JK Kukri and Beast Pass around!!!!!

Knives came in today. Ill be posting pics etc later on in the week. So far all I can say is they feel great in hand. Im actually liking the feel of the kukri better but we will see if that changes during use.

Also the Kukri looks jealous of the Beasts pants so Ill make her a quick kydex sheath so emotions are equal during the chopping competition. :D
 
I got around to playing with these two today. I like to chop coconuts, mainly because I love coconut water and also because I think its a good test.

Before using these bad boys I put a nice edge on them, which took no time btw.



After sharpening I fetched me some coconuts from the tree in the backyard.



First thing first, chopping off the bottom so I can easily get out the water.




They both did great at this job but for me it was easier to get more precise shots with The Beast.

After removing all the juice and putting it in the fridge, I started chopping against the coconuts grain.









These were all very measured, hard whacks. They both bite very deep but the beast does glide in a bit deeper.

Then I went a bit crazy on the coconut chopping in all directions to get a feel for the way the knives handle.





The Kukri is much more blade heavy, which I like for a chopper.
The Beast bites deeper and is easier to hit precise shots with.
The handle on the Kukri to me felt better than the Beast's. It looks straight and not very ergonomic but it lends itself to many different grips and the contouring makes it very comfortable.
The Beasts's handle is not bad but I found the finger groove didnt allow me to move back to the exact position I wanted to.

Overall both knives did great and I wouldnt mind having either or both in my lineup. Ill be heading out this weekend to chop some dead trees and Ill be bringing a few others along for comparison.

Here they are cleaned up and ready for bed. :D

 
Excellent testing and pictures! The new sheath for the Kukri is outstanding, nice work!!

I agree with your thoughts on the chopping abilities completely.

best

mqqn
 
Nicely done, bet you are the first to use a JK for chopping coconuts!
 
I liked it :)

beast seems to be very popular but some debate over the best handle comfort.
 
KYenglish said:
I liked it :)

beast seems to be very popular but some debate over the best handle comfort.
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The problems with handles are that some people order them thinner. I could of made the kukri handles thicker, but did not, due to the request for thinner ones. The Kukri will soon be gone from my line, and, more than likely, the Beast will too. I really don`t get much demand for choppers, even though everyone says to make them.
 
daniel4572 said:
Awesome and thanks do much for the sheath!!!
Click to expand...

No way bro thank you for hosting the passaround.

mqqn said:
Excellent testing and pictures! The new sheath for the Kukri is outstanding, nice work!!

I agree with your thoughts on the chopping abilities completely.

best

mqqn
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'm no expert but they get the job done.

JK Knives said:
Nicely done, bet you are the first to use a JK for chopping coconuts!
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It's an honor. :D

cbwoods67 said:
Great review, jball!

I have never seen a "coconut test" before.

Very cool.
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I have done them a few times, usually it's just an excuse to have some coconut.

KYenglish said:
I liked it :)

beast seems to be very popular but some debate over the best handle comfort.
Click to expand...

Handles are usually the one thing that have varying opinions.

JK Knives said:
The problems with handles are that some people order them thinner. I could of made the kukri handles thicker, but did not, due to the request for thinner ones. The Kukri will soon be gone from my line, and, more than likely, the Beast will too. I really don`t get much demand for choppers, even though everyone says to make them.
Click to expand...

These choppers work great, handles are just preference. In my case I prefer the straighter handles but as has been mentioned before, many prefer the Beasts handle. The handle feels great in hand in a full grip but that's usually not how I like to grab choppers. I always find myself moving back and forth on the handle and the index choil gets in the way for me. But again just preference.

outdoorsfan said:
Jball that test was nuts!!!! Can't help myself sorry...

Seriously though, nice review!
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Haha, thanks bro.
 
Nice review and pics jball! it gave a unique twist to these knives' capabilities.

Speaking of unique, I have a pic request for you. Would it be possible for you to take a shot with a nice, fat
python? I like reptiles almost as much as knives ;-)
 
RussB said:
Nice review and pics jball! it gave a unique twist to these knives' capabilities.

Speaking of unique, I have a pic request for you. Would it be possible for you to take a shot with a nice, fat
python? I like reptiles almost as much as knives ;-)
Click to expand...

Haha, I'll snap one tomorrow.
 
I'll add a few photos too. I think the handle differences has been covered pretty good. Chopping with these two was fun.









I even used them like a machete on some briars, and they worked better than I thought for the thickness they are compared to a machete.



I thought it was easier to get consistent thinner curls with the kukri using the portion of the blade close to the handle.



I also split some wood and made the pieces for a bow fire drill. No photos of it but I split some pretty good sized pieces of seasoned hickory and walnut.







Took a little video also and plan on putting it on youtube when I get a chance to edit it (any suggestions for free editing software?). Might be a little bit though as deer and trapping season are starting, along with all the regular family/school things.

Thanks to Danny and Russ for the chance to play with a couple nice JK Knives!
 
Fantastic job there kyturkey! your pics and first hand input adds a great deal to how these two work
in the real world, so far the reviews have proven that both are very high quality, very capable knives.

Thanks for running these two through the paces :)
 
Here ya go Russ, didnt have a lot of time so I only took a few today. Just two big chunky girls that were somewhat cooperating and a very attractive male.







 
Thanks! Ball pythons are so cool... I need to get one eventually but I'll just have to be satisfied with my turtles
for now, not enough space for a third enclosure.

those are some plump and healthy looking snakes you have there, very nice coloring on that
male in particular, do you know which morph he is?
 
RussB said:
Thanks! Ball pythons are so cool... I need to get one eventually but I'll just have to be satisfied with my turtles
for now, not enough space for a third enclosure.

those are some plump and healthy looking snakes you have there, very nice coloring on that
male in particular, do you know which morph he is?
Click to expand...

Yes I keep my females plum, especially right before breeding season. The male believe it or not hatched out in May and is already that big. He is a coral glow.
 
Very pretty individual there, these snakes come in so many different pattern and color variants it's hard to keep track of them all...

I was holding a normal albino hatchling at my local shop last week, she was kind of shy and wouldn't show her head, just balled up in my hand :)

I didn't know they grew so fast, that's a big guy.

Anyhoo, enough about our reptilian friends, thanks again for the photos.
 
Well they dont usually grow that fast but I feed a bit more than others when I want to get them to breed a bit sooner. They dont complain. hehe

Yea ball pythons are known to be head shy and ball up. Hence the name, "ball" python. Usually after about 2 minutes of handling they will relax and then you cant get them to stay still.
 
Unfortunately rain was announced for today so I had to get creative in the back yard. I had a nice piece of 2x12x24 laying around so it ended up being the victim.



I had to hurry though because the rain was coming



First up was the beast. 60 hard wacks.



Next the Kukri. 60 hard whacks





Here it looks like The Best was ahead by a smidgen.



On the reverse side though it looks like the Kukri was ahead. Ill call it pretty much even then.



Thoughts on chopping: Once again I found the Kukri handle slightly more comfortable although both are very nicely contoured and there weren't any noticeable hot spots. They both have good heft and allow a lot of power to be put into each stroke. The Kukri is a bit more blade heavy, which I prefer but I know some prefer a more balanced feel. The blade shape of the Kukri really allows for a great chop on a narrow piece of wood but I suspect if you were chopping at a tree branch with a large diameter The Beast would probably have an advantage simply because of the blade shape. That being said If I had to pick a favorite at this specific task, I would say the Kukri. However, Im sure that would change from task to task.


Next I did a bit of batoning but not before noticing that this little cloud was about to cross me.



By the time I was done batoning I was getting sprinkled on. No biggy.





Thoughts on batoning. I was actually surprised at how well the Kukri worked here, I suspected the blade shape would make it a pain to baton with. Still The Beast was way better for batoning. The finger groove on the beast also allowed for some finer control when doing delicate tasks such as curlies. The winner here was The Beast.

Overall both of these knives were a blast to play with, there is nothing crappy about them, just good ol hunks of steel that performed great! Thanks again for the chance to participate in the passaround, its been a blast. Im excited to see what the next person has to say. I was able to give them a quick sharpen before the rain got too hard so I will have them in the mail Monday morning.

Oh yea, if anyone is in the mood for chips, I've got plenty. :D

 
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