What about karambits?

G

greg.es

Joined
Sep 24, 2007
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I'm interested in combat folders. My SE Milly is always with me and I think that it has good SD features. But for serius SD, karambit blade seams the best design. Spyderco used to produce stainless steel karambit but now it is discontinued. Why:confused: Kcom Karambit Master's model looks just like something spyderco makes, the materials are the same, the clip... One thing missing... the spyder on the blade. I would like to see some kick ass karambit spydie:D
 
greg.es said:
I'm interested in combat folders. My SE Milly is always with me and I think that it has good SD features. But for serius SD, karambit blade seams the best design. Spyderco used to produce stainless steel karambit but now it is discontinued. Why:confused: Kcom Karambit Master's model looks just like something spyderco makes, the materials are the same, the clip... One thing missing... the spyder on the blade. I would like to see some kick ass karambit spydie:D
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There are many Karambits still for sale. I picked one up a few weeks ago. I carry it IWB and have forgotten I was wearing it. I have found it still clipped to my pants I put away. I've noticed many of the karambit sites love this knife. The finger hole makes it easy to hold on to and the stainless is slime. The Chris Reeves frame lock is a vault. Best wishes.
 
I just got the urge to buy one too and now they aren't THAT easy to find :( 5.11 tactical just came out with two models at $130 and $80 (main difference being materials) if you're looking for an alternative but I think that the Spyderco Karambit is probably better.
 
i'd advise against the spydie karambit. i own one, and it's a drawer knife. the tip is very thin and looks fragile, and the handle is too wide and flat. the tarani stlye karambit predates the spydie, i think, and the blade is more robust, plus the handle is alot better. blade tech used to make them; now they're made by 5.11 tactical, with the same materials, but better priced. the spydie is still available all over the 'net; the C.U.B. journeyman is about the same price. i personally like the journeyman design more; it feels more natural in the hand.
 
the spyderco kerambit is most useful when the ring is around your index finger, the large portion of steel around the fingehole makes it a great "brass knuckle" type impact weapon, though other than that i doubt the spyderco kerambit would be that great for SD, especially not better than the military. i havent handled the spyderco kerambit, but im assuming it would take longer to get that into your hand, in the position you would want to use it in, in the middle of being attacked by some unknown assailant. your military would probably be faster.
 
The Spyder kbit is incredibly fast to deploy. From the pocket or IWB is is a smooth index finger in the hole draw. It should be set up as if for left hand carry, but placed in the RH
pocket. Drawing is then accomplished- index finger in the hole, draw and snap to open. Or even better, place a ziptie wave in the spyderhole rotate the kbit to the outside during the draw and BAM ready to go. If you are mechanically inclined you could just do a dremel wave on it. And I would trust its full frame lock considerably more than a liner lock any day. But, the kbit does require training and practice to maximize its utility and provide the user with a level of proficiency and safety.

BK6
 
My Dear Friend,

redneckone said:
How about a Spyderco fixed blade karambit?
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I don't see it happening. Except for a very brief period, Spyderco has never been big on MBC/SD blades. Given that the karambit is a VERY specialized blade with precious little practical application other than SD, I doubt that Sal and Company will put the time and money into another one (especially given the comparatively poor sales of the Spyderco WT Karambit).

Don't get me wrong - I would *love* to see what they would do with a little fixed blade karambit - possibly similar to size and design as the SPOT? It would be the nastiest neck knife you EVER carried... :p

Just my $0.02...
 
My Dear Friends,

As an aside, to all of the karambit users or user-wannabes, a bit of advice, if I might.

#1 - Get a trainer. In fact, if you are *really* intelligent, the trainer will be your *first* purchase rather than an afterthought. They can be easily made from an old cutting board or cut from aluminum stock and rounded off, but if you plan on getting silly with a karambit (spinning, etc.) a trainer will make a significant difference on the volume of blood leaving your body.

#2 - If you practice with a karambit, you will eventually get silly with it. You will ultimately decide to extend and retract it, spin it, etc. Please refer to rule #1 above for sage wisdom from one who has been bitten, and often.

#3 - If you train with a karambit, you will eventually have to put the trainer down and run with the live blade. Yes, I know what I typed above, but the simple fact is a trainer will almost never be exactly the same weight and balance as a live blade. You need to know how YOUR blade responds in YOUR hands, especially under stress. You need to actually HIT things with it to see how it rebounds, and that you can still control it and keep it from biting you. I train with a live blade *every* day. The live blade training is limited, I admit, but at some point every day I have a razor-sharp karambit in my hand, practicing combative techniques.

#4 - If you train with live blades, YOU ARE EVENTUALLY GOING TO GET CUT, especially if the blade in question is a karambit. Bet on it. It IS going to happen, so be prepared to deal with it.

#5 - (And I can't stress this one enough) If you own/train with/carry a karambit, SEEK OUT TRAINING FROM A COMPETENT INSTRUCTOR! 99%+ of the individuals who publicly deride the karambit are simply utterly ignorant of this tool and its applications.

--------
Hannibal
 
Some good points there from Dr H. Lecter

I have been playing with karambits for years now. I started on trainers moved to live blades got silly and quickly went to being clever.

Spinning the kerambit has NO practical purpose at all. you only ever have to loose the kerambit for cutting when you have an enemy well restrained, pretty much only from behind, on the ground or standing, and when opening up the throat or going for the groin and femoral artery area.
spinning it around looks cool but thats about it. now that i have a good amount of experience using and making them i dont do spinning, unless its just for fun, its the only time a kerambit is vulnerable to disarms etc. you really dont need or want to spin it to use it effectively, and it is very effective when used properly !!!

The Spyderco kerambit is not a bad piece, but a fixed blade is really the way to go, i would like to see one from Spyderco but i dont see it happening any time soon. mores the pitty as im sure it would be a well nice blade.
 
Too bad so many people don't understand the Spyderco Karambit, it's excellent. It may look different from other karambits, but it's 100% functional (it's a Spyderco!).
The handle is perfect in reverse grip with the finger in the hole, I don't understand why people complain about that. Flip draw it into reverse grip, open it a little in your hand and snap it open into extended forward grip, then back to reverse grip in one motion, faster opening than any Military when you get good at it. Or even faster of course, attach a wave device to it and flip draw it open directly into reverse grip.

A fixed Spyderco Karambit would be awesome though. The good thing about the fixed one is that you can make it double edged.
 
I found the CS kerambit to be to big, to plasticy and just not what i was looking for. i had one for about 20 mins then sold it on flebay.
The Derespina model 10 is a MUCH better knife and is the same price, they also seem to be quite easy to get hold of just now. :thumbup:

But id still like to see a fixed blade from Syderco !!!! ;):D
 
My Dear Friend,

Haze said:
Spinning the kerambit has NO practical purpose at all. <snipped> spinning it around looks cool but thats about it. now that i have a good amount of experience using and making them i dont do spinning, unless its just for fun, its the only time a kerambit is vulnerable to disarms etc. you really dont need or want to spin it to use it effectively, and it is very effective when used properly !!!
Click to expand...

I spin to gain familiarity, and also to improve my ability to recover the karambit from an extension or retraction gone bad due to striking an object at an angle, etc.

Well, also because it's fun. :D

--------
Hannibal
 
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