Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Sheath/Scabbard
Oustanding design, quality, and value. Another winner from Cold Steel
The knife has the weight and balance that a kukri should have, 28 oz (advertised weight is accurate according to my scale), and POB is 2.25" from the end of the grip. It is a hefty chopping tool and weapon that handles like a heavy-duty machete or a short sword, unlike some other Western-designed kukris on the market that simply don't get it and are too lightweight, like the Ontario Spec Plus Kukri, which is only 18 oz, feels like a kitchen knife in the hand, and is severely lacking in cutting power. This knife will make efficient and ergonomic work out of building camps and gathering firewood just like a hatchet, as well as slicing the limbs clean off aggressors. Mine came with no defects. The blade is straight, the grind is even, and the bevels are appropriate for the intended task, although some honing will be required to bring the edge up to my standards, as is the case with virtually all mass-produced blades. This is in stark contrast to the Condor Kukri, which came to me with a ghastly splitting maul edge and required hours of two-handed filing while clamped to a bench in order to be remotely usable, which seems to be Condor's trademark. I was thinking of cutting the knuckle duster off, but I ended up liking it when I got it and will leave it alone. It doesn't seem to interfere with anything, and the fully encapsulated grip allows you to adopt a loose grip with your wrist unlocked, focus centrifugal force at the end of the grip or the subhilt crossbar thing, and apply maximum swinging momentum into a blow, really freakin' WHIP the thing, just as you can do with traditional kukris that have dramatic pommel swells, and CANNOT do with western grip designs that lack an adequate anchoring point for the bottom of the hand at the end of the grip. Additionally, the sturdy aluminum grip/duster effectively forms a crossgaurd and would prove useful for parrying blows of an opponent's blade. I have not removed the removable grip yet, but I've seen photos of the tang of this knife, and am assured that it has a properly designed tang with smoothly radiused corners at the junction between tang and blade, meaning that it should be able to handle the shock of chopping tasks indefinitely provided there are no issues with the temper. Overall, it's incredible that I was able to get something so smartly designed and high-quality for only $40. This could end up being the Marine Raider of Kukris; a quality, effectively designed tool and weapon that is highly representative of it's type, and reliably available from major online vendors with fast shipping for an amazingly low price. If you're tired of poorly designed, low-quality kukris available from other manufacturers, give this one a try. I just wish it had a leather or cordura sheath though. I hate kydex. Maybe it will fit into the kukri machete sheath.
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