Tactical Knives Article

C

Craig Gottlieb

Joined
Mar 8, 1999
Messages
1,760
Anybody who doesn’t subscribe to Tactical Knives Magazine might want to buy a copy this month. There’s an interesting article on page 69 about Brigade Qaurtermaster’s new “Kukri.” I’ve never held or used one, but it seems to offer nice bang for one’s buck.

What intrigued me were several passages in the article that are very relevant to those of us who prefer Nepali khukuris of the hand-forged variety over the factory blades. I thought I’d offer some comments on the article (not on the knife, as I think it’s a good buy).

“The Kukri is truly a versatile tool, only limited in utility value by its inherent compactness that reduces effective reach, but also enables the Kukri to be easily toted in tight quarters.”
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I don’t know . . . I wonder if the author has ever used a sirupati!

“If you are searching for the best dollar-to-performance ratio, I don’t think you can do any better than this knife. I am buying one of these knives for each of my vehicles and one for my home. That would certainly be cost prohibitve for me with a higher priced chopper.”
Click to expand...

I have to say, I respectfully disagree with the author about dollar-to-performance. While it is certainly true that this khukuri (remember, I haven't seen it) appears to be well worth the $49.00 price tag, does the knife really offer more performance per ounce of steel than a well-made Nepali version? If it does (and I think it doesn't), I'd still rather pay ten bucks more per knife to get a hand-forged piece that performs. That's my personal taste, but to each his own.

Enough about the article. Let’s talk about the knife. What I’d like to see is Cliff Stamp take one of these babies out for a test drive. In fact, I’d be willing to donate one to him for the project. I’m sure I could get one for wholesale. Cliff – How about it?

Please note: this posting is not meant to demean the author, Brigade Quartermaster, or Tactical Knives. My post is merely meant to illustrate how often the genuine khukuri is left out of the equation when talking about choppers.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig,
Actually Cliff has already driven one of these around the block at http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/face_off_II.html , with comments from other forumites as well as Cliff at http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001969.html . The Brigade Quartermasters khukuri is just their version of the Ontario Spec Plus khukuri. Some lowlights: "By far the worst performer...does make a decent sledge hammer..coating comes off quickly and easily...impossible to chop with...didn't cut through wood, just broke it off...abrasive handle, wear gloves". Believe I'll stick with good ol' Nepalese know-how when it comes to khukuris.
rolleyes.gif

Berk
 
All I can say is BIZZARE! They said such good things in the article. Of course what caught my eye was not so much the knife, but the statements about "kukris" in general.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Hello Craig I used to subscribe to Tactical knives but I got tired of every knife tested being a good knife. Some just aren't. I don't know about this one and I believe some people get carried away with edge holding and bombproofness but not every knife is right for what it was designed for. Money talks. You still have to make your own decisions.
 
I actually don't subscribe to any knife magazine, but I read them at the bookstore all the time. The fact is, there is rarely anything new in the knife industry other than style and flare. Sure, new knife makers make some absolutely stunning knives that are a beauty to behold. And as collectors, they have tremendous relevance to us. But when it comes to functionality, either a knife has it or it doesn't. Unfortunately, a one sentence reivew doesn't fill the pages of a magazine.

A good story? How about Roselli and their claim to have re-produced wootz damascus (I have one of those blades, and I believe it's for real). Or maybe the Uluchet - a truly new functional design in cutlery (a rarity). That's the kind of stuff I like to read about. Would our 18 inch Panawal make a good story? No . . . not unless you were doing a story about choppers - it's just not a new design, but rather, a variation on an old theme. You better believe that I'm going to try to get the WWIII on the news stands - that's a good story (how it came to be, that is).

I like articles on new functional designs, a new and talented blade artist and his/her latest creation, or something like that.

I'm just rambling . . .

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
That particular blade could easily be the reason why a lot of people have just low opinions of khukuris. Berkley did an excellent job at paraphrasing what I wrote, that is pretty much what I would say if someone asked me my opinion of it. However that the model was changed significantly after I reviewed it. On the one I had there was no primary grind at all just an edge bevel. If the author had the one with a full flat grind it may indeed be somewhat functional.

As for your comments Craig, it gets me sometimes when someone picks up one particular khukuri and assumes all khukuris made have the exact same design. If you want reach of course there are lots of designs that can give you that. As for dollar to performance, ratio, it would be nice if the author actually included a high end piece in the review and presented its performance so we could judge for outselves.

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 03-16-2000).]
 
Fellow Khukaholics,

I just skimmed over this article in Tactical Knives last night. I was so uninspired by the product, as well as TK's glowing review of it, that I had no desire to purchase that issue. And the people who think it's a really good deal, some of whom are actually buying more than one (for their vehicles, at home, for their survival kits, etc.) apparently haven't been introduced to GH khuks yet. They think they're getting a good deal because they're buying these pseudo-khuks at $20 or so less than a real khuk from GH, but that's like buying a diseased, crippled mutt instead of a healthy purebred Bull Mastiff and thinking you got a good deal because you saved $20.

My $.02, for what it's worth. Sorry for going off, but this was one of the most biased, misleading and misrepresenting "reviews" I've ever read (or skimmed, as the case may be).


[This message has been edited by X-Head (edited 03-20-2000).]
 
Well, I have to admit that the article was also uninspiring to me too. And Cliff: you should really get signed on as the knife tester for all of these mags!

As for Tactical Knives in general, I have to say that I enjoy parts of the magazine a lot (especially the knife fighting technique section). I can't speculate about the origins of the magazine article, but I can say that Tactical Knives doesn't ever get paid for writing a review. If they did and that got out, they'd be sunk. Steven Dick is a pretty fine editor, also. However, I think the reason that article got into the magazine was simply because they probably needed something to write about!

As I said before, I think that sometimes, there is just nothing new to write about in the knife industry month to month. As someone "high up" in the industry told me once on the phone (you know who you are), 90% of knife innovations are "style" (red anodized handles, beautiful blade engravings, etc. What I like to see in an article is: does the thing work and how much does it cost (and is it good value for the money). Well, in said article, I got the price, and I thought I'd gotten a fair appraisal of the knife in question (what I was upset about were the generalisations about khukuris that were incorrect i.e. "they can't reach"). That the actual performance of the knife was far below the review of the author came as a complete surprise to me. I guess I'm easily led!

I'm too new to the knife world to comment about general trends, so I can't say yes or no to the general trend of "praising all things great and small" (I'm sure it does happen in EVERY magazine). It makes me shudder to think how many people out there are going to laugh at the article about GH khukuris (coming soon to a magazine rack near you) and relegate any praise to the dust bin.

Hopefully, as Cliff Stamp said, BQ has improved their product, and that the knife tested in TK was a newer improved model. Gosh, if the reputation for GH knives was based solely on Cliff's first test of my early-model SN1, I might not be as popular. It went up against knives far thicker and sturdier than it, and although it faired reasonably well, it just isn't the same knife as today's version. Hopefully, BQ can say the same thing.

Gosh, I surely get prolific when I have the time! Well, it's off for a glass of Irish Coffee (compliments of the Business Class lounge
smile.gif
That God for frequent flyer miles! ). And no, Blackdog, I don't have what you gave me with me. Not on this trip!

HAPPY ST. PATRIC'S DAY



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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
Craig,

You gotta stop reading my mind like that. It's freaking me out
eek.gif


Wish I'd have known you were headed for London. I could have tried to arrange for one of my more..... "interesting" friends to meet you there. We worked together for a long time in a number of strange places. His primary carry system was a custom made hatchet in a shoulder harness.

Keep in touch.

Blackdog

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The GH Forum Photo Galleries & The Bowie Design Gallery
 
I would really look forward to a review of a GH khuk of comparable size and weight by the same author in TK. Or better yet, a side by side comparison between GH & BQ khuks, to include price/quality and price/performance. I think that would put things into perspective for them.

[This message has been edited by X-Head (edited 03-20-2000).]
 
I had read the article myself. As far as testing went, the kukri was used just to limb trees. About any kukri-shaped knife can do that. If the kukri had been used to chop through a tree or two, I don't think it would have received that good of a recommendation.

Bob
 
I get comments all the time from people who "just didn't know" that khukuris came in anything but "trash-mode." Most knife collectors have had experiences with bad khukuris, only to be surprised that the trash out there really is based on a "real" blade.

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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
 
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