Wood or Horn handle on M-43 for sweaty hands?

D

dfsutton

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Mar 21, 2009
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All,

Just wondering which handle type is better for maintaining grip while having sweaty hands. I have a mild case of hyperhidrosis (sweaty hands) so my hands are almost always wet when exerting myself. Which one would you all recommend in this circumstance? Thanks
 
I'd personally lean toward wood. Only because it to me is easier to rough up if needed. I used to be a devout wood khuk handle guy but some of the horn handles really look nice.

I guess I'd be more comfortable experimenting with wood than horn but there are solutions to both.
 
I was thinking wood for certain. Figured it could get a checkering job or something like that if I needed. This Khukuri will definitely be used, so I need something I can hang on to.
 
My inclination would be toward wood.

You may find that due to the contouring(ring shaping) many of the kami do on the handles that checkering may not be necessary.

But as far as I know, most M43's come with a lanyard hole - which I will recommend making use of.
I put a leather thong on my 19" chiruwa sirupati and I find it very reassuring when doing odd angle chopping.
 
I would suggest wood, I also have "sweaty" hands, and the wood seems to absorb the moisture better, and actually, the more you use the handle with sweaty hands, the nicer it becomes, visually, and in handling.
 
That is a good question I am new here and just ordered my first Khukuri so I have no experienced input though in the same situation I would lean towards trying out breathable thin gloves of some sort. As for the lanyard. I do not know if I will use that or not as the weight and the size of the CAK concerns me with the possibility of losing grip of the Khukuri and having it swing back towards my leg, body, or anything unfortunate enough to be in it's way.
 
Polished horn is usually more slippery than polished wood, but once you take a bit of sandpaper to them they perform much the same.
Horn also works much like wood when it comes to modifications/repairs.
Horn shrinks a bit more if you do not care for it, but wood will shrink also.
 
Just the right amount of sweat will make the hand stick more to the horn than to wood.
However just a little bit more sweat and it will slip much more.
Same when climbing a pole. A bit spit works wonders. Too much does the opposite.

Kukris however aren't poles. Their shape connects them to your hand more than their surface texture.

Another thing to consider is that your hand will move during the chopping motion. Fingers lose at the beginning and only locked down right before impact. So too much roughness will tear up your skin. Think of modern sticky soft rubber handled axes vs smooth lacquered wood handles. Which one slides nicely through your hands and which one gives you blisters?

Long story short, the way I use it HI horn or wood aren't too smooth and I can't tell a difference. Checkering a straight stabbing and cutting knife might be good but checkering a chopping tool? not for me ☺
 
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