Karambit for SD? If so, which one?

I would get none of the ones you listed. I don't know too much about your situation but you should definitely try to resolve it before having to resort to using a karambit. I would save the money and buy a good pair of nike shox.
 
I don't really favour the modern karambit style blades. Here is a more traditional Filipino Lihok style, in forged 5160 steel...the blades are not nearly as hooked as what we see from western manufacturers...they are still stabby, and hence more versatile combat tools. Little over 3" blade and nice, comfy handle ergos.

Karambit%20pics.2.jpg
 
I actually did some research on the blades I listed. The guy who runs KaliGear.com actually gave me a rundown of the blades, here is his email:

Hi David,
Thank you for the inquiry. Of all those, I prefer the S&W extreme ops because it feels the most robust / sturdy. It is a little larger then the others which may play a part in your preference or grip size. The Mantis karambits are nice, yet they are small. The dragon claw is pretty good for the price, but it is not a finely made knife. We are currently out of the S&W Extreme ops, waiting for our distributor to get them in. Unless you plan to buy elsewhere, I'm happy to email you when they come in if you like?
Leslie L. Buck, Jr.
*********************************************************
so I probably wont be getting the mantis. The SW extreme ops seems more versatile too, well made for clawing or thrusting. it is similar to the "traditional" karambit you posted. however, when i save up, i think i will also buy the tarani 5.11 since so many people have been talking about it.

SO:
Tarani 5.11 Karambit (journeyman, master seems unjustifiably more expensive)
Smith and Wesson Extreme Ops Karambit
http://budk.com/product.asp?pn=19 CK33&sid=FROOGLE&EID=FR19 CK33&bhcd2=1201714666
(18 bucks after shipping at that site)
 
skyd171 said:
Further, is the karambit probably better for SD, or a standard straight blade? or is it individual preferenece? It just seems that more people would rather use straights, but are karambits beginning to make a comeback as the better weapon? any advice would b appreciated, thx.
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A guy with a knife, any knife, is going to be formidable provided he has the mindset to use it. That said, in my experience, a straight blade is a much better choice for beginners. Keep in mind the situation that SD with a knife implies. If your knife is out, the situation is pretty freaking serious -- it means you are certain you are going to die if you don't use it. Chances are, that means you are outnumbered, or the opponent is much bigger than you, or has his own weapon. Lord knows what the bad guy(s) will do to your wife, daughter, or mother once you're dead. In short, imagine for a moment the mind-numbing fear you will be facing; I mean, really try to imagine it. Now, let me take you to a much lower-stress situation -- I hand a beginner a training knife, then attack him with pressure. The stakes if he fails aren't death, just some bruises and maybe a little embarassment. Still, even under this more-modest pressure, the instincts of most beginners is to thrust Thrust THRUST! Not just land the knife on the opponent, but because the opponent is often trying to apply forward drive himself, to impart some kinetic energy into the opponent to stop his drive or knock him back.

To me, this has been very consistent and nearly universal -- under pressure, a beginner wants to move linearly and thrust hard and repeatedly as his fear instincts take over. To me, I think it is foolish for a raw beginner to limit his options and fight his instincts by going with a curved blade. Pick a blade which allows you to thrust or slash, and apply either with proper ferocity given the seriousness that an edged weapon self defense encounter implies. Once you're more trained, you can move to a knife that specializes in one thing or another, but it is unwise in the extreme to do so as a beginner IMO.
 
Karambits a passing fad? They've been in use in the Phillipines and that region of the world for hundreds of years...
 
They can be a traditional weapon/utility implement in their native region, but be a fad among blade enthusiasts here, at the same time. I think that's where we are now. I'm sure karambits will still thrive in their native cultures, even if the fad passes here.
 
with any blade there are going to be pros and cons whether it be a karambit, folder or fixed blade. if law allows i would much rather have a good fixed blade over a folder any day just for the speed and strength.

while i don't have any of the folding versions i have some fixed blade versions of the karambit. some pros of the design to me is it is very easy to carry concealed iwb compared to a fixed blade. the curved blade allows you to control an opponent with leverage where a straight blade would not work. you can generate lots of power when held in the reverse grip without fear of losing your grip. hard to disarm.

some of the cons of the design is it looks menacing which might be a good thing given the circumstances. very close quarter weapon. forget about dueling as the design sucks for that sort of thing.

here is a short clip from the best of the best when it comes to karambits imo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-SzmG-LeRI&feature=related
 
The E word rears its ugly head , that gent in the clip is a master of the craft . He spent an awfull lot of time playing with trainers , to get to that point .

I still play with my Emerson trainer , more as a dexterity exercise than anything else . It is the only Kbit I own .

You would prolly be better off with a waved Spyderco Endura , at least then you would have a worthwhile utility piece .

Chris
 
That spyderco endura is very nice indeed, thanks for the tip.

im aware of the life/death situation, i was nearly jumped by about 15-20 thugs at my college cafeteria the other weekend, and i had no defense except plastic silverware.

the guy in the vid crossada posted is wicked.

Also, what "e-word" are you talking about?
 
Expert , that fella is talented enuff to slice an dice ya with a butterknife .

Chris
 
Karambits are fierce weapons but as previously stated as a beginner you should stick to something much easier to use if you're in a life threatening
situation. As suggested a waved Endura would be a good place to start. Use of the karambit (locks, takedowns, blade manipulation) is limited without
proper training.
 
Karambits are excellent self defense tools but could easily turn against you in a court of law if for no other reason than their appearance. Even with that thought in mind I carry an Emerson Combat Karambit. I would stay away from the lower cost models if for no other reason there are many low cost folders which have weak locks and this does not exclude the cheaper model Karambit. In your price range I go with either a standard Spyderco Endura or for a few bucks more a waved Endura as others have already suggested.

Here are several Emersons in a polished finish
 
I would stay away from the waved endura. The waved endura in theory is an excellent mid priced blade but I wouldn't count on waving it the moment you need it. It is also hard to wave the knife if your back is against the wall or you're on your back with a 300 lb guy mounted on top of you. Besides not being able to wave it in certain situations, you will also not be able to wave the knife 100% of the time. If you practice, you may be able to wave 9 out of 10 times.

If your wave does not go all the way thru, you will have to quickly realize it didn't fully open and continue opening it by flicking the wrist or using the hole. Another downside of the waved endura is the fact that you are not able to get a good firm grip on the handle while you are waving it. It can be easily knocked out of your hands if a group of thugs see you reaching for something in your pocket and they start punching you. This is coming from someone that carries a waved emerson although I never use the wave feature.

I would stick with a regular folder that does not have the wave feature. The endura is also offered in a regular non waved version too.
 
AfterDark said:
I would stay away from the waved endura. The waved endura in theory is an excellent mid priced blade but I wouldn't count on waving it the moment you need it. It is also hard to wave the knife if your back is against the wall or you're on your back with a 300 lb guy mounted on top of you. Besides not being able to wave it in certain situations, you will also not be able to wave the knife 100% of the time. If you practice, you may be able to wave 9 out of 10 times.

If your wave does not go all the way thru, you will have to quickly realize it didn't fully open and continue opening it by flicking the wrist or using the hole. Another downside of the waved endura is the fact that you are not able to get a good firm grip on the handle while you are waving it. It can be easily knocked out of your hands if a group of thugs see you reaching for something in your pocket and they start punching you. This is coming from someone that carries a waved emerson although I never use the wave feature.

I would stick with a regular folder that does not have the wave feature. The endura is also offered in a regular non waved version too.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you. I bought a waved Delica, but I carry it tip-down IWB. I wouldn't want to have to worry about the wave if the SHTF and the way you grasp the handle when drawing a waved knife means you could totally drop it.
 
Sky,
You might want to reconsider this whole taking on 20 guys thing, once you pull a knife, it's going to escalate and with those numbers it doesn't sound too good. Get the running shoes as noted previously and do your best to avoid the situation.
 
+1 , I could see this happening in high school, but in a college cafeteria it means you go to community college in a real bad area or they think you did something, I'm going to hazard wild guess that this somehow involves a lady?
 
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