I work late in a questionable part of town, and thus I chose my EDC rotation accordingly -- waved Endura, 710, Manix, Blur -- with an LM Wave playing the utility role as I need the pliers and screw drivers at work at the least convenient times.
Today I finally got my hands on an Emerson combat karambit folder (from tacwatch.com -- they were out of stock at GP, NG, etc) and I have to say this is a hell of a defensive blade. So much so that I plan to carry it exclusively and relegate the conventional folders to weekend chore duty.
The Emerson karambit is well-executed, sturdy and surprisingly light. The G10 reminds me so much of Spyderco's, I wonder if Spyderco OEMs it for Emerson, or if they both use the same bulk upstream supplier. The liner lock is nicely done (for a liner lock). Though there is drag on the blade, I can flick it open fairly easily, though of course it's meant to be waved open which it does very reliably.
The karambit's appeal lies in the amazing retention afforded by the index-finger ring, and the organic hold whereby the 'claw' is a short protrusion from a fairly natural fist, braced for unholy leverage against the bottom/heel of the hand. You can deliver boxing-style strong hand strikes with the claw along for the ride.
So there it is. I am happy to give up the piercing capability of e.g. the Manix in favor of a viciously sharp ripping claw with a highly-leveraged hold. One's range is reduced, as is the ability to hit deep vitals, but one gains retention, leverage for powering through leather jackets and such, and a very comfortable natural fighting hold. There are still enough surface vitals to present a target-rich environment to the karambit -- limb arteries and tendons, neck, head, groin.
I never seriously considered an Emerson knife -- hate the CG on a blade that's likely to see utility duty, and not that impressed by liner locks -- but the karambit is a real winner for its purely-combative purpose. I am impressed by the quality of implementation, and will definitely take a serious look at other Emerson products if in the market for a pure-combat folder. Two thumbs up for Emerson!
Today I finally got my hands on an Emerson combat karambit folder (from tacwatch.com -- they were out of stock at GP, NG, etc) and I have to say this is a hell of a defensive blade. So much so that I plan to carry it exclusively and relegate the conventional folders to weekend chore duty.
The Emerson karambit is well-executed, sturdy and surprisingly light. The G10 reminds me so much of Spyderco's, I wonder if Spyderco OEMs it for Emerson, or if they both use the same bulk upstream supplier. The liner lock is nicely done (for a liner lock). Though there is drag on the blade, I can flick it open fairly easily, though of course it's meant to be waved open which it does very reliably.
The karambit's appeal lies in the amazing retention afforded by the index-finger ring, and the organic hold whereby the 'claw' is a short protrusion from a fairly natural fist, braced for unholy leverage against the bottom/heel of the hand. You can deliver boxing-style strong hand strikes with the claw along for the ride.
So there it is. I am happy to give up the piercing capability of e.g. the Manix in favor of a viciously sharp ripping claw with a highly-leveraged hold. One's range is reduced, as is the ability to hit deep vitals, but one gains retention, leverage for powering through leather jackets and such, and a very comfortable natural fighting hold. There are still enough surface vitals to present a target-rich environment to the karambit -- limb arteries and tendons, neck, head, groin.
I never seriously considered an Emerson knife -- hate the CG on a blade that's likely to see utility duty, and not that impressed by liner locks -- but the karambit is a real winner for its purely-combative purpose. I am impressed by the quality of implementation, and will definitely take a serious look at other Emerson products if in the market for a pure-combat folder. Two thumbs up for Emerson!
