Folding Karambit, which one?

T

thercman

Joined
May 9, 2014
Messages
11
Hey Guys!

Well, I was looking very seriously at the Fox Knives 599 Karambit with the trainer. However, I found some posts here that suggest issues with quality control with that knife and customer service with the brand. I was staying away from the Emerson Folding Combat due to the outrageous price. I am also not fond of the split ring idea. I do like the "wave" feature though and for me it is a must have. With that said am I being overly concerned about the Fox Karambit? Do you have any recommendations other than the Emerson that has the "wave" feature that is a quality product?

Getting a trainer is pretty high up there on the list for me as well. It would make a great non lethal defense weapon while still inflicting serious pain when coupled with my martial arts skills.

Cheers,
Greg
 
Spyderco Karahawk or 5.11 cub master 2. Cub master doesn't have the wave but you can mod it with a zip tie which works as well :thumbup:
 
The Karahawk is really thin and also has a split ring. The new Emerson has a standoff in the split ring for support now. I'm partial to the Combat Karambit simply because it is the most comfortable Karambit I've ever held.
 
I've been carrying a Karahawk. Ugly as sin, but thin and almost impossible to mess up the wave action. The nicest folding Kbit I've had the pleasure of owning was a a CF/Ti Warren Thomas job.
 
So are the Fox knives really that problematic or is it just a matter of adding blue loctite to the screws for the belt clip? Another oddity is that the only place that carries the 599 model told me they are in stock and will ship in 7-10 business days. If they are in stock why does it take that long to ship? Weird. I need to reply to them with that question. The Emerson is not completely off the table for me but man that price. I do some custom knife making as hobby and I am just not seeing the value for a production knife. The blade steel, umm, I have the 154cm on my griptilian and edge retention is so-so. I have also had to regrind the tip after a break so I'm worried about the narrow point in this design. (made in USA is a big plus) The Karahawk's split rings flex and the edges of the metal are sharp. I would think for $190 the finish would be better. I can't see having to take it apart the day I get to rework the edges. *sigh* Sorry if I'm sounding a bit negative, but I am just trying to scrutinize and justify my purchase. So if my logic is flawed please put my mind at ease. :-) Thanks!
 
I think you've already made up your mind, and should get the Fox. You'll just have to see for yourself. As for Emersons, buy used. Haven't had any problems with any of mine whether they were bought used or new, guess I'm just lucky.
 
Hands down The 5.11 tarani s30v.

Comfort, reliability, Price and Quality.

Well worth the it.

Hope this helps, Battle
 
Actually I am leaning towards the Emerson at this point despite the price. I haven't seen or heard any bad reviews on it. My goal is to have a long lasting reliable blade.

Battle, I already carry an ESEE blade sheathed in front of my holster so a folder is what I am after. The 5.11 looks nice though.
 
Here is the folder.






I own all the above mentioned folders. Just my humble opinion 5.11 makes the best.

You have to go with what you like.:thumbup:

Later, battle
 
thercman said:
So are the Fox knives really that problematic or is it just a matter of adding blue loctite to the screws for the belt clip? Another oddity is that the only place that carries the 599 model told me they are in stock and will ship in 7-10 business days. If they are in stock why does it take that long to ship?
Click to expand...

You'll be lucky if it ships that fast, a LOT of people took far longer to get theirs, several people NEVER got their order from that site.
 
DShiflet,

I am pretty put off by the fact that a company has an item in stock and takes 7-10 days to ship it out. Don't get me wrong if it's not in stock and I need to wait that is not a problem if I know up front. Also being the only retailer for the 599 means there could potentially be huge time constraints in getting something serviced if I was to have an issue. So I have decided to get the Emerson.

I would like to share the response I received to my question regarding the long delay to ship. Please understand I am not trying to bash on these guys but rather trying to get feedback from you guys to see if my thoughts regarding the issue are warranted.I have been burned before by a company with e-mail excuses for months on why my parts hadn't shipped. After a little research I had found out it was a huge trend with that dealer.

Hi Lad,

Thanks for the quick response. I am curious though, if the blades are currently in stock then why won’t they ship for 7-10 days.

Respectfully,
Greg

"Because Greg, we're very busy processing other orders. Typically the minimum time frame is 6 to 8 weeks. So for it being 7 to 10 days in this industry is a blessing to have. Plus (like I said before) we're running low on stock. So the longer you wait the longer it's going to take and it could fall under the full 6 to 8 week time frame. So I hope you'll place your order soon. Thank you… :-)"


To me this sounds like he orders from the manufacture when he gets a group of internet orders and then forwards them to the buyers. (just speculation on my part) Also, (correct me if I am wrong) but lets say I place the order today via payal. The money is directly deposited into their account. Isn't there a law stating that on-line eCommerce MERCHANDISE Must be shipped within so many hours/days upon receipt of funds?
 
thercman said:
DShiflet,

I am pretty put off by the fact that a company has an item in stock and takes 7-10 days to ship it out. Don't get me wrong if it's not in stock and I need to wait that is not a problem if I know up front. Also being the only retailer for the 599 means there could potentially be huge time constraints in getting something serviced if I was to have an issue. So I have decided to get the Emerson.

I would like to share the response I received to my question regarding the long delay to ship. Please understand I am not trying to bash on these guys but rather trying to get feedback from you guys to see if my thoughts regarding the issue are warranted.I have been burned before by a company with e-mail excuses for months on why my parts hadn't shipped. After a little research I had found out it was a huge trend with that dealer.

Hi Lad,

Thanks for the quick response. I am curious though, if the blades are currently in stock then why won’t they ship for 7-10 days.

Respectfully,
Greg

"Because Greg, we're very busy processing other orders. Typically the minimum time frame is 6 to 8 weeks. So for it being 7 to 10 days in this industry is a blessing to have. Plus (like I said before) we're running low on stock. So the longer you wait the longer it's going to take and it could fall under the full 6 to 8 week time frame. So I hope you'll place your order soon. Thank you… :-)"


To me this sounds like he orders from the manufacture when he gets a group of internet orders and then forwards them to the buyers. (just speculation on my part) Also, (correct me if I am wrong) but lets say I place the order today via payal. The money is directly deposited into their account. Isn't there a law stating that on-line eCommerce MERCHANDISE Must be shipped within so many hours/days upon receipt of funds?
Click to expand...
KnifeCenter is like that too, super slow for no apparent reason. I don't often buy from them for that reason.
 
thercman said:
DShiflet,

I am pretty put off by the fact that a company has an item in stock and takes 7-10 days to ship it out. Don't get me wrong if it's not in stock and I need to wait that is not a problem if I know up front. Also being the only retailer for the 599 means there could potentially be huge time constraints in getting something serviced if I was to have an issue. So I have decided to get the Emerson.

I would like to share the response I received to my question regarding the long delay to ship. Please understand I am not trying to bash on these guys but rather trying to get feedback from you guys to see if my thoughts regarding the issue are warranted.I have been burned before by a company with e-mail excuses for months on why my parts hadn't shipped. After a little research I had found out it was a huge trend with that dealer.

Hi Lad,

Thanks for the quick response. I am curious though, if the blades are currently in stock then why won’t they ship for 7-10 days.

Respectfully,
Greg

"Because Greg, we're very busy processing other orders. Typically the minimum time frame is 6 to 8 weeks. So for it being 7 to 10 days in this industry is a blessing to have. Plus (like I said before) we're running low on stock. So the longer you wait the longer it's going to take and it could fall under the full 6 to 8 week time frame. So I hope you'll place your order soon. Thank you… :-)"


To me this sounds like he orders from the manufacture when he gets a group of internet orders and then forwards them to the buyers. (just speculation on my part) Also, (correct me if I am wrong) but lets say I place the order today via payal. The money is directly deposited into their account. Isn't there a law stating that on-line eCommerce MERCHANDISE Must be shipped within so many hours/days upon receipt of funds?
Click to expand...

Probably faster to order them from Fox knives directly or from a reputable European dealer. As far as warranty is concerned you would probably have to send the knife back to Italy anyway if you can't repair it yourself. Buying the Emerson at least you have piece of mind, a quality knife and warranty.
 
RemyKaze said:
KnifeCenter is like that too, super slow for no apparent reason. I don't often buy from them for that reason.
Click to expand...

Huh? I've placed tons of orders from KnifeCenter, all of them but one shipped within a day or 2 of my order(that one order I ordered something that was out of stock, so I knew it would take longer).

Thercman, I think you misunderstood-I was saying that company is shady and not worth ordering from, period. More than one person paid and NEVER got their order, and many others received their item 2-3 months after it supposedly shipped. No matter what their estimated time is, I wouldn't believe them anyways.
 
It's a little bit different than the models mentioned in this thread, but I just wanted to show you the Böker Bat in case you wanted something a little bit bigger:

5g2v.jpg
 
I like the Emerson. I think the chisel grind is a good fit for that sort of blade, the steel has good toughness for the sort of impact it may see, the wave is integrated to allow the user to adapt traditional usage to modern, and that it is much more comfortable to carry than most. My complaint on most karambits that are folders is that they are not comfortable to carry. So I prefer the smaller Emerson folder. Some of the models mentioned here I have not used tho, so my experience is limited in that regard. YMMV.
 
DShiflet said:
Thercman, I think you misunderstood-I was saying that company is shady and not worth ordering from, period. More than one person paid and NEVER got their order, and many others received their item 2-3 months after it supposedly shipped. No matter what their estimated time is, I wouldn't believe them anyways.
Click to expand...

That is what my instincts were telling me I just wanted to verify it. :-)

You can get the Emerson Karambit for a great price at ExtremAddiction.

https://www.extremaddiction.com/emerson-karambit.html
Click to expand...

Awesome! Thanks for the link!
 
I own an Emerson SuperK, 5.11 CUB Master, Fox 478 and Fox 599. Of those, my favorite is hands down the Emerson. The quality of manufacturing is second to none. It was made to be used. Large knife, yes, but it's one of my main carries. I also love the 154CM blade. It takes and holds its edge very well.; believe me when I say, it cuts like no one's business. Also no blade play whatsoever. I was skeptical of the chisel grind at first, as I had never seen one before prior to getting my SuperK, but let me just say, it actually works very well. Hat's off to you, Ernie.

I also love my 5.11 and 478. Thinner knives overall, handle ergonomics are fantastic, and blade steel choices on each are great. The S30V on the SUB Master takes a while to get as sharp as I wanted it to be, but once I had it there, it held that edge for a damn long time (still holding that edge for over six weeks now). Same goes for the 478. Of the two, my personal preference goes to the 5.11. I think it goes to the lockback on the CUB Master. The blade's curvature is also much more pronounced in the 5.11, compared to my others. I like to think it helps that much more when I'm using it (cutting zip ties, breaking down cardboard, etc), as it helps just a bit more with the added leverage.

The 599.....I bought it thinking that it was going to be an improvement on the 478. It is a smaller knife, and for me, I'm able to get a clinching grip on it without a hitch. There are a couple things I noticed that were off about it though, out of the box. First, the whole knife itself wasn't completely screwed together securely, as there was a fair amount of play with the G10 scales...which leads me to the next point. The G10 scales are aggresively textured. honestly, I think it's overdone, by a long shot. My Emerson SuperK, Spyderco manix 2, and 5.11 Recon all have wonderfully textured scales; of those, the Emerson is the best IMO. With the 599, however, I think it's just too much. I'm now deciding whether or not to sand them down, or have some custom scales made. Then there's the liner lock. It's not completely functional. What I mean by that is, is that there's a noticeable amount of play in it when it's engaged. What's odd is the 478 locks just fine, completely solid, no sweat. The 599-- not so much. And then there's the customer service. The short of it, it wasn't pleasant.

TL;DR--Get an Emerson. They're easily worth their weight in gold, I'd say. If not an Emerson, then a 5.11 CUB or Fox 478. But avoid the 599.
 
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