hmong knife from French Guiana

blue lander · 19th December 2014, 06:36 PM

I finally took this knife outside and put it through the same "tests" I'd put a khukri/parang/golok through. Namely, clearing brush, chopping off branches, and batoning through firewood. What I found is that its quite well balanced so you can effortlessly slice through brush, and its sharp enough to lop off branches as thick as your thumb with the flick of your wrist. If you swing it at a tough old piece of wood it cuts surprisingly deep, but it binds in the wood and is difficult to pull the blade back out. I wouldn't want to try to cut a tree down with it. I also carved a spoon out of a branch with it. Because the knife is very balanced and the edge is sharp all the way to the hilt, you can do intricate work with little fatigue.

It easily batoned through firewood but I noticed a few flat spots in the edge where it hit knots and one small chip. The edge is just too thin and hard for that kind of abuse. If you were swinging it around carelessly and hit a rock or something I have no doubt the edge would chip badly.

Where it really shined is in the kitchen. Held from the hilt its very effective slicing through large pieces of meat. Grabbed from the spine of the blade like a Chinese butcher knife, the belly towards the tip makes an excellent paring knife. Even stuff like onions and potatoes that don't like thick blades were easy to slice as thin as you need them.

Judging from videos I've seen on YouTube, the hmong knive is primarily used today as an "all-in-one" kitchen knife, and that's really what it is: A kitchen/butcher/animal processing knife that can also be used for "utility work" like clearing brush and whatnot. It is not a khukri-like knife that can do stuff you'd usually use a hatchet or axe for. The edge is too thin and brittle. It's an all-in-one knife that could do anything an isolated villager might need it to, who also has access to a proper axe.

It isn't something you could wander into the woods and build a log cabin with, though. Besides the delicate edge, the lack of a guard means you'd have to be very careful. Since the edge and the belly start right at the bolster,if your finger slipped onto the blade you'd probably be cut to the bone. Other Hmong knives I've seen have a small circular guard but mine doesn't.

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19th December 2014, 06:36 PM	#25
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	I finally took this knife outside and put it through the same "tests" I'd put a khukri/parang/golok through. Namely, clearing brush, chopping off branches, and batoning through firewood. What I found is that its quite well balanced so you can effortlessly slice through brush, and its sharp enough to lop off branches as thick as your thumb with the flick of your wrist. If you swing it at a tough old piece of wood it cuts surprisingly deep, but it binds in the wood and is difficult to pull the blade back out. I wouldn't want to try to cut a tree down with it. I also carved a spoon out of a branch with it. Because the knife is very balanced and the edge is sharp all the way to the hilt, you can do intricate work with little fatigue. It easily batoned through firewood but I noticed a few flat spots in the edge where it hit knots and one small chip. The edge is just too thin and hard for that kind of abuse. If you were swinging it around carelessly and hit a rock or something I have no doubt the edge would chip badly. Where it really shined is in the kitchen. Held from the hilt its very effective slicing through large pieces of meat. Grabbed from the spine of the blade like a Chinese butcher knife, the belly towards the tip makes an excellent paring knife. Even stuff like onions and potatoes that don't like thick blades were easy to slice as thin as you need them. Judging from videos I've seen on YouTube, the hmong knive is primarily used today as an "all-in-one" kitchen knife, and that's really what it is: A kitchen/butcher/animal processing knife that can also be used for "utility work" like clearing brush and whatnot. It is not a khukri-like knife that can do stuff you'd usually use a hatchet or axe for. The edge is too thin and brittle. It's an all-in-one knife that could do anything an isolated villager might need it to, who also has access to a proper axe. It isn't something you could wander into the woods and build a log cabin with, though. Besides the delicate edge, the lack of a guard means you'd have to be very careful. Since the edge and the belly start right at the bolster,if your finger slipped onto the blade you'd probably be cut to the bone. Other Hmong knives I've seen have a small circular guard but mine doesn't.