*Hey there guys!* This is an awesome review with a lot of great feedback. We've been a fan of skal for a few years now so it's a bit mindblowing to have a review on here. Some FAQs from the comments: *Temper:* There's a fair bit of info on our heat treat on our website (triple normalised to relieve stresses during forging, then differentially oil quenched then tempered) but skall is right that we don't state a specific temper temperature, cycle or final rockwell. The reason for this is that while we do have pretty decent temperature control all of these blades are handmade by different blacksmiths who have slightly different methods and techniques with both the process and final rockwell differing slightly between blade and model. In general though we heat up the blade in our kiln to 220c then hold for three hours, the final rockwell for our larger blades is 56-58 and 58-60 for our smaller knives. *Stains on the blade:* This kind of marking can be found on maybe 20% of the blades we send out and is a result of the kind of oil we coat in our blades while they're being shipped. We use motor oil and we have a very limited range of other options available. the oil isn't completely ph neutral so it can often form beads under the wrapping that then darken the blade slightly when touched there. It can be easily removed with a small amount of metal polish or scotch brite. We've been looking into alternatives and are always keen to improve our processes, so expect a permanent resolution to this kind of issue by the end of the year. We just have a few other higher priorities first like micarta and stacked leather handles (out in the next few months) which should solve a lot fo the common issues khukuris have with swelling and cracking in varying humidities. *weight difference* There's a few things which can lead to variations in our final blade weight compared to the stated heft, in this case the use of copper hardware vs steel cuts a bit of heft though it's mostly the choice of a performance grind that drops the heft. This option not only gives a smaller secondary bevel but makes the whole grind above it a lot more severe and results in less steel being on the final blade. How much weight is saved between the grinds on each blade? Once again it's down to the personal preference of the blacksmith and the model of knife sorry. This is on the extreme end of what can be expected, though if you have a specific weight you need stuck to we can easily add that to the workshop notes and use it as a target. *Rat Tail vs Full Tang* There's a lot of poor rat tails getting around but a well designed rat tail can be made very strong by having curved shoulders on the transition and have the blade taper as it goes down towards the pommel. If you have a look at the forge process pics on our instagram you'll see this is exactly what we do and they're a lot stronger than western equivalents shown in the corners of the video. Out of the hundreds of rat tail tangs we've sold we've only had one break and it was an immediate cost free warranty job. We're pretty secure with their durability, but also love full tangs and they're definitely stronger and more stress free if you're going to be extremely rough. Rat tails offer a lighter blade with a more lively balance in hand than full tangs can offer, but we also taper our full tangs and drill them out on the larger blades to maintain as much of that feel as possible. Once again a big thanks to Skall for the review and thanks for all the positivity from the community from the whole Kailash Team in Nepal. Take care, Andrew
Nice to see manufacturer respond direct to Skall! Blades look nice, I inherited a mini-knife replica of one from my Grandfather from when he visited Nepal and I'm seriously tempted to get one
@@Chroniknight With the amount of effort he put into the review it would be a shame not to! I can guarantee yo you'll like a full size if you've been liking a mini look into the HSI
@@kailashblades annnnd im sold. or, i would be, but believe it or not the US Army doesnt allow its soldiers to own blades past 4 inches in the barracks. I cant even have a tool axe. its ridiculous. Regardless, your company's earned a name and reputation to me now, and im not one to forget which brands i like, so ill be sure to recommend and eventually buy.
@@HonorableAssassins Glad to hear we've earned ourselves a fan! Those knife restrictiobs are very strange. Sidearms are okay? If you're looking for any guidance with our blades, just reach out. Otherwise we're ready when you are.
Nepalese knifemakers as a whole can be spotty in terms of quality but the fact is this: There is nowhere in the world that you can get handforged blades for better value. If you're looking for any guidance or info on these knives then hit us up at customdesign@kailashblades.com. Take care, Andrew
I have a bike left for which I have no use anymore, but unfortunately it would already be way to expensive to ship it inside of Germany. I don't want to know what it costs to send it to Canada...
@@John-ir4id I don't know the prizes for bikes in Canada, but I guess buying a heavily used bike there would be cheaper. I once paid 50€ for a very old bike that was still functioning (not the bike I talked about earlier, but I guess the steal frame would've beaten the Khukuri) and for Skall it would already be enough, if he gets hands on an older frame.
"The only thing we'd suggest not cutting through is another one of our Heavy Duty knives as the results have only been speculated upon by theoretical physicists and could be catastrophic." -Gotta love a company with a sense of humor xD gg
I love Kailash. They have a good customer service (for the technical abilities they have) and their products are well made. I'm so ready to buy the leather stacked handle option.
Pyrene Dream especially for their prices. They were worth the waiting time. What people should know is every knife is hand made to order, not mass produced like some tourist shops in Nepal.
@@lughnacide9778 It's actually good to communicate directly with them through Instagram. It is there that you get the fastest responses and correspondence. They are really nice people and can accommodate any need you might want.
@@claypoole702 @lughnacide Hey there guys! Great to see you guys somewhere other than instagram. A big thanks for the support, not just here but for getting around us in the past too. Take care, Andrew
I like the paper tests for blades that I'm not using with velocity to cut. (Folders, small fix blades, etc..) for machetes and swords it really don't tell you too much really.
Now that's a Khukuri of proper size... Normally they make it to 'ceremonial size', which is smaller Edit: religious ceremonial sized khukuri is actually bigger.(they prepare goats at dushera using them) fakes will be fakes and smaller for saving on material costs
Ravoln I’ve had a few knives made and I used micarta for the handle. I’m not sure what would be a good natural wood for the climate. Maybe stabilized birch?
@@facina3390 Hey, Alaskan here too. Have you tried using boiled linseed oil on your handles? It should work, and dry, very well up here. And if you have tried it were you able to properly apply it because I've found that just letting it soak in it for a few hours and then hanging it some place to dry and drying it with a cloth every morning until fully cured is easier than just applying in coats.
Hey there mate! This is a well known issue with just about all khukuris. We've been working for about a year now developing more stable handle materials as an option to avoid this option on user khukuris. In the next couple of months expect to see 2 different micarta handle options as well as an estwing style stacked leather handle That should sort all this out. Cheers, Andrew
@@mikeoxlong1395 then you're dumb, these shapes of a blade combine the best parts of axe and sword, so this actually not only can kill, but would have an easier time against armor, even Skall tested it out
@@sskspartan ME ams the dahmb, yis. Skall also said at 8:40 : "This feels as it could be a fighting tool just as much an everyday tool for chopping underbrush and batoning wood and things like that...". Implying that the ladder is it's primary function. The same thing can be said about a hatchet, for crying out loud! I can brain you with a pipe wrench and the only context in which it would be referred to a as a weapon is legal context. On a side note, both time in that quote he used the term tool. While weapons are more specialized tools, i don't see people (including Skall ) referring to them as such and when you hear tool, i doubt an AK-47 is a first thing that comes to mind. And using a blade against armor? I repeat, using a blade against the thing made to stop blades... which armor, movie armor which seems to be there to be a pain in the ass for actors, stuntmen and extras? But then again i have teh dumb and i can never hope to reach the greatness of your magnanimous galaxy brain.
Historically speaking kukris or KhuKuris have been used as tools and weapons. I have a sneaking suspicion that they were mostly weapons, as the only other place to mention kukris as agricultural tools of the land was a scythe propaganda video telling people to donate money so a European made scythe can be given to every farmer in Nepal and across the Himalayas. I'm pretty sure everyone still uses sickle's and kukris because those scythe fanatics were a very exaggerative of how much harder it is to use a kukri rather than a scythe.
Seem to recall you are now in Nova Scotia ? Which, always suggests itself as a climate zone with a decent share of 'damp'. If the Kukri is traditionally made it will be high carbon steel. Be careful about storing it in the scabbard. The soft wooden inners attract moisture in to a high degree. Even normally oiled blades can develop rust if stored sheathed rather than bare blade displayed. I have stumbled once or twice in the UK , even when I have sprayed the scabbard inners with oil to encourage a seal on the wood. .
I've got one that was used in parade marches by gurkhas and it was made in 1954. I went ahead and put a real edge on it and I have no doubt this thing would hold up to damn near anything you threw at it. Also mine is full Tang.
I got an old kukri from my uncle when he learned bando. He neglected it and it's not in the best shape, sadly, but that thing is a monster to use, and one of my favorites. 12 inch blade
The "water stains" might be a sign of a really bad hardening process. Due to the Leidenfrost-effect there might form vapor bubbles on the hot steel wich isolate it and prevent it from hardening properly, especially when hardening in water. Martensite and unhardened steel have a different colour (you can see that nicely on a hamone) so the stained parts of the blade might not be hardened properly. Edit: It seems to just be called "soft spots" in english. To find out wether I am right or not you simply have tot try how easily the different spots get scratched.
Retialus He‘s right. I tested with my knifes some hardening-processes. You get this look, when you just throw the forge-heated blade viciously in water.
Damn...thanks, man. I love coming across totally new information, especially in areas where I'm relatively ignorant. @Shrar Neomar So this would be the result of some kind of (rather silly) Hollywood movie-style 'thrust red-orange hot steel into barrel of water then hold gleaming perfect sword aloft' attempt to harden the blade?
MrBrachiatingApe For me yes. I was sixteen, when I did this with regular steel. It was between 880-1030 °C (yellow-red) and the water was about 7°C. The knives I produced with this „technique“ were good at cutting and rather hard to. Too hard as I did some bend- & SteelVsSteel testing. The piece broke at that point. - Hope that information helped o/
I don’t have any stains on mine, it was mirror polished. They offer various finishes including raw, but they literally work off the floor in their hut. Their anvil is a sledgehammer half buried in the ground, needless to say, they are very traditional.
@@shrarneomar8080 Thanks, man. It's interesting and as I said, I love learning new stuff. That said, I don't work with metal or anything--it's just that layman's curiosity :) And I like having some sense of how accurate various Hollywood-esque scenes are.
I just ordered one of these based on your video. I have always admired kukris and have several, ranging from Cold Steel to one of the antiques from the Royal Armory and several others in between. Hopefully mine will turn out to be as well made as yours. Thank you for a very well done review.
The thing about the rat-tail tang, is that all of the leverage of the blade is going to be concentrated where the tang attaches to the wider blade, and to the top of the handle and that soft copper hardware on the hilt. This could be mitigated by making the transition from blade to rat tail more gradual.
stcredzero I’ve abused the hell out of my Kailash and it’s held strong so far. They actually encourage people to send them pictures and stories if you manage to break one.
Softer metal isn't bad for the tang, as you prefer bending and stretching over breaking... But you're right: any sudden change is like perforated paper...
Hey mate! Absolutely true. A well designed rat tail can be made very strong by having curved shoulders on the transition and have the blade taper as it goes down towards the pommel. If you have a look at the forge process pics on our instagram you'll see this is exactly what we do and they're a lot stronger than western equivalents. of the hundreds of rat tail tangs we've sold we've only had one break and it was an immediate cost free warranty job. We're pretty secure with their durability
I got one of these recently on your recommendation and I'm quite pleased with it, so thank you. The Mutiny is an excellent blade and a favorite in my collection.
Here is a good one.... I was working at a box store 4 years ago and went to clean out a cart of some trash. And as I did, I almost went in shock, there under the papers was an old Kukri! The really strange thing is that I saw the Kukri before. I saw the exact same one when I was 14 years old, I was at a yard sale and pulled one out of the case and thought," that is a stupid looking blade." I hurryed the kukri over to my car, the only problem was that the 2 little knifes were missing. I am still amazed that I found the Kukri, it is very nice looking and rivals my $400 Chinese straight sword!
Skallagrim damn u lol. I have to go to work in the morning and u got me up in the middle of the night ordering one of these. Thank you so much though. I've been searching for a good quality Khukuri for awhile. LOL
I bought a Kailash Kukri of their British model and I have to say it is light, sharp, swift in the hand and well made overall. highly recommend over Torah blades.
Skal!! I love this blade. But we NEED to see some heavy use testing on it!! Kukri are chopping tools!! Kailash blades can handle it. Nothing too crazy. Some brush work. Chopping, batoning if possible. Things people would actually use the mutiny for. Thanks for your great videos always!!
Lets see some more heavy testing on the Mutiny!!!! I’ve been very interested in one lately but I’d like to know what the performance grind can handle before i make my final decision. Also thanks for you’re great content Skallagrim!!! Been a fan for a few years now.
I have that blade: Mutiny/modern handle custom- Performance grind-Satin finish-Rosewood slabs-Kydex sheath. Andrew designed the handle I chose for mine.
I've always loved khukhuris. All I've ever actually owned is a cheap kukri for brush clearing, but even that thing is ridiculously useful and hardy. I really want a real one now.
This blacksmith has a some pretty big balls to make this cut out! That "crown" leaves so much space for stress points. To do that and mess up is really easy. Big props for this guy.
Post production, couldn’t the extra stress points become an issue during normal everyday use? I’d imagine the crown could possibly cause an issue down the road.
@@bjorngylfason7682 If he didn't curved out the junction between the notch and the "crown" that would leave the user with a broken blade in the long run. That's one of the challenges of making a successful khukukri btw.
I was going through my garage earlier today, and came across the paperwork that came with the Kookrie, Mk 3 (that is exactly how it is spelled on the blueprint), and it contained a copy of the blueprint. It's dated 2-2-43, and shows the oil hardening line going from the beginning of the front curve to perhaps 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the point. A further note says the rest of the blade is to be left soft. The hardened portion was to be soft enough to be resharpened with a file, but hard enough to cut clear through a 12 - 14 gauge mild steel wire supported on a hard wood block without damage or deformation of the blade. I thought it was interesting that I came across this right before I saw this video.
The stains on the blade are from the tempering process. Sometimes used motor oil is used to quench. The oil will often have detergents that leave those patterns.
It's made exactly like my kukri was made in nepal. Even the sheath is exactly the same design. But the quality is much different. Turns out £60 isn't a lot to spend!
I've personally owned one of their products for a few years. I use it as a tool. Chopping thick brush and splitting small logs, are my main uses. It has gathered a very heavy tarnish from use, but that's as to be expected. It's an absolute brute of a knife and I cannot recommend their products more. Only complaint I had was there were a few rough spots on the guard I requested, but a sheet of 400 grit paper cleaned it up easily enough.
Glad to hear it's been treating you well over the years. It would be great to get some photos of what it looks like nowadays or even a review type thing. We've not been around for that long as a company and long term feedback is hugely appreciated. If you have anything you can send through to us, sling it through to customdesign@kailashblades.com Take care, Andrew
Since the handle is made of Indian Rosewood, I’d highly recommend heading to your local guitar shop to pick up some stuff to treat/clean it. It’s a very common material for guitar fretboards so you’re local shop will have some great stuff to help take care of it.
Yes the stains on the blade can be from water quenching or quenching too hot. It is also possible that motor oil does that. Some motor oils over seas still have a good bit of sulfur in them and it can act as an acid etch that is minor enough to not feel with your finger or fingernail but is still able to be polished.
Hey! I'd really like to see you review an aruvaal, which is a south indian sickle / straight scythe usually shown in movies as the rural village goonda weapon of choice.
I train with Aruval and other Katti. Main issue is that Skal isn't really experienced with Indian weaponry. Didn't even do any drawslicing with this blade...
IMO if you arent going for a weapon for its length, the khukri is the best weapon. The power of an axe in the volume and weight of a short sword, the khukri has an ideal shape and usually size to be used as an off hand or main hand parrying weapon, and its shape can be advantageous for reaching around shields or weapons. Its blunt back ridge finishing in a wider end is great for half swording, and can easily be used to catch, pressure and maneuver around a blocking weapon. The notch is great for "swordbreaking" and if I had one of my own I might have four or five notches in a row for such a purpose, maybe even style it as a saw section that could suit both purposes. Its not bad for use as a thrower either. Only thing wrong with them I can think of is having no guard, not being full tang and not having a decent pommel or butt plate that can be used for attacks.
That is for either tree sap or other liquids not getting down to the grip so easy (at least that is what i was told) But i agree that it was a bit large cut-out.
they are differentially hardened so it would not really cause a problem with the cut out if any stress did it would bend but that would be almost impossible
I found that Kukuri have a unique optimum spot for cutting just before the front big belly. It is cutting wickedly on the inside of that curve which is counter intuitive to sword cutting (use of the tip of the sword). It is a farming instrument and perform somewhat similar to clurit. Great video, love your review
Always liked the Kukri, and this one in particular, i love. Especially all the customize options they offer. Would love to see a horn handled one in person. She seams to handle quite well too!
If you check out our instagram you'll see some beautiful photos of horn handles! Might be the best we can do without putting an order in. Thanks for the kind words though and if there's anything we can help with just let me know. Take care, Andrew
Looks like a very nice knife. The only downside (for me at least) is that the grip looks very long compared to historical examples. Definitely going to get in touch, and see if they'll shorten the grip length to order.
Hey there mate, We can absolute shorten grips and in fact offer it as a standard option on traditional blades now. What's worth noting is that this length is actually accurate tot he blade it's based on and that pre 1870's hanshee style khukuris had much longer handles. Whether this was for counterweight or for occasional functionality as a two handed blade (imagine the size of an early 19th century nepalese man) remains unclear. If you're looking for any more guidance, send us an email at info@kailashblades.com and we'll help out however we can. Take care, Andrew
Hey skall, I'd love to see a kukri like this, vs a Moro barong of similar size, vs a wakazashi, vs a European shortsword, vs a 14" Bowie knife. All the things I mentioned are machete sized (and may be a better alternative to a machete in a survival situation, especially in combat) with thicker blades. Would love to see a chop off to see what's the best, possibly use a gladius instead of the euro shortsword, I think you have all mentioned (maybe not the 14" Bowie) but would be cool to see. I want, to set up a channel myself I have plenty of cool knives/machete and am getting my first real sword soon, but don't have recording equipment :( when I do set my channel up, your a inspiration to me skall, your awesome, keep up the awesome work!
@@OOTurok They make it so the pommel-holder gets added to the pommel for a little extra weight? *Ingenious!* The sharp metal is just so useless without the pommel! ;-P
This is the strangest coincidence; I started researching kukris a literal few days ago, and then this video comes out! Trying to pick between this one and the ZombieTools Vakra.
I've used the Vakra and it is a really great blade but they're a bit night and day in terms of hand feel. The mutiny is rat tail, making it a lot faster and more agile but the vakra is very stout, full tang and has a certain confidence that comes with that. There's a review coming out on one of our rat tail blades from Advanced Knife Bro and he'll be doing a comparison between the two
Skall, I don’t know if you’ve had offers yet to get any items to showcase from Bespoke Post yet but they have what they call “boxes” of stuff to send to people based on their personal tastes and interests. On such box, called the Slash box, has a machete in it called a Nata. It’s supposed to be based on a Japanese tool and I think you might have some fun with chopping up wood or brush perhaps. Seemed like something you could showcase if you liked it.
I love the kukri it's the best knife for multi-purpose that there is in my opinion the wait at the end of the blade really helps you to chop through things it's an amazing knife and that is my go-to well if it's for work or self-defense and that kukri there is a beefy ass kukri I would love to get my hands on something like that
They're amazingly versatile tools aren't they? We're sitll making these through our website if you're interested kailashblades.com/product/mutiny/ Feel free to reach out if you need any guidance or have questions :)
The best part of owning a kukri/khukur is that they are versital survival items usefuly for combat and a tool that can withstand wood. You demonstrated its effectiveness as a fast weapon, but not necessarily what about as a tool. Can you make an updated Pt2?
never been big into blades (save for pocket knives) but having cut through dense thickets and brush before I have to say the khukuri blade shape does excellent work. Never thought it would be so easy to buy an actual Nepalese one lol now I will probably go and buy one.
You're right, the pattern makes extremely short work of brush. This pattern in particular is in use by a few forestry workers who love it and use it daily. If you need any help or guidance in your decision making, don't be afraid to reach out. Info@kailashblades.com or I can reply on here if it suits. Take care, Andrew
You should try a kukri from Tora Blades. Long wait, but probably the most historically accurate Kukri on the market. Kailash is certainly very, very awesome and this was a great review.
I used to have a Taiwanese copy of the old cold steel ltc military kukri, it was carbon steel (not sure which kind) bought it for £30 in a army surplus shop, it cut and hacked it's way through sticks and saplings with ease, even processed a fallen tree. It was the bane of water bottles. Worth every penny, I only got it as I'd never used a kukri style blade. I've since sold it to a friend, but I'm waiting for a windlass Indian army (Assam rifles) kukri to come through the post (military issue and a lot more traditional) but I think kukris are a good choice. For me I usually use either a hultafors agdor trekking axe, or a gransfors Bruks wildlife hatchet depending on the size of axe I need and a tramontina bolo machete for coppicing, sticks & brush. A kukri is a good option if you don't want to carry a axe or machete or carry all if your travelling by vehicle, kukri is not as good as a machete for brush, or as good as an axe for splitting, but a kukri is even better the axe or machete for coppicing. Can't wait for the Assam rifles model, is coming in the same order as my Scottish basket hilted broadsword. Can't wait. Oh a kukri is a brutal weapon too, the bigger ones are a good option for someone who wants a kopis, especially if it has a guard.
Looking at some of my own 19th century Nepal armory Kukris and the distal taper starts at 8.7mm for one down to about 3.2mm at the tip. Another is 8.5mm to about 2.7mm. Both of them more or less maintain (one actually thickens to 9mm just before the downward curve) the original thickness until the downward curve begins. So yours did immediately seem thin. Noting also in the pre-firearms era the Kukri when used for fighting was used with a shield, because the other guy has a Kukri too and only one walks away. I like the leather frog on that sheath. Clever approach. Maintains the traditional Kukri sheath design while adding western carry style to the sheath.
Would love a full in depth review including chopping and slight abuse tests I want a kukuri from kailash so much I’m itching for more videos about them. Cheers skall
We'd love to make a khopesh! Have had a few enquiries about us making one in the past but nobody has followed through. Hit us up at customdesign@kailashblades.com if you'd like to discuss further. Take care, Andrew
Skall what about a video telling us which blades/weapons would yo take to the (upcoming) apocalypse for hunting/self defense? Love your videos I have literally grown up seeing them!
By far most historical knives & swords had iron or mild steel tangs welded onto the hardened & tempered blade. This was done for strength reasons because a soft tang would not be as likely to snap under stress.
I can’t decide which one to get. First I watched Matt Easton’s review and was convinced I would get the Mark 1 but now I’m considering a longer blade with performance grind.
The mk1 is great- it's a very powerful and super practical outdoors blades. If you're wanting something more martially focused though a mutiny or salyani might do the trick :)
@@kailashblades I have ordered since that comment! I appreciate the message. I just loved the look of the mutiny and I went with it. Right now I’ve been waiting while it is in a queue for the oil quench process. Can’t wait, very excited!
Oooh, thanks for the idea - now I want to make a miniature khukuri for one of my videos. This one looks beautiful mate! Getting myself one of these is definitely on my list of things to buy 🤤
I found and bought a mini kukri at an antique store. It's not miniature small tho. Like a 4inch blade. A knife version of a knife? Also had a wood cored, leather sheath with a rough (everthing about this thing is "rough" actually I.e. the blade, sheath, handle) brass chape on the end of the sheath. Pretty cool find actually
Andy Aviles that sounds very cool! I am very fussy with my projects, I don’t normally leave them ‘rough’ lol. Spoiler alert, I’m currently making a miniature Viking sword 🗡 and my plan is to polish it a LOT 😎
Kailash Blades I assume you’re talking about my miniature Viking sword? It’s a larger ‘miniature’ than most of the ones I make (like the miniature Viking axe on my channel) because this one is designed to be used as a letter opener. The blade is roughly 4 3/4 inches long, whereas the Cold Steel Viking Sword that I have loosely modelled it off is 30 1/4 inches. So mine is roughly 1/6.5 scale. If you weren’t talking to me, sorry. Lol
Our archaic Indian laws don’t allow for import of such great products! I’ve been following them on IG and they’re genuinely nice guys dedicated to excellence! It’ll be hard to find a Kukri better than what Kailashblades offer. 👍🏼
Thanks so much for your kind words mate. We have so many indian fans and if we could send knives there you'd be our biggest importer aside from the US easily. As soon as the situation changes to allow us to get knives there we'll be sure to shout it fro the rooftops. Take care, Andrew
@Skallagrim On your review process of weapons i have a suggestion to add in a few techniques specific to the blade, something about why the blade is that shape and its effectiveness. I really love the Khukuri and its particular nastiness, the target spots for cutting are tendons at the elbows and back of the knees and kill spots for the arm pits and the neck. It improves upon this over other blades because of its shape, running the edge from the base of the blade to the tip of the blade gives a much better slicing property than other blades because of it gives you something extra to tug on when it curves through the target area. A great weapon for making someone drop their gun if you can pull off grabbing in one hand and running it across the elbow, or getting a bleed out kill with a slice on the armpit, a fool proof way of cutting a neck from behind if you get the drop on an enemy, and a quick way to incapacitate a prisoner without the use of binding the hands and feet. Swinging it around like a longsword seems weird to me in comparison to these possible applications and would be interesting to discuss and experiment how you'd pull it off
Thanks mate. Not a bad thing to have during the shutdown either! If you have any questions or need some guidance just let me know, or send us an email at info@kailashblades.com. Take care, Andrew
Most often almost purple for most of the blade area, aside from the edge, there maybe straw on the belly (57-58 Rockwell on Nepalese Kami made blades I've seen tested) and bronze temper on the waist (56-56) which traditionally had a more acute grind used for small work and cutting, with the belly being a little more axe like in the cutting geometry, and not surprisingly being overall tempered for toughness and easy sharpening using probably a river stone in the field. They primarily used Land Rover leaf springs until the last twenty to thirty years when they switched more to Mercedes leaf springs due probably to the abundance of old Mercedes models throughout the third world these days, also favoured are Saab and anything Japanese. High quality steel though, usually the Kami will obtain leaf springs from an Indian scrap yard and then catch the bus back to Nepal with it, sat on the roof with their stack of leaf springs. Anything from ten to two hundred forged knives worth of spring steel per trip. The very large kukris of that scale and beyond were usually ceremonial blades in Georgian times and before, quite often with beautifully intricate folk art sheaths. I have a couple from that period, one with an elaborate sheath and engraving and inlays in the blade, which would have been used for beheading goats at the appropriate season, for a good agricultural year. The other is in a plain sheath, but although the blade is huge it has several scalloped fullers in the blade, which helps keeping the weight down and making it feel more lively, though it's almost two inches wider than the one you review here. It's likely that it too was a ceremonial blade rather than one made for war. Those were often based on the old ceremonial blades, but more likely to be a longer 2' and upwards, slimmer, blade. The big wide blade looks scary but it's too big to wield for long, in addition every inch longer your opponents sword/knife/Kukri is, is a reach advantage that's to your detriment. A 2" wide Sirupate with a foot of blade then a change in angle and another foot of razor sharp steel has you at a significant disadvantage with one of those big heavy choppers you mentioned. Quite often these giant old blades are dismissed as "Villagers" in collector circles and there aren't all that many left except in private collections, but they're worth keeping an eye out for at auctions. The forge work is often a marvel, though the fittings may look rudimentary. The vintage and antique market tends only to focus on the military MK2 Kukris, as there's provenance probably, which is very unusual with kukris in general. Most others are of Indian manufacture (anything antique with a lion's head adorning it) or recently manufactured. Himalayan imports is (used to be?) the usual haunt for Kukri lovers of the modern age looking for a new (relatively) traditionally forged toy, though I have heard good things about other somewhat associated Nepalese makers doing direct internet sales in the last couple of years. It's been a long while, many years, since I bought a newly smithed Kukri from anybody though. This one seems decently well built, a little simple for my taste and more chirra (the wide scalloped fuller running the length of the blade) would have lightened it a little but allowed for a thicker spine and yet not made it feel slower. It looks reasonably well built for the thickness, it doesn't lack substance but looks light enough that it won't tire your arm too quickly, certainly not if it was as thick as the one I have with mine measuring well over half an inch at the spine, almost a thumb thick along the spine with a distal taper only beginning after the kink in the spine. With the huge choppers only a big man could use one sustainably, either for work or for war, the proof mine was made for a giant is the handle fitting a western hand nearly two centuries later, I'm neither giant, nor especially large handed, but most village Kami's make Kukris too small for western hands even to this day. Part of assessing whether it's a tourist Kukri when I'm looking at vintage/antique Kukris for sale is how well it fits western hands. Although with direct orders over the internet there are companies employing village Kami's and paying them per unit, but as they're making direct to the west goods the kami's have to be instructed to make larger handles. Some of those companies are good with a fair price going to the Kami (smith) and quality materials sought (top tier automotive manufacturer parts like Mercedes, saab and land rover leaf springs, for high quality steel) and with brass and silver used on the bolster and buttcap and the sheaths chape. Some are tourist crap peddlers using Chinese steel that's not homogeneous and pot metal fixtures painted to look like brass, so it's awesome to see one actually reviewed and see who's currently putting out good quality genuine Kukris. Thanks for the video, your time and effort is appreciated, always :)
I notice you put the surface scratches in the description but didn't mention them in the video. I was wondering about that as they are quite noticable. Of course, it's a purely cosmetic problem but, along with the odd spots makes me question the companies quality control in general. I will definitely be interested in the results of more agressive testing. [Edit] After looking at the link, I am impressed with the price. This could be quite a good value.
The thing is, I debated with myself on whether to mention that. In person it's barely noticeable but it shows in the close-up footage. Not an issue to me, but it might bother someone else.
Hey skalla. I actually own an original kukri handed from a gurkha family to a relative of mine some 20+ yrs ago when tourism wasnt yet a thing there, she is still friend with that family after all those years. So the kukri i own is not a modern semi-industrial reproduction or tourist export. I noticed mine is much smaller than yours, the blade has etchings and ornamentation even with bits of gold in it. I would love to share more details especially pictures with you to see what you think. let me know if youre interested, and how we could make it happen. zool/finland
Hey there Zool. This knife sounds really cool. If you send some photos through to customdesign@kailashblades.com I might be able to give you some more info on where it came from and when it was made etc. Take care, Andrew
Generally speaking the rockwell hardness on kukri's is a little hit or miss in my experience. They differentially harden them of course, but all I have seen for hand made ones is a hardening by hand using poured water along the edge itself. So the edge is hardened, but I haven't ever seen anything about tempering that hardened edge. For my purposes, light trailblazing, the edges of all my khukri's have been adequate, some requiring a little repair work after a days use and others seeming to hold the edge longer. Most of mine have been Himalayan Imports, with a few Khukri House's I got years ago. The HI knives have been better with edge retention.
Hey there mate, You're right that the teapot method is quite poor for producing an even hardness along the edge. Furthermore it doesn't harden very deeply which leaves the blades prone to becoming soft after repeated sharpenings. It might sound hard to believe but we're the only nepalese maker that actually tempers their blades at all. We use an oil quench rather than a traditional water quench via teapot and the full thorough hardness we get demands it. However other houses are forced to significantly underharden their blades and balance the line between a soft blade that rolls and and a hard blade that cracks. Our knives are much harder but are also tougher due to the temper and so produce a very stable edge and grind. This means we can grind thinner for the same level of durability, giving better cutting performance. Hit us up at customdesign@kailashblades.com if you're looking for any guidance or info on these knives. Take care, Andrew
*Hey there guys!*
This is an awesome review with a lot of great feedback. We've been a fan of skal for a few years now so it's a bit mindblowing to have a review on here.
Some FAQs from the comments:
*Temper:*
There's a fair bit of info on our heat treat on our website (triple normalised to relieve stresses during forging, then differentially oil quenched then tempered) but skall is right that we don't state a specific temper temperature, cycle or final rockwell. The reason for this is that while we do have pretty decent temperature control all of these blades are handmade by different blacksmiths who have slightly different methods and techniques with both the process and final rockwell differing slightly between blade and model. In general though we heat up the blade in our kiln to 220c then hold for three hours, the final rockwell for our larger blades is 56-58 and 58-60 for our smaller knives.
*Stains on the blade:*
This kind of marking can be found on maybe 20% of the blades we send out and is a result of the kind of oil we coat in our blades while they're being shipped. We use motor oil and we have a very limited range of other options available. the oil isn't completely ph neutral so it can often form beads under the wrapping that then darken the blade slightly when touched there. It can be easily removed with a small amount of metal polish or scotch brite. We've been looking into alternatives and are always keen to improve our processes, so expect a permanent resolution to this kind of issue by the end of the year. We just have a few other higher priorities first like micarta and stacked leather handles (out in the next few months) which should solve a lot fo the common issues khukuris have with swelling and cracking in varying humidities.
*weight difference*
There's a few things which can lead to variations in our final blade weight compared to the stated heft, in this case the use of copper hardware vs steel cuts a bit of heft though it's mostly the choice of a performance grind that drops the heft. This option not only gives a smaller secondary bevel but makes the whole grind above it a lot more severe and results in less steel being on the final blade. How much weight is saved between the grinds on each blade? Once again it's down to the personal preference of the blacksmith and the model of knife sorry. This is on the extreme end of what can be expected, though if you have a specific weight you need stuck to we can easily add that to the workshop notes and use it as a target.
*Rat Tail vs Full Tang*
There's a lot of poor rat tails getting around but a well designed rat tail can be made very strong by having curved shoulders on the transition and have the blade taper as it goes down towards the pommel. If you have a look at the forge process pics on our instagram you'll see this is exactly what we do and they're a lot stronger than western equivalents shown in the corners of the video. Out of the hundreds of rat tail tangs we've sold we've only had one break and it was an immediate cost free warranty job. We're pretty secure with their durability, but also love full tangs and they're definitely stronger and more stress free if you're going to be extremely rough. Rat tails offer a lighter blade with a more lively balance in hand than full tangs can offer, but we also taper our full tangs and drill them out on the larger blades to maintain as much of that feel as possible.
Once again a big thanks to Skall for the review and thanks for all the positivity from the community from the whole Kailash Team in Nepal.
Take care,
Andrew
Nice to see manufacturer respond direct to Skall!
Blades look nice, I inherited a mini-knife replica of one from my Grandfather from when he visited Nepal and I'm seriously tempted to get one
@@Chroniknight With the amount of effort he put into the review it would be a shame not to!
I can guarantee yo you'll like a full size if you've been liking a mini
look into the HSI
@@kailashblades annnnd im sold.
or, i would be, but believe it or not the US Army doesnt allow its soldiers to own blades past 4 inches in the barracks. I cant even have a tool axe. its ridiculous.
Regardless, your company's earned a name and reputation to me now, and im not one to forget which brands i like, so ill be sure to recommend and eventually buy.
@Mike Hegarty Thanks for your kind words! We're very happy to see people taking notice of what we've been doing so it's exciting to engage like this
@@HonorableAssassins Glad to hear we've earned ourselves a fan! Those knife restrictiobs are very strange. Sidearms are okay?
If you're looking for any guidance with our blades, just reach out. Otherwise we're ready when you are.
Now THIS is a knoife.
That's not a knoife
NOW THAT'S A LOT OF DAMAGE
Gotta get that knoife loicense, guvnah.
@@thrownswordpommel7393 The only way could get that amount of damage is with *28 STAB WOUNDS!*
Your name triggers me
Being able cut a bicycle in half is important. No one in Nepal has forgotten the bicycle uprising of 07
Never 4get
Funny
Can’t believe the price. The way you described it made me think it was going to run $500+
Nepalese knifemakers as a whole can be spotty in terms of quality but the fact is this: There is nowhere in the world that you can get handforged blades for better value.
If you're looking for any guidance or info on these knives then hit us up at customdesign@kailashblades.com.
Take care,
Andrew
Mine will be here end of the month
@@russel1170Awesome. Do you like using it?
I am disappointed that you didn't go for the heavy duty grind, i would gladly have sacrificed my bike so you have a go at it.
I have a bike left for which I have no use anymore, but unfortunately it would already be way to expensive to ship it inside of Germany. I don't want to know what it costs to send it to Canada...
@@John-ir4id I don't know the prizes for bikes in Canada, but I guess buying a heavily used bike there would be cheaper. I once paid 50€ for a very old bike that was still functioning (not the bike I talked about earlier, but I guess the steal frame would've beaten the Khukuri) and for Skall it would already be enough, if he gets hands on an older frame.
"The only thing we'd suggest not cutting through is another one of our Heavy Duty knives as the results have only been speculated upon by theoretical physicists and could be catastrophic." -Gotta love a company with a sense of humor xD gg
haha thanks mate
Warranty info can be kind of boring so you've gotta inject a bit of flavour somehow
That’s awesome
Kailash is an amazing group of blacksmiths. They are well worth the waiting time and even sent me videos when they began shaping mine.
Glad to hear it! How's your knife treating you so far?
I love Kailash. They have a good customer service (for the technical abilities they have) and their products are well made.
I'm so ready to buy the leather stacked handle option.
Pyrene Dream especially for their prices. They were worth the waiting time. What people should know is every knife is hand made to order, not mass produced like some tourist shops in Nepal.
@@lughnacide9778 It's actually good to communicate directly with them through Instagram. It is there that you get the fastest responses and correspondence. They are really nice people and can accommodate any need you might want.
@@claypoole702 @lughnacide Hey there guys!
Great to see you guys somewhere other than instagram. A big thanks for the support, not just here but for getting around us in the past too. Take care,
Andrew
I almost did when I bought my Mutiny. I opted for the Buffalo horn in the end, though
I like the paper tests for blades that I'm not using with velocity to cut. (Folders, small fix blades, etc..) for machetes and swords it really don't tell you too much really.
for blades for fine cuts I look if they shave the hair on my arm, for other blades I'm fine if they "bite" in a nail
I have a bolo that can't even cut paper.
But it cuts through tatami perfectly.
Now that's a Khukuri of proper size... Normally they make it to 'ceremonial size', which is smaller
Edit: religious ceremonial sized khukuri is actually bigger.(they prepare goats at dushera using them) fakes will be fakes and smaller for saving on material costs
@@Ballislife32 r/ihadastroke
@@RayTC he's an alt right troll
In the army we usually use this size so maybe you've encountered the more touristy ones
Rage Fury he got a pepe profile picture, hes a 13 year old more likely
For sacrificial purposes, don't they use the Kora?
I live in Alaska and we typically have very low humidity. Keeping my poor kukri grips from cracking is an ongoing issue.
Is using a different material possible and what would be a good replacement compared to rubber or ivory? Just curious.
Ravoln I’ve had a few knives made and I used micarta for the handle. I’m not sure what would be a good natural wood for the climate. Maybe stabilized birch?
@@facina3390 Ah cool!
@@facina3390 Hey, Alaskan here too. Have you tried using boiled linseed oil on your handles? It should work, and dry, very well up here.
And if you have tried it were you able to properly apply it because I've found that just letting it soak in it for a few hours and then hanging it some place to dry and drying it with a cloth every morning until fully cured is easier than just applying in coats.
Hey there mate! This is a well known issue with just about all khukuris. We've been working for about a year now developing more stable handle materials as an option to avoid this option on user khukuris. In the next couple of months expect to see 2 different micarta handle options as well as an estwing style stacked leather handle That should sort all this out.
Cheers,
Andrew
Kukris are some of the most amazing weapons to come out of Asia. I'd love to see how it tests against multiple kinds of targets!
I agree, it's fun smashing different things
Weapons? Given the blade shape they seem more like tools to me... unless there was a massive tree uprising in Asia that i was unaware of.
@@mikeoxlong1395 then you're dumb, these shapes of a blade combine the best parts of axe and sword, so this actually not only can kill, but would have an easier time against armor, even Skall tested it out
@@sskspartan ME ams the dahmb, yis.
Skall also said at 8:40 : "This feels as it could be a fighting tool just as much an everyday tool for chopping underbrush and batoning wood and things like that...". Implying that the ladder is it's primary function. The same thing can be said about a hatchet, for crying out loud! I can brain you with a pipe wrench and the only context in which it would be referred to a as a weapon is legal context.
On a side note, both time in that quote he used the term tool. While weapons are more specialized tools, i don't see people (including Skall ) referring to them as such and when you hear tool, i doubt an AK-47 is a first thing that comes to mind.
And using a blade against armor? I repeat, using a blade against the thing made to stop blades... which armor, movie armor which seems to be there to be a pain in the ass for actors, stuntmen and extras?
But then again i have teh dumb and i can never hope to reach the greatness of your magnanimous galaxy brain.
Historically speaking kukris or KhuKuris have been used as tools and weapons. I have a sneaking suspicion that they were mostly weapons, as the only other place to mention kukris as agricultural tools of the land was a scythe propaganda video telling people to donate money so a European made scythe can be given to every farmer in Nepal and across the Himalayas. I'm pretty sure everyone still uses sickle's and kukris because those scythe fanatics were a very exaggerative of how much harder it is to use a kukri rather than a scythe.
Seem to recall you are now in Nova Scotia ? Which, always suggests itself as a climate zone with a decent share of 'damp'. If the Kukri is traditionally made it will be high carbon steel. Be careful about storing it in the scabbard. The soft wooden inners attract moisture in to a high degree. Even normally oiled blades can develop rust if stored sheathed rather than bare blade displayed.
I have stumbled once or twice in the UK , even when I have sprayed the scabbard inners with oil to encourage a seal on the wood. .
Not yet, still on Vancouver Island. The move to Nova Scotia is going to happen in September.
Great advice mate!
@@Skallagrim wow I didn't know you were in bc! I'm from the sunshine coast
I've got one that was used in parade marches by gurkhas and it was made in 1954. I went ahead and put a real edge on it and I have no doubt this thing would hold up to damn near anything you threw at it. Also mine is full Tang.
some antique kukri have a tang that split in three pin
Sounds like a great knife! If you send some pics of it through to our instagram we'd love to post some photos
@@kailashblades cool to see you guys actually getting involved here
I got an old kukri from my uncle when he learned bando. He neglected it and it's not in the best shape, sadly, but that thing is a monster to use, and one of my favorites. 12 inch blade
@@domosrage5434 Get that thing cleaned up!
The "water stains" might be a sign of a really bad hardening process.
Due to the Leidenfrost-effect there might form vapor bubbles on the hot steel wich isolate it and prevent it from hardening properly, especially when hardening in water. Martensite and unhardened steel have a different colour (you can see that nicely on a hamone) so the stained parts of the blade might not be hardened properly.
Edit: It seems to just be called "soft spots" in english. To find out wether I am right or not you simply have tot try how easily the different spots get scratched.
Retialus He‘s right. I tested with my knifes some hardening-processes. You get this look, when you just throw the forge-heated blade viciously in water.
Damn...thanks, man. I love coming across totally new information, especially in areas where I'm relatively ignorant.
@Shrar Neomar So this would be the result of some kind of (rather silly) Hollywood movie-style 'thrust red-orange hot steel into barrel of water then hold gleaming perfect sword aloft' attempt to harden the blade?
MrBrachiatingApe For me yes. I was sixteen, when I did this with regular steel. It was between 880-1030 °C (yellow-red) and the water was about 7°C. The knives I produced with this „technique“ were good at cutting and rather hard to. Too hard as I did some bend- & SteelVsSteel testing. The piece broke at that point. - Hope that information helped o/
I don’t have any stains on mine, it was mirror polished. They offer various finishes including raw, but they literally work off the floor in their hut. Their anvil is a sledgehammer half buried in the ground, needless to say, they are very traditional.
@@shrarneomar8080 Thanks, man. It's interesting and as I said, I love learning new stuff. That said, I don't work with metal or anything--it's just that layman's curiosity :) And I like having some sense of how accurate various Hollywood-esque scenes are.
I just checked out the link to the website, and this truly is a excellent price, between $170 and $220.
I just ordered one of these based on your video. I have always admired kukris and have several, ranging from Cold Steel to one of the antiques from the Royal Armory and several others in between. Hopefully mine will turn out to be as well made as yours. Thank you for a very well done review.
That's awesome to hear! How is it treating you so far?
The thing about the rat-tail tang, is that all of the leverage of the blade is going to be concentrated where the tang attaches to the wider blade, and to the top of the handle and that soft copper hardware on the hilt. This could be mitigated by making the transition from blade to rat tail more gradual.
stcredzero I’ve abused the hell out of my Kailash and it’s held strong so far. They actually encourage people to send them pictures and stories if you manage to break one.
Softer metal isn't bad for the tang, as you prefer bending and stretching over breaking... But you're right: any sudden change is like perforated paper...
many medieval european sword had a tang made of mild steel, or even iron, welded on the blade, if it's made right is as durable as it's needed
Hey mate! Absolutely true. A well designed rat tail can be made very strong by having curved shoulders on the transition and have the blade taper as it goes down towards the pommel. If you have a look at the forge process pics on our instagram you'll see this is exactly what we do and they're a lot stronger than western equivalents. of the hundreds of rat tail tangs we've sold we've only had one break and it was an immediate cost free warranty job. We're pretty secure with their durability
Matt Easton wants to know your location
Dry land is a myth
Would be great to get one of these in his hands too! drop him a message if you think he'd be interested
Tora or kukri house products are much more genuine.
This kailash blade is from a white middleman exploiting nepali kamis.
@@CoronaVirus-fu3zl Alright, you can stop trolling mate. And what's wrong with being a white person who loves crafting Nepalese tools?
I got one of these recently on your recommendation and I'm quite pleased with it, so thank you. The Mutiny is an excellent blade and a favorite in my collection.
Here is a good one....
I was working at a box store 4 years ago and went to clean out a cart of some trash. And as I did, I almost went in shock, there under the papers was an old Kukri!
The really strange thing is that I saw the Kukri before. I saw the exact same one when I was 14 years old, I was at a yard sale and pulled one out of the case
and thought," that is a stupid looking blade." I
hurryed the kukri over to my car, the only problem was that the 2 little knifes were missing. I am still amazed that I found the Kukri, it is very nice looking and rivals
my $400 Chinese straight sword!
Kailash blades makes some lovely quality blades. Another stellar knife, with a great review.
Skallagrim damn u lol. I have to go to work in the morning and u got me up in the middle of the night ordering one of these. Thank you so much though. I've been searching for a good quality Khukuri for awhile. LOL
I bought a Kailash Kukri of their British model and I have to say it is light, sharp, swift in the hand and well made overall. highly recommend over Torah blades.
Hell yeah! Thanks for the kind words mate
That’s an axe that identifies as a knife. Or maybe the other way.
Either way, I dig it.
Even better, a knives that chops like an axe😂👍
Facts
Skal!! I love this blade. But we NEED to see some heavy use testing on it!! Kukri are chopping tools!! Kailash blades can handle it. Nothing too crazy. Some brush work. Chopping, batoning if possible. Things people would actually use the mutiny for. Thanks for your great videos always!!
Lets see some more heavy testing on the Mutiny!!!! I’ve been very interested in one lately but I’d like to know what the performance grind can handle before i make my final decision. Also thanks for you’re great content Skallagrim!!! Been a fan for a few years now.
I have that blade: Mutiny/modern handle custom-
Performance grind-Satin finish-Rosewood slabs-Kydex sheath. Andrew designed the handle I chose for mine.
Hey mate! Great to see you on the wider interweb
I've always loved khukhuris. All I've ever actually owned is a cheap kukri for brush clearing, but even that thing is ridiculously useful and hardy. I really want a real one now.
This blacksmith has a some pretty big balls to make this cut out! That "crown" leaves so much space for stress points. To do that and mess up is really easy. Big props for this guy.
you're clearly not familiar with kuhukris...
Post production, couldn’t the extra stress points become an issue during normal everyday use? I’d imagine the crown could possibly cause an issue down the road.
@@bjorngylfason7682 If he didn't curved out the junction between the notch and the "crown" that would leave the user with a broken blade in the long run. That's one of the challenges of making a successful khukukri btw.
I was going through my garage earlier today, and came across the paperwork that came with the Kookrie, Mk 3 (that is exactly how it is spelled on the blueprint), and it contained a copy of the blueprint. It's dated 2-2-43, and shows the oil hardening line going from the beginning of the front curve to perhaps 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the point. A further note says the rest of the blade is to be left soft. The hardened portion was to be soft enough to be resharpened with a file, but hard enough to cut clear through a 12 - 14 gauge mild steel wire supported on a hard wood block without damage or deformation of the blade.
I thought it was interesting that I came across this right before I saw this video.
The stains on the blade are from the tempering process. Sometimes used motor oil is used to quench. The oil will often have detergents that leave those patterns.
It's made exactly like my kukri was made in nepal. Even the sheath is exactly the same design. But the quality is much different. Turns out £60 isn't a lot to spend!
Kailash Blades is a phenomenal company. I have a hotspur from them, it is a brilliant utility knife
You must have the BEST collection room bro , it would probably blow my mind to see it all at once...luckily you show it bit by bit!
I've personally owned one of their products for a few years. I use it as a tool. Chopping thick brush and splitting small logs, are my main uses. It has gathered a very heavy tarnish from use, but that's as to be expected. It's an absolute brute of a knife and I cannot recommend their products more. Only complaint I had was there were a few rough spots on the guard I requested, but a sheet of 400 grit paper cleaned it up easily enough.
Glad to hear it's been treating you well over the years. It would be great to get some photos of what it looks like nowadays or even a review type thing. We've not been around for that long as a company and long term feedback is hugely appreciated.
If you have anything you can send through to us, sling it through to customdesign@kailashblades.com
Take care,
Andrew
It makes me happy that you continue to do business with ZGB & buy their analog zombie heads(: they need the support
Since the handle is made of Indian Rosewood, I’d highly recommend heading to your local guitar shop to pick up some stuff to treat/clean it. It’s a very common material for guitar fretboards so you’re local shop will have some great stuff to help take care of it.
Yes the stains on the blade can be from water quenching or quenching too hot. It is also possible that motor oil does that. Some motor oils over seas still have a good bit of sulfur in them and it can act as an acid etch that is minor enough to not feel with your finger or fingernail but is still able to be polished.
Hey! I'd really like to see you review an aruvaal, which is a south indian sickle / straight scythe usually shown in movies as the rural village goonda weapon of choice.
I train with Aruval and other Katti. Main issue is that Skal isn't really experienced with Indian weaponry. Didn't even do any drawslicing with this blade...
What are others weapons associated with the goondas? I know of the rampuri ,the grass hockey stick amdthe single shot homemade pistols.
My favorite blade! I'm definitely gonna check this out.
IMO if you arent going for a weapon for its length, the khukri is the best weapon. The power of an axe in the volume and weight of a short sword, the khukri has an ideal shape and usually size to be used as an off hand or main hand parrying weapon, and its shape can be advantageous for reaching around shields or weapons. Its blunt back ridge finishing in a wider end is great for half swording, and can easily be used to catch, pressure and maneuver around a blocking weapon. The notch is great for "swordbreaking" and if I had one of my own I might have four or five notches in a row for such a purpose, maybe even style it as a saw section that could suit both purposes. Its not bad for use as a thrower either. Only thing wrong with them I can think of is having no guard, not being full tang and not having a decent pommel or butt plate that can be used for attacks.
Bloodsaber64 certain martial arts have way of blocking with them, but mostly they seem to go with a strong offense is a good defense
The Cho isn't for "sword breaking"...and more notches in the blade would add several weak points.
Wow! Beautiful and fierce at the same time! Astig!
i like the patterns made by the oil stains, very unique.
My attention immediately went to the cut-out just above the handle. The manufacturer must have a lot of confidence in the strength of the blade.
That is for either tree sap or other liquids not getting down to the grip so easy (at least that is what i was told)
But i agree that it was a bit large cut-out.
they are differentially hardened so it would not really cause a problem with the cut out if any stress did it would bend but that would be almost impossible
I love the kopis swords, so this kind of knife is right up my alley
I found that Kukuri have a unique optimum spot for cutting just before the front big belly. It is cutting wickedly on the inside of that curve which is counter intuitive to sword cutting (use of the tip of the sword). It is a farming instrument and perform somewhat similar to clurit.
Great video, love your review
Always liked the Kukri, and this one in particular, i love. Especially all the customize options they offer. Would love to see a horn handled one in person. She seams to handle quite well too!
If you check out our instagram you'll see some beautiful photos of horn handles! Might be the best we can do without putting an order in. Thanks for the kind words though and if there's anything we can help with just let me know.
Take care,
Andrew
@@kailashblades always a pleasure giving credit, where credit is due!
Looks like a very nice knife. The only downside (for me at least) is that the grip looks very long compared to historical examples. Definitely going to get in touch, and see if they'll shorten the grip length to order.
Hey there mate,
We can absolute shorten grips and in fact offer it as a standard option on traditional blades now. What's worth noting is that this length is actually accurate tot he blade it's based on and that pre 1870's hanshee style khukuris had much longer handles. Whether this was for counterweight or for occasional functionality as a two handed blade (imagine the size of an early 19th century nepalese man) remains unclear.
If you're looking for any more guidance, send us an email at info@kailashblades.com and we'll help out however we can.
Take care,
Andrew
Hey skall, I'd love to see a kukri like this, vs a Moro barong of similar size, vs a wakazashi, vs a European shortsword, vs a 14" Bowie knife. All the things I mentioned are machete sized (and may be a better alternative to a machete in a survival situation, especially in combat) with thicker blades. Would love to see a chop off to see what's the best, possibly use a gladius instead of the euro shortsword, I think you have all mentioned (maybe not the 14" Bowie) but would be cool to see. I want, to set up a channel myself I have plenty of cool knives/machete and am getting my first real sword soon, but don't have recording equipment :( when I do set my channel up, your a inspiration to me skall, your awesome, keep up the awesome work!
Thank you for introducing me to a company I had not heard of.
Ok, I'll be the first... But can you throw the pommel?
Yes you can... but the whole knife will go with it.
@@OOTurok
They make it so the pommel-holder gets added to the pommel for a little extra weight? *Ingenious!* The sharp metal is just so useless without the pommel! ;-P
Official stance: No
Nope
Absolutely not
But you can absolutely end him rightly
Yes, but the kukri comes with it as well
Mordhau
This is the strangest coincidence; I started researching kukris a literal few days ago, and then this video comes out! Trying to pick between this one and the ZombieTools Vakra.
I've used the Vakra and it is a really great blade but they're a bit night and day in terms of hand feel. The mutiny is rat tail, making it a lot faster and more agile but the vakra is very stout, full tang and has a certain confidence that comes with that. There's a review coming out on one of our rat tail blades from Advanced Knife Bro and he'll be doing a comparison between the two
Hell no, you could really abuse it and will handle it like a champ. Kailash are definitely one of the top notch kukri makers.
You should review the chitlange from kailash blades, they even said they'd be willing to send it for review if you're interested.
Skall, I don’t know if you’ve had offers yet to get any items to showcase from Bespoke Post yet but they have what they call “boxes” of stuff to send to people based on their personal tastes and interests. On such box, called the Slash box, has a machete in it called a Nata. It’s supposed to be based on a Japanese tool and I think you might have some fun with chopping up wood or brush perhaps. Seemed like something you could showcase if you liked it.
I love the kukri it's the best knife for multi-purpose that there is in my opinion the wait at the end of the blade really helps you to chop through things it's an amazing knife and that is my go-to well if it's for work or self-defense and that kukri there is a beefy ass kukri I would love to get my hands on something like that
They're amazingly versatile tools aren't they?
We're sitll making these through our website if you're interested kailashblades.com/product/mutiny/
Feel free to reach out if you need any guidance or have questions :)
The best part of owning a kukri/khukur is that they are versital survival items usefuly for combat and a tool that can withstand wood. You demonstrated its effectiveness as a fast weapon, but not necessarily what about as a tool. Can you make an updated Pt2?
Glad to see Kailash getting some attention here.
never been big into blades (save for pocket knives) but having cut through dense thickets and brush before I have to say the khukuri blade shape does excellent work.
Never thought it would be so easy to buy an actual Nepalese one lol now I will probably go and buy one.
You're right, the pattern makes extremely short work of brush. This pattern in particular is in use by a few forestry workers who love it and use it daily. If you need any help or guidance in your decision making, don't be afraid to reach out. Info@kailashblades.com or I can reply on here if it suits.
Take care,
Andrew
You should try a kukri from Tora Blades. Long wait, but probably the most historically accurate Kukri on the market. Kailash is certainly very, very awesome and this was a great review.
I used to have a Taiwanese copy of the old cold steel ltc military kukri, it was carbon steel (not sure which kind) bought it for £30 in a army surplus shop, it cut and hacked it's way through sticks and saplings with ease, even processed a fallen tree. It was the bane of water bottles. Worth every penny, I only got it as I'd never used a kukri style blade. I've since sold it to a friend, but I'm waiting for a windlass Indian army (Assam rifles) kukri to come through the post (military issue and a lot more traditional) but I think kukris are a good choice.
For me I usually use either a hultafors agdor trekking axe, or a gransfors Bruks wildlife hatchet depending on the size of axe I need and a tramontina bolo machete for coppicing, sticks & brush. A kukri is a good option if you don't want to carry a axe or machete or carry all if your travelling by vehicle, kukri is not as good as a machete for brush, or as good as an axe for splitting, but a kukri is even better the axe or machete for coppicing. Can't wait for the Assam rifles model, is coming in the same order as my Scottish basket hilted broadsword. Can't wait.
Oh a kukri is a brutal weapon too, the bigger ones are a good option for someone who wants a kopis, especially if it has a guard.
Very good review. Thanks,Skal.
Been looking at Kailash for a good while now , the m43 martial seems like the one for me, full tang , with a very subtle finger guard .
Thanks for the order Jamie! Once we can ship again and we get it to you I'm sure it won't disappoint.
@@kailashblades allready placed a order I decided to go with a scourge anniversary can't wait , stay safe over there 🙏
@@Hobbofett You stay safe too mate.
I have one of their Service Issue kukris and it is absolutely wonderful especially at the price (under $100 shipped to the US).
Great to hear mate! How's it been treating you over the years?
Looking at some of my own 19th century Nepal armory Kukris and the distal taper starts at 8.7mm for one down to about 3.2mm at the tip. Another is 8.5mm to about 2.7mm. Both of them more or less maintain (one actually thickens to 9mm just before the downward curve) the original thickness until the downward curve begins. So yours did immediately seem thin. Noting also in the pre-firearms era the Kukri when used for fighting was used with a shield, because the other guy has a Kukri too and only one walks away. I like the leather frog on that sheath. Clever approach. Maintains the traditional Kukri sheath design while adding western carry style to the sheath.
Would love a full in depth review including chopping and slight abuse tests I want a kukuri from kailash so much I’m itching for more videos about them. Cheers skall
Now that’s a noice knoif, and I’m gonna keep them in mind when I go looking around for someone to make me a khopesh.
We'd love to make a khopesh! Have had a few enquiries about us making one in the past but nobody has followed through.
Hit us up at customdesign@kailashblades.com if you'd like to discuss further.
Take care,
Andrew
Skall what about a video telling us which blades/weapons would yo take to the (upcoming) apocalypse for hunting/self defense? Love your videos I have literally grown up seeing them!
FINALLY YOU DO A KAILASH!!!!!!! They are awsome I own 3, (mini, socket Bowie, and the fighting styled Bowie and its fucking awsome)
By far most historical knives & swords had iron or mild steel tangs welded onto the hardened & tempered blade. This was done for strength reasons because a soft tang would not be as likely to snap under stress.
Wow they are really reasonably priced I just ordered one and the Baak.
“That’s not a knife. Now THIS, this is a knife.”
Aah...bright , take notes so that we can order them in bulk for the MTFs .
I can’t decide which one to get. First I watched Matt Easton’s review and was convinced I would get the Mark 1 but now I’m considering a longer blade with performance grind.
The mk1 is great- it's a very powerful and super practical outdoors blades. If you're wanting something more martially focused though a mutiny or salyani might do the trick :)
@@kailashblades I have ordered since that comment! I appreciate the message. I just loved the look of the mutiny and I went with it. Right now I’ve been waiting while it is in a queue for the oil quench process. Can’t wait, very excited!
@@ChopinIsMyBestFriend Nice! Not too long to wait now then. You'll love the mutiny- it's a very fun and classy knife
Me: Sees khukuri/kukri review
*happiness noise*
Oooh, thanks for the idea - now I want to make a miniature khukuri for one of my videos.
This one looks beautiful mate! Getting myself one of these is definitely on my list of things to buy 🤤
I found and bought a mini kukri at an antique store. It's not miniature small tho. Like a 4inch blade. A knife version of a knife?
Also had a wood cored, leather sheath with a rough (everthing about this thing is "rough" actually I.e. the blade, sheath, handle) brass chape on the end of the sheath. Pretty cool find actually
Andy Aviles that sounds very cool! I am very fussy with my projects, I don’t normally leave them ‘rough’ lol. Spoiler alert, I’m currently making a miniature Viking sword 🗡 and my plan is to polish it a LOT 😎
Andy Aviles it just occurred to me, your 4 inch khukuri might have been intended as a letter opener mate!
Sounds like a great idea! How small is small?
Kailash Blades I assume you’re talking about my miniature Viking sword? It’s a larger ‘miniature’ than most of the ones I make (like the miniature Viking axe on my channel) because this one is designed to be used as a letter opener. The blade is roughly 4 3/4 inches long, whereas the Cold Steel Viking Sword that I have loosely modelled it off is 30 1/4 inches. So mine is roughly 1/6.5 scale.
If you weren’t talking to me, sorry. Lol
wow...i actually saw an ad for a Knife edge tester... an actual ad that was sorta relevant to the videos Ive been watching.
Yess, a Kailash Blades product. Thought I'm the only one who knows about them.
Soul Rhythm I found them through Instagram. Great group of guys
Hopefully more people know about us going forward!
"You got blood on my knife, mate!"
Our archaic Indian laws don’t allow for import of such great products! I’ve been following them on IG and they’re genuinely nice guys dedicated to excellence! It’ll be hard to find a Kukri better than what Kailashblades offer. 👍🏼
Thanks so much for your kind words mate. We have so many indian fans and if we could send knives there you'd be our biggest importer aside from the US easily. As soon as the situation changes to allow us to get knives there we'll be sure to shout it fro the rooftops.
Take care,
Andrew
You should carry a wide strip of old apulstry leather with that. Wrap it round the blade leaving the tip poking out to do small tasks.
Their expedition cleaver looks awesome
It's really impressive. I like it. I'm bookmarking their website.
10:42 skalla is relieving stress here.
@Skallagrim On your review process of weapons i have a suggestion to add in a few techniques specific to the blade, something about why the blade is that shape and its effectiveness. I really love the Khukuri and its particular nastiness, the target spots for cutting are tendons at the elbows and back of the knees and kill spots for the arm pits and the neck. It improves upon this over other blades because of its shape, running the edge from the base of the blade to the tip of the blade gives a much better slicing property than other blades because of it gives you something extra to tug on when it curves through the target area. A great weapon for making someone drop their gun if you can pull off grabbing in one hand and running it across the elbow, or getting a bleed out kill with a slice on the armpit, a fool proof way of cutting a neck from behind if you get the drop on an enemy, and a quick way to incapacitate a prisoner without the use of binding the hands and feet. Swinging it around like a longsword seems weird to me in comparison to these possible applications and would be interesting to discuss and experiment how you'd pull it off
And for that price point. That is impressive. After the shutdown is over i might pick one up
Thanks mate. Not a bad thing to have during the shutdown either! If you have any questions or need some guidance just let me know, or send us an email at info@kailashblades.com.
Take care,
Andrew
Dude. Great content lately.
It does look very nice and it has a good sive handle it seems.
Very cool! I love the Kukri!
You had me at "differentially tempered leaf spring". (Edit: I looked it up and 125bucks or so is a good price too)
Finally, another weapon review. It's been a long wait
Most often almost purple for most of the blade area, aside from the edge, there maybe straw on the belly (57-58 Rockwell on Nepalese Kami made blades I've seen tested) and bronze temper on the waist (56-56) which traditionally had a more acute grind used for small work and cutting, with the belly being a little more axe like in the cutting geometry, and not surprisingly being overall tempered for toughness and easy sharpening using probably a river stone in the field.
They primarily used Land Rover leaf springs until the last twenty to thirty years when they switched more to Mercedes leaf springs due probably to the abundance of old Mercedes models throughout the third world these days, also favoured are Saab and anything Japanese. High quality steel though, usually the Kami will obtain leaf springs from an Indian scrap yard and then catch the bus back to Nepal with it, sat on the roof with their stack of leaf springs. Anything from ten to two hundred forged knives worth of spring steel per trip.
The very large kukris of that scale and beyond were usually ceremonial blades in Georgian times and before, quite often with beautifully intricate folk art sheaths. I have a couple from that period, one with an elaborate sheath and engraving and inlays in the blade, which would have been used for beheading goats at the appropriate season, for a good agricultural year. The other is in a plain sheath, but although the blade is huge it has several scalloped fullers in the blade, which helps keeping the weight down and making it feel more lively, though it's almost two inches wider than the one you review here. It's likely that it too was a ceremonial blade rather than one made for war. Those were often based on the old ceremonial blades, but more likely to be a longer 2' and upwards, slimmer, blade. The big wide blade looks scary but it's too big to wield for long, in addition every inch longer your opponents sword/knife/Kukri is, is a reach advantage that's to your detriment. A 2" wide Sirupate with a foot of blade then a change in angle and another foot of razor sharp steel has you at a significant disadvantage with one of those big heavy choppers you mentioned.
Quite often these giant old blades are dismissed as "Villagers" in collector circles and there aren't all that many left except in private collections, but they're worth keeping an eye out for at auctions. The forge work is often a marvel, though the fittings may look rudimentary. The vintage and antique market tends only to focus on the military MK2 Kukris, as there's provenance probably, which is very unusual with kukris in general.
Most others are of Indian manufacture (anything antique with a lion's head adorning it) or recently manufactured. Himalayan imports is (used to be?) the usual haunt for Kukri lovers of the modern age looking for a new (relatively) traditionally forged toy, though I have heard good things about other somewhat associated Nepalese makers doing direct internet sales in the last couple of years. It's been a long while, many years, since I bought a newly smithed Kukri from anybody though. This one seems decently well built, a little simple for my taste and more chirra (the wide scalloped fuller running the length of the blade) would have lightened it a little but allowed for a thicker spine and yet not made it feel slower. It looks reasonably well built for the thickness, it doesn't lack substance but looks light enough that it won't tire your arm too quickly, certainly not if it was as thick as the one I have with mine measuring well over half an inch at the spine, almost a thumb thick along the spine with a distal taper only beginning after the kink in the spine.
With the huge choppers only a big man could use one sustainably, either for work or for war, the proof mine was made for a giant is the handle fitting a western hand nearly two centuries later, I'm neither giant, nor especially large handed, but most village Kami's make Kukris too small for western hands even to this day.
Part of assessing whether it's a tourist Kukri when I'm looking at vintage/antique Kukris for sale is how well it fits western hands. Although with direct orders over the internet there are companies employing village Kami's and paying them per unit, but as they're making direct to the west goods the kami's have to be instructed to make larger handles. Some of those companies are good with a fair price going to the Kami (smith) and quality materials sought (top tier automotive manufacturer parts like Mercedes, saab and land rover leaf springs, for high quality steel) and with brass and silver used on the bolster and buttcap and the sheaths chape. Some are tourist crap peddlers using Chinese steel that's not homogeneous and pot metal fixtures painted to look like brass, so it's awesome to see one actually reviewed and see who's currently putting out good quality genuine Kukris.
Thanks for the video, your time and effort is appreciated, always :)
I notice you put the surface scratches in the description but didn't mention them in the video. I was wondering about that as they are quite noticable. Of course, it's a purely cosmetic problem but, along with the odd spots makes me question the companies quality control in general. I will definitely be interested in the results of more agressive testing.
[Edit] After looking at the link, I am impressed with the price. This could be quite a good value.
The thing is, I debated with myself on whether to mention that. In person it's barely noticeable but it shows in the close-up footage. Not an issue to me, but it might bother someone else.
My dad had that design of Kukhri it was pretty old so could be a replica of the Gurkha version it's awesome!!
But does it crit enemies covered in jarate?
No, but it does inflict bleed.
**grabs mason jar**
**unloads bladder into it**
**passes jar**
Have a go then, mate.
Hey skalla.
I actually own an original kukri handed from a gurkha family to a relative of mine some 20+ yrs ago when tourism wasnt yet a thing there, she is still friend with that family after all those years.
So the kukri i own is not a modern semi-industrial reproduction or tourist export.
I noticed mine is much smaller than yours, the blade has etchings and ornamentation even with bits of gold in it. I would love to share more details especially pictures with you to see what you think.
let me know if youre interested, and how we could make it happen.
zool/finland
Hey there Zool. This knife sounds really cool. If you send some photos through to customdesign@kailashblades.com I might be able to give you some more info on where it came from and when it was made etc.
Take care,
Andrew
+1 for Kailash Blades! They are an incredible manufacturer. Also try Heritage Blades if you get the chance.
Damn! For the price that's amazing.
Sure is! We've also just enabled the option to order with micarta or stacked leather handles, so that's another big plus
I slit a finger with a kukri like that a few weeks ago, I still get chills when I see one now ^^
Generally speaking the rockwell hardness on kukri's is a little hit or miss in my experience. They differentially harden them of course, but all I have seen for hand made ones is a hardening by hand using poured water along the edge itself. So the edge is hardened, but I haven't ever seen anything about tempering that hardened edge. For my purposes, light trailblazing, the edges of all my khukri's have been adequate, some requiring a little repair work after a days use and others seeming to hold the edge longer. Most of mine have been Himalayan Imports, with a few Khukri House's I got years ago. The HI knives have been better with edge retention.
Hey there mate,
You're right that the teapot method is quite poor for producing an even hardness along the edge. Furthermore it doesn't harden very deeply which leaves the blades prone to becoming soft after repeated sharpenings. It might sound hard to believe but we're the only nepalese maker that actually tempers their blades at all. We use an oil quench rather than a traditional water quench via teapot and the full thorough hardness we get demands it. However other houses are forced to significantly underharden their blades and balance the line between a soft blade that rolls and and a hard blade that cracks. Our knives are much harder but are also tougher due to the temper and so produce a very stable edge and grind. This means we can grind thinner for the same level of durability, giving better cutting performance. Hit us up at customdesign@kailashblades.com if you're looking for any guidance or info on these knives.
Take care,
Andrew