What's the deal with Kerambits?

It is like any WEAPON... in the hands of someone who knows how to use it, understands it's positive design attributes and has REALLY explored it's weaknesses - it will be reliable and capable.

In the hands of someone like Ray Dionaldo of Sayoc Kali, it won't look funny at all because someone on the other end won't even see the karambit. I do agree it will be down and dirty but any knife encounter can be described as such.

It will also cut / puncture/ hook in a PUSHING direction... the aftermath of what a karambit can do is shown in the Sayoc DVD. Many internet myths are also explored and dispelled on the dvd.

Much of the negative comments over the karambit have been over individuals who POSE with the weapon rather than TRAIN with those in the forefront of Karambit instruction.

The other stems from knife makers or enthusiasts that consider the karambit not equal to their product.

To each his own... but I'd recommend seeing for yourself and making up your own mind.
--Rafael--
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Sun Helmet:

Totally agree with your thoughts here. Ray Dionaldo is one of only a few men who can and does wield the kerambit with deft effectiveness.

Those who take the stance that the kerambit is a fad, or something similiar would only need to meet Ray to understand that with some formal training, the keramibut is every bit is as effective as a straight blade or conventional folder.

Steve Tarani would be another to take some instruction from as he is also a master at the kerambit. Like any inanimate object, once trained in it's use, they become more effective for the user.

No different than a conventional blade where someone is carrying it with no training [ the masses fall under this heading ]. Will they be ableto use it effectively? Probably not, even though they could use it, it probably will not produce the desired results.

I carry the Tarani Journeyman often enough, I never feel "underknifed" in the least and I only have a few hours of instruction in their use [ course understanding conventional blade work doesn't hurt here as well ].

Brownie
 
Flavor of the month. Once the magazines get ahold of it they make sure you feel you can't live without one. The closest thing I have to a kerambit is a CRKT Neck Peck...fairly wicked, but not what I would want to defend myself with given a choice. :rolleyes:
 
The Kerambit blade shape is useful for cutting linoleum tile. There are regular handled knives with that blade shape available in hardware stores.
 
I toyed with the idea of ordering one for a bit, then I figured I'd never figure out how to use it - except as an expensive box cutter. Instead, I bought a Spyderco Cricket. While it's an expensive box cutter, I figured out how to use it pretty quickly.
Dave_B
 
brownie0486 said:
Sun Helmet:

Totally agree with your thoughts here. Ray Dionaldo is one of only a few men who can and does wield the kerambit with deft effectiveness.

Those who take the stance that the kerambit is a fad, or something similiar would only need to meet Ray to understand that with some formal training, the keramibut is every bit is as effective as a straight blade or conventional folder.

Steve Tarani would be another to take some instruction from as he is also a master at the kerambit. Like any inanimate object, once trained in it's use, they become more effective for the user.

No different than a conventional blade where someone is carrying it with no training [ the masses fall under this heading ]. Will they be ableto use it effectively? Probably not, even though they could use it, it probably will not produce the desired results.

I carry the Tarani Journeyman often enough, I never feel "underknifed" in the least and I only have a few hours of instruction in their use [ course understanding conventional blade work doesn't hurt here as well ].

Brownie
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you could make a pen or pencil a deadly effective weapon with the proper training.

he's not arguing about the effectiveness of the kerambit - he's talking about it's POPULARITY... ie the general public all going out and buying one.

like Charlie said, flavor of the month that's not worth the cash.
 
ayzianboy said:
he's not arguing about the effectiveness of the kerambit - he's talking about it's POPULARITY... ie the general public all going out and buying one.
Click to expand...

He's got it, I wasn't arguing as to whether it could be an effective weapon, just trying to understand something I don't: what's the attraction to Kerambits?

Could one be more useful for defensive purposes than the socom Elite in my pocket? Perhaps with the right guy, although someone trained in blade arts could probably use either to great effect. I don't carry a pocket knife as a primary weapon, it's a tool to me and Kerambits seem to come up short in the all around usefulness department from what I can see. I'm far from politically correct, but I would rather avoid drawing any more attention than necessary from an LEO were I to encounter one and my knife was the subject of discussion.

John
 
Yes, the karambit has been around for a long time. Oddly enough however, it is the least popular of weapons in the filipino fighting style. They were popular because they were easily concealed in a sarong. I don't wear a sarong. I can conceal a regular folder. Cold Steel actually published an article on it. you can read it here: http://www.coldsteel.com/articles.html
They have some pretty key points and that are very interesting to boot.
Oh, by the way: Hi, I'm new!
 
The kerambits are popular enough for several companies to be very busy with orders and custom makers designing different variations on a regular basis.

It's not as popular as coventional folders, but it certainly has enough interest to hold sales at high levels for customs waiting to be made and mfgers to be filling orders.

Will all those keramibits sold be carried by the people who buy them? No Used? No Used/carried with defensive purposes in mind? Take the training to be able to effectively use the kerambit for defense? No, Probably not, but the same can be said for conventional blades in folder and straight guise as well.

Most are not carried with the idea of strictly a defensive weapon. Most don't have any formal defensive knife training at all, yet carry a folder regularly always with the idea that it could be used defensively if they needed it at some point.

Most carry a folder as a utility tool, the kerambit started out as a utility tool/knife as well. Because the design of the balde is not something westerners are that familiar with, don't for the most part understand the blades nuances and how it was used by the indiginous peoples who used them centuries, doesn't mean they are not something viable.

Are they as popular as Emersons folders? No Spydercos? No. Yet there are people in the US who have indoctirnated in their use as a defensive knife, small easily concealed and deadly effective when one has the knowledge of it's proper use in that role.

Trying to understand the attraction to the kerambit? Same reason that balisongs are attractive to many but not to the masses [ they are not carried often by many yet the market supports continued sales of these ]. I suspect that some have come to the kerambit like myself as a new weapons platform, one that requires specific knowledge to be able to use it as effectively as it can be. Others are collectors and have a few customs put away just because.

I'm not fond of the balisongs at all myself, I could ask the same question about them here and get loads of people who would then attempt to convince me that the balisongs are something everyone should carry or at least own.

Don't think they are popular? Go here: http://www.usualsuspect.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25

It's a tool thats loved or disdained. The above link should show that the kerambit has a huge following. No one expects everyone will get on board with this type of knife. It's really a niche market, not unlike the mega folders being produced today, very popular but a niche market. They, like the kerambit are not for everyone.

Brownie
 
sorry, but is there a realy proof that the design:
fingerhole-grip-wharncliff/clawbillblade >aka Kerambit<
is really used over 10 years ago?
Not as a weapon, but anyway?

:confused:
 
Charlie Fox said:
Flavor of the month. Once the magazines get ahold of it they make sure you feel you can't live without one. The closest thing I have to a kerambit is a CRKT Neck Peck...fairly wicked, but not what I would want to defend myself with given a choice. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Apart from a kydex sheath for a Delica, the Neck Peck was my first neck knife, and apart from the fact that it just won't hold an edge for >15 minutes, I like it a lot. No, it's no fighting knife, but name me something better and less obtrusive for an afternoon spent kayaking. As a last-ditch, it's great. And so light you don't know it's there.

-
 
Knifeclerk said:
Yes, the karambit has been around for a long time. Oddly enough however, it is the least popular of weapons in the filipino fighting style. They were popular because they were easily concealed in a sarong. I don't wear a sarong. I can conceal a regular folder. Cold Steel actually published an article on it. you can read it here: http://www.coldsteel.com/articles.html
They have some pretty key points and that are very interesting to boot.
Oh, by the way: Hi, I'm new!
Click to expand...

The article written by Lynn Thompson on the Cold Steel websight is misleading. The book he quotes is Donn Draeger's book "The Weapons and Fighting Arts of Indonesia".

To quote Thompson: "Donn Draeger was so unimpressed by the importance of the Karambit that he barely mentioned it in part of one of his paragraphs giving it only six sentences."

To quote part of Mr. Draeger's paragraph"[The] most vicious of the lot is the "tiger's claw" type weapon. Known as the karambit , it is a curving knife modeled after the Arab jambia"..."The Karambit is used in an upward, ripping manner into the bowels of the victim."

It doesn't sound to me like Mr. Draeger is unimpressed with this style of blade. A more reasonable position to take is to understand that many forms of fighting in the Pentjak Silat community were highly secretive.

Thompson is a well known a-hole and I've seen more intelligence scrawled on truck stop restroom walls.

The real reason Thompson doesn't like karambits is because his fat fingers won't fit in the holes.
 
Rover:
I completely understand the feelings towards Thompson, but that does not pertain to what I'm talking about. Further more, I see no need to attack him here because I doubt he will be reading any of this.
The author of this article did concede advantage points to the knife, and I doubt that they went unnoticed. But there still remains the many logical points that preclude the karambit from being the "ultimate defense" that the hype has made it out to be.
I don't doubt that there are some very serious practitioners who are amazing with a karambit.
Still, from what I can see of the knife's design, I think I will leave it for gardening.
 
I don't believe anyone said here it was the "ultimate weapon", just an effective weapon for self defense when one has the knowledge of how to wield it properly coupled with a modicum of training.

And thats one of the reasons people take to them. They understand the design has advantages in some areas that, when trained, can be put to very effective use in a defensive position.

Brownie
 
Brownie:
This is true, and I totally concede your point. But there has still been a lot of hype about these knives in Blade Magazine about them being the "new choice for self defense experts."
While I think that these knives can perform well in the situation, I still stand firm in my belief that there are better options available that require less training.
-Retail Monkey
 
I carry a Kerambit quite often. In addition to being a light, fast SD weapon, they OWN blister packs and boxes. Once you use one, you will see they are quite handy- and yes, they are great around the yard as well:)
 
Yester5 said:
I carry a Kerambit quite often. In addition to being a light, fast SD weapon, they OWN blister packs and boxes. Once you use one, you will see they are quite handy- and yes, they are great around the yard as well:)
Click to expand...

Bravo!

They said my response was too short so I'll add a bit. Beside skinning and cleaning game these knies take care of all the other times I need a cutting tool.
 
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