Why an axe and a fixed blade knife?

[santaman2000]

......If I was going to the tropics, I would probably leave the axe at home and use a Kukri or similar. They are designed for the job of cutting bamboo, which is a whole different beast to the Hazel, Chestnut and Oak of your typical English Wood.

J

I'm still struggling to understand why the perception of Khukuris is that of a "tropical" tool? Like I said earlier, the Himalayans aren't exactly tropical.

The Khukuri is a knife sized version of the sword used by Alexander The Great's soldiers (whether they took the design from the Nepalese or vice versa, I really don't know)

 

[Zingmo]

Surely modern bushcraft/survival philosophy tells us that, should we ever find ourselves lost in the vast British wilderness, the first thing we must do is carve a spoon. It must have a hand tooled finish or we run the risk that when rescuers arrive they will look at our spoon and tut. While other large cutting tools will do the job of roughing out a spoon, an axe will impress the rescuers more, especially if it comes from Scandiwegia with a name that has unusual combinations of consonants and vowels in it.

Z

 

[FGYT]

I'm still struggling to understand why the perception of Khukuris is that of a "tropical" tool? Like I said earlier, the Himalayans aren't exactly tropical.

The Khukuri is a knife sized version of the sword used by Alexander The Great's soldiers (whether they took the design from the Nepalese or vice versa, I really don't know)

its just perception its also considered a fighting knife but wasn't tho obviously can be used like any sharp tool

the Nepalese brought them with them when they formed the Gurkha Regiments as a GP cutting tool not a weapon and they where used in Jungle environments a lot

Shelter and house building, Hunting and food prep

even Cheffin if you want (looks a little speeded up )

[video=youtube;0DHGlhFJH0g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DHGlhFJH0g[/video]


BTW it works very well on hazel and hard woods in all UK out doors cutting

 

[FGYT]

Sorry second post as we cant seem to put more than 1 Video link in a post



A machette would be better for Bamboo (well the small stuff we know ) as its a much longer blade and a lot thinner gains power by speed not weight and much better for secondary Jungle Trail cutting than the Shorter heavy Kukri and a Parang which like Primary Jungle and deal with short bursts of activity usually end of day camp building in bigger timber or BIg Bamboo
Sorry my parang but same thing for Kukri walk all day no trail to clear/fight but Sharps out to set up camp (just like most of England)

[video=youtube;1RF36Mz38G4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RF36Mz38G4[/video]

 

[santaman2000]

......A machette would be better for Bamboo (well the small stuff we know ) as its a much longer blade and a lot thinner gains power by speed not weight and much better for secondary Jungle Trail cutting than the Shorter heavy Kukri and a Parang which like Primary Jungle......

That's been my experience also. A khukuri is just too thick and heavy for jungle use. It does work, but not nearly as well as a thinner blade.

 

[santaman2000]

its just perception its also considered a fighting knife but wasn't tho obviously can be used like any sharp tool

the Nepalese brought them with them when they formed the Gurkha Regiments as a GP cutting tool not a weapon and they where used in Jungle environments a lot

Shelter and house building, Hunting and food prep.....

BTW it works very well on hazel and hard woods in all UK out doors cutting

That makes lots of sense. Thanks.

 

[Tristar777]

That's been my experience also. A khukuri is just too thick and heavy for jungle use. It does work, but not nearly as well as a thinner blade.

Hi. Used a Kuk for years here in the UK. Never felt the need to change as it works as stated earlier for many tasks that an axe would only dream of doing. Its not too heavy here, no jungles to chop through!

 

[ged]

...the best ( For me ) all round (means its compromised but reasonable at lots of tasks ) GP camp /out door Big blade

You making khukuris now Duncan? We have to talk.

 

[santaman2000]

Hi. Used a Kuk for years here in the UK. Never felt the need to change as it works as stated earlier for many tasks that an axe would only dream of doing. Its not too heavy here, no jungles to chop through!

Yeah, I gotta agree. No sugar cane to cut either.

 

[John Fenna]

Those look good!
I have not used a quality Kukri - I tried some Kukri shaped bits of metal many years ago but was not too impressed and went with an axe (I found the GB SFA my ideal compromise for carving, felling, snedding, splitting - for benches etc -, firewood prep etc etc) a Billhook (an old Elwell that is great for cutting poles, clearing brambles, firewood prep etc but not so good for carving, splitting logs - as in making benches) a fixed bladed knife for carving, food prep, general cutting and a SAK for little cutting and all those tools - I also carry a Leatherman for the extended tool selection and sometimes a big folder like a Svord Peasant. I also love a good folding saw such as my Laplander
My most versatile tool tends to be a 4" -5" fixed blade, followed by my Billhook. The axe only tends to go along if I know I will be using it to rough out big carvings, splitting logs, felling small trees or snedding etc.
I find "vernacular" tools tend to work best (for me) in their home environment and around here that is a Billhook, an axe, a saw and a fixed bladed knife
If someone could let me try a good Kukri it is possible that I could find I have been wrong all these years....

 

[santaman2000]

.....I have not used a quality Kukri - I tried some Kukri shaped bits of metal many years ago but was not too impressed and went with an axe.....


I find "vernacular" tools tend to work best (for me) in their home environment and around here that is a Billhook, an axe, a saw and a fixed bladed knife
If someone could let me try a good Kukri it is possible that I could find I have been wrong all these years....

Try a real Nepalese made khukuri John. Cold Steel generally has a good reputation but TBH, their "khukuri" is just a short machete shaped like a real khukuri.

Yep, there's usually a reason why tools develop as they do in certain geographic areas.

 

[Tagaeri]

So the OP's question is "Why?"

My best answer is "Why not?"

Indeed! Just interested in people's experiences.

 

[Tagaeri]

expedition leader (jungle) I swore by a Cold Steal kukri (/QUOTE]

This may be narrow minded of me, but I always considered kukris and machetes tools best suited for tropical- temperate use and axes for temperate- tundra use? But even so I think whatever you train with, and are happy with and confident using is the tool for you

But why did you think that?

It's true that machetes, parangs, kukris, etc. (actually all fairly different tools, with different pros and cons) are generally used in the tropics, but I've used a heavy kukri quite happily in the UK for years and never once wished I had an axe with me. So I was just interested in the reasons why axes were so popular, and what it was I was missing...

 

[Tracker NTS-054]

I thought that because that's the general trend. I don't believe in it myself and I actually commonly use a machete where I hunt (all legal) and know of some survival legends who never touched axes in the UK and kept a British army machete down their Wellington boot on tracking courses! There is absolutely no good reason why machetes, golocks and the like aren't more commonplace in UK woodcraft (apart from scaring the bejesus out of town folk). It's solely a case of whatever you learned and trained with, is probably a better tool for you.

 

[Tagaeri]

Some interesting comments. And, it's true, different tools are right for different jobs and different environments. However, I don't like carrying around a whole tool shed with me and in my experience a good heavy kukri will handle just about any job in the forest I can think of (or the jungle for that matter - I know I used one for three months straight in Ecuador). It may be a 'jack of all trades, master of none' but should handle most things.

Given that, I was just wondering why it wasn't more popular in the bushcraft community, and why, instead, the axe was king. I think those who've commented on the bushcraft uniform may be right to some extent, though, of course, there are some jobs that the axe is ideally suited for. In general, though, I find the lack of diversity in some areas of the bushcraft community a little puzzling - is it celebrity led?

I'll give the axe, folding saw, fixed blade knife combo a go, but I suspect I'll be reaching for the old favourites before too long

 

[Man of Tanith]

I'm gonna be a little controversial here.
on most my trips its rare for me to use anything more than a pocket knife.
nine out of ten times I am cuttin cordage for guy lines, prepping food or cuttin open packets.

on saying that this weekend three of the four of us out at my woods did a bit of whittling which worked better with a fixed blade.
I used a fixed blade for champhering the poles for a roycroft pack frame.

didnt use my outdoor axe but it was there if I did want to.
mesquite used his for kindling for the morning brew fire.

with planning or thought you dont need the axe or fixed blade knife or even a pocket knife...but its much more fun to have them

Ive used machete for clearance work when arguing with truly evil brambles but that is about it

 

[Tagaeri]

Well I used a Kukri and a Locking SAK for years before I found out I was doing it wrong (also carried a Gerber Folding saw exchangA simier to silky in the tooth design blade and a pair of secateurs )

and then Bushcraft had been invented to show us the true path of the 4" fixed zero scandi grind thick blade the Small hatchet axe and the laplander saw

Tried them mmmmmmmmmmm Na dont like the knife never use an axe for fire wood ...Ever when camping why wood is supplied in all the sizes you want it grows on trees and if its to long and to big to snap I may saw of long bits to carry and burn em in half and end feed

My camp Nessy has been my respectable Kukri and tho i came up with the DSP as a much better all round ( For ME) "Bushcraft" knife i prefer the 3/4 size which is similar to the SAK blade

now dam it im gettin my Kukri back as the best ( For me ) all round (means its compromised but reasonable at lots of tasks ) GP camp /out door Big blade

Very nice looking blades; where are they from?

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

Very nice looking blades; where are they from?

Staples i think

 

[Haggis]

I read someplace that a heavy knife is a better choice for those unfamiliar with an axe, and especially small axes (hatchets). It does take a degree of skill to swing a hatchet at a sapling and expect the very small edge to actually contact the target, but with a long bladed knife, the odds of missing, or hitting one's self after a miss, are greatly reduced.

 

[Bluffer]

I'm still struggling to understand why the perception of Khukuris is that of a "tropical" tool? Like I said earlier, the Himalayans aren't exactly tropical.

Only the northern edge of Nepal is mountainous (W to E) and only above 4000m.

There is a lot of jungle/forest in the valleys in those regions and the entire southern part of Nepal is 'terai' which is flat arable land affected by monsoon (bordering India).

The British/Indian Army Gurkha soldiers are recruited from such regions outside of the Kathmandu valley and have generally been born and raised farming the fields with a khukri on their belt.

Usually used to chop wood and buffalo/goat neck.

Most khukri, common to indigenous tools in similar areas, are made with carbon steel and tend not to be full tang, hence I would be interested in FGYTs version if I wanted to do some serious chopping.