A little while back I purchased the Windlass " Gigantic Ceremonial Kukri " at the very least out of curiosity.

Windlass is the official maker of Kukris for the Gurkha regiments so whatever the qualities of this Gigantic Kukri I suspect that the steel and heat treat matches the military standards.

Here at Kult of Athena are the basic statistics and a few pics in addition to the ones posted at the end of this Topic by me:
http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...nial+Kukri

The price is a bargain and it is put together very well, I don't know what hard wood they use for the handle but it might be teak which is available in India ?

Well, first impressions: " IT HUGE ", much bigger than it looks in pics because the handle is much too oversized for a comfortable grip unless one has a hand the size of a gorilla.

It really looks as if someone had taken the blueprints for a normal sized kukri and had just photocopied it at 175 % or 200% and not just increased the scale of the blade but also the scale of the handle. :eek: :wtf: :lol:

Now the above 2" diameter of the handle is the only negative I see assuming that one can handle the weight of the piece if one wanted to use it ....... tree chopping or " Zombie Killing. ;) :lol: But overall I really like it and I took pics as received without modification but I intend to slim down the handle reducing it's diameter and making it oval in the fat middle rather than round. Oh, two handed one can handle it fairly well by the way.

The edge is sort of butter knife sharp on the wide belly and positive curved part of the blade but very unsharpened in the negatively curved and narrow section closest to the hilt: I intend to sharpen the edge with a variable geometry where the secondary bevel would be very obtuse in the narrow section and very sharp in the belly. The narrow section really doesn't need to be very sharp or even sharp at all in my opinion.

Just using a diamond hone I can tell by feel that the heat treat is at least as hard as most Windlass swords or knives: Something in the high 40's r.c to low 50's r.c.

I will probably refinish the blade using the lemon juice/mustard method to etch the surface to give it an aged but well cared for sating finish with some surface activity.

By the way in the pics I included a Coldsteel CarbonV Kukri that has the kind of finish I'm talking about, and also to show the scale of this Gigantic Kukri next to a normal one. I also have a Windlass Dresden left hand dagger with a blued finish to also show scale in some of the pics as well as pics of my hand holding the Gigantic Kukri and next to it.

If and when I refinish this one I will post pics of the DIY project where I will have slimmed down the handle, maybe carved it a bit, and sharpened the blade.

Oh, the Kukri also come with a very good scabbard for it.

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Coldsteel CarbonV Kukri.

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Close up of lemon juice etched finish that not only looks like pattern welding but also hides the original modern grind marks.

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Notice the size comparison between a comfortable handle and the way too thick diameter handle.

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Sure I can hold it, but it would be very tiring!

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Grip on Coldsteel Kukri for comparison.

More pics of size comparison with hand on the handle and next to the handle.

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Solid looking peen with some hammer marks.

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Fat, fat, fat and tiring to hold.

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Close up of peen and pommel/butt cap.

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Both Kukris in their scabbards: The Coldsteel one being Kydex.

Jeez, that thing is a monster. I wonder how far you could shave the handle down before risking it cracking when impacting a target? I'd definately try to get a little meat off of there.

I have a kukri where the tang is pretty much the width of the blade and can be seen on either edge of the grip. Some kukris have a rat-tail tang. I hope yours isn't that way.

Here's my giant "ceremonial" kukri (the brass handled one). These are also described as "sacrificial" kukri, being used for killing animals for sacrifice (also for non-sacrificial slaughter). This is is modern and more properly described as as tourist kukri than ceremonial or sacrificial. It's substantially shorter than yours, but still monstrously heavy (for the size).

You can get larger ones, too, like this one. The Nepalese-made ones, if one chooses a traditional style, are much more in the style of old kukris than the Windlass ones (or other modern Indian-made kukris).

Also a modern design that's the length of yours, but much, much lighter. Shown compared with a wakizashi and a tiny kukri.

The last one is an old (i.e., not a modern tourist one) big kukri, pre-WW2, 760g.

(More kukris here!)

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Thanks Timo for the large variety of Kukris in your post: Very interesting.

The truly GIANT Nepalese one seems to exaggerate even more the oversized handle on mine in dimensions almost as if these where made to look as if made for an 8 foot giant to use. ;) :D

Two handed even the thick grip is usable for a one stroke decapitating stroke but not optimum if one had to really fight with an overlarge Kukri.

By the way, the more normal sized Kukris are the real ones that would be used in warfare ( As I'm sure you know ;) ), and even the slim extra long ones would be good handling weapons. I bought the Gigantic Kukri with the intent to make it into more of a " theoretical " Zombie Slayer fantasy type, and after I modify the handle, it would be marginally usable by being better handling but only in a fantasy context.

For these reasons I am not overly concerned about it being period or culturally authentic and it is much closer in looks to some modern military versions also made by Windlass: It's mostly going to be an exercise in DIY modified/customized weaponry just for the fun of it, and I like the experience of handling extreme designs. ;) :D :cool:

wow that thing is huge. like a hatchet, the wood does look nice, but i wouldn't think of it to be teak - teak is out of this world expensive per board foot. like $50 from my last look into it, but it's an excelent all weather kind of wood.

it looks like its going to be one of those fun little projects

now i've never seen teak in person before, but i know that a lot of hardcore wood sculptors use it. it has very tight grain and looks a little tannish when unstained? about the only color i can describe it. almost like a flesh tone tan color which might be the reason why sculptors turn to it.

it's possible that other countrys use it often due to its availability - the main reason i remember its price is so high in the states was because the way the wood is harvested is not exactly environmentaly friendly. i don't know the process i'm only repeating the explanation from a carpentry show i saw it featured in once.

like you say its hard to tell what it actually may be especially after its been sealed.

i used to go to a gun show about every month and there was always vendor there that had iron wood - you wanna talk about an awesome piece of wood - it looks like marble. i've been wanting to pick up a piece of it to make a knife handle with, but i don't think i have a single tool in my shop to work it properly. it would probably take longer to sand the wood than to polish a blade.

anyhow, Jean - i'll be sure to follow along on however this project comes out. i enjoy how your walking sticks come out, and a few of the others things you've posted here have always had a little of your personal touch to them.

Well I did some work on the handle tonight and thinned it down to a comfortable cross section.
The wood seems reasonably hard but easy enough to carve and didn't give me any problems.

Finished the basic reshaping and it now feels like a very heavy weapon with enormous presence, but that is not a surprise, but it's now at least wieldable when before is was like holding a bowling ball i.e. one of the large type but without the finger holes !

Kept the shape similar and made it slightly oval in section. You can see a step down from the diameter of the front bolster/guard.

It would actually be usable with both hands. The wood is unfinished at this time and I still have to do a wood burning " Zombie " logo similar to the one on the Zombie Slayer sword scabbard and I might do some metal " aging " later.

Zombie Slayer DIY project for context: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...highlight=

If and when I do more work on it I'll post more pics

Refer to the top of this Topic for the " before " pics " for comparison to the " after " pics below.

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Wow! Much improved Jean!

Jean - I really like the refined handle shape you've achieved. It must be like night and day as far as handling too. :) Have you checked out Himalayan Imports kukris?

I own their 25" Kobra model, which is about 5/16 thick but weighs only 1lb 13oz!

http://yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/25inchkobra.html

It's very quick, but hits like a freight train. Perfect short sword with serious stopping power.

If one looks closely one can assess the amount of wood Jean removed from the handle by comparing the circumference of the wood at the collar with the circumference of the collar. Jean removed a LOT of wood and I think the dimensions of the handle look much more human scaled now although I am still startled when I see how much of the butt end of the handle protrudes from Jean's hand no to mention the size of the butt end. I imagine that the butt is now even more like the knob on the end of a baseball bat or axe handle and would aid in making an axe type two handed cut. I imagine a hard two handed cut with that kukri would feel somewhat like splitting wood.

Zombies being in short supply at present, I hope Jean can find a suitable media with which to do some test cuts after he's finished his modifications.

I I think modifying one of these giant kukris looks like great fun and I'm interested to see what Jean's kukri will look like when completed.

Jean, thank you for such a fun topic.

I <3 all Khukris, big or small.
This one's a beast, a beautiful beeast!

Looks good Jean!

I have a few myself: