Karambit Question

S

soghog

Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
25
Hello all, its been a while since I been here

Now let me just say I am a "noob" and apologize if this question has been addressed elsewhere. The search didnt quite seem to answer the questions I have.

I will also preface this by saying I have been carrying knives all my life. Most of which are more tactical then not, I have a pentagon elite II that I love. It's mostly a tool but I like it because I feel like it could serve a defensive purpose as well. It should also be mentioned I carry a gun most of the time so this isn't my first line of defense.

I like the design of the flip open Karambits, they seem instinctively defense oriented. From what I have read they take some skill to actually prove useful. But as I stated, I have a pistol which I have been trained extensively with.

I am looking for something that I do not plan putting my life on. At the same time, I don't want some complete piece of junk. I will probably carry it if I am not feeling the old reliable sog and maybe carry something small on the side so people don't think I am just another overzealous meathead spec-ops wanna-be (pretty sure my C.O. already thinks that though). Do you guys have any reccomendations? I have been looking at some of the mantis knives and the prices are about what I am thinking of. No more than 80 though.

Will my concealed carry permit affect how I am treated if I carried one? (I live in Florida)

Again sorry if this is just another annoying "krambit" thread

Thanks :D
 
Ugh, stay away from Mantis.
There's a nice new small fixed blade Karambit by 5.11 knives which I think is in your price range.
S30V and Tarani designed.:thumbup:
Turns out the fixed blade is more than your budget, but the Journeyman's Karambit is right about it exactly.
 
Yeah I am definitely fond of the SV30 steel. I haven't been able to find the journeyman, some places have been saying they discontinued the journeyman. Where did you find it?
 
911 Tactical Direct has them listed, although who knows if they're actually there.
It might take some looking, but they should still be floating around.:)
154CM steel in the Journeyman rather than the S30V, but the Master's version 2.0 is only a bit more cash, and has S30V, if I remember correctly.
 
I have one Spyderco Karambit and two Mantis karambits...the Evis-1 and Midnight. The Spyderco, now discontinued, is bar none the best I've ever held and the construction is superb. My hands are on the small side (3.5 inches across on the palm). The Evis-1 is an AUS-6 fixed blade and fits my hand quite well and comfortably. Unfortunately it didn't come very sharp and the sheath wasn't truly designed for it as it slides out way to easily (Richard J put a convex grind on it for me and now it slices unbelivably).

The Midnight is probably the most uncomfortable knife I've ever held. It's the right size for my hand but they didn't bother to round off the edges of the handle. I'm used to comfortable handles from Spyderco, Kershaw and Bark River. I also wonder about the steels that Mantis uses (420J?). They seem to be on the low end for most of their models, but then again you gotta wonder how many times you are going to slash the bad guy.

I'm not sure what the Florida carry laws are like, but here in Texas the CHL deal strictly with concealed carry firearms. Knives do not fall in this category.

From a tactical standpoint, and I'm not an expert I just have some training, a knife that you can legally carry with a firearm is a good pair up. The knife can be used to help maintain firearm retention when you have someone close up.

One of the reasons why I like karambit is that the ring when on your index finger maximizes retention. My logic being that your index finger is generally stronger than your little finger. If you have any martial arts/boxing background that involves throwing hooks, some of the karambit slashes can feel right at home with you.

In the knife course I was taking the other week, one of the students was a police officer here in Texas. He mentioned there is possibly some movement towards treating karambits as illegal for carry in few counties in my area. So that's a bummer for me. State laws and what a county views as an illegal weapon can vary.

Like I said I'm not an expert, and I'm sure other forum members would have much more to say than I.
 
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Another karambit you may want to consider is the Boker Plus Karambit designed by Chad Los Banos. Good textured grip along with a framelock. I had one for a few months. I really wanted to keep it but I had to come to terms that it just was a bit too big for my hand. I ended up gifting it to my knife instructor who absolutely loves it. This one is more in the $40 range shipped. Although the blade is 440C, it's a really well built knife. The Boker Plus line of knives are made in China. Quality wise is great, but if you are shooting for US made, you'll have to look elsewhere.

One thing of note is that the ring at the end of the handle doubles as a carabinger. The potential legal issues coming up in my counties, I think, are partly due to the karambit ring as being perceived as a brass knuckle. From a legal stand point, I wonder if the carabinger ring could be viewed as not really a brass knuckle.
 
Cheaper is definitely better in my book as I have several high quality folders. I would prefer american made if possible but at the end of the day value is key. I haven't heard much about Karambits in my area. I am in a college town so they generally are more liberal than anything. My CCW instructor said that cops hate karambits but if you aren't doing something illegal that could give them PC they really can't do much. In the worst case they will take your knife and keep it for themselves (words of the instructor, not my own beliefs). I am an ROTC cadet right now, about to graduate/commission so staying out of trouble is a big priority haha.
 
If you look up on eBay for "impact kerambit", there's a less lethal SD tool. I showed mine to the same cop I mentioned before and he never seen it before but he saw the potential applications. It looks like a wrench tool made out of high impact plastic. Nowadays I'm trying to focus more on knives that look less on the tactical side but can be used as such in a pinch. If you get the opportunity, consider taking classes that focus on knives. I think it's important to know how to use a knife and how to cope with being attacked with a knife in various scenarios (standing up, on the ground, stalemates, wild slashing, multiple attackers, etc). When you think about the numbers, more people have knives than guns since it's less restricted to purchase in comparison.
 
I was thinking about getting one of those wrenches, they are definitely useful in one way or another. I took a few classes way back when I did karate, they were alright. I have been focusing heavily on firearms as they are what I excel at. I will probably use those more in my future career than anything else (if I actually see any combat). I feel like its a fine balance between knives and guns, and if I carry both I should be alright :D I also feel that a karambit will fill a niche i have been looking for. Between the spec-war guys and the marines downstairs I should be able to learn a thing or two with them.
 
No doubt you'll learn from them! I try to learn as much as I can and if something doesn't make sense I ask the questions. If I don't get an answer that makes sense to me, I broaden my education through other reasonable sources.
 
i own a 5.11 masters karambit, very nice build. i dont believe the journeyman or the new model they released not long ago has the same steel, but thats pretty much a non issue. a really sharp kerambit made out of anything other then junk steel is going to cut, and cut wide.

im pretty sure fox knives has one out too. emerson of course, but thats a bit over your budget. even cutters knife and tool is supposed to be back offering that ti framelock bengal beauty kerambit.

desperina custom knives has some neat designs, and mineral mountain iron works has some really aggresive k bits.
 
My understanding is that you can carry one in FL just like any other folder as long as it is clipped to your pocket and visible..................not hidden by an un-tucked shirt. This is for those who do not have a permit. FL's knife laws are fairly liberal as long as the knife is visible. There are restrictions but the karambit is not restricted to carry from I have been told by FL law enforcement.
I do not know how you concealed carry permit affects your rights to carry a concealed karambit. You would have to check on that.
 
i do'nt know if this is related to your question but my food for thought. a karabit is the last backup knife i would carry. not only does it serve in a very limited capacity but if used on an object with zippers or multiple layered velcro it could hang up. losing the knife is'nt the big problem but breaking the finger in the purchase hole is definitely a tacical no--no. any instrument that adfixs your digits where release may be deterred looks like a boo boo to myself. the shape of the cutting edge also subtracts from effective short thrusts. kaeambit look scary but scary appearances do'nt always make a tool effective.
dennis
 
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Its starting to sound like unless you have extensive training with this weapon, it is more of a liability than an asset. Am I correct in understanding that this is more of a novelty/tool then a viable weapon for average people?
 
People will say different things because their experiences will vary. Novelty I would say no. There's no "all good, no bad" knife out there. I do agree that some training would be a good idea, but I would say training would be a good idea for someone wanting to use any knife in a self defense situation. Karambits are not as versatile as say a standard drop point blade as an all purpose blade.
 
I don't think it's any better or worse than a conventional/straighter blade shape and it's not as complicated as people make it seem. You can experiment with a cheap hawkbill blade and some testing material and get a general idea.
 
OrdnanceBubbaUSMC said:
I don't think it's any better or worse than a conventional/straighter blade shape and it's not as complicated as people make it seem. You can experiment with a cheap hawkbill blade and some testing material and get a general idea.
Click to expand...

I agree that it's really not as complicated as people make it out to be. If you know how to throw a hook punch and bob & weave, you can cause some serious damage on a bad guys gut.

Some may argue that the reach is limited since many of the blades on the karambits are on the shorter (some pretty long too tho), but if the the bad guy's limbs (arms/legs) are coming at me, I'm going to cut what's given to me.
 
DennisStrickland said:
i do'nt know if this is related to your question but my food for thought. a karabit is the last backup knife i would carry. not only does it serve in a very limited capacity but if used on an object with zippers or multiple layered velcro it could hang up. losing the knife is'nt the big problem but breaking the finger in the purchase hole is definitely a tacical no--no. any instrument that adfixs your digits where release may be deterred looks like a boo boo to myself. the shape of the cutting edge also subtracts from effective short thrusts. kaeambit look scary but scary appearances do'nt always make a tool effective.
dennis
Click to expand...

I never really thought about the zippers. Good point.
 
One must keep in mind the kerambit is not a wonder weapon. It was the flavor of the month a few years back like the gunting, balisong, ect. Unless you have some training its just an expensive hawkbill. Kerambit techniques require some defined timing and distancing skills. you need to be versed in hubud, gunting and pass cutting techniques in extreme corto range. Something thats is hard to develop on your own. You might be better off with an Emerson CQC-7 Kerambit or the CQC-14 Kerambit (now out of production) for a few more regular knife options while still having a kerambit feel. No matter what kerambit you get you will need to make a trainer or have one made. Also, as a point of interest, the kerambit is really an Indonesian weapon and a lot of Filipino systems do not utilize this weapon and if so, usually at a more advanced skill level.
 
FMAKNut said:
I have one Spyderco Karambit and two Mantis karambits...the Evis-1 and Midnight. The Spyderco, now discontinued, is bar none the best I've ever held and the construction is superb. My hands are on the small side (3.5 inches across on the palm). The Evis-1 is an AUS-6 fixed blade and fits my hand quite well and comfortably. Unfortunately it didn't come very sharp and the sheath wasn't truly designed for it as it slides out way to easily (Richard J put a convex grind on it for me and now it slices unbelivably).

The Midnight is probably the most uncomfortable knife I've ever held. It's the right size for my hand but they didn't bother to round off the edges of the handle. I'm used to comfortable handles from Spyderco, Kershaw and Bark River. I also wonder about the steels that Mantis uses (420J?). They seem to be on the low end for most of their models, but then again you gotta wonder how many times you are going to slash the bad guy.

I'm not sure what the Florida carry laws are like, but here in Texas the CHL deal strictly with concealed carry firearms. Knives do not fall in this category.

From a tactical standpoint, and I'm not an expert I just have some training, a knife that you can legally carry with a firearm is a good pair up. The knife can be used to help maintain firearm retention when you have someone close up.

One of the reasons why I like karambit is that the ring when on your index finger maximizes retention. My logic being that your index finger is generally stronger than your little finger. If you have any martial arts/boxing background that involves throwing hooks, some of the karambit slashes can feel right at home with you.

In the knife course I was taking the other week, one of the students was a police officer here in Texas. He mentioned there is possibly some movement towards treating karambits as illegal for carry in few counties in my area. So that's a bummer for me. State laws and what a county views as an illegal weapon can vary.

Like I said I'm not an expert, and I'm sure other forum members would have much more to say than I.
Click to expand...

From the "Concealed Carry Reciprocity" page of the Florida Division of Licensing. http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/news/concealed_carry.html

(1) While Florida's law allows licensees to carry stun guns, knives, and billy clubs in a concealed fashion, the laws in these states allow for concealed carry of handguns or pistols ONLY, NOT WEAPONS IN GENERAL. Florida license holders are prohibited from carrying other types of weapons while in these states.
 
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