Those khukuris look like what are commonly referred to as 'tourist' grade knives. Not something you can rip a car door off with like a Himalayan Imports.
I like the looks of those Hattori knives. The Japanese can make some sh^t hot good knives when they want to. Currently I'd never buy anything made in China because I have yet to see a knife from there that wasn't 100%
[email protected] I really kind of liked their Vietnam Recon Bowie. The Japs are real fond of hollow ground edges which cut like a banshee.
TOPS knives are pretty cool but moderately pricey. They are extremely good knives though.
It depends on how much a person has to spend. A Scandinavian made Mora knife can cut like a razor and has a rep for being tough. You can get a Swedish made Mora knife from Sportsman's Guide for $10.
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You'll find that a surprising number of people who teach primitive skills courses use Mora knives. Not only are they inexpensive, but they are well made, they cut like a b^tch, and they are easy to sharpen. Another good blade that you can often find used is an old Western model 66 skinning knife with the old style carbon steel blade.
Regardless of how cool they may look, knives that can't take and keep an edge, plus cut well, are pretty much worthless. A lot of smaller blades nowadays try and be too thick, like they think everyone will need to use it to smash their way out of a downed Cessna or something.
For bigger knives I've also taken an interest in checking out this 'Camp Knife' from
Valiant. It has a 9" blade. The one pictured is the Damascus steel version.
IMHO, you should have at least three knives in the boonies. A multitool like a Leatherman Wave, SOG, Gerber, a Swiss Army knife, etc, a utility fixed blade, like a maybe a Mora, and a heavy blade for bigger tasks and chopping, like a hatchet or a khukuri. In a pinch, just a big blade like a bowie and a Swiss Army knife will work.
