Kukris?

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C

Classical Liberal

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Anyone got one? What are they good for?

I've seen some tests with HI vs CS and the former seem to outclass the latter. Any truth to this?

Your 2 cents please, folks...
 
Son, all you gotta do is search Kukri in this forum and you'll see a passel of folks with them that love them and a bunch of threads on them.

Your moderator, JShirley, is a Kukri Kook (I just made that up and think it's rather clever myself:evil: ). Some folks here make'm. Other's just use them.
 
Khukuris are no-nonsense tools that excel at chopping. They are great knives and the Nepalese use them for everything from butchering goats and chickens to chopping wood.

As to your question about which company's product outshines the other, you'll have to decide that for yourself. I have several HIs, but I do not own any of the CS kukris. The khukuri is an exotic knife and I wanted to get one that was traditionally made, not a modern interpretation. I also love the look of the HIs better than the coated, rubber-handled CS knives. They are also tougher because HI khukuris are thicker than the CS blades. One more thing to consider is the warranty. I have no idea what CS policy is, but HI knives come with a lifetime warranty.
 
Howdy.

HI kuks are tough, good values, and have better hard-use handles (not saying wood and horn are tougher than CS poly handles, but the HI handles feel better when you swing them for a while).

HI are also thicker steel, as has been mentioned.

Any specific questions, please ask. :)

John
 
The whole idea of a knife fight scares me a lot, but I reckon some day I must learn that too in order to be well-rounded in self defense. So, is a kukri any good for that kind of thing?
 
I've never been in a knife fight so I don't really know how a khukuri would fare in a fight. I do have a few observations though. One, the khukuri is a very unusual knife. People unfamiliar with them tend to think they're wicked. Plus a khukuri is a very intimidating sight when it is in someone else's hand. Second, the traditional khukuri design does not utilize guards and is something you might want to take into account. That said the khukuri is a home run hitter. They are massive blades and a hit from one would probably stop any but the most determined attackers.
 
My Buddy bought one back for me from Nepal, from the original workshops that supple them to the Gurkas. Even came with a little (Badly Translated) guide, covering the history of the knife and all the different kinds, from the traditional model to large jungle knives and right on the through to the ones purely designed for be-heading goats.
Very Thick, very strong and very sharp.
 
Sounds good, but for my first knife I think I will go with a KaBar or some other simple fixed-blade knife that is useful for most tasks...
 
CL,

I wouldn't pick a kuk for a self defense because it's so large it makes it difficult to carry concealed. If it was a combat envioronment instead the kuk would make an excellent fighter, but you'd need to train to it's strengths (heavy chopper) and compensate for it's weaknesses.

Do you currently train in MA? Do you want the knife for street defense or are you just viewing it as a theoretical exercise in defense?
 
I want to be prepared even though I find the whole idea of knife fights way more scary than shooting someone. Must be something to do with the reptile brain. Guy with sniper rifle = safe. Guy with knife = RUN!!! ;)
 
If you buy a khukuri (kukri), think of it as a lifetime investment and get one of the better ones from a place like Himalayan Imports.

My son has on of the larger ones that we now find indispensable for camping and brush clearing, ending up somewhere between an axe and a machete, being able to substitute for either.

As for self defense, it would no doubt be formidable, but not a very discreet or lightweight weapon at all.
 
Picking out which khukuri is best for you would be akin to choosing a wife for you.

I guess the best place to start would be one of the middle of the road designs, unless you have a specific single use in mind. Go to the website and look at their top three best sellers, but if a different one reaches out and grabs you, then go where the spirit moves you.

http://www.himalayan-imports.com/

One thing about an HI blade, they have a tremendous resale value, unbelievable for something such as a knife. If you get one and don't care for it, you should have no problems selling it at a slight discount so you can try another make.
 
Think of it this way.

What is CS's warranty on their Khukuris?

I know that HI has a warranty of "you break one of our Khuks, we will send you two as replacement".

HI, has been in business for a long time and has only had to honor that warranty maybe a couple of times.

Can CS say the same....

Also, there is something "spiritual" about a HI khuk. Made the old fashion way of taking a chunk of spring steel. Heated up and pounded out into Khuks by little old Kamis (knifemakers) in some small village in Nepal.
 
Gurkha chopping planks using a kukri - Iraq:

ghurkakukri29xy.jpg


The Gurks told me that most westerners tend to cut themselves when drawing the blade incorrectly from its sheath. Their preferred target is the opponent's neck to behead them, second-best target are the limbs which tend to become stumps. The W-shaped cutout between the blade and handle is to collect the victim's blood, keeping it away from the handle and cleared with a quick sideways flick.
 
I have been trying to break mine for decades. I prefer to use it for kindling over my Gerber camp axe
 
I bought several Indian Kukhuri's from Bud-k (I know, but I'm on a tight budget)
They are 3/16" thick on the back and nice heavy blades.
For $10 I figured WTH and I'm very pleased.
 
The Khukri is extermely effective at in a knife fight provided you know how to use them.

They are however used more in a slice and dice manner rather than a poke and stab.
Anyone who tells you otherwise doesnt know the Gurkha's well enough.

Another "exotic" that might be of interest to you is the Naga Tha. Some Naga's were actually head hunters.
 
I might describe a kukuri more as a chop and hack weapon, in most cases. :)
 
CS khukris don't hold a candle to Himilayan Imports products. As an added plus, the company was founded upon the idea of fair trade (and not the current liberal-guilt yuppie fair-trade BS, either- just the simple idea that if you buy a knife for $120, most of that should end up in the hands of the guy who made the knife) by a class act of a guy.

If I have a choice of putting $100 in the hands of an actual craftsman in Nepal or into Lynn Thompson's pocket, I know which I would pick. The fact that the knives are far superior is just an added bonus.

Mike
 
I do not own a HI (yet), and my order from Cold Steel has not yet come, but I've been playing with a CS khukri machete for a while, and it is an exelent weapon, given that you have it with you, and a fair bit of distance on your side.

The CS return/breakage policy on all fixxed blades that I know of, is a five year replacement. But a knife( HI,CS, anyones) is a simple tool and if you break it you probably did something wrong, like prying, hammering... The fact that HI includes theyre blessing, means alot to me, thy dont just want to sell you the product, they want it to serve you well for the rest of your life.

By the way the CS ''LTC'' kukri is 3/16'' thick and the ''ghurka'' kukri is 5/16'', maybe this helps?
 
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