kukri questions

[Peter_t]

i am going to the war and peace show on sunday and am looking to buy a second hand kukri. my questions are, should i go for stick tang or full tang? what is the best size blade for a all round use? (i was thinking 10'') and how do i tell i good kukri from a bad kukri? and is there anything els i should know?
thanks in advance

pete

 

[crazydave]

the stick tang as you call it is the nepalese way of making them and they are hand bashed out on the floor of a workshop. with a buffalo horn handle glues in with crushed beetle and pine resin.

the full tang are indian copies and are made differently with a wood handle and rivets

the key difference is the indian ones are frequently bashed out of any old steel for a little as a dollar each on a mass production line. the nepalese ones are made by a kami with a workshop team and each blade taking a day to produce for around 10 dollars. the blades are hand tempered to give a flexible back and sharp edge.

look up himalayan imports or kukhuri house for more info.

have a feel and see what you like as the handles are often carved differently and for smaller hands than westerners. you will probably want to play with the blade and polish it up a bit as they are made from lorry springs or the ends of rail lines and will rust.

they are a different way of working though and if you arent used to them then often a more conventional blade like a cold steel or kabar kukri might suit your tastes better as they are more a machete with a heavy end whereas a proper kukri is loke a long axe I guess

 

[Peter_t]

so is the indian kukri a no go area?
im just worried the narrow tang will break or come loose, are all the full tang kukris poorly made? how can i tell if it is hand forged?
sorry for all the questions lol

 

[crazydave]

depends on how much of a purist you are. a lot of people smarten them up but small things like the quality of the small knife and chakma or the covering used for the sheath not being water buffalo for example.

there's nothing wrong with the smaller tang as its developed that way over centuries. I found it a problem when my handle split so i put a bigger one on but I'd have the same issue with a full tang.

if you pick up one with a wooden handle and a small tang then again its likely to be an indian copy. not that the indians are doing anything overly naughty as they employ a lot more ghurkas than we do and the industry started during the last war to meet demand

they have a lot more fans to the ideal of a kukri but a lot of folks dont like them once they've had one but they wont admit it. they are a brilliantly designed bit of kit but often western knife lore makes it hard to get full potential out of them and sharpening them is a tricky affair. what ever though a smart kukri looks good. if you one with a rough blade but god handle and sheath then you can smarten the blade up with a sander and even sharpen them. polish up with autosol and your sorted.

 

[tommy the cat]

I believe this chap is about to stock them...
http://bearclawsbushcraft.blogspot.com/
I have no connection with them but have read all but good...pm the guy as he is about to stock them on the site and knows plenty about them!!!!
Dave

 

[crazydave]

http://www.m4040.com

have a look at this guy - he messes around with them a lot and it gives you some insight.

 

[tommy the cat]

Crazy dave link a no worko.
d

 

[crazydave]

now it does - dyslexic fingers again

dont worry about the disclaimer