Karambit for defense

[grim416]

As it says in the title i was wondering if a fixed blade karambit is good for defense or in a knife fight and which way to carry it would be best.

[Benjamin Liu]

If you are trained in how to use it then you should be able to answer the question based on your skill.


If not, I'd go with something more general than a karambit.


One the other hand, a waved kerambit folder like those from Emerson should be able to be drawn from the pocket into a cut by a punching motion starting from the pocket, making it one of the faster folders to deploy.


If what you want is the hook, then for a small concealed knife I'd highly recommend the Emerson LaGriffe.

[Gabriel Suarez]

The europeans...not the indonesians...conquered the world. And they used conventional weapons...not kerambits.

[Atlanta_FOF]

I have trained with karmabits - fixed and folding - in Systema class a few times. So, I am hardly an expert. My take, The karambit works significantly different than a traditional straight bladed knife. Some training is definitely in order to use the knife. It trades off conventional stabs for the ability to do potentially deeper slashes. You are also more likely to get your knife bound up in an opponent and so they teach some U hook strikes were you reverse the cut to get it back out. On a side note, I use a folding knife as a tool more than a weapon. For me, a karambit would require carrying a second knife.

I echo the opinion above, get some good training with the karambit, before you decide to carry it. In the meantime, carry a straight blade (fixed or folding).

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[H60DoorGunner]

The europeans...not the indonesians...conquered the world. And they used conventional weapons...not kerambits.

This /\

There seems to be a correlation between the use of stabbing VS. slashing techniques with regards to knives and swords, and the countries which were able to colonize and take over large areas of the world. I doubt very much that the actual technique is what won, but more so the mindset that accompanies the different approaches.

Karambits are cool, but people survive slashes quite frequently. Getting run through a sewing machine however....

Ultimately, the karambit is a modified farm tool, as were many Asian weapons. Europeans had purpose built tools more often. Again, mindset thing I think.

[Shooter76]

The europeans...not the indonesians...conquered the world. And they used conventional weapons...not kerambits.

That seems rather short sighted considering when Europeans finally did conquer the world it was with the gun (and superior tactics), not the sword.

But I agree with the sentiment... As much as I like kerambits, they're a niche weapon.

[grim416]

Ok thanks for the advice, i was also looking at a zt 0200 which is a normal folding knife and as for training to use the karambit well i don't know anyone proficient in they're use so now that i think about it i don't think it would be a good idea to use something that i haven't been trained in. Again thanks for the advice everyone

[Custom II]

That seems rather short sighted considering when Europeans finally did conquer the world it was with the gun (and superior tactics), not the sword.

But I agree with the sentiment... As much as I like kerambits, they're a niche weapon.

Really?

I don't think Alexander, the Greeks, or the Romans had access to black powder.

Same story for the Mongols, albiet not European.


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[StealthNeighbor]

Originally, I carried 2 Emerson folding kerambits and was trained by Ernie Emerson. (BTW, the kerambit mimics the geometry of a tiger's claw.) After knife training with SI (John McCreery in OH...excellent instructor), I morphed towards a Voyager XL on the left (for a forward grip draw) and kept the right-hand kerambit in a reverse grip (so I could deploy forward while seated in a vehicle).

Just recently - after the FL CCW was tackled by the "vigilante," I've now opted to switch to an 11:30, horizontally-carried fixed blade...and will likely not look back.

Why? In ECQB on the ground, I started to question my fine-motor folding knife-deploying skills while grappling...

Hope that helps. YMMV

[Shooter76]

Really?

I don't think Alexander, the Greeks, or the Romans had access to black powder.

Same story for the Mongols, albiet not European.


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Alright, I'll play your game...

The Greeks with the exception of under Alexander, didn't conquer anything. The Hellenistic successor kingdom's that followed Alexander's death may have been ruled by Greeks, but with the exception of Ptolemy Egypt they began to fall apart pretty quickly even if they still existed in name. The swords the Greek army used at this time were largely of the falcata type (a single edged forward curving blade), that was very popular in the ancient world at that time.

The Romans did have a straight blade but so did most of the armies they faced during their period of expansion.

The idea that European militaries used straight blades while those of the middle east and Asia used curved blades is largely a myth. While the earliest examples of the scimitar date to around 1000 AD, Muslim armies were largely equipped with straight swords similar to those found in Europe.

Mongol and Chinese armies used straight swords almost exclusively in military combat, and even Japanese swords were straight until right before the Kamara period.

Europe conquered the world (in the time of firearms) because of superior tactics and logistics, not because of the superiority of their blades.