Himalayan Imports : 18" Ang Khola Khukuri : a little chopping
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- I have had this knife for 12 years and my only complaint is the loosening of the decorative butt-cap which is only aesthetic and I never have bothered to fix. I have not used this in a few years but still based on extensive past experience it is very easy to work with.
It is mainly a heavy cutter, I would want wood at least 2x4 sized to be using this knife and it is ground for soft woods given the thick spine for high fluidity in the wood. It is one of the nicer larger knives I have for heavy wood cutting. Though it can be used for brush work but has a high fatigue rate.
My cousin stops by as I am working with it, she does a couple of chops on a piece of OSB. That is the first time i believe she has used a knife of this size and one of my other cousins can be heard in the background cheering her on.
The original review wrote 12 years ago :
www.cliffstamp....
Discussion thread :
www.cliffstamp....
He really just cut through a fresh 2x4 by swing #5!!!! I sooo have to have this beautiful tool!!
Very exciting to see a 16 year old Ang Khola going strong!
Yeah, they can do high aesthetic as well. I bought one years back, silver inlays, etc. - beautiful piece of work, gift for a friend.
Holy cow that went through that 2×4 like butter!
I've never been more confused about cutting wood. lol, just kidding. you have the best detailed videos on how to slice and dice. you're a great teacher. thanks for taking your time explaining the proper way to use these great tools.
i laughed a little when the saw chimed in at 3:27 with its sound of mockery to the old ways. this khukuri seems to be well thought out as far as the bevels and the angle of the blade. it looks to be a very effective tool/weapon.
While I do a lot of actual work which has a purpose with my knives, sometimes you just gotta have fun.
The 15" version was the main seller of HI for a long time, the 18" model came from a custom request which eventually turned into a regular model. This specific blade, the Ang Khola is one of the heavier models. The lengths that HI uses are the total length, so the blade on this one is 12". This particular model is the one I most use out of the ones I have had, very nice combination of weight and reach for heavy work.
Simply a thing of beauty
I like Himalayan Imports Blades they are so tough & Beautiful blades.
The Irish Accent is great Also
Yeah, I have had mine since Bill Martino first joined Bladeforums, long time ago.
Say Heah Cliff, I chose the H.I. M-43 Khukuri, its 18", and about 1/2" thick, I love the design, so I had a smaller version made, only 10" and 7 m/m thick, but Yandu surprised me and it came with beautiful white bone handle, I love my Khukuri.
The profile is much thicker, just under 1/2" at the spine at maximum and retains a lot more thickness through the body. It thus takes a lot more effort to get it into the wood so Dan's knife gets a lot more penetration with the light swings I am using here. To really see the benefit of this profile you need softer wood and a lot more force. I intend on showing that later in the fall when I buck up all the wood in the wood pile (see the next video).
Me and my bro are actully looking at this 5inch blade Kukri LOL! We might get a bigger model in the future, but right now we would like to be able to say that were are EDCing a real handmade Kukri just for fun and prehaps make a review and do some preformance testing vid.
These are very different in wood. While the Ang Khola is similar in weight, or at least much closer than some of the other knives (it weighs 920 grams) it is *much* thicker in profile so it is much more fluid in wood. I am planning a comparison with some of my larger knives once I get a decent amount of wood. This one, the Caine, Dan's and a few others.
Yeah no problem, I had some more harsh work I was planning to do anyway so I will get a video up with a similar blade.
The wrist is in a more relaxed/horizontal position during impact and the chop is more of a vertical push than a rotational snap, but that is also influenced by style. In general I tend to prefer a drop in either the blade or handle for the first reason as it is nicer on the wrist in the long run.
Much heavier in hand, much more fluid in the wood, however shallower penetration with a given impact. More suitable for softer wood for thick/deep chopping, and of course far more robust. It however does have the ability to generate more power if you have the ability to really lean into it. In contrast the Keffler for example is very light in hand.
The cap is a hollow cap on some and a flat plate on others. To fix it you need to remove the peened over tang, refit the cap and then repeen the tang. It is mainly aesthetic though. I just epoxy it to stop the rattling.
This is a fairly large and heavy (forward balanced) blade. I generally only carry it when I intend to clean up an area and harvest a lot of fallen woods. It isn't a good choice at all for example for trail clearing unless you have insane levels of forearm strength and even then it isn't overly safe because the very high inertia will carry it through light woods without even slowing it down.
That is often like that often argued to be intentional.
As it is sharply curved you will likely need a narrow stone, either use the edge of a benchstone or make a small one with some coarse sandpaper and a small strip of wood and then progress to the grits as required.
I think the days of Paul Bunyan and John Henry are a little past, but there are times when a little manual labor is a good thing and old skills should not be so trivially disregarded.
There were 2x4's cut. I was mainly playing around here as I had not used this in awhile so most of the cuts were done with fairly low force.
Wow crazy fast reply cliff thanks...mines just under 2000 grams so yeah mines really heavy for the size...which confirms my thoughts. ..its one of my favorite large knives but it does fatigue me after about 45 mins ....but it will go threw just about anything...i even accidentally put it through 4 patio stones while splitting some logs. .with very little damage..but thanks again for thw the fast reply.
Same general process, doesn't matter if it is flat or convex in general. The only difference is when you are creating the bevel you rock it to match the convex curvature on a flat bevel you don't.
Yeah I have a much larger one, it is called the 20" version, but they are in general much larger than 20". The spine is a massive 0.6" thick.
Just an update on my 18 Ang Khola, after wiping off the oil, the spots on the blade are not from the oil, but just spots on the blade, look like water spots. Plus a few scratches here and there, the buttcap triangle thingie is cockeyed, etc... Still, these are cosmetic. The scabbard was near perfect, the horn handle has a nice curve to it, almost like an M43, so this is a big plus to me. The knife is a keeper, but like all hand-made knives, is a blem to some degree. Still, satisfied overall.
I have seen it on almost every kukri I have had from HI and others, but I use the knives a lot. In some it can take 1-2 years, in others it happens right away. It isn't that difficult to fix, just grind off the tang and epoxy the cap on with a decent strength adhesive.
Do you just want a khukuri or do you want a specific model as I have a large Sirupati I don't use much. The handle has a little movement but that isn't difficult to fit you would just have to boil off the laha (natural glue) and then refit it with a decent shock epoxy and then refit the pommel.
I don't strop at all unless I am experimenting with it for some reason. In general those that do will use a double sided strop, one left plain and one with the abrasive and usually finish on the plain leather or cover it with newsprint.
How do you sharpen kukri style blades?
I used a few of their blades a long time ago (more than a dozen years) and they all had issues with far too shallow an edge quench and as a result the blades were fairly weak. I could easily bend them (even with the 3/8"+ stock) trying to pry wood apart. However the makers they use and the QC may have improved since then.
Knifeaxe
Love em
2:35
Cat!
+cliffstamp if you have a ang khola or know where I can get one used would be greatly appreciated
+Bailey Newman Can't you just go to the source, Himalayan IMports?
...Was that a 2x4?
holy shit...
when the buttcap comes loose is it just a surface thing like you could sand it down and polish it to make it look new again
Cliff, are there any special "precautions" you take while sharpening a convex blade in order to prevent flattening its belly in time (repeated removal of steel)? As in, do you move the sharpening implement perpendicularly over the edge or you use strokes along the edge and convex through multiple passes at different angles and maybe a final strop?
I find that in general, if anything, I tend to increase the curvature more with repeated sharpening. I periodically check the curvature and tend to have to flatten somewhat after heavy and extended use, unless I was careful in sharpening.
This is likely simply because it is just faster to sharpen if you increase the curvature and some times you just want to get working.
Interesting, thanks.
Thanks. Separate question. In your video above, you mentioned the decorative end cap coming loose. That just on yours or a common issue with all the horn-handled kukris from H.I. or others?
I ordered this very knife, hasn't arrived yet, and intend to put it to camping/hiking use. Hope the handle holds up.
Thanks Bro. I am condsidering buying one. Keep up the good vids.
Cliff, I know I'm picking your brain big time with questions, but let me ask this. The "chromium loaded strop" where you take that bar and rub it into the strop to sharpen better. Do you keep a separate strop that is never loaded with this stuff? Or do you use the same strop and simply wipe away the chromium paste? Thanks.
+cliff stamp I live in Arizona
+Bailey Newman Send me an email, cliffstamp@gmail.com .
Ok I sent one
Cliff Stamp I sent yoi a email
Sorry, one more question. Does your three step sharpening video undo the convex grind any? Or does it matter?
Do you have any opinions on the Kukri House company? Great Vid.
Good enough. Will probably leave it alone and just use a loaded strop to keep the rest up to sharpness. Thinking dull razor might be the right level of sharpness for a heavy use knife like this.
Let me ask, do you ever use this knife for backpacking? I intend to use it for such, but obviously would probably do so for more remote trails so as not to look out of place.
Tell us a little about how you sharpen the blade and any particulars o your sharpening of this khurkuri, if you would be so kind. I had a 18” H.I. Ang Hhola arrive today, 12/31/2018.
No different than any other knife.
I am getting a thinner one about 1/3 inch and a 15 inch blade gonna put it in a hunting pack . Just wondering if they all chop like crazy
I have never used a khukuri. How does the long dropped handle affect cutting?
Okay, I just received this same knife from H.I. Overall pleased, especially with curved handle (Dislike straight handles on knife).
However, inner curved part of the blade near Cho, is unsharpened. I can see the blade edge and run my finger across it without risk of being cut; just unsharpened. Talking about half inch or so just right as it runs to the gap of the Cho.
I want to keep the convex grind and the mirror finish and sharpen this all at once? Suggestions? I have to establish edge.
How do you sharpen it? Have had a few kukris and sharpening with the sandpaper is not working so well for me.
Cliff, any chance you make a video to show your modified Fikes' sharpening technique for this blade? I have one or two larger convex blades that I'm trying to find a good sharpening technique for. Haven't been able to get a hold of Fikes' video yet, though I have an email out to him currently.
Cliff, how long is the blade on this one? I'm trying to compare Khukuri House to Himalayan imports and they list their lengths differently. (Blade vs. overall)
And do you have any particular length recommendations?
is this vid from Newfoundland? it seems like it is but u said sunbaked wood so i have my doubts. thought i might be the only person in nf with a Nepalese khukuri
It is full length, but not full width, it is a dual tapered annealed tang.
very true.
Do you have a sense, yet, of how this compares to the Keffeler?
this knife has a very small rat tail tang is this correct? if so did you ever have any concerns with the strength of the handle/tang?
Yes, they have the common very tapered tang. They are annealed, no issue with the breaking. This seems to be a western concern, mainly caused by the fact they both drill out the tangs and leave them full hard.
Hey cliff what's the weight on that bad boy? I have a similar one with a 15inch blade that weighs 4 lbs and I was just wondering if its heavy for its size.
How does this compare to your other heavy choppers, like the Keffeler, Omnivore Bladeworks, etc?
920 grams.
Where do you get all this wood and what do you do with it once you chop it up? Just curious :)
That's kind of funny, the secondary blade on my larger Ang Khola (I have one much larger than the one in the video) is bigger than that.
They kept the blood trap near the handle too. Very nice attention to detail. I'm no master of kukris, but it's the little things that matter
+Ethan Erzinger (StampedingNuns) They are from the source, as real as it gets.
It's a myth about the blood trap. The Shiva notch is more about physics of the blade super hard edge and super soft spine needs to flex or the edge would break out. Blackie Thomas at shaman's forge explains it perfectly
The cap loosened more than likely due to the wood getting dry, and shrinking. Any kind of oil will bring it back to life.
I am not sure on the new ones, the ones I have are very old and the caps are hollow and just rest against the wood. With a little work the vibration breaks the glue which again is only the the perimeter.
I have a few khukuri by them and the buttcaps are solid. Wheather they're hollow or not depends on the kami I think.
What is the blade length.
Benchstone, just keep the edge perpendicular to the stone.
Cousin.
If that was my daughter do you really think she would actually not be able to hit the same place twice.
Say Heah Cliff, I'm still enjoying my M-43's, The bigger one I got it in the Black Buffalo Hirn, Then Bill and Yangdu surprised me and the smaller one came out with a White, I'm not sure if it's horn, but a very attractive looking Khukuri, I liked the design of the M-43 and it's similar to the British Army Issue during W.W. 2, so far so good and the caps are still on pretty good, Mine are also full tang and when I talked to Yangdu when I ordered mine she told me that it was just as strong as the Ang Khola since it's a full tang, I don't know how someone could break one, I also got the smaller one so I can on person carry mine since the bigger one would be just a little too heavy to carry all day long since that wouldn't be the only thing I would carry, Anyhow the smaller one is 10" X 7m/m and it's much lighter, but it's still a great chopper, But I do use both, when I take my larger one I don't need to bring a hatchet, that is my hatchet, anyhow, I would like to Wish you a Happy Thankgiving, Enjoy and be safe, ,
Is it a full tang ?
Ha, yes, on occasion the sun comes out here, at least two weeks every summer.
it is to expensive lol I can't swing 275 for one blade
Hello Cliff Stamp
Have you thought about regrinding the whole blade? More to a high flat competition chopper like grind? I have a camillus kukri made by Camillus for the Cold Steel company. Originally it has a very high flat grind, i put like 20mm convex grind on it and i think its too thick. Mine is 8mm thick at the spine and weighs almost 1kg. Would you recommend regrinding it or leaving it as it is, since i may need the durability over penetration. I mean there has to be a reason why ghurkas use such thick kukris with relatively short grinds (bevels). Looking forward to your answer.
edit: Here you can see me chopping with it.
czcams.com/video/2LOvtIPh40Q/video.html
It is possible, but that would be a massive amount of steel and you would need to adjust the tang/handle to ensure the balance was not adjust too far back.
I got one now I want them all next is a 20inch ang khola but if you dont have one do you know where I can get one +cliff stamp
+Bailey Newman Where do you live?
Arizona why
Say Heah Bailey, Go to Himalayan Imports their all handmade so they will make it to your specs, I'm very happy with both of mine. First I got the M-43 the way it is made and it's a Beast, So to carry it on person I specified one made 10" X 7 m/m and it came out spot on Check it out with Yangon I think she also owns Blade Forum
Keep the blade fixed, sharpen the edge with a small stone, same basic principles in the three step sharpening video.
I prefer to build with Woodprix plans.
@Cliffstamp is it ok if i grind down my himalayan b.a.s kukri to a thinner spine thickness to increasing cutting performance....my spine thickness is arounf 9mm and i want to reduce it to 6mm
With that much mass gone the balance will likely change, as long as you are aware of that.
@Cliffstamp that is true maybe ill reduce the spine to 8mm and slowly taper im just not sure if i should use waterstones or beltgrinders
If you try to do it by hand with a stone, then it will take quite a time.
perhaps ill need to get a belt grinder and dip in water to prevent over heat?
You are talking about a massive blade reshaping, on hardened steel. It is a nice project, but that is a lot of work even on decent belt grinder. I would recommend constant coolant as well.
Is it my imagination or does this seem to be quite a lot less effective than Dan's knife?
Cutting some pine is hardly a good chopping test. Chop some iron bark or redgum and see how that goes haha
Found one very similar to this one at the giftsfromnepal store, they had a lots of variety of genuine products. Lots of fakes out there!
Do you still have this? Any thoughts after all this time?
Yes, it is one of the most balanced pieces (not speaking of weight) of the HI ones I have used, most of the others I have given away. It is a soft wood style pattern, and is very heavy so takes a fair amount of force to use. I stopped using it significantly compared to some other blades mainly due to handle and scabbard issues.
Any interest in a swap (temporary) with my aranyik k-1
mark a
I don't have it right now, a friend has it. I will ask for it back and send it with the others.
Thanks Cliff that will be great.
+cliff stamp I sent one
would you sell any of you kukris ? thanks for your time
+Bailey Newman I rarely sell knives, I don't own that one any more though.
I just have been looking foe a ang khola for a while and figurd you would have one
NICE LOL!
It is waste wood from construction. I burn it.
You can buy kukri from www.everestblade.com