Cold Steel Magnum Kukri Machete : limbing, felling, bucking (vs Condor Golok vs Bushman)

Use of the Cold Steel Magnum Kukri Machete and Condor Golok focusing mainly on :

-bucking
-limbing
-felling

Some highlights :

-Condor is making non-positive changes to design in response to user feedback. They are solving problems but creating other ones. Examples are full slab/tangs, removal of distal tapers, etc. .

-The Golok handle is very slick when wet, this is just due to the high polish and finish of the handle. This will be fixed with some rasping and boiled linseed oil.

-The Kukri tends to "trap" vegetation whereas the Condor will tend to flow past it. The Kukri will work better on a draw and the Condor more completely vertical on light vegetation which can easily be cut in one pass.

-The handle on the Kukri really is working well even in these conditions. A number of people have found it abrasive, this is very person dependent, I actually like the feel.

-Both the long knives work much better than a small axe (and especially larger axe) for this type of work mainly as they are much faster limbing. You really need much larger wood to make an axe really productive. I note a really nice axe class tree at about the 7:50 mark.

-The Bushman is really undersized for this wood. It takes as much time/effort to cut some of the larger limbs than the longer blades cut through the trunk sections. I am talking about 10:1 here in regards to time/effort.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• cold
• steel
• magnum
• kukri
• machete
• condor
• golok
• bushman

[Chumgeyser]

Just an extremely informative and helpful video. Many thanks Cliff! Nutnfancy needs become a subscriber of yours for tips.

I'm starting to sense that you prefer the Magnum Kukri over the regular now that you've done a regrind on each. True? I know you had said they would be used for different tasks, but it seems like you are getting some heavy chopping done with the Magnum.

[CliffStamp]

@Chumgeyser I noticed that when I was putting up the video's. In general though I would still prefer the regular Kukri machete for wood work just due to the stiffness and thus comfort in use. The Magnum has gained a lot with the ability to be sharpened and more with the regrind but you can still get significantly more vibration in chopping. If you compare it to something like the Caine the difference is night and day.

[CliffStamp]

@Chumgeyser But of course if I move into doing more lighter cutting like alders, scrub and grasses the Magnum has more reach than the regular and it lighter per blade length and thus faster through the tip and will work much better. But in general I tend to prefer blades more optomized for the denser wood as I cut more of it and in general it is more demanding to cut anyway.

[Warescrackdown]

Have you modified the magnum kukri handle at all or do you have any plans to?

[CliffStamp]

@Warescrackdown The only issue I have with the handle is that it is very squarish on top. Using a forward grip for greater control over the front of the handle is thus very uncomfortable. However using this knife for fine cutting it a bit awkward due to the length so it isn't a practical concern for me. I have done this modification on the regular Kukri machete though which I will put up a video on soon.

[CliffStamp]

@Warescrackdown I know a lot of people dislike this grip as it is too aggressive / abrasive, but I have not found it to be such an issue. I do a lot of such work though and rarely use gloves and so am used to abrasion and such on my hands so a knife has to have a very abrasive handle to cause a real issue due to that particular aspect.

[AussieMark909]

Very informative video, thanks.

[CliffStamp]

@haywoodf I should also note that you need a decent handle shape as well, you can't do everything by texture. If you try that you end up with something like the Project from Chris Reeves. Yes sure it is secure in hand, but it is also like trying to work with the blade of a wood rasp. It isn't like the Golok was going to come out of my hand, but just that any slippage of the blade in hand wastes energy that could be going into the cut and increases chance of glances, etc. .

[CliffStamp]

@mccullenj In regards to it being normal, most people who look after land they own will tend to harvest wood in this manner. With enough land and proper harvesting then you can easily self-sustain without clear-cutting or even deliberate replanting. Just have some care and foresight when you are working and always be thinking about how to help new growth.

[CliffStamp]

@SlinkingTiger Thanks, I have to pick up one of Kyley's larger knives in the coming year. He does things fairly differently balance/heft/grind wise and it would be nice to have a knife I could use with pleasure without having to regrind it first.