Knifeclerk wrote; Quote: " ... They cut far too well.... "
Knifeclerk;
You have got to be kidding me? A plastic knife that "cuts" well?
I am ashamed to admit
, that I fell for the;
"Cold Steel Nightshade Series - FGX Karambit: Made from the new technolgical, state-of-the-art, UV heat stabilized, 100% reinforced fibreglass plastic, functional, light weight, durable knife"
No matter how many buzz-words are used in the description, there is only one word to take notice of, ....and that is the word "PLASTIC".
The fact of the matter is, is that no matter what you do, the product will still be plastic, and thats that.
I will state, that the karambit is great as a training tool, and is a handy item to leave in your car, or places where a steel blade is not suitable, or ideal. I have read tests on some items from the Nightshade line, and the results showed that they were fairly efficient as stabbing implements, and the push daggers, and tanto's could easily penetrate through 2-3 layers of cardboard with no problems. The tip of the karambit is indeed sharp, and I have cut myself numerous times during training sessions, when switching between extended and retracted grips.
The problem is, I was suckered!, and I actually expected the karambit to have a cutting edge, even though it was plastic, and I especially thought that the tanto and such would cut. Nevertheless, they stab quite well, and would definately do damage to human skin, and I will say that the karambit has a long, and sharp blade which is aggressive, and is the main reason why I purchased it, for it's mean looks. It's one of the best looking karambit's I have seen, and suits my tastes. If you just want one for the novelty aspect, thats cool, as the items are inexpensive, however the problem is that I spent way too much for it!, as you don't see these products in Australia, and I train and collect karambits, and did I mention... I was sucked in!!!
, and consequently overpaid for my plastic toy karambit. That being said, I do keep it for it's training abilities, design, and it's ability to stab/puncture/maim to some degree. I must say though, that a plastic knife with moulded kraton grips is a cool feature, the grip on the karambit is one of the best things, both comfortable, grippy, and ergonomic. If I had of only paid $20, I could live with it. Another added bonus, if LEO's question me, I claim it's a toy from a Ninja play set.
Bottom line, the Nightshade Series, or any other similar knives, are a gimmick, and because of this, I have a dislike of Cold Steel, as in my opinion, what reputable knife company would deiminish it's reutation for quality functional knives by selling such "crap" novelty "toys", let alone decieve customers by claiming the plastic to be not your normal plastic, i.e. Grivory (which is BS in my honest opinion. So if you just want one for the novelty factor, or the convenience to carry in non-blade friendly areas, go ahead, but don't pay more than what it's worth, and remeber that it's plastic, and nothing else.
