Villager Kukri ?

S

SkipJunkie

Joined
Jul 16, 2018
Messages
64
I notice that they are not on the list of knives warranted for field use . What are actual user experiences with them in this role ?
 
Usually the term "villager" refers to the blade having a satin finish. Any knife can have a villager fit and finish.

When you say "villager" are you referring to the Villager Utility Knife? If so, many of us have a lot of user experience with them. You would have no problem using them for almost any task. I have cut 4-5 inch thick branches with them. They are okay for splitting up small to medium sized wood. I would choose an Ang Khola or something larger or thicker than a VUK to hack down a big tree or split huge knotty pieces of wood. My guess would be that villager utility knives are among the most used HI khukuris. I keep one on the wall in my garage and it is my go-to khuk for yard work. I use them for almost everything. They are light, strong, and they cut deep, but they are not indestructible like an AK. I have been silly with them in the past and split wood bigger than I should have, but still not broke one yet. I have heard of others, not long ago, breaking a VUK by doing that. But if I remember correctly, he had been using it hard for years before it actually broke. Hopefully others will chime in too.

P.S. VUKs make great gifts.
 
Last edited:
I have a VUK and I love it! It’s my edc khuk lol:cool:but I agree with Eric if you’re goin for a heavy chopper prolly go for somethin a lil heftier
 
EricTheRedBeard said:
Usually the term "villager" refers to the blade having a satin finish. Any knife can be have a villager fit and finish.

When you say "villager" are you referring to the Villager Utility Knife? If so, many of us have a lot of user experience with them. You would have no problem using them for almost any task. I have cut 4-5 inch branches with them. They are okay for splitting up small to medium sized wood. I would choose an Ang Khola or something larger or thicker than a VUK to hack down a big tree or split huge knotty pieces of wood. My guess would be that villager utility knives are among the most used HI khukuris. I keep one on the wall in my garage and it is my go-to khuk for yard work. I use them for almost everything. They are light, strong, and they cut deep, but they are not indestructible like an AK. I have been silly with them in the past and split wood bigger than I should have, but still not broke one yet. I have heard of others, not long ago, breaking a VUK by doing that. But if I remember correctly, he had been using it hard for years before it actually broke. Hopefully others will chime in too.

P.S. VUKs make great gifts.
Click to expand...
 
I am referring to the VUK , thanks for your input . I have a couple of other HI blades I consider heavy hitters . I have a M-43 and the Ganga Ram which is my favorite Kukri to date by far .
 
SkipJunkie said:
I am referring to the VUK , thanks for your input . I have a couple of other HI blades I consider heavy hitters . I have a M-43 and the Ganga Ram which is my favorite Kukri to date by far .
Click to expand...

Oh, yes. The Ganga Ram, the Bonecutter and the AK/CAK are the heaviest hitters in the HI armory, with M-43 and WWII as close seconds.
 
The VUK is probably all the khuk anyone "needs". It can handle every reasonable (and probably a few unreasonable) task that one would want to put a knife through.

The "weakest" part of the build is the thin edge. However, if you want a knife to behave like a knife and not a curved axe, a thinner edge with less mass is much easier to lug around.

Ill put it this way. I have more thick monster khuks than I can count. Most all of them I could run over with a truck then use said khuk to cut the doors off said truck. Bombproof.

However, drop me in the wilds blindfolded with just my wits (a paltry tool set to be sure), gimme a VUK please. I can do a lot with that knife that would be a hindrance with a more massive khuk.
 
Post by Rusty in 2003, describing what villagers were in the HI lexicon:

Jul 24, 2003 #4

Rusty Moderator Moderator
8,911
Mar 8, 1999
Originally, villager khukuris were exactly that. A khuk made by one of the kamis in villages that came by the old shop and sold them to the shop manager. He'd check them out, and if good enough buy them.

They'd be sold at a very reduced price because what they were was a well made but cosmetically untouched khuk. Exactly what the Nepalis who went to village kamis made. Rough finish but tough as all get out.

Unfortunately, with the political situation, BirGorkha moved without leaving a forwarding address. Add to that the Kamis are illiterate, and it cut off the supply of true villagers.

What is being done now is the HI/ BirGorkha shop periodically does up runs of khuks that are equivalent in finish, and stamps them BG in devanagari rather than HI as is normal. These are khuks whacked with an ugly stick, but do the work as well as any khuk. Grind marks, handles with minimal sanding, etc. if the HI's and BirGorkha's were shotguns, the HI's would be $1600 Browning Superposed over/unders, and the BG's an old used $250 max Savage Side by side.
Both do the saame job on ducks,

Rusty

"What has this to do with khukuris? Everything!"
James William Martino

"Holiness is not a very serious business and it is a very serious business indeed. I misspeak. It is not a solemn business."
Peter Bowen
 
SkipJunkie said:
I notice that they are not on the list of knives warranted for field use . What are actual user experiences with them in this role ?
Click to expand...


I know I'm late to this but here is a vid I did with the m 43 and the vuk, my klvuk or VUK , cuts and performs better than most choppers and is light weight.

I have cut more logs with this than the m43.

Def worth having 1 or 20.

 
Red Eagle Trapping said:
I know I'm late to this but here is a vid I did with the m 43 and the vuk, my klvuk or VUK , cuts and performs better than most choppers and is light weight.

Thanks brother , I've watched this particular video as well as others you have many times . My thought was always that a Kukri labeled as this one is should carry the distinction of being able to take abuse day in and day out . I feel like the common man's tool so to speak has to be ready for pretty much whatever within reason .
I have cut more logs with this than the m43.

Def worth having 1 or 20.

Click to expand...
 
Yup cant agree more yangdu should label these as essential and able to take the abuse like the m43.

I bet because someone would try to break one and due to their thinner spine someone would want a replacement. But these are awesome and amazing. You def can't beat the price.
 
EricTheRedBeard said:
Usually the term "villager" refers to the blade having a satin finish. Any knife can have a villager fit and finish.

When you say "villager" are you referring to the Villager Utility Knife? If so, many of us have a lot of user experience with them. You would have no problem using them for almost any task. I have cut 4-5 inch thick branches with them. They are okay for splitting up small to medium sized wood. I would choose an Ang Khola or something larger or thicker than a VUK to hack down a big tree or split huge knotty pieces of wood. My guess would be that villager utility knives are among the most used HI khukuris. I keep one on the wall in my garage and it is my go-to khuk for yard work. I use them for almost everything. They are light, strong, and they cut deep, but they are not indestructible like an AK. I have been silly with them in the past and split wood bigger than I should have, but still not broke one yet. I have heard of others, not long ago, breaking a VUK by doing that. But if I remember correctly, he had been using it hard for years before it actually broke. Hopefully others will chime in too.

P.S. VUKs make great gifts.
Click to expand...
I agree with Eric, great gifts! I just gifted one to a “thrilled” friend!
 
George Azar said:
One of my favorite videos Red!
Click to expand...
Thanks George I will be doing more khuk vids soon been busy with the new house and new acreage and hunting and healing from a head on collision where a young woman decided to be high at 8 am in the morning and run into me. Lol I'm close to 80 or 90 percent back but still doing pt 2x a week and lots of doc visits but getting there now almost a year later.

Hope you have a merry christmas
 
Red Eagle Trapping said:
I ended up sanding the grip down thinner and then did a checkering on the grip. Made it way better.
Click to expand...
Red glad you’re on the mends. Same thing happened to my wife early 1 morning from a crackhead on her way to work about 2 1/2 years ago. Lots of PT but she recovered well!
Merry Christmas my friend! Look in the cantina and you’ll see my post about radiation. 2020 has been 1 heck of a year!
 
George Azar said:
Red glad you’re on the mends. Same thing happened to my wife early 1 morning from a crackhead on her way to work about 2 1/2 years ago. Lots of PT but she recovered well!
Merry Christmas my friend! Look in the cantina and you’ll see my post about radiation. 2020 has been 1 heck of a year!
Click to expand...
Wow yeah its terrible with the collisions the drug addicts walk away no prob.

I will check the cantina but hope you are well and recovering.

Merry Christmas
 
Got the villager in today and I must say I'm excited about getting it out into the field . As a camp knife I'm confident it will fill this role favorably . I'm loving the weight for it's anticipated use . I rubbed in a liberal coat of linseed oil which it readily absorbed , I'll ad another tommorow . Thanks to everyone for responding to my post and giving me the confidence to take the leap and make this purchase .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top