HOW TO CHOOSE A TRADITIONAL KUKRI
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 14 ноя 2020
- This is a video for those new to the world of traditional kukri, who might need some advice as to what type of kukri will be best for them. I discuss my opinion as to what is the most important thing to consider when buying a traditional kukri for bushcraft, martial arts, survival and for a multi-purpose camp and self defense tool.
Спорт
Great video!
A tip that I would give for a first time khukuri buyer is to get something of moderate size.
We get a lot of customers that want to jump in with the biggest, coolest blade and go for a 15" khukuri or 18" sirupate. While these are definitely impressive pieces they naturally have reduced versatility and handiness compared to more moderate blades.
On the flip side we also get a lot of customer that want to tip a toe in and buy a 5" or 7" mini instead. While these are great blades the size and balance limits their utility again and they're not necessarily indicative of what khukuris are capable of and excel at.
If you're a first timer and are looking to get a feel for the blade form start with an 11"- 13" khukuri or a 12"-16" sirupate. These are versatile, fun handy blades that can be used in a broad range of scenarios and act as a foundation to influence later, more explorative additions to your collection.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
Would you say the 8" blade is too short?
@@bryananderson3772 It depends on the tasks at hand. If you need a camp knife for carving and chopping/batoning through finger sized branches and boens and things it'll be well suited. But if you're looking for something that better prepresents the power, balance and utility of a khukuri thena larger blade will be better suited.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
i agree with you, i have 9 kukri's the best one is my smallest one, its just under 12 inches so its still big, but super light and still big enough for everything
@@kailashblades is tin chira beast kukri good for camping ?also what is the sharpest kukri available
@@marveen6372 It depends what you need out of your camping blade. Blades in the 11" region can be handier for food prep and carving while 13" and large blades excel at replacing hatchets in wood processing. I would be wary to avoid a blade with too thick a grind or too chunky a spine.
Sharpness is a bit of a tricky term as it often describes two different things. The final edge sharpness from us should be good enough to shave and I have heard good things about GGK also. A blade with a leaner grind (pensioner, mutiny fort william mk1) will cut more deeply into materials than blades with thick grinds (panawal, modern service issue).
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
Awesome. My grandfather was a chindit in Burma ww2. Showed me how to make my own khukri.
I'm an old italian hiker and hunter and a kukri collector. I love kukries and I brought different types of them with me in hunting and camping activities: I must be sincere it was an utter delusion. I tried different shapes from budhume to sirupate and sizes but all were cumbersome and heavvy to carry along and of limited and potentially dangerous to use on camping chores. As a matter of fact while hunting you need a multipurpose cutting tool able to split wood to skin an animal but above all to preoare meals. Try to use a whatever kukri to cut bread sausages meat onions etc. and at the same time to skin disembowel and butcher an animal of any size. Not to speak of cutting wood for a fire: try to baton a kukri to split logs. Of course you can do all these things in an emergency but it would be much easier with a knife possibily a bowie type with a blade of about ten inches. Coming to self defense the only real need in Europe is against stray dogs and shepherd dogs out of control which are plentiful in woods. Well with a bowie knife also a non professional knife fighter can do very well but with a kukri you need to be an expert. So closing: I love kukries I collect them and try them from time to time in the woods only for fun but in my hikes and hunts I always bring a bowie knife 10 inches long for self defense and camping chores, a small light hatchet for harvesting and spllitting wood and a folding knife to skin animals and for small jobs. The total weight is about one kilogram the same of a kukri but I have a set of tool efficient and easy and sure to carry and use. Besides if I foresee to cut a lot of wood I bring a light folding saw and in few minutes I can cut a small tree without effort and perfect safely.
Check out the svörd von tempsky Bowie
I have only one kukri but I found the same to be true Roberto. I would prefer a hatchet for chopping and a folder for finer cutting
Hello !! You have any wootz steel khukuri ???
@@kiransinhshaileshsinhchauh9172 Sorry I haven't and I never heard of kukries made out of wooz. Kukries are made in Nepal and India and the steel is AISI 5160 from old lorries leaf spring. A very flexible and reasonabe tough steel with about 0,6 C 1,0 Mn 0.9 Cr 0,3 Si. Wooz is basically an old damascus steel with alternate layers of pure iron and cast iron produced when it was impossibile to get suitable alloys. Today it's no long nevesssary
Same here! Love kuks. Have several, all Nepalese made. Various makes, models, and weights. But the curvature really limits the Khukuri for anything other than fighting and chopping. Not that it can't be done but it gets annoying after awhile.
To be fair, most quality khukuris come with a smaller cutting blade just for that reason. All large blades should be accompanied with a smaller blade, especially for wilderness tasks.
Around a 10" bowie, relatively straight edged, is really the sweet spot for BOTH fighting/defense AND woods working, animal processing, etc.
Out of all my khukuris (sshhh don't let them hear you!)....I still think my ESEE Junglas can do it all better. 🤐
Even be almost just as good in the chopping arena though it's just as heavy as a heavier style khukuri. I'll carry it on or inside my pack or sling it cross body. I will say a khukuri rides better when on your hip and rolls out of your way unlike a large, straight bowie.
If I had to "choose one tool only" it would be the Junglas. It just does it all including batoning large rounds of firewood if need be.
But since I don't play the minimalist tools game, my serious survival pack/BOB/Camp bag always has the Junglas (that has a small folder in a sheath pouch), folding saw, and a smaller tomahawk for serious chopping and/or defense needs.
The khukuris only come out when I'm in a kuk mood, haha. Plus, they're so pretty I don't want to beat them up too much. And I have seen some khukuris snap near the handle when doing heavy batoning.
I try and stay away from heavy batoning with any knife but I've abused the heck out of the Junglas over the years and it's still going strong. That consistently wide blade and complete full tang does inspire a little more confidence.
I stumbled on this video today and have the following comments. I believe with the time allotted you did a good job of summing up the basic types of grip construction. Going by memory as I don’t have time to watch the second time will say this: your kukris are for the western market with the western thinking in mind. I find there are two markets for kukris, one I call the village market and the other the western. I can’t say one is better only different and the people in those markets wouldn’t care to switch. I agree whole heartily with your statement regarding today’s throwaway society. I was born in the US at the end of the depression then going into the wartime economy and we didn’t throw away and that is etched into my mind today. I darn my socks and Hazel, a few years younger, just shakes her head telling me that I need new ones. As for your opinion of field repairing a full tang kukri, a villager will give you argument there. Villagers prefer stick tangs for ease of repair. Today mostly a full peened stick but partial tangs are still out there. I’ve seen them in the field or at home remove the grip from a partial tang, fit a new one, then shape, first carving then a file or rasp. And have no doubt they can do the same with a peened stick, just not as easily. As for pointy butt plates, I had one that bothered me. There was no problem with a hammer grip but when I cut I would change to a handshake grip. I reduced the point with a file. I received one kukri broken at the butt’s flare that had only a peen cap. The edge was thin and unsupported. It didn’t even stand up to shipping. I did a repair pinning it in place and it is not noticeable. The biggest objection I have with full tang is that they add unnecessary weight and secondly move the PoB back, not the most desirable trait for chopping. I have two surplus kukris from the Nepal arsenal and love them both. One is 15” with a 13 mm spine and comes in at 960 g. It’s a horse and I suspect primarily designed for combat. Its little brother is 13” with a 9 mm spine and is a better GP knife that is more than capable of combat. Either would be formable with a shield. And yes, early on Gurkhas used shields. They were small, about the size of a buckler up to something somewhat larger. Below is a link showing traditional kukris used by villages. The Nepalese are definitely not a throwaway society.
ruclips.net/video/-8lpqTkJyg0/видео.html&start_radio=1&rv=-8lpqTkJyg0&t=704
Great content on Nepalese Khukuri. Thank you and a good job. Respect from the Kingdom of Gurkhas, NEPAL.
I thank you for sharing your knowledge here, sir.
Good perspective on the different types.
Always good to see you again!
Thank you!
Excellently put!
Those are the most beautiful blades I've ever seen in both shape and finish. I couldn't bear to chop anything with one.
I appreciate your information and your perspectives. I found your video very helpful as I search for my first khukuri. Thanks!!
Really enjoyed the video. Thanks
Just when i thought i couldnt like you more!!! You show me a side of you that makes me fall more and more for you!!!
Good coverage, thank you.
Thank you for the information.
Excellemt video. My favorite so far is the KBH historical full tang kukri, completely traditional, save for a true full tang, and slightly larger handle for our large American sausage fingers.
Thank you! Big hands do certainly cause problems sometimes with kukri, for sure.
@@TheTwilightEmporium welcome. Storming here tonight too. Stuck cutting indoors.
@@erichusayn
The British blades are full Tang and some of the most popular used in war and defense. By the Gurkha.
WWII put the full Tang on the map ⚔️✨✨⚔️
Good collection, I worked alongside Gurkhas for 10 hrs, amazing peaceful,brave men.but in battle they do not care.
Well how do we choose khukuri in Nepal?? We got to shop and what is it needed for generally heavy is prefered and relatively long and then we feel in our hand if it feels solid not too heavy has enough length where it will be ease to use we buy it . We donot look for many things thing to consider is girth, feeling in hand curve and metal. The most popular spot in Nepal to get khukuri is a remote place Bhojpur in easten Nepal hill.
Tora just recently brought out the “bush” kukri I can’t wait to test it out.
Post your testing of it for us to see buddy it would be very much appreciated 👍
Nice chart, cheers.
i have 9 Tora's, the smallest one is my favourite, the BSI, its ridiculously light and balanced, well under 500 grams, but still has a lethal 11 and a half inch blade, its good for everything.
I have four Khukuri's in my collection now. All are full tang, three have a half guard. And all are from Khukuri House Thamel, Kathmandu Nepal. Blade lengths are 6,8,12 and my big one with a 15 inch long blade. I find the 6 inch and 8 inch bladed Khukuri's to be very useful when hiking, camping, hunting and fishing. As for a "Military" Khukuri, I'm saving my money. It will also have a full tang, and a 10 inch blade. I just love the design. Plus I buy direct from the manufacturer so all the money stays in Kathmandu.
Very good explanation sir!!!
You are absolutely correct on your analysis of a martial Khukuri with a partial hidden tang !!!
Weight and speed are of great importance !!
And in relation to the metal butt plates you were talking about in reference to a utility Khukuri, I cannot stand the pointed metal butt plates some manufacturers use !! I have had to sand down with a stone a few of my Khukuris (round off the points), to keep them from digging into the heel of my hand !!
By the way, loved the accent on “Full Tang “ 😀😀, Great job on the video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙏🏼
Thank you!
I think a lot of kukri makers don't think people will actually use the kukri, hence those butt plates lol
Excellent Fighting Blades ⚔️
Very informative my good sir !
Thanks
I filed and polished the butplate of my kukri in a rounded way. And it works very well.
Great video and a very logical conclusion for a brush craft kukri.
For the martial arts kukri I think balance and speed would be more of an advantage over destructive power and the forward weight would be a disadvantage - light, sharp and fast for a fighting kukri and with good balance, so you have quick recovery for the next blow.
Thanks
I just got mine it weighs like five pounds
@@rastafari3972I’ve seen lighter axes tbh
Exactly.
This is the best video i cud find on youtube thanks for that
Only query i have is about the sizes of these blades ?
Thank you for the video!!! Can you do one about blade length?
I came here from scholagladiatoria and this was exactly the cherry on top!!! Sounds like a rat tail for me sans plate and from kailash no less!
i also have a kukri which is made and forged in vietnam.. the most famous blacksmith village in vietnam...
The Tora WWII Battalion Kukuri has been very functional, agile and quick when practicing Filipino martial arts with it and using it for camp chores.
Another high quality video! Love it. I wish i had the patience to create such professional videos.
Yes right at the end you say Full Tang is the only option, thank you
We are having a storm also in Hillsboro Oregon. #TheWest
I have been practicing Bando since 1968 and my interest in Kukri is all martial arts related, which means combat and self-defense. The Kukri is the main weapon in Bando (or Banshay and Thaing). The butt plate is of considerable value although it should not be shaped in a way that causes pain, suffering, or injury to yourself while using it. I would always prefer a balanced full tang with butt plate. I presume that all Nepalese warriors of old would prefer the same thing. I have to assume that the conditions of the day did not always allow for official military weaponry to always be the best of the best. The full tang and butt plate are desirable for several reasons, but in particular, because the Kukri is also used for punching and other strikes with the handle as well as pulling and hooking. The stronger the weapon is in that regard the better. In addition, the full tang allows for better balance in its overall combat manipulation. There are other martial arts virtues of the full tang and butt plate, however, if I only could be provided with a partial tang and no butt plate, I would be grateful to be using it. You seem to be using the term "martial arts" concerning the Kukri as a scenario of theoretical combat and "shadow boxing" is all that is involved. It is actually the real-world experience and science of combat that provides training to the military. The martial arts brain trust has the treasury of knowledge while the military personnel go into battle with whatever skills they have acquired from the martial arts brain trust. Of course, many in the military become part of that martial arts brain trust. But when you are choosing a Kukri for martial arts, unless the practitioner is a beginner or a dabbler, the strongest, most balanced, weapon is the one that is required.
i imagine the fulltang might be prefferable for bushcraft aswell because of the slight amount of balance the extra weight brings, i mean youre not gonna chop down a full 500 year old oak with a kukri either way, youre mainly dealing with firewood, brush clearing, chopping up smaller trees/branches to set up a tent etc, youre mainly dealing with wood thats at most up to the thickness of your arm and for that purpose the slight loss of cutting power because of the balance change isnt that detrimental compared to the fact that it will be easier or rather less exhausting to swing the kukri
For outdoor bush craft use, one alternative to a full tang is to leave the organic, natural handle materials and use micarta instead. This makes a rat-tail tang just as reliable and possibly even more so than a full tang with wood or bone scale handles.
Remark on the arsenal blade. I have 2 of those. 1 is a very heavy one, probably the one you have. And mine seems to have parry marks on the back, so it may have been used in combat. But it would be a very slow weapon. The other one, about the same length, is way thinner and weighs probably half of the other. It also has more taper from hilt to point. It is a quick wield-able knife. Not as quick as a large bowie, but not far off. The heavy one is almost impossible to stop your cut due to the mass in movement. If it were to fight I'd definitely prefer the quick one. Concerning the butt plate, i have a Tora WWII MKIII (2006) and the but plate is even a lot pointier than the one you show. After using it a while it really hurts my hand. That's the only thing I don't like about it.
Great video.
The rack you have the khukuris on. Is it just a sword rack or is it custom built for the khukuris? Cheers.
Nah just sword. Thank you!
Well, I think that the type of tang is just one very small part of this topic. I think you should have kept the tang-talk shorter, but instead should have talked more about blade lenght, blade profile, blade geometrie and about the weight, which are all factors that are equally important as the type of tang.
Concerning the tang, I think that the hidden tang doesnt really give you any advantage (balance shift and weight reduction arent significant enough to actually effect the performance).
The full tang is a little overkill, but certainly a good option if you go for absolute bomb-proof.
To me the stick-tang that goes all the way through is the ideal option.
It is solid enough for every reasonable task and doesnt make the khukuri much heavier. I personally very much appreciate the butt-cap, as it protects the butt of the handle (once I accidentally dropped my khukuri without a butt-cap and a part of the handle broke of).
Also I have rather small hands, so I dont encounter the butt-cap when swinging the khukuri....but this is just personal preference.
To come back to my original point, I think that blade features as a whole are much more important when it comes to which khukuri one should buy compared to just the tang.
If this video was called "Which type of tang should I choose on my traditional khukuri" I would be absolutely fine, but as it is now it is quite incomplete.
If I were someone that is new to this topic and came here to watch this video, with the expectation to afterwards know which type of khukuri is the right one for me, I would be very disappointed, because the only thing I would know is that I probably should go for the through-stick-tang.......but there is so much more to this topic.
For example there is a massiv difference whether I went with a Salyani Khukuri or with your Tora Blades Royal Gurkha Khukuri ( even though the tang and handle construction are the same ) because the difference in belly depth is significant.
So I would suggest you to change the title to:" How to choose a traditional khukuri, Part 1: The Tang" and then continue with "part 2: The blade".
Just some of my thoughts...
Great review and input. Tora reproductions are grade A. Kailish Blade are awesome too. Purna Blades is another custom kukri kami from Nepal that makes super Kukris. Note none of these Kukris are toys. They are the real deal wether they are reproductions of war time military issued Kukris. They will cut!
Your right, one doesn't always need the blade to be light & fast but that usually only applies IF one has a shield or armor. B/c if you miss you'll be left open. Either the shield or speed are what's going to keep your weapon hand from being lopped off.
I just purchased one from Tora Blades (villager) and one from Himalayan Imports ( Kiruwah Ang Khola) …..we’ll see when they arrive..
I would like to have a Traditional Handle put on my Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri in O1 tool steel
I think it would be a little upgrade over the crayton ex handle it comes with but the crayton rubber is a good shock stopper. 💰⚔️💰
Best Khukuri
Who is the maker of that mk1?
It's a compact tool with multifunctional features .
Easy to handle
I just got mine didn’t think it would be so heavy
Elbow & Shoulder problems in the future it shoulds like to me ⚔️✨✨✨⚖️✨✨✨⚔️
I know that this is highly improbable, but what I’d like is a traditional 13” Kukri with a full tang and a larger (longer) handle with either high quality Micarta or well patterned G10 scales.. All of my use will be bushcraft so I’d want it to be pretty thick stock. It will replace both an ax and a hatchet. I understand that there’s a new type of G10 that has a rubbery type layer in its composition.. that might offer the increased grip that I seek while remaining extremely durable…..
Reach out to KHHI and see if they can produce this for you.
We have micarta as well as custom handle capabilities- plenty of 13" traditional patterns too :)
Khukuri : “just look at me!”
Enemy’s Head : “ohh shit, I’m on the ground already !!”
I NEED A KUKRI
HOW TO COLLECT IT
TELL ME PLEASE
Have Tora blades ceased trading ?
It's starting to look like it ⚔️
Tora Blades You Tube channel Simone is selling a few to the highest buyer. ⚔️💰⚔️
I would like to purchase 10 inch khukuri Sir
Links to buy would be cool
Absolutely would be ⚔️💰💰💰⚔️💰💰💰⚔️
I'm number 4931, so more than 6 viewers ....
Maine I got dat BudK Kukri wit dat full tang two , yeah I got too ov dem , Luv um two 💥💥
Matt probably watch two 💥💥💥💥 he lik Kukri too Bub 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I saw a chap get hizz head taken clean off the meat rake with a Kukri ,and then I woke up sweating 🥵
Full Tang came out because Gurkha's going to Afghanistan, where reporting that the horn handles of the rat tail and partial tang Khukuri's where coming apart, due to how dry the weather is there. How do I know, I've asked the man who runs Khukuri House Thamel. The British are now in the process, of issuing Khukuri's with full tangs and Rose wood handled knives. Much more durable.
You should choose "lambend mutiny" for the freedom. It's my best second is long sirupate khukuri 🙏
whats the best length for bush craft and survival?
Late comment, but it depends. If you're carrying just an axe and a skinning knife, you might want a shorter Khukuri to fill in that role between the knife and the axe, for simple brush clearing and wood work. If you have no axe and several different knives, you'll be better off with a longer Khukuri that could fill in the role of a machete and hatchet/"camp axe" the ones that are almost full size but still advertised as basically hatchets. The size of the Khukuri is decided by what you're carrying/the amount you're carrying. If you have a hatchet or preferably axe and a Khukuri that's less than 20 inches you're pretty set. Avoid using the tip, which is easy because the sweet spot you'd use for hatchet-like strikes is further down the blade, and keep it sharp to use on animal flesh, you could also use the axe for that, but not everyone's axe stays that sharp for long I feel. The inward curved section near the handle of the Khukuri LOVES to eat bark and wood, it'll shave off an infinitely long curl of wood. Be very mindful of your fingers though, I was a few inches away from losing the tip of my finger, bit right up into the cuticle area, it doesn't seem like it needs stitches, coming from someone who has needed stitches. Internal dissolving ones and external stitches plus staples for a 9 inch laceration on my scalp.
O1 Steel Gurkha Kukri by Cold Steel 😎⚔️🦈
Okay, I have to take offense to your comment about the Mark 5 style metal plate causing issues without gloves. I own two with that style of tang, both from The Khukuri House (which IS NOT an endorsement of the company) and have used them a ton over the years with no issues without gloves. Including making feather sticks.
Now the Khukuri House is a low end maker so they aren't perfect and maybe it could be that I am of Apache heritage so pretty small like the Nepalese and that makes a difference or maybe I have exceptional versions, but they were bought on discount.
Could be a hand size thing for certain.
The blade I mentioned where the butt plate came off and cut me was also the Khukuri House. The Beast, I believe is what that kukri was called.
@@TheTwilightEmporium I can see that happening. Although many (me included) have had good results from them I don't think I would necessarily endorse the products as a whole.
What is your favorite non-Nepali khukuri?
I too have cut myself on butt caps. It was not fun. I just buy full tang and reshape my handles to fit my hand. It gives me a custom fit without the custom price.
I PREFER THE IBERIAN “FALCATA”❗️(IN A8 MOD STEEL‼️)
Melt beeswax and put it on the wood, it should never crack
I was right there with ya until you said "America"
Lol I understand
Yeah, freedom sucks, huh?
@@totallyfrozen if only the oligarchy would allow freedom
Apparently the one thing 'we' don't love is GETTING TO THE FREEKIN' POINT.
For the love of God get to the friggin point. Also, unless you've actually used them in the scenarios you're talking about don't talk about it.
How about something that the Gurkha regiments would’ve used while fighting in Afghanistan? @thetwilightemporium @The Twilight Emporium