Kukri Related

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
a well made kukri is a great tool and
yes ITS BOTH A TOOL AND ,
with the required skill set a very effective lethal weapon

originally potentially a weapon, in skilled hands,
THAT'S DESIGNED SO IT EASILY KILLS WITH A SINGLE HIT


these kukri are generally built from thick truck leaf spring steel and differentially heat treated (the edge is made a bit harder tempered than the spine of the blades for increased durability ) which if properly heat treated makes a decent and durable blade steel,and generally these kukri tend to stand up to abuse far better than lower cost cheaply made and mass produced kukri clones that tend to have thinner and usually non-heat treated or incorrectly heat treated/ brittle blades.
a well made kukri can be used to do most of the work larger blades and a hatchet or tomahawk can do, making them very useful as survival hunting tools, thus by design its a reasonably short, & easy to transport
(compared to an axe with similar cutting potential)
personally Ive found you need two types of blades, to cover hunting, survival camp needs
youll need both,

a short pocket or skinning, blade generally under 4" -5" used for/as a game meat processing blade,
and perhaps after careful cleaning a steak knife,
like a old timer sharp finger

SHARPFINGER®


www.theoldtimer.com
www.theoldtimer.com
img-schrade-sharpfinger-01.jpg

and a decent kukri, like the more expensive cold steel designs or
it is primarily a chopping and slicing blade design'

(that has been proven endlessly as and for century's as an effective tool & weapon)
that can cut far deeper and more efficiently than most people will believe,
once you master the way it should be used.
its basically an AXE you can wear in a sheath on your belt.
Ive used a kukri as my basic larger blade while back=packing and hunting for several decades.
its not used for dressing out game, other than cutting a few 12-14ft lodgepole pine, poles, to use as a tri-pod,
51AuhQCQVrL._AC_SX425_.jpg
with a block &tackle to hoist an elk to make dressing it out where it fell far easier,
but its used anyplace most people might use a hatchet or axe.
Id suggest
at least a 8mm or 5/16" minimum thick spine:D
, full tang design,:) but a 10mm spine adds useful weight/strength
and 600 gram minimum weight , 800gm-900 gm is in my opinion ideal and a 12"-13.5" max blade
and pay a bit extra for a kydex sheath
I own several, two of the cold steel versions, like the picture posted here

while a well designed kukri may not be ideal for every use,
you'll be very hard pressed to find anything else that's nearly as
versatile.
opplanet-cold-steel-san-mai-gurkha-kukri-fixed-blade-knife-kraton-handle-secure-ex-sheath-35atcj.jpg

(purchased 30 years ago and a marginally different san-mai design)
for $200 each which was a bargain,

and one cheap one made in NORTHERN INDIA,
they all work and they spend 99.8% of the time cutting wood
and keep in mind if they were used to stab and rapidly jab, flick defense cuts
its geometry enhances the flesh cutting result.

https://www.coldsteel.com/gurkha-kukri-plus-cpm-3v/


35GKP__87866.1611259428.jpg






 
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both amazingly expensive, and well designed ...
but high quality, if you can afford it its a good choice


remember, if its too long or heavy you won't carry it with you,
A KUKRI SHOULD HAVE A FULL TANG DESIGN, AND A 9MM-10MM SPINE TO HAVE THE STRENGTH & WEIGHT REQUIRED

if its to light or short, it's basically nearly useless as a chopping and slicing tool,
(the reason you carry a kukri)
anything with a blade over 14"-15" is usually too long, anything under 9"-10" is generally too small
obviously personal
preference, and experience play a big part in the selection.

https://www.amazon.com/Moorhaus-D2-...child=1&keywords=kukri&qid=1630101825&sr=8-35

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077LDR8HZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details



BTW NEVER BUY THIS KNIFE

51LlAfBFwKL._AC_SX679_.jpg

I purchased one a about 2 months back, I dropped it on a concrete floor and it shattered like glass in three pieces



I purchased one, its a bit too small & light weight to be used for effective chopping

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-you-keep-your-knife-blades.14215/#post-92301

https://www.greatgurkhakhukuri.com/

https://www.coldsteel.com/gurkha-kukri-plus-cpm-3v/

https://www.greatgurkhakhukuri.com/shop/military/14-shri-tri-chandra-shumsher-khukuri/

https://www.greatgurkhakhukuri.com/shop/military/12-inch-super-fast-full-tang-khukuri/

https://www.greatgurkhakhukuri.com/shop/special/10-jungle-king-khukuri/
 
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if forced to carry only one edged tool/ blade,
Ill go cold steel trail master, I did this for a few years,:D
but the combo of the small sharade and heavy blade kukri,
makes an excellent working combo


I've owned and used the cold steel kukri for 4 decades, and never had any issues, its basically a hatchet/or easy to use axe
coldpic39lgkt-12.jpg

notice the cold steel kukri versions can now cost between about $350-$775 depending on the steel used

yes they are well made but the price seem exorbitant to me.
(and yeah IM darn glad I bought two, of the cold steel kukri 30 years ago at $200 each for the better steel option) these are not the same blades as the dirt cheap kukri/machete semi clones that are almost worthless


https://www.coldsteel.com/gurkha-kukri-plus-4034ss/



crap quality clones from cold steel
have advantages in my opinion
eyJidWNrZXQiOiAiZmlsZXMua25pZmVjZW50ZXIuY29tIiwia2V5IjogImtuaWZlY2VudGVyL2NvbGRzdGVlbC9pbWFnZXMvQ1MxNkpTTV8xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogNzYwLCJoZWlnaHQiOiA0MjUsImZpdCI6ICJjb250YWluIiwiYmFja2dyb3VuZCI6IHsiciI6IDI1NSwiZyI6IDI1NSwiYiI6IDI1NSwiYWxwaGEiOiAxfX19fQ==

the combo of a good kukri and a sharp/small skinning knife makes a great deal of sense in a hunters tool set,
the sharade woodsman

https://outfitterwarehouse.com/prod...MIlszDzK744gIVA6rsCh1pTwnAEAQYAiABEgKEvfD_BwE

SCH165OT.jpg
 
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the kukri is NOT DESIGNED to be thrown, but if that's a well mastered skill,
and IF you can be consistently accurate and very fast,
so your aggressor has very little time to react)
(very difficult to do with such a large blade)
its mass makes it impressively devastating.

throwing a lethal blade, you use, thus
making you defenseless,
to your enemy is seldom a good idea
 
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keep in mind there are several types of kukri, your most functional styles ,
used for camping and hunting, , or a weapon ,
will all have between about an 11 inch minimum to about a 15 inch maximum blade length,
shorter blades , like the 7inch-to-9 inch versions can be used for slicing and knife work and fit on a belt easily
blades with a 5mm-7mm blade back thickness or spine, will basically function as a machete ,
but rather poorly in my opinion as an AXE!

most people I know find these un-satisfactory, as a knife and/or especially as an axe.
and these generally have an under 500 gram weight,
obviously blade width and length effect total weight,
kukri with a thicker spine or blade back , typically in the 8mm-12mm range,
act more like a hatchet or an axe. those over about 650 grams are generally more effective as chopping tools
personal preferences and what the intended use is obviously are huge factor in blade selection,
BTW for us Americans-
who generally see weight listed in ounces.
- (there are approximately 454 grams in 1 LB):like:



obviously any sharp blade, in skilled hands can be used as a weapon,
or to skin game, as a hunting knife or camp tool.
but if you use a thin light blade as an axe you'll be very frustrated,
at its lack of efficient chopping function on anything like a tree trunk or limb, much larger than 3" diameter.
the heavier blade can be razor sharp and function as both a knife and axe but it of course weights considerably more to carry/pack


examples
this is more like a functional chopping or axe blade
(given a choice I feel this has many advantages and few flaws)

this is more like a functional slicing or knife blade
(still functional but not nearly as versatile in my opinion)


full tang handles are much more durable, and many kukri have thin internal rat tail handles ,
some are glued internally some extend to the pommel/ butt cap, some have the rat tail handle extension,
tip peened over a washer or butt cap to increase durability
that type handle design is ok as a knife but not as a hatchet to chop with, and are far less durable if used for chopping

personally Ive found you need two types of blades, to cover hunting, survival camp needs
youll need both,
a short pocket or skinning, blade generally under 4" -5" used for/as a game meat processing blade,
and perhaps after careful cleaning a steak knife,
like a old timer sharp finger
img-schrade-sharpfinger-01.jpg

OR
the sharade woodsman

https://outfitterwarehouse.com/prod...MIlszDzK744gIVA6rsCh1pTwnAEAQYAiABEgKEvfD_BwE

SCH165OT.jpg


Ive used and own both of the smaller blades,
and each has its useful functional
usage areas where it excels
but to make most jobs far easier,
you really need a larger chopper and an easy to use smaller blade in combo' on extended hunting trips


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and yes just as a learning experience:relieved: and to find out the results
Iv'e used JUST a larger BOWIE
281157.jpg

and a KUKRI was used on a different hunt trip,
to dress out deer & ELK, as a field test

neither is as ideal as having two blades available
and yeah have a diamond hone to freshen the edge

kukri2.jpg

yes as in most things you tend to get what you pay for, ask questions prior to purchasing,
and be aware in most cases a dirt cheap kukri won't generally have the higher quality heat treating,
and finish of the more expensive versions,
but keep in mind you do have the option in many cases of having a custom made kukri,
or a local shop re-heat treat the blade or fabricate a new handle or sheath.
in the first video below a MORRON deliberately trys to cut through steel screws,

with a kukris blade, and obviously shows limited skill at blade use,
with the predictable damage to the blade resulting





 
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BTW NEVER BUY THIS KNIFE

51LlAfBFwKL._AC_SX679_.jpg

I purchased one a about 2 months back,
I dropped it on a concrete floor and it shattered like glass in three pieces



these LINKED KUKRI below is far better made
or

or

 
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During WWII, the British Indian Army planned to drop a company of the toughest Gurkhas behind Japanese lines to help stop the oncoming invaders. A British major explained the plan to the Gurkha sergeant major, saying: “We’ll drop you from 600 feet.”The sergeant major talked to his troops, then went back to the major: “Sah, the men say 600 feet too high. They want to be dropped lower.” The British major said: “All right, sergeant major, we’ll make it 500 feet.”The sergeant major spoke to his troops again, and again went back to the major: “Sah, the men say 500 feet is still too high and want to be dropped lower.” The major said: “Sergeant major, we could go down to 400 feet to drop you but that wouldn’t leave enough time for the parachutes to open.”The sergeant major replies: "Wait, we get parachutes?"

in the falklands war then British used Gurkhas
a rumor circulated among the Argentines that it was standard Gurkha practice
to behead anyone they caught, in night raids ,,,,,,not many Argentines slept well
as the Gurkhas started sneaking into enemy lines every night



 
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