[greg_r]

Decided that I needed a Kukri in my collection. I had narrowed my choices to the Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT), Ontario Knife Company (OKC), Ka-Bar and a couple of offerings from Condor Knife and Tool. Of course I am partial to Ka-Bar. (I am a Marine after all) and OKC is my preferred knife for Bushcrafting. ( I own the Rat Series. Rat-1, Rat-3, Rat-5, Rat-7 and the RTAK II. Guess I really ought to get the Rat-2) But I was leaning toward the Condor K-Tact. It was $40 to $60 more expensive than the others I was looking at and I was researching it heavily when I ran across the Tops Bushcrafters Kukuri 7.

I did not know that Tops even made a Kukri. I do not keep up with them. Just too expensive. But I have wanted a Tops knife ever since I became aware of them, especially their Brothers of Bushcraft Fieldcraft knife. I did finally get me a Tops Tracker #2, which is their mid size Tracker. Bought it from a friend who had it but wanted the full size Tracker #1. I bought it lightly used for half the cost of a new Tracker #2. I have found it to be a very well made and useful knife.

Anyways, I watched and read everything I could find about the Tops Kukuri. (I understand Tops spells it differently because the only real Kukri knives are the ones the Special Nepalese soldiers are issued). Nothing but good to excellent reviews. I decided to part with even more of the filthy lucre and order the Tops Kukuri. And WTH, I will just order the B.O.B. Fieldcraft to go with it. So I tapped the buy icon on the tablet and watched next months car payment go away.

The knives arrived this week. I am very happy with them despite spending so much on them. (I guess I am wanting someone to say"It’s alright, you deserved them")

Bushcrafters Kukuri 7, B.O.B. Fieldcraft, and Tracker II

 

[Rerun]

Decided that I needed a Kukri in my collection. I had narrowed my choices to the Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT), Ontario Knife Company (OKC), Ka-Bar and a couple of offerings from Condor Knife and Tool. Of course I am partial to Ka-Bar. (I am a Marine after all) and OKC is my preferred knife for Bushcrafting. ( I own the Rat Series. Rat-1, Rat-3, Rat-5, Rat-7 and the RTAK II. Guess I really ought to get the Rat-2) But I was leaning toward the Condor K-Tact. It was $40 to $60 more expensive than the others I was looking at and I was researching it heavily when I ran across the Tops Bushcrafters Kukuri 7.

I did not know that Tops even made a Kukri. I do not keep up with them. Just too expensive. But I have wanted a Tops knife ever since I became aware of them, especially their Brothers of Bushcraft Fieldcraft knife. I did finally get me a Tops Tracker #2, which is their mid size Tracker. Bought it from a friend who had it but wanted the full size Tracker #1. I bought it lightly used for half the cost of a new Tracker #2. I have found it to be a very well made and useful knife.

Anyways, I watched and read everything I could find about the Tops Kukuri. (I understand Tops spells it differently because the only real Kukri knives are the ones the Special Nepalese soldiers are issued). Nothing but good to excellent reviews. I decided to part with even more of the filthy lucre and order the Tops Kukuri. And WTH, I will just order the B.O.B. Fieldcraft to go with it. So I tapped the buy icon on the tablet and watched next months car payment go away.

The knives arrived this week. I am very happy with them despite spending so much on them. (I guess I am wanting someone to say"It’s alright, you deserved them")

Bushcrafters Kukuri 7, B.O.B. Fieldcraft, and Tracker II
View attachment 76333

That barely resembles a kukri.

I wish you luck.

Rerun

 

[moona11]

I like them.

 

[lklawson]

I like Khukris. I've owned 3 or 4 over the years. Still have 2. I need to buy more.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[greg_r]

That barely resembles a kukri.

I wish you luck.

Rerun

Nobody will ever mistake it for an original Napal made Kukri, but it retains the same features and has the same ergonomics.

 

[histed]

I had an original, back iin the day, Now it belongs to my daughter. Should get a modern copy. Always liked the heft and swing. Kirk could probably teach me proper technique if I lived closer

 

[Rerun]

Nobody will ever mistake it for an original Napal made Kukri, but it retains the same features and has the same ergonomics.

Not quite the same ergonomics - it lacks the knuckle in the middle of the handle.

That part makes a big difference in how the blade is wielded.

Rerun

 

[greg_r]

Not quite the same ergonomics - it lacks the knuckle in the middle of the handle.

That part makes a big difference in how the blade is wielded.

Rerun

What knuckle?

This is a Nepalese issue Kukri. Note the cutout of the cow hoof on the blade. It’s a Hindu nation, the cows hoof forbids the slaughter of the sacred cow with the blade. Only found on the Nepalese blade (or possibly copies of it), note, there is no knuckle on the handle. It does have a significant flair.

This is the British Kukri, as issued to the Brigade of Gurkhas. It does indeed have a knuckle, but it omits the cow hoof cutout and the rear of the handle is not flared near as much as the Nepalese version is. I have always wondered why they omitted the cows foot since the Brigade consists of Nepalese.

And the handle of the Tops Bushcraft Kukuri 7. You can see it does have a knuckle, although slight. The flair is more pronounced like the Nepalese version, but really only on the downward side like the British version. Overall the Tops version more resembles the British version in my opinion. The ergonomics are indeed the same. The Kukri is designed for chopping and slashing. It’s main point is to keep the wrist in a natural grasping position. If using a knife or hatchet the wrist has to be in a downward orientation.

My main concern was the blade length, being some 2 or 3 inches shorter than the original Kukri knives, and the copies I was looking at, I feared it might be lacking in the wood processing tasks I wanted it to do. I also thought the weight just might make up for it, being advertised as 22 ounces. I have not put it on scales, but I believe the 22 oz claim. The knife is heavy.

I had a shed off one of my White Oak trees. It was about 4 1/2 feet long and as big around as my forearm. The Bushcraft Kukuri made short work of it, I need not have worried. I now have my fire for this weekends cookout! I have had the knife in my possession for only 2 days, and only processed the one shed, but initial impressions are good. I do think I will like it.

And just for comparison. Here is a picture of the Condor K-Tact Kukri

 

[lklawson]

Not quite the same ergonomics - it lacks the knuckle in the middle of the handle.

That part makes a big difference in how the blade is wielded.

Rerun

When Atlanta Cutlery began importing military surplus antique kukri from Nepal around 10 or 15 years ago, I bought one of the Bhojpure kukri, claimed to have been made before 1890 or something. They were offering three different "models." All of them have handles roughly similar to the "issue" kukri which Greg posted. They have a ring on the waist of the grip but no knuckle swell.

If you're interested, I'll try to get a photo of mine later.

I'm embedding their current images.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Think1st]

Well, Greg, you're living the "go big or go home" philosophy of toy buying. I like it.

 

[ajole]

Why omit the cow hoof cutout on issue knives?
It is a weak spot in the blade, a possible origin for cracks, and an unnecessary bit of machining that costs time and money.
Pretty simple.

 

[greg_r]

Why omit the cow hoof cutout on issue knives?
It is a weak spot in the blade, a possible origin for cracks, and an unnecessary bit of machining that costs time and money.
Pretty simple.

Maybe, but it is symbolic and part of the history.
It does raise the question. Has a Kukri ever broken at the cows hoof?
I have seen a broken Kukri before, but never an issue one.

 

[greg_r]

When Atlanta Cutlery began importing military surplus antique kukri from Nepal around 10 or 15 years ago, I bought one of the Bhojpure kukri, claimed to have been made before 1890 or something. They were offering three different "models." All of them have handles roughly similar to the "issue" kukri which Greg posted. They have a ring on the waist of the grip but no knuckle swell.

If you're interested, I'll try to get a photo of mine later.

I'm embedding their current images.
View attachment 76343
View attachment 76345
View attachment 76344

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

I once had a collection of bolt action battle rifles. All bring backs. They all had issue blades I bought to match. I had a British Kukri. All gone in the great fire of ‘99

 

[greg_r]

Well, Greg, you're living the "go big or go home" philosophy of toy buying. I like it.

I started this a few years ago as I neared retirement. I wanted the good stuff to last me my later years. The wife asked me once who could tell the difference. My answer was that I could. But I think others saw it too. A good example was a couple summers ago, I went to a local water supply lake where I slayed a big mess of hand sized bluegill. I was not using my Zebco 33, but a Fenwick mounted on a good graphite rod that I just bought spooled up with 10# braid. I was feeling fish that i believe I would not have felt with the Zebco. Not far from where I was as there was a father and his son. I heard the son ask how is he catching all those fish.

I used to live with good is good enough. I have learned new respect for buy once, cry once.

 

[shubbell]

Function over form. You deserve them.

 

[shubbell]

Guess it has been a hot minute since I last posted. Here is what both of them from my profile pic look like now.

 

[shubbell]

The Tracker? I still do not understand its use? Looks cool. Not having one in hand, I can only surmise. I see maybe a chopping piece, but I stop there. After using a kuk, it really is the kitchen sink for a survival knife IMO.

 

[greg_r]

The Tracker? I still do not understand its use? Looks cool. Not having one in hand, I can only surmise. I see maybe a chopping piece, but I stop there. After using a kuk, it really is the kitchen sink for a survival knife IMO.

I was kind of the same way about the tracker until I bought one. I always thought it looked a lot like what a Klingon would carry. I bought mine, a tracker 2, because a friend was disappointed in the smaller size. He wanted a tracker #1

After using it, I see what he was talking about. The Tracker 2 will never replace a camp axe, but it will replace a hatchet. It is a great skinning knife, and the saw back actually works, great tool for notching. If you need a fire, look no longer, its got you covered. The flat part of the blade makes great feathers and where the blade transitions will make perfect curls. It does a lot of things, and really does them well.

I had a hankering for the Tracker 1, but that went away when I bought the Bushcrafter Kukuri 7. I did make another purchase though. The Tracker #4. It’s a tiny thing, often called the necker. It should be here early this week.

 

[greg_r]

The Tracker T4 arrived. Here it is with its big brother.