"Heavy Duty" Models

Hey , been reading some of the posts regarding using a khukuri for digging , prying etc . Each to their own but I would never have given it a thought to use a khukuri for these tasks unless it was the only tool I had in a do or die type survival / escape situation . there are so many other cheap tools for those purposes and on such well made khukuri as Kailash and others I couldnt afford the risk of structural damage . Unless Im missing something I dont understand properly in which case Im willing to be educated on . Everyone has their own opinions but I always thought a khukuris main use was as a weapon and a light / medium bushcraft / campcraft tool . It would be interesting to hear from customers who have used their kuks in heavy use / hostile environment situations /
 
Andrew,
Great information about lateral loading of the blades as well as areas of concern when putting khukuri through more demanding situations. I'm curious how my 11" full tang Ek Chirra will compare to my 13" MK-1 in these types of uses. While I don't expect to find myself in any "do or die" situations, batoning wood in the 6" to 8" diameter range could happen (but rarely). Finishing a partially split piece of wood with a twist of the khukuri might be called for. Am I right in thinking the Ek Chirra would have a very slight advantage in lateral loading due to the full tang?

I know I'll get deeper penetration with the MK-1 but I'm anxious to see how the different cross sections and grind profiles affect performance in different applications. I feel very fortunate that I'll soon be able to compare them. I wish I'd had this chance 20 years ago, when I was camping and fly fishing for trout on a regular basis.
Jack
 
Bill_Melater said:
Yes, ha ha. Without getting too far off the heavy chopper topic, here we go!

I got a 14" Sirupate, rat tail tang with a rosewood handle and a 13" Mk1 both with a standard grind (I don't need the HD and I'm skeptical of the HP). I'm really looking forward to pitting these two together since they both seem to be decent "all rounder" choices but come at it from different sides. I'm only now wondering if I should have instead gone with the raw finish for the Siru but it's too late now and I'm going to waffle on it no matter what.

Now, even after Andrew addressing multiple questions I have had (thank you!), I still went with the opposite of what I hand intended and this was purely for cost reasons. 2 blades at once is expensive and after totaling up the full tang with the micarta and the non-standard sheath, it was getting to be a bit much for one blade that I was only guessing that I would like for what I wanted. This way, I can get two on the ends but not too far away on the spectrum I am looking at and test them out before going into what I think would be - for me - my ideal theoretical all purpose blade which is as follows:

A 14" Sirupate with a raw finish because I love the look and it is a very durable finish that does indeed hold oil as Andrew has stated. A micarta handle, brass fittings (maybe steel?) and a full tang just because you never know and with micarta, they won't shrink and create that edge from the tang that I can't stand, as much as I love Indian Rosewood. I still do not believe I will do a lot of prying but, you never know and 100g (.22lbs) isn't too bad for what could be gained. This is to address light brush and moderately thick branches, sapplings for yardwork, hiking, hunting, camping without a ton of serious bushcraft.

The only thing that still makes me question the choice is the tang: I love the feel of a rat tail handle on a Khukuri and it sounds like a rat tail wrapped in micarta, even if it is not properly pressed micarta could be that wonderful middle ground in that whole debate. I could be completely wrong-headed about that though.
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Wow, outstanding choices! I'm really anxious to see what you think of the Sirupate, that's on my short list for a future order. I had questioned Andrew about the standard vs performance grind on my MK-1 as well. I ended up choosing the performance grind but I'm sure the standard grind will serve you well, while giving the blades more durability if you should accidentally hit a rock while chopping.

Micarta is possibly my favorite handle material because, along with being low maintenance and weather resistant, it stays grippy even when wet. I got the forest micarta scales on my Ek Chirra and love it but I went with the dark rosewood on my Mini and MK-1. It turned out beautifully on my Mini and I chose it for the MK-1 to build it as historically accurate as possible. I think you would've been happy with either option and with reasonable maintenance, I think Rosewood is a fine choice. Dry it off when it gets wet and wipe it down with oil once in a while, I'm sure it'll last several lifetimes.
Jack
 
Crusty_Otter said:
Wow, outstanding choices! I'm really anxious to see what you think of the Sirupate, that's on my short list for a future order. I had questioned Andrew about the standard vs performance grind on my MK-1 as well. I ended up choosing the performance grind but I'm sure the standard grind will serve you well, while giving the blades more durability if you should accidentally hit a rock while chopping.

Micarta is possibly my favorite handle material because, along with being low maintenance and weather resistant, it stays grippy even when wet. I got the forest micarta scales on my Ek Chirra and love it but I went with the dark rosewood on my Mini and MK-1. It turned out beautifully on my Mini and I chose it for the MK-1 to build it as historically accurate as possible. I think you would've been happy with either option and with reasonable maintenance, I think Rosewood is a fine choice. Dry it off when it gets wet and wipe it down with oil once in a while, I'm sure it'll last several lifetimes.
Jack
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I did waffle on the edge especially on the Mk1 and for all I know I will regret not getting the performance grind but as Andrew described elsewhere, it already has a long acute angle along the bevel and the spine is already not overly thick. Peace of mind is a big thing for me and sometimes I have to chop decently hard dry wood and I have rolled edges before and yes, even hit a rock. I'm just more comfortable needing an extra swing or two rather than repairing edges.

On the plus side, it will be a more fair comparison between the two if they both have the same grind profile.

Having said that, I have NO experience at this time with any Kailash blade let alone their grind profiles so anyone who's also wondering about this should ask users for their own experiences.
 
Bill_Melater said:
...Now, even after Andrew addressing multiple questions I have had (thank you!), I still went with the opposite of what I hand intended and this was purely for cost reasons. 2 blades at once is expensive and after totaling up the full tang with the micarta and the non-standard sheath, it was getting to be a bit much for one blade that I was only guessing that I would like for what I wanted. This way, I can get two on the ends but not too far away on the spectrum I am looking at and test them out before going into what I think would be - for me - my ideal theoretical all purpose blade...
Click to expand...
At the end of the day my advice has a limit to its usefulness and I only have experience with my own use case, physical build and personal preferences. I think that often it's wise to try and probe differing ends of the design spectrum and see what you like and what you don't. "All rounders" can be a hard thing for this reason- everybody's tasks and needs are different. I think the way you're going about it will help you to get the best result possible though.

bigeard09 said:
Hey , been reading some of the posts regarding using a khukuri for digging , prying etc . Each to their own but I would never have given it a thought to use a khukuri for these tasks unless it was the only tool I had in a do or die type survival / escape situation . there are so many other cheap tools for those purposes and on such well made khukuri as Kailash and others I couldnt afford the risk of structural damage . Unless Im missing something I dont understand properly in which case Im willing to be educated on . Everyone has their own opinions but I always thought a khukuris main use was as a weapon and a light / medium bushcraft / campcraft tool . It would be interesting to hear from customers who have used their kuks in heavy use / hostile environment situations /
Click to expand...
I think that there's quite differing expectations about a khukuris roles amongst khukuri circles (powerful chopper, combat knife, surprisingly versatile for camp tasks, decent brush clearer) vs in general knife circles (giant beast knife, bulletproof in every way, replaces a machete, replaces an axe, replaces a crowbar). I feel as though this is partly to do with the trends in online knife communities that were prevalent as the first online makers entered the market and the feedback loop that occurred as designs and marketing messages adapted to suit the audience. I think khukuris are also subject to a lot of mythmaking just like katanas. You get similar warped or exaggerated ideas about their performance however those who are seriously into them have a much more grounded and level view on things.

Crusty_Otter said:
...I'm curious how my 11" full tang Ek Chirra will compare to my 13" MK-1 in these types of uses. While I don't expect to find myself in any "do or die" situations, batoning wood in the 6" to 8" diameter range could happen (but rarely). Finishing a partially split piece of wood with a twist of the khukuri might be called for. Am I right in thinking the Ek Chirra would have a very slight advantage in lateral loading due to the full tang?

I know I'll get deeper penetration with the MK-1 but I'm anxious to see how the different cross sections and grind profiles affect performance in different applications. I feel very fortunate that I'll soon be able to compare them. I wish I'd had this chance 20 years ago, when I was camping and fly fishing for trout on a regular basis.
Jack
Click to expand...
I think the mk1 will be able to generate more leverage due to its length. However the FT ek chirra will be able to pry with much less risk. I think if you try prying from the ricasso you'll find the 13" mk1 will do the job in most cases. You can also try twisting (rotating around the handle axis). This is weaker but also safer for non FT blades.
I think you'll find a lot of differences between the geometries. Aside from how deep they bite you'll probably find that one binds more or less in certain kinds of wood. Or when they do bind one breaks away more easily or ina different manner. Splitting performance can also vary a lot due to geometry.
 
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