Ok, I have never really handled a gurkha knife before. I played around with the generic cheapies in the late eighties but nothing of quality. I want my grail of the Busse TZ though.

I have seen [color:"red"] RN [/color] mention once or twice his desire for a Yard version though...<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

My buddy had a order shipped to my house and it is the new Becker BK4, or Machax. It is the first curved blade knife I have handles besides my Scrapyard Yard Hook. II dig the looks of the curved blade and on larger knives like the TZ and BK4 are supposed to be the sweet spots.

Here are some pics of the group.

The Rodent 9 from Swamprat, the BK4 Machax by Becker,(Ka bar) and the Scrapyard Yard Hook.



The Scrapyard knife has got to be one of my favorites from all of the Kin. The blade shape just looks wicked and with the wide blade is just a cool knife.

Here is a close up of the handles. The Swamprat has the micarta, the Scrapyard the famous Res c, and the Becker has the thermal plastic handles.



Here is a spine shot of all three.



Now here is my findings, since this is not my knife I could not cut anything other than air <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

But I like the curved blade concept on a larger blade. The handles while standard size on all BKs feel a little small. I do not know if this is because the balance point is different but it is not as comfortable as the larger micarta or Res c. probably would be.

[color:"red"]Jroden [/color] I know you did the great review recently on the TZ and HI ones. Am I correct a larger handle provides better balance?

Another question is when chopping are you only using the area I circled in grey? If i had access to my Dogfather right now the sweet spot ranges roughly in the area I circled on the Rodent 9.



It appears on a knife like the Rodent 9 or Dogfather you have more chopping area, or sweet spot. And on a ghurka is the area circled in yellow just used for fine work and slicing?

My buddy has micarta handle he is going to put on it and Ill snap some pics when I can. Maybe the extra weight will help.


Also, since I have become such a fan/user of the Kin family of knives, now a knife without a choil feels awkward and sometimes dangerous to me, ( I forget the knive I am handling does not have a choil and out of habit extend my finger where it should be, and yup, another scar!!<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />


But the bottom line is I think I am now on the band wagon with the others......


[color:"blue"] Dan we need a Yard version of a TZ or gurkha!!![/color] A large res c handled curved chopper would be awesome. A usable choil and strong tip design would be fantastic. I really do see the attraction, now I just want to put a Yard one to the test!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Now I read that [color:"red"] Dan [/color] is not against this style of blade,


"I have found that those that like khukuris love them. Then there are the those who do not care for them. I am sort of in the middle of the road for like and dislike. However, after handling the one Jerry designed I have to say it is growing on me. Pretty impressive

Dan"

But I thought someone mentioned that it was material wasteful to make them. I hope they can find a solution for this style of knife.

Just one more to add to the Scrapyard wishlist.

take care
sar

I can say as a practitioner of Japanese Sword Arts that technically there is very little difference in chopping something with a katana or a shoto or a tanto for that matter so a machete or a Khukuri shouldn't change the basic physics of the way you hold the sword or machete or the area of the blade you strike with. The grip is best if you hold the tsuka or handle lightly with your index and middle finger and more tightly or solidly with your ring finger and little finger. On the strike there is a slight, whip like, wrist action that should provide all the force that is necessary to slice your blade through the target provided that your blade is properly aligned to the target mass. Not sure if that makes sense. The area that you have indicated in grey on the Khukuri is indeed the 'sweet spot' for any blade in a blow. Make sure you relax your shoulders and breath when you strike and add a slight pivot or hip action to gain power, just remember the strength of your arm is not where your power actually comes from with the sword, it is mainly from lower down at the belly and hip. I know it is complicated but practice is a load of fun! I would love to see a scrapyard or swamprat khukuri as well.

Hi, thanks satsuma and welcome! I have studied aikido and Kali, escrima and your right. But all the weapons including my favorite design, the Kris are straight bladed. Not curved like the khukuri.

I love cutting tests and recently found a local source for mats. Now if my shoulder cooperates I'll test the scrapizashi soon.


Thanks again!:)

By the way, that is a YardHook, not a YardGuard. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I would really love a Yard kukri. All this talk of kukris has actually got me considering a KZ if one comes up on the exchange.
But an Sr-101 yard version would suit me and my wallet just fine!

Thanks for the catch! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I made the change <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

The machax's sweet spot is actually just behind where it is widest ( just past the head)

The Zillas sweet spot is about here, to several inches in front of where I have it sunk into the wood, the zilla ( in my tests) has a larger sweet spot than my HI Kukri



Hope you dont mind me posting a few pics in your thread

The machax is actually dwarfed by the zilla

Wow, I gotta get a zilla!

Me too, but I want Jrod's specifically. I am sure in time he will tire of it and be willing to part with it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crossfingers.gif" alt="" />

Hehe, there is quite the line for that bad girl if I ever get rid of her ( very, very unlikely)

Sar, the Zilla handles almost as quick at the HI, even though the HI weighs about 10 oz less, seems to be because of the tang of the Zilla stays the same with through out and the HI tapers alot, making it more blade heavy.

The HI also vibrates alot more than the Zilla on non- sweet spot hits, this could be because the Zilla has a much larger spot, or because the full thickness tang absorbs more shock than the tapered, I don't know

Another thing to consider when chopping with a Kukri or kukri like object is the position of you wrist when contacting the cutting medium. The curved blade allows for your wrist to be in a much more comfortable ( and less fatiguing) position when striking than a straight blade

Well, I have been practicing my Jedi mind trick. Once I get it down pat ... the Zilla will be mine. Mwuhahahaha

Ah, I thought something was up when I kept thinking " these aren't the droids I was looking for" it was strange, because I wasn't even looking for any at the moment