[Cronx210]

I have problems sharpening the CS kukri, and it seems like a blade that will be harder to sharpen because of it's shape, whilst a bowie is easier, i also don't really see the advantage of the kukris shape, what are you opinions?

 

[Hairy]

I have problems sharpening the CS kukri, and it seems like a blade that will be harder to sharpen because of it's shape, whilst a bowie is easier, i also don't really see the advantage of the kukris shape, what are you opinions?

a survival knife would have to be many things - gouger,can opener,weapon,pryer, lever. I dont think the kukri would cut it! sorry,bad pun (hangs head)

 

[Guerrilla]

I have a traditional Kukri. And it hangs on the wall 99% of the time. The primary advantage to it is that it has alot more weight than a standard knife, allowing it to be used more effectively as a chopping tool. I personally carry just a leatherman and a fold out utility knife / box cutter. When working the woods, I carry a hand-forged Mexican machete. A proper, well sharpened machete (not a cheapie, the metal is too soft) will do almost everything a kukri will, and if you need anything more specialized, the leatherman does it.

Bowies are well known, and well proven. I just seldom need anything that large tied to me. I prefer something I can carry 24/7 and if I need something bigger, I get it out of the truck, or pack it in with me.

 

[Diddy]

I have a traditional Kukri also. They are heavier but I don't see it as a survival knife per se. I wouldn't want to carry one around - but to have at your place it would be quite useful. They do have their place as a survival tool.

 

[chaosofcreation]

A good quality and thick 4-6" fixed bladed knife thats full tang and not made by chicom's with a good kydex sheath is your best bet. Buy American.

 

[Raven]

I have a Cold Steel Kukri, and love it. I use a file and small finishing stone to sharpen it and don't have any problems at all.

I use it to hack my way through dense bush, chop, split, defense (if need be). I find it very handy and keep it strapped to my bag.

I'm not a one knife type though. I carry several types from a Swiss Champ, Benchmade Fecas Offsider, Boker Airlite 109, Blackhawk Tatang, Becker BK-7 combo, Becker BK-5, Buck 120, Case XX and Western skinners, I have a USN MKII KaBar bowie, etc.

It just depends on what I feel like. But if something were to happen, all would find their way into the getaway car...

I like lots of knives and find them all useful. And plan to get many more.

 

[Griff]

The beauty of the CS Kukri machete is that they are of good enough quality to be versatile, yet inexpensive enough to actually use and abuse. I also keep mine strapped onto the get home bag, but its earned its rest.

 

[Nightwind]

Having been a bit of a knife buyer always looking for a better knife to do the jobs I needed them for I wasted big$ filling the shed with them.
IN "ACTUAL" general use I have two identical cheap chinese folders, they are comfortable to use and use and use and hold there edge well, they are small as most of the work is small work. When the folders are too small I then use a small hand axe / Tomahawk or an Ontario machette with its point clipped. All the rest of my work knives are put away!
Only other knives I have ready are a Gerber MK2 and a Muela light Bowie style and these are only for "Up Close and Personal" deeds if ever needed.
A knife is for cutting not chopping or prying, I have found large knives to be basicly useless, yes they look cool, yes they are intimidating to idiots but no they are not very useful, the kukuri needs special skills to use well so if it aint going to be used and often cash it in on something more usefull.
Again just my opinion but based on 40years of swinging blades for work and play!

 

[kev]

Which is a better survival knife the CS Gurka Kukri not the machete, or a bowie?

Your asking about several different types of knives, all of which have a different purpose.

Kukri - a good chopper of clearing small trees and brush. The curved edge makes it good for slicing through undergrowth.

Bowie knife - large, oversized knife.

Personally, I do not have any use for a bowie. Yea they look nice, but their too short to be used to clean brush and too long to make a good skinning knife.

In my opinion, the best survival knife is going to have about a 3 - 5 inch blade. Something like the Gerber Big Rock would make a good choice.

I have a cold steel recon scout, which has a 7 1/2 inch long blade. The cold steel recon scout is "awkward" when skinning a deer. The blade is just too long to make fine cuts when you are separating the hide from the meat.

My pocket knife with a 2 3/4 inch long blade makes a better skinning knife then the knife with a 7 1/2 inch long blade. Just because its easier to handle, and easier to make finer cuts.

 

[FranchiseKid]

It's about the user, not the knife. Ray Mears can do things with a Mora that I cannot do with my entire shed of Craftsman tools plus a Mora.

 

[justin_baker]

The kukri is liked something in between a machete and an axe. The weighted front means you can hack through stuff easy like you would with an axe. I think its better for thicker, more woodsy clearing rather than just vines and stuff.

 

[Dad]

Good question!

I think it all depends upon what you need your blade to do in a survival situation.

A large, GP (general purpose) blade is probably the all-round best blade to have...if you can only have one blade. With a large blade you can do everything a small blade will do (albeit with some difficulty). The reverse is not true. A large blade can be used to dig with, chop with and defend yourself with against predators (with the right knowedge & tactics, a very rare occasion)...all things that a small blade likely has neither the size nor the strength to perform.

It sounds like you're already thinking along those lines anyway...given the question posed.

A kukri (not kukri machete, as you stipulate) is a tremendous tool for chopping, slicing and incising. It is harder to sharpen than a bowie type blade, but has the advantage of performaning those tasks better than a bowie blade would. It's simply a function of design.

Here's something worth considering. In my experience (forestry and natural resource management) trapper and hunters who've had to defend themselves from bears and cougars usually end up underneath the predator, stabbing at the face and neck to deter or kill the animal. This function would be unlikely to succeed with a knife blade length less than 6 inches (to cut through hide and muscle to damage the arteries, windpipe or other vital organs in the neck and upper chest area) and would be much more difficult to do with a kukri than with a bowie. Again, a function of design. A bowie's straight blade won't chop like a kukri, but will stab far better than a kukri. Think of the odds of twisting your wrist in either upright or inverted stab hold on a kukri.

All things considered, both blade designs are excellent at what they do. I like them both, but must accept that each design comes with strengths and limitations.

Here is my compromise: I carry a smaller bowie design (Fallkniven A1 or A2, depending upon whether I have any other specialist tools with me) If I have the ability to carry a saw or axe, the A1 is on the belt and a smaller bushcraft knife is carried baldric style under my coat. If I have to go light (or with limited amounts of tools) I carry the A2, the larger brother of the A1, and a handy bushcraft bowie! I do this because I think the odds of me being able to fend off a cougar or bear with swinging chops (keeping the animal at a striking distance) are very low, given their strength and speed. I'll probably end up (if the Mossberg 590 fails) under the animal, where stabbing actions will be my best chance.

For chopping I carry a small axe.

Does that help any?

Dad.

 

[Jeffrey]

A kukri is a chopping tool. A knife is a cutting tool. If you want chopping power, get an axe. A machette (or brush axe) is definately needed in tropical rain forests and jungle grass. In the USA, and axe or saw is the tool.

 

[robbiec]

The kukri knives (my favorite is from himilaya kukris) are excellant for chopping and combat, but not practical for general use like rope cutting, carving, opening boxes or cans, etc. Mine only gets used to kill chickens, otherwise it stays on it's display rack.

I prefer my usmc issued kabar for an all around general purpose knife.

 

[gwopy]

Your asking about several different types of knives, all of which have a different purpose.

Kukri - a good chopper of clearing small trees and brush. The curved edge makes it good for slicing through undergrowth.

Bowie knife - large, oversized knife.

Personally, I do not have any use for a bowie. Yea they look nice, but their too short to be used to clean brush and too long to make a good skinning knife.

In my opinion, the best survival knife is going to have about a 3 - 5 inch blade. Something like the Gerber Big Rock would make a good choice.

I have a cold steel recon scout, which has a 7 1/2 inch long blade. The cold steel recon scout is "awkward" when skinning a deer. The blade is just too long to make fine cuts when you are separating the hide from the meat.

My pocket knife with a 2 3/4 inch long blade makes a better skinning knife then the knife with a 7 1/2 inch long blade. Just because its easier to handle, and easier to make finer cuts.

What would you think of a small camp axe, compact saw, small hunting knife and the Recon Scout you mentioned, for an extended camping/hunting trip? The combo is pretty heavy, but for capabilities in bivouacking, I like having the axe. I'd have a folding utility knife too.

 

[SeekHer]

There is a misconception here--A Bowie has no known description as there are various blade styles, lengths, shapes, widths, thicknesses...and no one knows what the knife that was used at the Sandbar Fight looked like--exactly -- nor whether it was the same knife used at the Alamo...

Searles, King, Californian, Sheffield etc. all all considered "Bowie" knives and each one is completely and totally different from the other but all were supplied to the Bowie Bros for resale...

A clip point knife is for cutting and stabbing forward where a kukhri is for cutting and slashing backwards on the draw stroke--just like Japanese saws cut on the pull and Western on the push...

There are far more things you can accomplish with a knife then a kukhri, given time...

I suggest you get both--a knife (5" blade) for everyday duty and a machete/kukhri/Golok for clearing brush, vines and small tree...back that up with a Cruiser axe (1¾#X24") and a folding pruning saw and you'll be golden...

 

[LD 50/50]

I have two

A Searles for fighting and a Bowie for chopping