Regular Karambit or Super Karambit?

Mitchell Knives

Mitchell Knives

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I'm thinking about buying my first Emerson knife. It is to be a strictly SD knife, so I was thinking that the karambit might be an interesting choice.

I've noticed that there are apparently two karambit folders offered by Emerson; the regular and the super. Other than the size, what is the difference between the two? Is there any particular manipulation advantage one might have over the other?
 
There is really not much between them.

I personally prefer the regular combat kerambit but they are both good folders.

If you want a SD Emerson I would take a look at the 12 and/or Persian as they are less specalised than the kerambit and probably easier to use and give you more options for self defence, IMO.

The kerambits are good for hurting people but generally i find a "regular" knife is a better choice.

:thumbup:
 
I agree that the karambit is a specialized design with certain limitations. I don't own a karambit; I thought it might be interesting to give one a try. I practice reverse grip regularly, so I think a karambit might be a good option. As for a more traditional style Emerson, I've been considering the CQC13 due to the blade shape and handle design.
 
If you dont have one then you may as well get one just for the heck of it :p

Iv got a few EKIs and they are probably the best production kerambit folder out there just now.

The 13 is also good but i like the 12 because of the frame lock. they have a similar blade shape although the handle on the 13 just didnt work for me but the 12 is spot on :thumbup:

The Persian is a superb blade though, It is pretty big but it does carry well, Im a big fan of that blade and it does seem to be over looked by many people looking for an EKI SD blade. Once you hold it it all becomes clear ;)
 
imho k'bits only offer an advantage over a std knife if ya are trained with one, if ya arent trained in there use imho a std blade is better for SD.

of the 2 i would get the larger one but thats just me i'll always get the larger one lol.

really all the EKI line is SD oriented, imho the best being in descending order of preference the '12, '13, P-Tac, & '8.

if ya like the P-tac check out a ECA P-Tac, hand ground zero bevel grind blades they rock, hard to find nowadays though and expensive when ya do, i got one back in '02 or so for $200 IIRC, i bet they run $350 or so now.
 
Ever think of the explanation you will need if you used this type of knife for SD? I have one by Emerson and the day it arrived I knew it would never be carried for SD. This thing is wiccckkkkkkdd!!!!!!!!!

It is used as a utility knife around the house and yard only. I don't even want to be stopped with this thing in my pocket.

My 2 cents on a good SD knife is either a Small Sebenza or a Strider PT CC. Both in a reverse girly punching hold. How many girly punches can you make with a 3" blade sticking out of the back of your fist? Knife edge facing away from you. Now throw a regular fist and miss but let the blade make slight contact. Just my 2 cents.
 
loug said:
Ever think of the explanation you will need if you used this type of knife for SD? I have one by Emerson and the day it arrived I knew it would never be carried for SD. This thing is wiccckkkkkkdd!!!!!!!!!

It is used as a utility knife around the house and yard only. I don't even want to be stopped with this thing in my pocket.
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If I legally use my knife (or anything else for that matter) for SD, I'm not concerned with explaining my choice so long as it is legal.

I agree that the uses for this particular knife are limited. Then again, it's primary purpose is a backup for my pistol.
 
ElectricZombie said:
I agree that the uses for this particular knife are limited. Then again, it's primary purpose is a backup for my pistol.
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Either Karambit will work well for weapon retention.
Even Mercop(who doesn't usually like the wave) suggests a Combat Karambit for carry on the off side.

I have the Super Karambit, and I LOVE it, but be warned: it IS a pretty big handle.
 
I'm kind of leaning towards the Combat Karambit due to the smaller overall size. The Super does look a bit large.
 
imho in a self defense scenario the main thing is if ya are in the right to use lethal force, not the weapon used.

this is true in TX anyway YMMV in other states.

imho if the weapon fits the criteria of legality ya wont have problems if ya are in the right.

if ya are not in the right then they will use anything they can to prosecute ya and rightfully so.
 
I like the regular combat karambit myself. It fits my hand and pocket perfectly. I carry a folding karambit everyday. I have three in my EDC rotation and an Emerson regular sized karambit is one of them.

Reverse grip is my grip of choice and I just feel comfortable carrying a folding karambit with me. I usually carry a smaller folder for cutting tasks and never use the karambit so it stays sharp. I hope I never have to use it but it's nice to know that you have some type of worthwhile back-up defense if you ever get into a situation where you might need it.
 
ElectricZombie said:
If I legally use my knife (or anything else for that matter) for SD, I'm not concerned with explaining my choice so long as it is legal.

I agree that the uses for this particular knife are limited. Then again, it's primary purpose is a backup for my pistol.
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if you have a pistol and one of these blades on you, in my part of the country, your in deep sh^&. where do you live that you would need both weapons? I live in a getto and feel safe with a small folder, one hand opener. i carried a firearm for many years, the most uncomfortable years of my life. but WTSHTF i will be packing my model 66 and leaving the blades at home.

then again, if you can't avoid these situations, you need everything you can carry.
 
I live in NC and fortunately, it's not a complete communist state yet. We're treated as free citizens more so that a lot of other states. Carrying isn't uncommon here.

I'm not particularly concerned for my safety in my neighborhood (Nice and quiet thankfully), but rather when I have to go to certain areas of the city and on my daily commute. Certain areas have really gone downhill over the years.

I don't really mind the added weight of carrying. The benefits of carrying a gun outweigh the inconvenience. I like to think of myself as being responsible for my own welfare. Given the state of things, I think it's irresponsible NOT to carry some sort of self defense tool these days. Even if I was knew that I would never be involved in a self defense situation, I would still carry simply because I can. A right you don't exercise is a right you lose.
 
Bimmer1 said:
I like the regular combat karambit myself. It fits my hand and pocket perfectly. I carry a folding karambit everyday. I have three in my EDC rotation and an Emerson regular sized karambit is one of them.

Reverse grip is my grip of choice and I just feel comfortable carrying a folding karambit with me. I usually carry a smaller folder for cutting tasks and never use the karambit so it stays sharp. I hope I never have to use it but it's nice to know that you have some type of worthwhile back-up defense if you ever get into a situation where you might need it.
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Does it take a while to get used to drawing the knife from your pocket? I imagine that getting your index finger in the hole reliably would take some practice.
 
ElectricZombie said:
Does it take a while to get used to drawing the knife from your pocket? I imagine that getting your index finger in the hole reliably would take some practice.
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Yes......it does take some time but my feeling is that you do not have to be able to use the folding karambit like Ernie Emerson for it to be effective. Learning how to spin and do all of those wonderful manipulations takes alot of time and practice but I always tell people that you can still carry and use a karambit without all of that.

If you can't do all of the spins then just remove it from your pocket just like any other folder. Open it in a normal manner and hold it in a way that feels comfortable to you. Yes, this might slow down the process but it's not any slower than using any other type of folder for a self defense weapon if you need it and it would prevent any accidental cutting of yourself if you are a novice user. Once you have the karambit open and it is securely gripped then it becomes very effective. My opinion is that it can be more effective than other knives. To me the beauty of the design is that it can be useful and difficult to remove from one's hand once gripped. It's not necessarily about how fast you can deploy it and if you can spin it. I don't think you have to be a pro to effectively use one but others may disagree.

I do urge caution whe trying to use the Emerson wave feature on the karambit. You "must" know how to use it or don't use it at all. I have seen some severe cuts from accidents with the wave feature. It can be your friend and it can be you enemy. Personally, I don't use the wave opener but that's just me. Many, many users love it. I just say.......Be very careful when learning to use the wave opener on the karambit.
 
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I don't plan on doing a lot of "spinning", because I don't see how this has any real value other than possibly intimidating an attacker.

I'm well practiced with the wave feature from carrying my Endura Wave for so long, so I don't expect a huge learning curve.
 
Has anyone had the chance to view Emerson's DVD training set based on the combat karambit? Any opinions?
 
The kerambit is actually quite simple to deploy. The fact that you go for the finger hole means you deploy it the same way every time so you quickly get used to it. I could deploy it faster than any other folder in about 10 goes.

The EKI kerambit stuff is ok, its verry similar to boxing for the most part. I had already spent alot of time training with the kerambit before i actually saw any of the Emerson stuff but there was a few good bits and pieces i picked up from the vids.
If you have no experience at all it would not be a bad place to start. But DVDs really dont give you everything you need. You really need to get a human teacher to get you started. once you have a good solid base you can add to it with things like DVDs.
After i did "Silat" training in SE Asia i realised just how much BS there is out there for us westerners so be carefull what you believe ;)

There is a few threads about DVDs and books for using the kerambit, il see if i can dig them out. Or you could try the "prac-tac" foum :rolleyes:

If you want i could probably help you out with some intersting stuff i have as well :thumbup:
 
Haze said:
If you want i could probably help you out with some intersting stuff i have as well :thumbup:
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I'd appreciate any help you could offer! Thanks!

I imagine that it's going to be kind of tough to find anyone locally who does karambit work. I looks like I'm going to be stuck with books and videos for a while. I've trained with traditional knives in the past, so perhaps learning the karambit will come a bit easier for me. I do have a partner I can work drills with, so I have that in my favor.

I'm probably going to order the combat karambit tonight. Hopefully I can give a detailed review when it arrives.
 
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