For a Useful Woods Knife? Make mine a Kukri.

 

For a Useful Woods Knife? Make mine a Kukri.

I bought my first Kukri over 40 years ago at a flea market as a gift for my dad. He promptly put it on a

shelf and I didn’t see it again for years. I got it back a couple months ago as he was downsizing. 

I wasn’t impressed…

It is on the small side, the handle is too short and thin to get a good grip on. I’m sure this knife was made for tourists and never intended to be used. Knowing what I know now I never would have bought it. It’s a wall hanger for sure.

My next Kurki I bought at an auction about 30 years ago. A local pawn broker was retiring and there were a lot of interesting things being sold and when the auctioneer held up a handful of knives and sold them choice. I knew I had a decent deal when I picked up a real Kukri for $10.

This knife was almost twice the size of the earlier cheap one. Hand forged from carbon steel. With really great geometry (More on geometry later).

You could tell this knife was made to be used, and probably was well used before it made its way across the ocean. 

It wasn’t without its problems. It had a small cold shut on the spine (A flaw in the forge welding). It was also kind of shallow just in front of the handle. I was always worried about breaking it, but it held up for years.

I have not forgiven myself for selling it when I moved away from the Rockies. (Stupid on so many levels)

So Why a Kukri?

A Kukri is a unique shaped knife that has many uses in the field. It is also the official knife of the Nepalese army.

The Kukri is very handy for chopping and can be used like a machete in clearing a trail. Since it is on the large side it works well for processing larger game.

Due to the blade shape the Kukri offers a couple different working edges depending on your task.

As the Nepalese have proven it also makes a great fighting knife to use for self defense.

What do I look for?

When it comes to what I look for in a Kukri, I am definitely opinionated. Similar to real estate the three most important things the look for in a Kukri is geometry, geometry, and geometry.

Oh and the feel of the handle…

There are a plethora of Kukris on the market. Many made by big names in the industry. They are all probably okay knives, but most of them I would not consider an actual Kukri.

Remember I am jaded because I had a real hand forged one…

The first thing to look at is the angle of the blade. Is it a good working angle? Is it close to the traditional angle?

Next look at the belly of the blade. A good working Kukri will have a smooth, shallow (Compared to others) belly.

The Skilled Survivor Has a great article showing some of the popular Kukris on the market. If you look at the knives HERE You will see the pronounced difference in the belly design of modern Kukris. 

Of the five knives shown the EGKH is by far my preferred knife design. It is a traditional design with smooth lines and great geometry.

If you are in the market for a Kukri, Check out Glenn’s site for other reviews.