Just for the record, I don't know that I've seen a worse "self-defense" knife design. If that thing was ever in production, it was marketed towards mall ninjas!
That knife design is most definitely not a 'self defense application tool'. Self defense starts with a solid foundation of logic and reason, not mean-looking cutlery. There is nothing about that design that makes it better for fighting than any hundred other blades on the market. What do the professional fighters use on the battlefront every day? Do their knives look like this? Is there a reason for that? What's on the local SWAT team's belts? Why is that?
People that really do have their lives on the line have a long history of trial and error, and they've come up with some pretty good solutions to everyday problems that you or I might have missed. Does the guy carry a small fixed-blade because it looks cool or because it's been proven to accomplish the widest array of tasks, including killing people?
The grip is all wrong for a comfortable day of practice sparring and will quickly chew your hand up. The points should go towards the bad guy, not your palm.
The circle on the end is for what? Opening beers? I'm cool with that, but the whole kerambit idea is outdated, at best, and is asking for a broken finger. While weapon retention is a good idea, sometimes being able to get shed of said weapon is also a good idea. The kerambit design traps your finger/thumb in a lock that could very easily break said limb if the bad guy has the luck or skills.
My thoughts? Less focus on the fantastic and more on the practical. More people have been killed with Kabars and prison shivs than any mystical Klingon apparatus.
/rant
While I can appreciate the criticism, you have to understand the application the knife was designed for, and possibly have experience in fighting to some degree.
Long story short it was designed for soldiers using the Army's new "MACP" - it's basically a combatives program that is based around Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (which I do 3-4x a week).
The knife is only meant for work inside a clinch so that you can create more space to access your primary weapon - for soldiers that would likely be a rifle, for regular folks - a pistol.
I'm set for a knife class with sayoc in february and they spoke highly of the knife as far as a self defense tool from what I've heard. The ring makes it easy for you to access if worn IWB because you can draw into a pikal grip and during the normal course of activities it just looks like a ring.
I won't say that the design is perfect. I did knife drills with it last night in class. The finger groove points could be toned down some for sure. For concealment and deployment though the only one I've found thus far that's better would be a waved knife - but deployment isnt always consistent on those, mostly do to pant pockets differing.
I've done some formal training with a karambit and other knives (Kali) and have found it to be fairly nice and is hard to have disarmed from you.
As for neck knives, I think generally people wear them wrong. If you're wearing it for self defense the knife should hang down to just above your naval, some people even tuck them behind their centerline behind the belt buckle.
I'm going to run a class with this thing and if it doesnt work, no harm done.
I appreciate the concerns, I do say that honestly, and a good discussion can be had without insulting anyone as long as we know where each other is coming from.
So where I'm coming from:
G19 is my primary form of defense if I was in fear of my life
Knife is secondary - used up close to create space to access the G19 if needed.
Martial Arts training is for unarmed scenarios - I currently train in Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Muay Thai (3-4 days a week) and I have trained to a lesser degree in the past in Hapkido and Kali.
I have the one that they made in 6061 if anyone wishes to see some pictures and how it fits in the hand. I can certainly get some tomorrow (since I generally have to rush to leave the office for jiu-jitsu on thursdays).
If you want to see some images of the original and the description by the company that originally sold them:
http://spartanbladesusa.com/cart/socpd-cqb-transition-tool-p-78.html
And the guy who designed it:
"Greg Thompson is a Black Belt directly from Royce Gracie and a level IV Instructor in Modern Army Combatives Program. He is also a certified instructor in Muay Thai under pro boxer and Thai boxing Champ Scott Francis. He has a Black Belt in Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Greg started training SF Soldiers in 1998. After September 11, 2001, he worked as a Federal Defensive Tactics and Air marshal hand to hand instructor for almost a year in Artesia, New Mexico. Greg get constant feedback from most elite SF solder to help him constantly evolution and stay on the cutting edge of real word Combatives.
Greg is the Advisor to the MACP Level 3 and 4 program, advisor to Navy Seals in Little Creek, VA,10th SF unit Germany,
Currant trainer and Advisor for SF Units 3rd , 7th, C37, SWCS Range 37 (advanced skills battalion) and other Special Units.
Greg has also trained FBI, ATF, Border Patrol and other Federal and State Law Enforcement as well as Contract Special Contract Unit.
Greg has trained and Coached every SWIC's All AMRY combative team for the MACP All ARMY tournament sense it conception . SWIC's Team is the only team to win two years in a row.
Greg is the owner of Team R.O.C. They are known for training some of the top NHB (No Holds Barred) fighter's on the East Coast. They participate in UFC ultimate fighter, K-1, HDnet, Rumble on the Rock, King of the Cage, Hook N Shoot, Tennessee Shooto, Kentucky Fighting Challenge, Elite Vale Tudo, Kaizen Challenge, Gauntlet Trials, Battle Jax, and Battle of Seven Hills.
Greg's other achievements are: 2003 NAGA World Champion Advanced Division, Triangle Grappling and Guererros Gauntlet Superfight Champion, 2000 Pan-Ams Silver Medalist, Gracie National 200-210 lbs Champion. He currently has 4 patents; 3 on restraint systems and 1 on a self-defense device and is the anther of H2H combatives this book illustrates MACP level 1-2, striking, clinching, weapon offense and defense, weapon transition and retention into and over objects. "
I will say that my original design was only a copy of the existing (which went out of production due to moving to another mfg so it could sell at a lower cost).
I've got a version made up that removes the finger grooves - I'll post a pic of the drawing during lunch today.
:thumbup
This handle is GREAT! for reverse and regular grips. Great re-design!