During my childhood, I remember seeing kukri knives for sale on the backs of Soldier of Fortune magazines. They were really cool, but as a kid I really didn’t need a kukri. Now, as an older kid, I realize what an awesome tool it can be. After alittle internet research, it became apparent that I needed one, specifically, the Cold Steel Kukri.
Kukri Basics
Originally designed sometime in the mid 1500’s in the Indian region, the kukri design was introduced to the western world during the 1800’s in the Gurkha War. As a weapon, the kukri’s curved blade can deliver devastating blows, chopping and slashing through any soft tissue. The slanted blade allows for a more natural stabbing motion. As a tool, the same chopping power can turn tree trunks into tinder with minimal effort or help cut your way through heavy vegetation. The flatter rear portion of the blade is used for more precise cuts and perfect for pulling cuts.
Cold Steel Kukri Lineup
Cold Steel makes five variations of the kukri. The Kurki and Kukri Plus (built in hand guard) machete with an overall length of 18″, the Magnum Machete at 22″ OAL, and their premier Gurkha Kukri and the Gurka Kukri Plus (built in hand guard) at 17″OAL. The first two machetes are made from 1055 high carbon steel, weighing in at 16oz and 18.2oz respectively. The premium Gurkha Kukri is made from Cold Steel’s 0-1 steel and weighs in at 22oz. And while the Cold Steel 0-1 steel in impressive and certainly a more quality steel, I couldn’t justify the price difference. Speaking of price, at less than $30 for the Cold Steel Kukri, it’s close to theft, especially when you compare it to the $200+ price tag on the Gurkha Kukris. Anyway, the Cold Steel Kukris all have polypropylene handles covering the full tang and ships with their Cor-Ex (nylon) sheaths. The more premium Gurkha Kukris handles are wrapped in Cold Steel’s Kray-Ex and comes in their Secure-Ex (plastic) sheath.
As mentioned above, the kukri comes with a decent nylon sheath which appeared to be of similar build quality as the Cold Steel Bushman. There are no holes on the sheath for tying off to things which was a slight bummer, however, there is a belt loop on the back. Unlike the Cold Steel Bushman’s sheath, there are no external pockets for storage. The plastic end plates on the sheath protects the user from accidental punctures that could happen over time.
The sheath has two snaps that hold the kukri in place, however, as seen in the picture below only one snap needs to be unsnapped for the kukri to be removed. I don’t know if this was intentional, but I’m glad because having to unsnap both snaps would have made for a slow draw.
The Cold Steel Kukri machete (the 18″ version) has a nice sweeping 13″ full tang blade that’s so significant for producing the kukri’s legendary chopping power. The matte black anti-rust finish gives it a non-reflective surface that also serves to protect the 1055 high carbon steel.
Here’s a closeup of the curved portion of the blade and label. I found it interesting that the knife is made in South Africa: a nice change over the usual “made in China”. The label clearly shows the model of the kukri #97KM. I did notice that towards the tip of the blade there was a slight mark possibly made by running paint. Not a big deal to me since the coating will most likely wear off with use.
I read some reviews and watched a few Youtube videos where folks were commenting on the lack of sharpness of the kukri when shipped. I examined my kukri and immediately became aware that my Cold Steel Kukri wasn’t sharp either. In fact, the copy that I received was rather unsharp. There is a decent chopping edge on it, but I like my cutting tools alittle sharper. However, it’s nothing that a sharpening stone or even a file can’t fix.
The polypropylene handle covers the full tang blade and to be perfectly honest, the grip is quite comfortable. I took a few swings at a log and didn’t experience too much vibration coming through the handle. The handle has a convenient hole for use with a lanyard or for hanging (yes, I do that).
While there are many kukri’s out there that are fancier and made with better steels and have nicer finishes, I think Cold Steel nailed it with their more affordable kukri machete line. Cold Steel calls it their “workhorse” Kukri machetes. They’re inexpensive, yet made with good steel designed for hard use. That said, I like mine a lot. I’ve used it to chop all kinds of wood and never babied it and yet it remains fully functional. It’s one of those tools that once you’ve really used it, you just know it’s going to last a lifetime. I don’t think I’ll ever need to buy another machete. It just works as intended.
Anyway, that’s it for the kukri for now. And if you buy one and decide the kukri is too big for your needs, check out the Cold Steel Bushman. It’s a straight up utilitarian fixed blade that is hands down, one of my favorites
~ John
