Primitive living kukri

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Spen731

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Aug 23, 2014
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I'm looking for people's recomendations for a wilderness survival or primitive living kukri, basically if you had to go into the woods and live there with nothing but a kukri and the clothes on your back then what would you recommend taking. It must be able to chop down fairly large trees, split wood, strip bark, make feather stick, even cleaning game at times. What style and length would people recomend
 
I would probably suggest an 18" M43, it's robust enough for heavy chopping, and long enough, with enough edge along the length to feather sticks and etc, batonning shouldn't be a problem, and it should be adequate to dress game.

Mine is a Lok 18" at 27oz. Extremely packable.
 
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A guy named wildmike at this forum used an M43 extensively during his years of living in the wild. The M43 was his primary blade.

"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...

...It chops like a maniac while being very fluid and nimble in the hand. It's point is on centerline of thrust with the hand in a natural position which makes it even more efficient in combative applications. As to utility the Kukri is more versatile than any other single tool I have ever found. It even makes a terribly efficient drawknife, which comes in handy when making bows and throwing sticks. It is still my favorite knife, though I have several more these days...

...I camped out around 20 miles or so from the closest towns...

...Surviving with the M43 as my primary blade was not really a problem, but, I had very well established survival skills to work from. The M43 is just a highly efficient tool for the purpose giving an unbelievable amount of utility for its size and weight...

...If I were again in a situation where I was likely going to be building survival shelters, cooking outdoors on a small fire or improvised stove I'd be taking the kuk hands down."

quotes by wildmike, from this thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1041119-My-Famous-M43-Kukri
 
A klvuk is definitely out of the question, as is a 18" ang khola, I own a klvuk and a 16.5 inch ang khola already and the klvuk is the best all around kukri I own but it's edge is too thin for the kind of abuse I'm talking about, and the ang khola is the best chopper but it's too thick to be useful in many other applications, I don't have any experience with an m43 but I'm considering it. What I would love is something between a klvuk and an angkhola, with the blade shape and edge profile of the ang khola but the thickness of the klvuk seems perfect
 
I would say the ASTK. Man, it really is the most versatile khuk I've ever used and bomb proof, for sure.
 
I would say the ASTK. Man, it really is the most versatile khuk I've ever used and bomb proof, for sure.
 
The classic description of the Amar Singh Thapa Knife is that it's a sirupati on steroids. It has a slimmer profile that the M43 and CAK, but it's a chopping demon due to it's aggressive curve, usually THICK blade stock and a relatively shallow primary bevel. It's the quintessential "sharpened pry bar," which is usually used in a negative connotation, but a term the ASTK takes, runs away with and owns as the undisputed emperor.

PS My Bonecutter is better for green stuff, my AK Bowie/CAK/WW2 is better for dry wood, my KLVUK/Chitlangi is better for wispy stuff, and my Tamang is better for camp chores/food prep. But the ASTK does all of that well, which is why i think it's my go-to model if i could only grab one for any situation.
 
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Actually, on second thought, my ASTK can really hang with the AKB/CAK/WW2 on the dry stuff, but i stand by the Bonecutter for green wood, the KLVUK for vines and grasses, and the Tamang for small camp/food prep.
 
I would take this.

Tamang_001.jpg
 
Steve Tall said:
A guy named wildmike at this forum used an M43 extensively during his years of living in the wild. The M43 was his primary blade.

"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...

...It chops like a maniac while being very fluid and nimble in the hand. It's point is on centerline of thrust with the hand in a natural position which makes it even more efficient in combative applications. As to utility the Kukri is more versatile than any other single tool I have ever found. It even makes a terribly efficient drawknife, which comes in handy when making bows and throwing sticks. It is still my favorite knife, though I have several more these days...

...I camped out around 20 miles or so from the closest towns...

...Surviving with the M43 as my primary blade was not really a problem, but, I had very well established survival skills to work from. The M43 is just a highly efficient tool for the purpose giving an unbelievable amount of utility for its size and weight...

...If I were again in a situation where I was likely going to be building survival shelters, cooking outdoors on a small fire or improvised stove I'd be taking the kuk hands down."

quotes by wildmike, from this thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1041119-My-Famous-M43-Kukri
Click to expand...

And IIRC it was 24 oz. The typical 32+ oz. version will handle much differently. It can still be well-balanced, but not near as "nimble and fluid" as Wildmikes. A heavier one will be more of a chopper. I'd vote for a 16.5" WWII if you can find one under 25 oz. It's a nice all-around blade.
 
I'm actually planning on living for a week with only a kukri and the clothes on my back in order to see if a kukri can really replace my normal survival loading, which is a folding saw and small knife. Sometimes I'll also bring a hatchet. I'm also planning on trying a weekend with my ang khola and a small knife.
 
Wrong forum 😟
 

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After using to clear about a 130' X 190' stand of saplings, batoning them to length for wicker fencing and using a villager, 15" AK, a curved spine, and an M43, I would select the M43 hands down because my curved spine is too dern good looking to bugger up!:D. (If I needed a karda, it'd be a Case Mini-trapper.)
 
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