Karambit question....

N

n8swag

Joined
Feb 4, 2012
Messages
687
Hi, I'm looking for a "decent" karambit folder with the emerson-like opener on top of the blade. Where when you pullit out of your pocket it opens?
Anyways could someone recommend a good brand? I was looking at the mantis knives but I read on here they're not so great. I'm hoping to get one for under $40 prefferably. Thanks for your help:)
 
There are many karambit designs to choose from. For your budget, I would look into a Spyderco Hawkbill blade, like the Tasman Salt or the SS Harpy.
 
Cheapest non-junk wavable karambit I know of is the Fox 478 or 479, and you're still looking at $100+. Great design for self-defense, poor for utility - the police might not care that it makes a great linoleum knife.
 
You could pick up a 5.11 karambit and wave it yourself for 60-90. You're next bet would the the mantis midnight karambit, which arent as bad as some of the other knives they have produced.
 
I saw a 5.11 for $12 on ebay, then I searched for it on other sites and found one for $10. I hear they make a pretty good quality for the money. I don't remember the model #. They have the new 5.11 karambit cub with s30v steel but that one is $80 at cheaper than dirt.Spyderco Karambit
 
smcjoecohen@yahoo said:
I saw a 5.11 for $12 on ebay, then I searched for it on other sites and found one for $10. I hear they make a pretty good quality for the money. I don't remember the model #. They have the new 5.11 karambit cub with s30v steel but that one is $80 at cheaper than dirt.Spyderco Karambit
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Any name brand product you see for $10-15 on eBay or elsewhere is a cheap & dangerous counterfeit from China. Use your senses.
 
n8swag said:
Hi, I'm looking for a "decent" karambit folder with the emerson-like opener on top of the blade. Where when you pullit out of your pocket it opens?
Anyways could someone recommend a good brand? I was looking at the mantis knives but I read on here they're not so great. I'm hoping to get one for under $40 prefferably. Thanks for your help:)
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Unfortunately, you can get the Wave, or cheap, not both.

The least expensive Waved Karambit is the Fox. An awesome knife.

The cheapest yet acceptable quality Karambits (sans Wave) are the Böker or Mantis offerings. Nothing wrong with the Mantis Karambits, but of course they're not Emersons. The Böker framelock is pretty finicky to unlock, but overall still nice.


(BTW, I sent you the message)
 
I would suggest just getting the actual emerson... it may be pricey for you but will last a lifetime
 
K I have owned most karambits in the market, and can say with confidence that i have broken everyone in the under 40 range. I have been practicing with karambits for 10 years now and I know that a cheap karambit is more dangerious to you then anything your trying to cut. The Emerson Karambits with the PATENTED(why you wont see it on cheap knives) Emerson opening wave system is good but the best bang for buck under 100 bucks is the Fox Karambit with the Emerson Wave. N690Co steel (I prefer over 154cm any day) is the way to go. Its a great fit and feel, sturdy as hell and sharp. This is the best bang for buck. The warren thomas spyderco collab mentioned earlier will run a couple hundred due to rarity


DO NOT BUY A MANTIS KNIFE! THEY ARE HORRIBLE AND LIE ABOUT THE STEEL! ITS 440C (they got caught calling 440c as 154cm/s30v/bg42/440v) THE KARAMBITS ARE HORRID DESIGNS AND ARE BASICALLY A MASSIVE HOT SPOT IN YOUR HAND

If you want a cheap assisted open, for like 5 bucks off ebay you can get a tigerville usa spring assisted karambit. But I suggest you spend 95 on the Fox Knives USA Karambit with the Emerson wave. It's not just a great karambit, but a great edc
 
btw there are plenty of knives I know of under 70$ using the wave (one with buffalo and white pearl) but they are either thai art knives (knives that cant be used just good show pieces, they will break or fall apart on use) or/and use the wave illegally (in which case I report them to emerson for making a profit of mass producing their patented opening system
 
I'm going to put out an unpopular opinion on the Emersons, but I think the quality of construction, durability, materials, and fit (let alone finish) on the karambit is disappointing at its dealer/retail price point. Warranty's good and they'll take care of you if something is wrong out of the box or goes wrong later, but what esteemed US company doesn't do that these days? Some even have no questions warranties for people who intentionally abuse their tools.

If you must have an Emerson, buy it used in good condition. A good deal for a regular sized one is 130$ and below, for a super, 150$ and under. Anything higher than that, you might as well buy it new.

Can't believe my Super Karambit cost as much as my sprint run Spyderco Military M390/CF.
 
Apec said:
I'm going to put out an unpopular opinion on the Emersons, but I think the quality of construction, durability, materials, and fit (let alone finish) on the karambit is disappointing at its dealer/retail price point. Warranty's good and they'll take care of you if something is wrong out of the box or goes wrong later, but what esteemed US company doesn't do that these days? Some even have no questions warranties for people who intentionally abuse their tools.

If you must have an Emerson, buy it used in good condition. A good deal for a regular sized one is 130$ and below, for a super, 150$ and under. Anything higher than that, you might as well buy it new.

Can't believe my Super Karambit cost as much as my sprint run Spyderco Military M390/CF.
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Thanks! I ended up getting a boker plus clb karambit...
It seemed like a solid choice for cheap, and I think it'll hold up better than the mantis.
 
Chipped Karambit said:
btw there are plenty of knives I know of under 70$ using the wave (one with buffalo and white pearl) but they are either thai art knives (knives that cant be used just good show pieces, they will break or fall apart on use) or/and use the wave illegally (in which case I report them to emerson for making a profit of mass producing their patented opening system
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Hey, so on this boker I bought, It kinda has a wave feature! The thumb studs are kinda long and away from the frame, so if you catch it on your pocked right it'll wave. I'll let you know how that goes... lol. I also like the recurve in the boker clb.
 
Chipped Karambit said:
K I have owned most karambits in the market, and can say with confidence that i have broken everyone in the under 40 range. I have been practicing with karambits for 10 years now and I know that a cheap karambit is more dangerious to you then anything your trying to cut. The Emerson Karambits with the PATENTED(why you wont see it on cheap knives) Emerson opening wave system is good but the best bang for buck under 100 bucks is the Fox Karambit with the Emerson Wave. N690Co steel (I prefer over 154cm any day) is the way to go. Its a great fit and feel, sturdy as hell and sharp. This is the best bang for buck. The warren thomas spyderco collab mentioned earlier will run a couple hundred due to rarity


DO NOT BUY A MANTIS KNIFE! THEY ARE HORRIBLE AND LIE ABOUT THE STEEL! ITS 440C (they got caught calling 440c as 154cm/s30v/bg42/440v) THE KARAMBITS ARE HORRID DESIGNS AND ARE BASICALLY A MASSIVE HOT SPOT IN YOUR HAND

If you want a cheap assisted open, for like 5 bucks off ebay you can get a tigerville usa spring assisted karambit. But I suggest you spend 95 on the Fox Knives USA Karambit with the Emerson wave. It's not just a great karambit, but a great edc
Click to expand...

Btw, can you email me with some techniques on how to start with a karambit? I would really, really appreciate it man! my email is n8reimers@gmail.com
 
Apec said:
I'm going to put out an unpopular opinion on the Emersons, but I think the quality of construction, durability, materials, and fit (let alone finish) on the karambit is disappointing at its dealer/retail price point. Warranty's good and they'll take care of you if something is wrong out of the box or goes wrong later, but what esteemed US company doesn't do that these days? Some even have no questions warranties for people who intentionally abuse their tools.

If you must have an Emerson, buy it used in good condition. A good deal for a regular sized one is 130$ and below, for a super, 150$ and under. Anything higher than that, you might as well buy it new.

Can't believe my Super Karambit cost as much as my sprint run Spyderco Military M390/CF.
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Ya but with the money you pay you get the warranty. Thats also what a lot of people pay for. Personally I prefer the Fox because its a better price (i like the steel better) and each time I send my fox in they take care of it as if I was their family.
 
n8swag said:
Btw, can you email me with some techniques on how to start with a karambit? I would really, really appreciate it man! my email is n8reimers@gmail.com
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I don't teach silat much now and If i do its in charleston. I suggest you look into an indonesian art called Silat or watch the Emerson videos (havent seen them but I hear they are good). The most important thing that gets me when someone holds a karambit, is to hold it the right way. Sure one way you have angles but your mainly just picking and you loose the use of half of the karambit. To get the best use out of it hold it like this
3351.jpg

with your index through the ring. That way you can jab with the ring and have more control over the knife making it harder to disarm. Later if you start training and get more advanced you can do throw and submissions and defensive techniques with that position.
Just practice the jab, the way a karambit is designed, you can get your whole body behind the blade. So when you jab your force can be increased by hip motion and your body. Hard to explain online but you can probably look it up on youtube or something.

just keep in mind the karambit is not a toy, if you want to train with it remember, if used wrong it can hurt you or over do it on your opponent
 
Chipped Karambit said:
K I have owned most karambits in the market, and can say with confidence that i have broken everyone in the under 40 range. I have been practicing with karambits for 10 years now and I know that a cheap karambit is more dangerious to you then anything your trying to cut. The Emerson Karambits with the PATENTED(why you wont see it on cheap knives) Emerson opening wave system is good but the best bang for buck under 100 bucks is the Fox Karambit with the Emerson Wave. N690Co steel (I prefer over 154cm any day) is the way to go. Its a great fit and feel, sturdy as hell and sharp. This is the best bang for buck. The warren thomas spyderco collab mentioned earlier will run a couple hundred due to rarity


DO NOT BUY A MANTIS KNIFE! THEY ARE HORRIBLE AND LIE ABOUT THE STEEL! ITS 440C (they got caught calling 440c as 154cm/s30v/bg42/440v) THE KARAMBITS ARE HORRID DESIGNS AND ARE BASICALLY A MASSIVE HOT SPOT IN YOUR HAND

If you want a cheap assisted open, for like 5 bucks off ebay you can get a tigerville usa spring assisted karambit. But I suggest you spend 95 on the Fox Knives USA Karambit with the Emerson wave. It's not just a great karambit, but a great edc
Click to expand...

Can you honestly say that you have seen a difference between N690Co and 154CM? They are very similar.
 
Chipped Karambit said:
K I have owned most karambits in the market, and can say with confidence that i have broken everyone in the under 40 range. I have been practicing with karambits for 10 years now and I know that a cheap karambit is more dangerious to you then anything your trying to cut. The Emerson Karambits with the PATENTED(why you wont see it on cheap knives) Emerson opening wave system is good but the best bang for buck under 100 bucks is the Fox Karambit with the Emerson Wave. N690Co steel (I prefer over 154cm any day) is the way to go. Its a great fit and feel, sturdy as hell and sharp. This is the best bang for buck. The warren thomas spyderco collab mentioned earlier will run a couple hundred due to rarity


DO NOT BUY A MANTIS KNIFE! THEY ARE HORRIBLE AND LIE ABOUT THE STEEL! ITS 440C (they got caught calling 440c as 154cm/s30v/bg42/440v) THE KARAMBITS ARE HORRID DESIGNS AND ARE BASICALLY A MASSIVE HOT SPOT IN YOUR HAND

If you want a cheap assisted open, for like 5 bucks off ebay you can get a tigerville usa spring assisted karambit. But I suggest you spend 95 on the Fox Knives USA Karambit with the Emerson wave. It's not just a great karambit, but a great edc
Click to expand...

I dont think they would pay the money for good 440c, its most likey 420hc or J2
 
RevDevil said:
Can you honestly say that you have seen a difference between N690Co and 154CM? They are very similar.
Click to expand...

Actually in sharpening i find it easier (Despite the curve) to do touch it up on my friends good china when he isnt looking.
Main think i notice on it is the corrosion resistance. I had a benchmade grip and left it with my fox outside for a a few days (drunken accident on the beach) and found them with the benchmade showing signs it was about getting affected and the karambit appearing perfect. I live near the ocean and work around salt water a lot so that factors in to my knife preference [as i pointed out it was a preference]. I like a good steel that can survive what I can toss at it. Benchmade grip I gave away to a friend and I kept the fox
 
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