I've owned 16" WW II model kukri for over a year. It proved to be a true user and quiet versatile blade. Matter of fact, after my trusty 18" Ang Khola that was the most used kukri in my collection. However, once I got more used to kukris I figured out that I'd be interested in larger version of the same model. Therefore I just had to buy 18" version of WW II. According to Himalayan Import WW II model is the best all around kukri and the most popular too. Which is not surprising given its price/performance ratio.
General
- 18" WW II came in standard setup - Kukri itself, sheath, karda and chakma. Visual inspection revealed no apparent problems with neither tool, except the gap between the butt cap and the handle. Which is a fairly common issue, I've discussed that in other kukri reviews, so I wont bore you with the same stuff here.Karda was shaving sharp, with full convex edge. This small, companion knife is very useful it kukri is the only knife you're carrying in the field. When you need something for fine cutting 16 inch long blade is hardly a good choice, here's when karda comes handy. As of the chakma, once you use your kukri you'll appreciate it fully. I've mentioned in my other reviews the importance of aligning the blade, and it's even more important for kukris. During the heavy use the edge takes significant impacts, and the steel no matter how tough and hard will still roll. Hence, depending on the job you'll have to burnish your kukri more or less frequently.
Blade
- 18 inch long, curved blade features convex edge and looks quite impressive :) It has very nice mirror polished finish, usual job of Bir Gorkha kamis. NIB sharpness was quite good. It'd slice free hanging newsprint pretty well. Howeevr there was a room for improvement and of course I went for it. Now it sports mirror polished convex edge capable of shaving. Which is beneficial for chopping. I am referring to edge polish primarily. So far I have not used this kukri for anything significant. Let's see if I get another Christmas tree to chop up ;)Handle
- Usual Bir Gorkha handle. Black horn, no cracks or any other defects. Ergonomics wise it ain't the best there is, but fully functional, nothing fancy. Like I mentioned above, there was a gap between the butt cap and the handle. This time, to fix the handle, first I've rounded pointy corners on the butt cap, and then filled in the gap with epoxy. To get the nice black color matching the handle I've used black shoe polish mixed in epoxy.
Specifications:
- Blade - 355.60mm(14")
- Thickness - 6.35mm
- OAL - 457.20mm(18")
- Steel - 5160 steel at 58-60HRC
- Handle - Horn
- Acquired - 06/2004 Price - 80.00$
Last updated - 05/19/19