Kukri, which one and what are they best used for

I have a CS Gurkha Kukri in SK-5, and I have been very pleased with it. I got a black one off Ebay for about $180. It came with a razor sharp factory edge, the feel and balance in hand is excellent, the kraton handle is very comfortable (not like their hard plastic kukri machete handles), and the thing chops like a demon. The blade takes and holds a wicked edge.

Some of the kukri maniacs on this forum will tell you this is not a kukri. If you want to get technical I suppose they are right. It is a kukri-style knife, and in my opinion a very good one. I would like to pick up an HI kukri one day to compare it to.
 
Hitzy said:
I have a couple of Windlass kukri, and a couple from KHHI. Other then the Windlass comes dull, I find they were the much better buy as they are carried locally. I sharpened them up on a belt sander and chopped the shit out of my back yard. Cut up some 2x4's, bunch of brush, edge didn't roll, and held up well. Pretty much every kukri coming out of India is made from old scrap metal leaf springs, whether you want to pay $20 or $200, it's still the same tool more or less :) The Windlass and KHHI came semi polished....decently finished, just not mirror bright.
I prefer the full tang rivet version. You can get them from Atlanta Cutlery
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They have a few for around $40. Are these equal to HI as a tool, solely for working, I don't care about looks.
 
firemedic1343 said:
They have a few for around $40. Are these equal to HI as a tool, solely for working, I don't care about looks.
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In a word...No it is not. Consumers must always remember that you get what you pay for. In the AC case, you do not get support or warranty. Searching in the H.I. Cantina will reveal some old threads about the AC khukuri by knowledgable BFc forumites. The long and short of it is..... if you want a beater khukuri that you can care less about, go with one of the listed KLO's or the cheapies. If you want to spend your money wisely the go with one of the top three makers in the world of handmade traditional khukuri, Himalayan Imports, Torablades, or KHHI....in that order.

There are many reasons why i chose H.I. after several years of research and question asking. The least of which being the fact that i can get an Heirloom/museum quality khukuri that will laugh at a hard days work and beg for more.
 
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I honestly can; imagine why anyone would choose anything other than an Himilayan Imports when thinking about a Khukri.
 
firemedic1343 said:
Thanks for the candid and concise reply. I ordered from HI today. I'm excited. I ordered the Chiruwa Ang Khola.
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Great Choice for your first traditional khukuri! The CAK is the workhorse of the line. I'm sure it will serve you well. What size did you get? Make sure you stop by the H.I. forum to read the Safety Sticky and meet everyone!
 
I have a modest collection Ive used over the years. To say that only Nepalese kukris are kukris is like saying that a bowie is only a bowie knife if it's made in Texas.. That said... Ive used several Windlass kuks, including one that was in British service in ww2 (broad arrow-stamped). The Windlass has been increasing in price as their forge has modernised with state of the art equipment. They are differentially tempered- soft at the spine for strength, hard on the edge for cutting power. The size of the blade (12") and the grip is about right for my average hands, and it's what I learned the use of the kukri on.. The grip is panawal-style- full tang, not the stick or partial tang so often found... Blade thickness is 1/4" and tapered toward the point. The sheath is leather-covered wood traditional. It is adequate, but I make my own sheaths. The Windlass isnt fancy, but it is what it is, tough, sturdy, willing to work.
I also have a HI product I bought when Uncle Bill was still with us. I won't buy another HI, and I'll leave it at that. YMMV..
The Khukuri House markets good stuff and their products seem to have gotten better over the years. They offer a certain amount of customisation available with many of their models- blade/grip size which is nice and not offered by most other places. There is a 13" bhojpure in the works for me.
 
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Hi ,
Yes I know we are now ten years + down the line from when this thread started but I agree with Dunranull that certain things have improved in the world of khukuri manufacture in Nepal . Of course the majority of the Khukuri Houses and other newer kids on the block still use 5160 steel mainly used from old vehicle leaf springs for their blades and Indian rosewood (dark or white ), buffalo horn or maybe even some other woods for the majority of the handles , although the modern alternative man made micarta is making a breakthrough which is good news for those that are looking for a more modern designed version as opposed to the traditionally made Nepalese khukuri . Better methods of tempering the steel are used with oil instead of water and as DunRanull said softer on the spine for strength and harder on the edge for cutting power . And of course for different reasons some khukuri manufacturers do make better quality and more thought out models than other manufacturers but I think its down to personal choice and personal knowledge of what an individual deems to be a good khukuri . I have seen and handled many models from different manufacturers in Nepal but only ever bought from KHHI who in my opinion were the original manufacturers of the modern day Khukuri Houses and have improved their products over the years by using good Kamis and embracing more up to date ideas . What Iliked about KHHI is that the owner Saroj was willing to listen to better ideas in the manufacturing process , and every time I ordered a khukuri from him I made sure they were not overbuilt like so many other companies and I would request my own customisation details such as narrower spines (usually no more than 7mm or 8mm ) , well defined fullers or nice deep hollow grinds that both reduced the overall weight and gave a much better balance when using the khukuri , and last of all a well tapered spine from the bolster to the tip .
There are new companies around now and one in particular that has caught my eye are "Kailash Blades" . Looking through their website and researching on youtube , I was quite impressed with their methods of production including using oil to quench the steel , making narrower spines and their use of hollow grinds and fullers . I am now in the process of ordering their "Mutiny " model with a few slight customisation changes as I prefer the traditional look of a khukuri and like KHHI , Kailash seem happy to work with the customer to his or her own needs .
 
The khukuri landscape has certainly changed a lot in the last ten years.
There's been a surge in smaller makers putting out pretty fresh and innovative original designs and well executed traditional offerings at quite a high level compared to the big boys. In this context the big boys would be KHHI, EGKH, KHT and others. New kids would be GGK, Khotang, Neem Tenji and ourselves.
I think this has lit a bit of a fire underneath some of these more established makers and is overall leading to a higher grade of knife being made in nepal currently than five years ago. A quick look at the new blades put out by KHHI in the last few years will show a big emphasis on lighter weights, a more functional approach to fullering, a broader range of traditional blade profiles and a more involved level of ornamentation.
If this trend of smaller companies pushing the envelope and bigger companies shifting to match continues then I think the average khukuri buyer is going to be a lot better off :)
 
Hitzy said:
I have a couple of Windlass kukri, and a couple from KHHI. Other then the Windlass comes dull, I find they were the much better buy as they are carried locally. I sharpened them up on a belt sander and chopped the shit out of my back yard. Cut up some 2x4's, bunch of brush, edge didn't roll, and held up well. Pretty much every kukri coming out of India is made from old scrap metal leaf springs, whether you want to pay $20 or $200, it's still the same tool more or less :) The Windlass and KHHI came semi polished....decently finished, just not mirror bright.
I prefer the full tang rivet version. You can get them from Atlanta Cutlery http://www.atlantacutlery.com/
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I have one of the Windlass ones myself. I don't think they get the respect they deserve since Bud K came out with a cheap knock off. I've been using mine for a few years now, and it's survived me doing stupid things only reserved usually for Advanced Knife Bro videos. The standard CS machete ones aren't bad either. I've over swung and clipped bricks with that one to minimal effect. Pretty spark and minor edge ding. The Windlass has been beat through logs for fun, and came out fine.
 
I will provide you with a cheap fix.
Buy a roll of electrician's tape and a roll of tennis racket tape.
Do a first layer of tape with the electrician's tape.
Do a second layer of tape with the tennis racket tape.

I do the foregoing on shovels/hoes/machetes/ axes/rakes. Not pretty. Effective. No hot spots. No continuous cleaning and being concerned about wooden handles warping, and so forth.

Next. Do research on the kukri. Why it adopted as weapon. How it was used before it became a weapon.
Then, do research on why military knives are issued dull and not sharp like sushi knives. It has nothing to do with the cost or being cheap. After you do that research and you watch the soldier in the Korean War movie, the Steel Helmet (a favorite) continuously sharpening his knife, you will understand why he should be regarded as ignorant. You thrust and twist and you don't fillet in the field.
 
10 years is nothing in forumterms... just kidding its quite a lot. :p Well, it just happens to be that I was away for a number of years and now when returning, things have changed. Which Khukuri that should be bought, hell I dont know, everything depends on budget, use, preference... and actually a bunch of other things. Concering the discussion on manufacturers, some mentioned in this thread. Purna just above my post I have so far never bought from, but many seem very happy with his work. Kaliash on the other hand I have some experience from, in truth, nowdays there are plenty of options to choose from. I remember HI, KH, Tora and some more. Now as Kailash post says, times have changed. Kailash is a bit for me like the cool new kids on the block, using both micarta and kydex. They have a very simple understandable ordering system. For me its difficult of various reasons choosing some of the older ones, the progression and competition is just so fierce. The two big giants HI and KH has their fanbase but seem to have lost some of their relevance. To the new kids I would also ad Heritage Knives, with emphasis on history and usability. Since I came "back" to the fevah my attention has only been to the new ones, its just like any other business, new ideas are born constantly wanting to do things better then they were, or find a special nishe. No company will do everything the best, so therfore we may choose different manufacturers for different Khukuris. I have my favourite manufacturers, and there are companies I wouldnt buy from. For everyone thinking of buying new blades, looking at all options will pay of, there are just so many alternatives. The older ones are classics and have contributed, but there is no doubt that it nowdays are many more very skillfulled people out there. :thumbsup:
 
Hello All , I am just following on slightly from my last message above regarding being ten years down the line from when this post first started . I have to say first of all I agree with Kailash blades what he said about the new boys on the block and after looking at their websites and what they have to offer I can only agree that the manufacturers he mentioned and that should include Heritage Knives (as 43Tinman) included have taken Nepalese khukuri production to new levels and I think it was needed as some of the other khukuri production companies have become a little stale over the last few years . I was trying to order from Kailash at one stage during lockdown but received no comeback (no offence as you produce some quality khukuris) , so instead went with Mr Purna Darnal from Great Gurkha Khukuris (GGK) with whom I ordered two khukuris which turned out to be of a good quality with an almost perfect fit and finish . I have now ordered my third khukuri from GGK and am sure it will be as good a quality as the other two . Probably like some of the new kids on the block , Purna Darnal is willing to work with your own particular ideas for customisation which I always insist on when buying a quality knife , I would suggest that if you require this then send Purna a photo of a sketch and dimensions that you want . Once again I would agree with 43Tinman that there are more relevent skills out there today within the khukuri manufacturing industry . One other relevent point Ive noticed with the new boys is that they tend to cater for people like myself who prefer either historical or traditional style khukuris and the Mutiny model which most are producing now albeit under different names is a definite collectors piece as well as a working knife if thats your thing , GGK provided me with their Kanji Amar Singh Thapa but with a traditional indian rosewood handle together copper fittings and with a special ganjawal leather scabbard with tinder pouch , Karda and Chakmak .
 
Hi, I found this thread through googling. I love kukris and have a question about spine thickness please. I saw this beautiful kukri that has a 4mm upper spine and it tapers to 2mm. I have kukris with 8mm and 12mm spines but never come across a 4mm upper spine before. Is this too thin? Thanks.
 
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