Gelbu Special, 18 vs 21 inch

Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
31
Hi all, I am hoping to get some feedback on the GS in the 18 and 21 inch versions. Ever since t I have seen these I have had a bit of stalker Love thing going on with them. I am considering contacting Auntie as I want the villager finish since I plan on using the GS pretty hard, and am thinking about having it made with the chiruwa handle, mainly out of personal preference.
I currently have the chiruwa ang kola, and while it is impressive as I thought it would be, I am looking for something a bit longer as my chopping style seemed to dictate that a longer blade would be more comfortable for me. Anyone with experience in the two, with pro/cons, your input would be very valuable in my decision making process.
I have also considered one of the super Caks, but keep coming back to the Gelbu Special. Something special about that Khukri keeps calling to me.
As for the question that always seems to be asked first, the size of the user when looking at the larger Khukri, I am not a big guy, six foot and a solid 185 pounds, having spent ten years of my life in special warfare, i have continued to exercize, mainly now out of mid life crisis, and not out of self preservation..lol While i have many more miles on me and Have been rode hard, put up wet, i still get around pretty dern good for a guy getting on in years, mid four ties.
Something that always makes me laugh is when someone puts down that they are six foot, and 225 pounds, so their sheer bulk qualifies them to wield a bigger, heavier knife. This is one misconception I see so often on here when people go recommending Khukri to people. An over weight, out of shape person has no more ability to use a larger Khukri than a smaller out of shape person, maybe even less with the added strain on the cardiovascular system compensating for all that bulk.
It seems I have deviated from my original track. It happens, possibly the old brain is giving out at a faster pace. So to get back on track, the GS, in 18 or 21 for those with personal experience in the two, and maye a recommendation of a larger chiruwa type Khukri, such as the super CAK or something else I may have overlooked.
Keep in mind, that even if a better chopper I may have over looked will do the job better, I will still be getting a GS, so that information will still be valued.
Thanks in advance everyone,
Carl
The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
 
If you're going to be chopping you should buy a dedicated chopper. No need for a Super CAK, an 18 inch CAK, Ganga Ram, Bonecutter, or M43 will handle just about anything worth chopping. If you need a bigger blade than that... grab the chainsaw.

I do own a 21 inch 30oz Gelbu Special and while it's great then models above chop better. My best choppers are my 18" 32oz Ganga Ram and my 18" 36oz bonecutter. I use my 16.5" WWII to do light delimbing and yard work.
 
I have a 18" gelbu, and after all the khuk's I've owned I consider it to be the bet "all around" khuk - for what its worth.
 
Id be interested to hear what some of you all with big khuks say about how they perform, Ive got a 17" sirupati and a 15" Ang khola, both of which are awesome all around and useful knives (especially the siru in delimbing tasks). but my 26 oz fiskars hatchet will chop through logs about twice as quickly and (non batoning) splits logs better as well

a 32-36 ounce khuk is considerably heavier than this hatchet, but does the khukuri get so much more efficient at these sizes as to make up some ground?

I still bring my khuks out camping as often as I chose to bring the hatchet, they might result in more work.... but they are about ten times more fun to show off and use
 
Thanks for the input, I really appreciate hearing from people that have had the chance to use multiple different models.

So, I am still definitely getting a GS, just undecided in length.

Thinking hard on a BoneCutter, or Ganga Ram, for a more dedicated chopper, maybe DOTD will make the decision for me
 
Issun, my thoughts as well, my CAK does great on what I consider light work, but I am thinking perhaps a heavy chopper would be more at home on the ATV (or as a playmate to the CAK)
Today my daughter came to visit, funny how when a kid moves out you see them more than before they spread their wings. Since we just moved onto this property, she wanted to go out on the ATV and explore. Of coarse everything is overgrown and my Artic Cat is as wide as a fat chicks hind end, so I spent much of the time trail blazing and thinking a larger heavier Khukri would have been real handy.
 
The Gelbu Special is not listed for field use. That being said, all evidence indicates it can cope. Then, the 21" has been recommended as an all-round blade by Uncle Bill. I guess you are at least his size and you will not have a problem wielding the Gelbu Special. Wrist strength is one of the most important factors here.

Many khukuris at many sites sound similar. A few are special. I ordered a Gelbu Special because it seems to be one of the blades Himalayan Imports take pride in. I have not been disappointed. At first, I deemed it too elegant to use it in the winter forest, but my son insisted on trying. It turned out to be among the best choppers, and it is a favorite of my son now.

I am not sure what you mean with really rough use. I try to stick with the design of a khukuri as is and rather buy a khukuri that fits the purpose.
 
Hi, and greetings from Norway.

To get to the point, I am seriously considering to order my first HI-khukuri(s) after reading post after post and thread after thread about their superior quality. What I am wondering about is: Should choosing of blade size depend on your own size? For instance, I am just 5' 9" and pretty average. Should I steer away from the huge khukuris (those over 20")? Also to mention, I am mainly looking for an all-round blade – not an exclusively designated chopper. Would BAS be a better choice for that than an 18 inch Ganga Ram Special?
 
Last edited:
Hi, and greetings from Norway.

To get to the point, I am seriously considering to order my first HI-khukuri(s) after reading post after post and thread after thread about their superior quality. What I am wondering about is: Should choosing of blade size depends on your own size? For instance, I am just 5' 9" and pretty average. Should I steer away from the huge khukuris (those over 20")? Also to mention, I am mainly looking for an all-round blade – not an exclusively designated chopper. Would BAS be a better choice for that than an 18 inch Ganga Ram Special?

I recently received my first HI khukuri and have found the M43 to be an excellent all-arounder so far. I'm 5'9" and about 210lbs and I honestly wouldn't order anything bigger than the one I have now unless it was purely for chopping purposes. It's a very stout blade but still easy to control.
 
I have 7 kukris from a 12" AK to a 21 " Sirupati from another firm. I don't use the Sirupati because I have other Kukri to use as working blades. I have an M-43 but it is heavy and I am one of those overweight out of shape guys. In cutting down a dead dogwood tree I found the M-43 more capable than a 15" AK but the AK was more controllable. Dog wood trees are pretty hard to cut as I found out. I also had a 25- 27" Fiskars axe. The M-43 was nearly as good as the Fiskars but possibly that's just my swinging or that it was the factory edge.
Unless you are in really good shape a 15" AK will be a great compromise between power and control. If I had to take only one in a bug out situation it would probably be a 15" AK then a 15" ugly kukri ( I have the first one) and then the M-43.
An ugly kukri ( if they are still available) is always an excellent choice as a good working blade. They might need some work but cut very well, like a bonecutter jr.
 
I have a dichirra, and KLUV
I chop with both.
The lighter 16" kluv is a great handy little bushwhacker.
but the hefty 21" dichirra will cleave vines and limbs like they are made of butter.

However you cant swing the dichirra as fast. its a different technique. you cant axe-chop with a knife that heavy and long anyway.. the recoil is jarring.
it is more of a "let the momentum of the blade do the work" kind of thing.

I had a GRS too, but gave it as a gift. That GRS had the best feel for a chop knife i thought. I didnt get to try it out but the GRS just felt right in the hand for chopping.
 
Back
Top