Spyderco Karambit Mini-Review

J

Joe S

Joined
Jan 25, 1999
Messages
188
I had gotten the chance to spend a week with a Spyderco Karambit recently as part of a passaround, and wanted to put down some of my thoughts.

The knife is one heavy little chunk of steel. I've carried an Endura II before, and was sometimes put off by the weight of it when carrying in thinner weight pants (BDUs), as it would flop around more than a lighter knife.

Furthermore, the knife is a little too thin and slick. If a little beefiness was added to the handle in the form of textured panels, it would be a helpful touch.

The handle dimensions are off, IMO. It's too wide (width as in the measurement perpendicular to the axis of the handle when looking at the side of the knife, hole visible), which is uncomfortable, particularly when combined with the thinness of the scales. I definitely do not have small hands/short fingers, so I'm surprised I've not heard anything about this before. Not that long-term hand comfort is vital in a martial tool, but within the parameters of a folding design, I think the handle width to thickness ratio should approach closer to 1:1, or 2:1, like on most fixed karambits.

The reversible clip, as come on just about all the Spydercos now, is a huge welcome. Since it had come with the clip on the right side (the side with the locking bar), set up for a right handed forward grip draw, I immediately switched it over to the other side. Why? Because karambits are reverse grip tools, primarily. If they don't perform in this manner, then they are mostly paperweights.

Next, I experimented with different modes of carry. It was heavy, heavier than need be, IMO. I've never handled the Emerson Karambits, but I suspect making it in lined G-10, or at least the non-lock side in G-10 or similar would cut down on the weight quite a welcome bit. However, it does ride fine in the pocket, if very high, exposing a lot of the knife. My preference turned out to be IWB, where it was covered by whatever untucked shirt I was wearing and supported by my belt.

Next comes, in my mind, by far the most important part for any knife designed with martial application: the draw (and open, if a folder). Actually drawing the knife from carry position is not difficult. The hole is large enough, and the handle curve intuitive enough (or at least, close enough for me to the fixed blade karambits I own), that draws were soon coming fast and smooth. Which brings us to the second part of the action....

Ok, has anyone actually figured out how to open this knife while in reverse grip? Because I sure can't, no matter what method I try. Inertia openings don't work, as the blade is too light compared to the handle, and held in pretty securely by the detent, using your pinky is horribly unreliable, and an unreasonable option in a martial tool. Perhaps taking a dremel to it, and "waveing" it would have solved the problem, but since this was a passaround knife, this was clearly not an option.

On a good note, the pointed end of the handle always came out on the draw, ready to apply some blunt force, and would be secure enough for a strike or two closed, although not very comfortable.

In forward grip, the knife is of course very easy to open, using the hole, although a little slower to draw, IMO, as it's harder to fumble your pinky into the ring than your index finger. In this grip, I would feel less comfortable using the butt of the handle for strikes, as you may be asking for a broken finger.

The lock engages smoothly, holds the blade in tight when it's closed, and is a little tough to disengage, but I think that's mostly a matter of the knife being broken in.

The ability to open the knife in reverse grip, simply and under stress, or lack thereof, is IMO a huge issue. Perhaps everyone has taken to simply using karambits forward grip, which is fine for utility, but doesn't take advantage of body mechanics as well for martial applications. I'm aware that this is an obstacle inherent to translating a reverse grip fixed design into a folder, but it's still a fundamental issue. Until that's resolved, the Karambit may be pretty, but is certainly not very useful as EDC, at least as far as martial applications.

Joe S.
 
Thanks for the review Joe.

I can see how the karambits are well suited to the reverse grip, but aren’t they also usable defensively in the forward grip? (Karambits are new to me and I am not much of a martial arts practitioner, so I am trying to understand…)



- Frank
 
Joe S.,

I think you hit it dead on. My first exposure to karambits was through my involvement with Sayoc Kali, and when I saw them I really could not understand what all the hype was about. This was before karambit specific material/curriculum had come out and so many of my colleagues were experimenting with it in place of straight blades, in our templates and drills. While it seemed like something unique and certainly cool looking it was not something that had sparked any interest in me (then again neither did whips at the time and now I love them both).

It wasn't until I moved to LA and started training in silat did I immediately see the advantages a karambit has to offer. As you mentioned, the great strength of the karambit is in reverse grip. Since then I have looked at many of the production karambits on the market and have purchased a few. The Emerson Combat Karambit is my primary EDC. While it does not arc as much as some of the others I love how easy it is to deploy. The Tarani folding versions are usually my backup EDC, mostly because the large ring allows me to grab them easily IWB. They also deploy easily with inertia openings (although the Journeyman model seems to open more easily). I love their shape because they allow me to do more of the hooking/ripping motions and pulling motions that I have learned in my silat training.

Now the Spyderco version also has a great arc. In extended grip I can perform the leg pulls and groin rips that make me love this tool so much. I also have always liked the look of all stainless steel knives. But the ONLY reasons I do not carry this are two of the major ones you mentioned. It rides extremely high on the pocket with clipped (thus drawing a lot of attention, particularly with a stainless handle), and there is just no good way I have found that I like, that can open this karambit quickly and effectively. I do not like the idea of using two hands either. I guess I feel that if I were to use this in a combative situation I would want something that opens quickly and easily without me even having to look at it. In short, I think its a strong and well made knife but not very practical for my purposes.

Frank, in my opinion the strengths of the karambit are the ability to retain and position the karambit (extend/retract) using its finger ring, and the arc of the karambit which allows for many boxing and trapping type movements to be used with no change in form with or without the karambit in hand. When used in a forward position, in my opinion you lose the advantage of extending and retracting (although it still serves to help weapon retention) but it ends up simply being more of a hawkbilled knife, which are fine as well but does not give the karambit any particular advantage.

Great review over all Joe.

Joe
 
I used it in the passaround too and the best way I found to open in reverse grip it is to use a poorman's wave (zip tie throught the hole). I was drawing it open in under 2 seconds from the watch pocket of my jeans.
 

I must say, in favor of the Spyderco, that I do like the blade to handle angle, as it more closely resembles my fixed karambits than does the Emerson. And it certainly is openable using two hands.
 
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Well I mostly agree with the points Joe S made. However I found even though the handle might be a bid wide, the contours are just right and all in all I found the handle to be rather comfortable. The grip to me wasn't much of an issue as the ring gives you enough purchase to make even hard blocking motions with the spine. The strong curvature seems to be rather suited for this type of defense. The same curvature makes also pulling motions in the extented grip very easy and effective. I toke a couple of cardboard boxes and hooked into it in the extended grip and due to the curvature of the blade and angle between blade and handle the blade never slips out of the cut even if no downward pressure is applied and the Karabit is purely pulled. In a forward grip (pinky in the ring), it opens boxes very easily for the same reasons. As SD knife, this would probably my preferred knife. I believe even with no or minimal training you could inflict some serious damage to the tendon systems of the forarm of an attacker and when grabed from behind (something a woman might be faced with), simply reaching behind in the extended grip will lay waste to muscles and tendons in the harmstrings and around the knee. So far so good.

The opening of the Karambit, please excuse my language, absolutely sucks. The is no way of opening it with one hand in the position in which you want to hold it eventually. However, the poor mans wave, a zip-tie in the hole works wonders. Sorry Roodog I really have to disagree on the 2 seconds. For me the Karambit is open by the time it leaves the pocket (right front of a jeans). All you have to do is to pull on the ring and push the knife with the thumb against the outside of the pocket. It probably makes it the fastest opening knife I have seen sofar. I have tried the zip-tie with other Spydies with limited success (for example it doesn't work for me on the Manix at all), but the short blade and the short travel make it work like a charm. As a friend of mine observed with a troubled face:"Just like a switchblade"....well, actually faster since you don't have to push a button and you got the ring to grab (actually makes me wonder what the legal status would be in Mass. Without the zip-tie it is most certainly absolutely legal...with the zip-tie I am not so sure. I wouldn't want to show this knife to a LEO and explain the zip-tie!). And here the trouble begins. I have trained the people around me to accept knives quite well, they are not knife nerds but the sight of a fairly large knife like the Manix doesn't even make them blink. The Karambit however, even though it is much shorter, gets the "what the hell do you mean to do with that?" reaction...and quite frankly, rightfully so. Even though it opens boxes very nicely, it can not hide the fact that it was intended primarily as a weapon. Another friend of mine remarked:"Mmmh, looks like it was made for a surgeon. I am sure Jack the Ripper would have loved to have one of those!" And the all stainless construction just adds to the appearance of a surgical tool that was meant to slice open bellies. Last but not least, I come to find that I really don't like the frame lock. It is well made and confidence inspiring and makes for very sleek looks, but it is hard to close, and I just see myself getting my finger caught between the handle and this wicked blade some day.

So bottom line: While I have great confidence in the ability of this karambit as a weapon, I would caution against carrying it in environments, where weapons are inacceptable. Its a knife that I WOULD want my girlfriend to carry (with the zip-tie), however, I don't see how she could have it with her, when she would need it most: At night walking home from work or the club, because this is NOT the type of knife I would have her carry to either work or to a club let alone do it myself (I think especially a young male might generate a rather violent reaction when caught with this knife under the wrong circumstances, like any patrolled environment: work, club, train-, bus- station, it would probably get you instantly arrested on an Airport even if you are only there to pick somebody up and are not in the "secure area", etc.). The high ride isn't too much of a concern to me, I don't like the idea of concealing a knife. I am not a cov. op. person and don't really have anything to hide, and the high ride makes for a very quick draw and the obscure look of the ring will have most people guessing what it might be.

So in the end: Great knife but destined to remain a drawer queen.

God, I will never make the spelling bee :( .
 
I feel a little silly, I must say, for not having thought of the zip-tie trick, which I've used on other Spydercos to great effect.

My question, though, to those who tried it, is deployment reliable? How about from IWB carry?

Joe S.
 
I had to try mybe 5 times till I figured out, that I had to push a little with the thumb to keep the zip-tie from slipping, but after that it was 100% reliable. Didn't try IWB but I imagine that it would work even better since it sits "tighter" (except of course if you wear your pants two sizes too large ;) ).
 
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