Quote:Blade presence is the amount of perceived blade weight, which is influenced by the position of the center of balance and the center of percussion. The center of percussion is usually about 2/3 of the way down the blade on most swords, whereas the center of balance can be anywhere, based on the mass distribution of the weapon. The closer the CoB is to the CoP, the more "blade presence" or "heft" the weapon has, and the more power you get in the cut. However, if you push the CoB towards the CoP and away from the handle (thus making a blade-heavy weapon), you end up with something that's more unwieldy. So, if you're going to do that, you need a weapon that is relatively light weight to facilitate ease of handling. This is why a 1.5 pound shamshir cuts much better than a 1.5 pound rapier, but is easier to handle than a 2.5 pound cavalry saber like a 1796 heavy cavalry. So, my bowie has a CoB pushed out towards the blade, but it is such a light weapon, it doesn't matter. Whereas a good sword has a CoB within about 3-6 inches of the handle. Your kukri is a bit like a short sword, and should have a CoB that makes it blade heavy, but 2.5 pounds is way too heavy for a kukri, it should be more like 1 pound, thus facilitating smooth recovery.
Forgive my woeful ignorance, but center of percussion? Place where you hit things? Where it vibrates?
This blade's out of a 3/8" leaf spring, so it was destined to be overweight. I'd really rather not drill holes in this, but I'll see what tricks I can employ top shave off some weight. Maybe a big honking fuller...