Kukri Database

KA-BAR Kukri Machete 1249

The best low-risk way to try a kukri. Not a pry bar, but a fantastic light clearing and camp blade for the price.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Affordable and widely available
  • Fast, light swing for clearing
  • Shock-absorbing Kraton G grip
  • Tough carbon steel

Cons

  • Thin for heavy batoning
  • Partial (rat-tail) tang
  • Needs oiling to prevent rust

The KA-BAR Kukri Machete 1249 is the workhorse entry point into the kukri world. Its 11.5-inch SK-5 carbon blade is thinner and lighter than a forged chopper, which makes it fast through grass, vines, and light limbs.

The Kraton G handle is shock-absorbing and grippy in the wet, and the leather-and-Cordura sheath is built for the field. It’s a machete first and a kukri second — light, affordable, and hard to kill.

Who it’s for: campers and property owners who want an inexpensive, swing-all-day brush tool.