change more a matter of academics over true real world gains in strength, and only real reason to go that route simply it was faster and cheaper to make....

All a rather long way of saying that i feel no immediate performance pressure need to get modern versus traditional, not with Bir Ghorka HI imported knives, anyhow...but i will get one as i adore the profile...

 

[ndoghouse]

Well...you and Ndoghouse are the only serious collectors of kukris 'round here that don't have an M43...deaf. something to be corrected in the future...

The M43 has always been in the top 5 Khuks i wanted in my collection but I have to say that for the tasks I need to do where I am and what I do I have found a dedicated chopper or dedicated blade that fits my need to get the job done. When you have a specific task you reach for the perfect tool. If you want a blade that does many tasks then you may want a hybrid blade that has compromise built in for each task but is able to do any task with a certain performance level. Im thinking that the M43 is one of them blades like the KLVUK that just needs to be in everyone's collection. I have five KLVUK's i think. When the time is right i will grab one and Ill probably kick a dent in my backside for not having one sooner but for now I have a blade for everything I want to do so time will tell? WWII and BAS are the other blades I dont have. I think I have everything else. Cant have everything?