Introduction/advice on CAK

I've had two Ultimate Fighters (only have one now). One was 17.5" long and 36 oz. The other was 18" long and 31 oz.

The very early Ultimate Fighters tended to be even bigger and heavier. However, I consider any knife around two pounds in weight to be overkill as a fighter and probably too heavy for most people to use effectively. Historically there were warriors who could wield very heavy blades, such as the Scottish Claymore, but these were big, strong guys who trained with similar weapons (or farm implements) all their lives. If someone wants to become a Viking Berserker and cleave people in two, it might be better to get one of the HI Tarwars, which are well-suited for that and can be wielded two-handed.

For example:

Tarwar29in-Bura46oz-SouthDakotaElkBone01.jpg Tarwar29-YoungSher41oz-for-Dave-02cr.jpg Tarwar29-Lokendra59oz-02a.jpg

These are all 29" overall length. The first is by Bura, with a South Dakota Elk Bone handle, and weighs 46 oz. The second is by Young Sher, and weighs 41 oz. The third is by Lokendra and weighs a whopping 59 oz.
 
davidf99 said:
I've had two Ultimate Fighters (only have one now). One was 17.5" long and 36 oz. The other was 18" long and 31 oz.

The very early Ultimate Fighters tended to be even bigger and heavier. However, I consider any knife around two pounds in weight to be overkill as a fighter and probably too heavy for most people to use effectively. Historically there were warriors who could wield very heavy blades, such as the Scottish Claymore, but these were big, strong guys who trained with similar weapons (or farm implements) all their lives. If someone wants to become a Viking Berserker and cleave people in two, it might be better to get one of the HI Tarwars, which are well-suited for that and can be wielded two-handed.

For example:

View attachment 740413 View attachment 740418 View attachment 740420

These are all 29" overall length. The first is by Bura, with a South Dakota Elk Bone handle, and weighs 46 oz. The second is by Young Sher, and weighs 41 oz. The third is by Lokendra and weighs a whopping 59 oz.
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Thanks for sharing. Those are very beautiful blades! I agree with you on the fighting knives. I've had several "combat Bowie fighters" from back in the '80's. Looking for that fast moving blade. Tempered properly, thin is definitely better for that!
 
davidf99 said:
Since this is a fighting knife, the sharpened clip is designed for a "back cut," executed by flicking the wrist and forearm backwards.

I'm skeptical that this would work well for the average person, since the knife is quite heavy. It might work for a person with very strong hands and forearms. I've also seen videos of people who do a backcut with two hands, where the "off-hand" provides bracing for the hand holding the knife.

If you're ever going to use an Ultimate Fighter against an actual person, I suggest that you check with your lawyer first, and maybe even bring him along. :)
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I checked Arkansas knife laws and no law prohibiting the use of this knife.....at my house and not carried....for self defense!
YYYYEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Pretty much can carry this knife, if no intent to use it for an act of violence!
However, like concealed carry laws for guns, it depends on the judge and prosecuting attorney!

We better know our laws !!!
 
Greetings all. The sheath doesn't hold the CAK as snugly as I would like. On some googling, I learnt keeping the sheath (minus the khuk) in the sun for 2-4 hours might help shrink the leather and hopefully ensure a better fit. But to be on the safe side I sent out for a peel and stick self-adhesive leather patch which I'll need to cut appropriately and apply on the inside - unless the 'dry in the sun' thing works. Speaking of the sun, we are in the middle of the monsoon here (June thru September, sometimes later), and the days are mostly dark and gloomy, so no question of that technique being effective, really. Would anyone have any similar experiences with the patch method?
 
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Amko:

Here's a thread by ndoghouse that describes a simple and effective way to tighten a loose sheath:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/how-to-fix-a-loose-fitting-scabbard-sheath.1137621/

If you can find a good leatherworker out your way, you can have a custom sheath made for your CAK. I traded my first HI Ultimate Fighter, but more recently I got another HI UF at auction that came with a custom sheath. I don't remember what I paid for the UF, but I recall thinking that it was less than what the sheath alone was worth. Here it is:

UltimateFighter17.5in-Vim36oz-01-Walnut.jpg UltimateFighter17.5in-Vim36oz-03-Walnut.jpg UltimateFighter17.5in-Vim36oz-05-Walnut.jpg
 
Thanks for sharing David, you come thru every time, much obliged and will study this detailed post...very helpful tips. That said, will be a while before my patch gets here. The only self adhesive patch (25 x 50 cm piece actually) I could source was on AliExpress.com and located in China.
 
Update: Just checked on the khukuri in its scabbard post liberal application of mineral oil to the blade. It is a snug fit at this time, weird...turned the khuk upside down and tried to shake it out, no dice. I guess that's a good thing? Probably surface tension?
 
davidf99 said:
Amko:

Here's a thread by ndoghouse that describes a simple and effective way to tighten a loose sheath:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/how-to-fix-a-loose-fitting-scabbard-sheath.1137621/

If you can find a good leatherworker out your way, you can have a custom sheath made for your CAK. I traded my first HI Ultimate Fighter, but more recently I got another HI UF at auction that came with a custom sheath. I don't remember what I paid for the UF, but I recall thinking that it was less than what the sheath alone was worth. Here it is:

View attachment 743742 View attachment 743743 View attachment 743744
Click to expand...
Davidf99, I'm glad to know that was you that won that UF. I was watching it as well! I don't think I bid on it but that sparked a love for that knife that is becoming my favorite!
 
davidf99 said:
Amko:

Here's a thread by ndoghouse that describes a simple and effective way to tighten a loose sheath:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/how-to-fix-a-loose-fitting-scabbard-sheath.1137621/

If you can find a good leatherworker out your way, you can have a custom sheath made for your CAK. I traded my first HI Ultimate Fighter, but more recently I got another HI UF at auction that came with a custom sheath. I don't remember what I paid for the UF, but I recall thinking that it was less than what the sheath alone was worth. Here it is:

View attachment 743742 View attachment 743743 View attachment 743744
Click to expand...
If I remember right, it sold for $214 plus shipping. A great deal! I remember the person saying he paid over $200 to have the sheath made!
 
I take it back...what I said about my (loose) sheath.

I learnt there is a technique to wedge the khukuri into the scabbard.

- Push the buttcap in, ensure the blade hits the very end of the scabbard
- Using the handle wedge the blade into the narrower side of the opening

Turning it upside down now causes no worries. It's snug as a bug in a rug.
 
It's probably a lot more humid in your part of India, compared with the Yangdu's dry Nevada climate. (I think you mentioned monsoon season on the way.) High humidity might cause the wood in the sheath to swell a bit and grip your blade more firmly. The difference between loose and tight can be only a small fraction of a millimeter.

Conventional wisdom is that drying out a sheath will make it shrink; conversely, moisture will make it expand. However, it doesn't always work that way. Moisture might make the walls of the sheath become slightly thicker, thus gripping the blade. There are two different materials involved: the wood of the sheath and the leather wrapping around the wood. If the wood swells more than the leather, the outside dimensions might remain the same while the inside space gets smaller.

However, you're also right that how you insert the blade makes a difference. I've found that for some HI khukuris the grippy part is not the blade itself but the little lip on the metal bolster where the blade meets the handle. The blade doesn't feel tight in the sheath until it is pushed all the way in so that the lip engages. For most khukuris, however, the entire blade (or at least the part near the spine) grips the inside of the sheath.
 
davidf99 said:
The blade doesn't feel tight in the sheath until it is pushed all the way in so that the lip engages.
Click to expand...

Excellent analysis and thanks for sharing.

Plus, in the case of this sheath, one side of the lip was narrower, and wedging it towards that side currently seems to do the job.
 
davidf99 said:
Conventional wisdom is that drying out a sheath will make it shrink; conversely, moisture will make it expand. However, it doesn't always work that way.
Click to expand...

Hopefully the heat will be back in October and I look forward to putting that insight to the test.
 
If you adjust the sheath so that the friction fit is on the spine rather than the habaki then you will have a much more reliable and safer retention method. If you rely on cramming it in so hard that the habaki part of the bolster only retains it then you will be disappointed when it slips only a quarter inch out and is then loose as a goose. If you force the knife so hard into the sheath that the habaki retains it then you are likely splitting the wood apart and the stretched leather then acts like a spring to retain it. What happens then is if the leather is dry its tight and if its humid then its loose. Your relying on the leather moisture content to retain your knife. That's not good and unsafe and unreliable. If you use the spine to adjust it then you got much more (several inches sometimes) before it becomes loose enough to fall out of its sheath. The spines distal taper acts like a wedge and contacts the leather covered wood without relying on splitting the wood open with the leather stretched over it for retention. Much safer to use as designed.

Dang cool blade David! Looks like Pugs quality!
 
I hear you ndog. Thanks.

I am now positioning it so as to make the spine flush with the wooden space as opposed to the edge. Turned it upside down... It is staying in ok!
 
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