Originally posted by munk
so only the C-AK and the M43 have tangs as wide as the handle?
So when Yvsa said he didn't like the AK tangs as much he must have been referring to the standard tangs, the triangle.
btw; I've handled a pinned AK and know what you mean by the big stick feel.
munk
Munk I prefer the rat tail or stick tangs as some people call them for several reasons.
The Chiruwa tangs transmit shock to my using hand, right handed, and it aggravates the carpal tunnel laying just below the surface all the time.
Some of the guys say they don't feel it, the shock, or if they do it doesn't bother them, just different strokes for different folks.
Other reasons is that the horn or wood either one usually continues to shrink for awhile after the khuks reach the ELU, end line user, and so leaves a rough ridge around the perimeter of the tang, not saying they all do this, just the ones I've had experience
with.
Another reason is that I also have to be real careful of frostbite and the bare cold steel exposed on a full tang on a cold Oklahoma day leaves me at more risk, the flip side of that coin is because they get too damned hot in the summer, just nit pickin stuff, but when you're as old as I am you learn to appreciate creature comforts.
I guess maybe the biggest reason I like the rat tail tangs is because they have been well tested and proven over the centuries on all sorts of tools and weapons.
Perhaps it was because steel was so precious in the beginning, but in the end the old timers, lots older than me
, learned that the rat tail was just as strong as the full tang and much handier to use all
day.
It's also why I'm such a strong proponent of the convex edge. The same old timers learned that it was the best edge for strong use and consequently used it on heavy use tools and weapons.
When I first started buying H.I.Khukuris they all had the convex edge and there was seldom a failure.
I've broken pieces out of two khuks, one was a GRS, with the thinner edges that have been coming out for some time now and that's the biggest reason I've quit buying so many khuks, besides having more than I can use.
The khuks were made primarily for chopping and so should have chopping edges on them IMO.
I like to use a snap chopping technique as well as giving a hard twist at the end to help clear the wood chips out.
The technique puts a lot of side torque on the edge and a convex edge has no trouble standing up to that.
I see now where some folks refer to their khuk's as slicers and/or slashers and as far as I'm concerned there's better blades for that purpose.
Believe me I will test out this M-43 to see how the edge holds up and will report back either way.
I'm sure that Art did an excellent job on them and that's not a concern. I mostly ordered this M-43 because I wanted a khuk that Terry made the model for and hopefully to see what all the fuss has been about this model and Tsimi.
