The Vakra Kukri from Zombie Tools

On this episode of Wizard Gear I'll be showing you the Kukri known as the Vakra from Zombie Tools. The Kukri is the traditional curved blade of the Gurkhas of Nepal. It serves as a weapon and also makes a great tool replacing both a machete and a camp axe.

The Importance of Being Prepared

The society we rely on to meet our everyday needs is not as stable as most people think it is, and some of us have an inkling that the situation is going to destabilize sometime soon. For this reason, it is good to have the gear and the know-how to be able to survive outside on foot with everything that you need with you.

One of the important aspects of this level of preparedness is getting a lot of utility out of as little as possible. This means you're not having to carry a whole lot of weight, the things you do have are not bulky and don't impede your movement.

The Kukri definitely meets these requirements as it serves as both a weapon and a utility tool, is lightweight, and fits neatly into a sheath which sits along your upper leg.

The Kukri as a Weapon

The unique shape of the Kukri coupled with its low weight makes it a great self-defense tool. The blade starts thin at the hilt, swells towards the end at what's called the belly, and then quickly tapers back to fine point.

The belly provides a large amount of mass at the end of the blade which increases the angular momentum of a swing without requiring a lot of force. The abruptly tapered point allows a stab attack to enter the target easily and then to quickly do a lot of damage without needing to penetrate very far. The thin inner portion allows for easier control of the opponent's blade during deflection.

The Kukri as a Survival Tool

The Kukri reduces the number of utility items you need to carry by serving as a large knife, a machete and a camp axe at the same time.

The thinner portion of the Kukri's blade is useful for scraping wood and harvesting valuable plants by slicing them at their lower stalks. The scraping ability is especially useful for generating large amounts of tinder for creating fires more easily.

The belly of the blade makes it great for cutting branches and smaller trees. It can be used like a machete to clear a path through a tangled forest, or like a small axe to chop wood for fires or building a shelter.

Where to Get a Kukri

I always take my Kukri with me when adventuring into the wilderness. It comes in handy all the time, and helps me feel more prepared to handle any conflict which might arise, so I definitely recommend picking one up if you spend a lot of time in the woods.

There are lots of places to get a Kukri online, but if you just want to get the same one I'm using, head over to the Zombie Tools website and look for the Vakra. They also have a ton of other weapons including large two-handed swords and battle axes.

Thanks for watching!

Cahlen Lee