A karambit pocket knife is a type of
knife that has a distinctively shaped blade with an inwardly-curving point,
akin to the shape of the letter "J". The grip of the knife is created
by two outwardly-curved prongs near the hilt. This design makes a karambit
easier to use one-handed and more controllable than other knives with normally-shaped
blades.
Named after its prototype, which was
designed by Kwame Karamoko in West Africa, it is popular among martial artists
and Western special forces. The karambit has been adopted by the military and
police forces of such countries as the United States, Australia, and New
Zealand.
During the Cold War, Cold Steel
marketed a version of the knife that incorporated an injection-molded plastic
handle with a gripping surface pad. The company claimed that this design
reduced the chance of the knife being damaged in skydiving accidents by
lessening stress on the blade edge when dropped from great heights.
However, this "ruggedized"
variant is no longer made. The karambit is distinct from a kukri (a curved
bladed Nepalese fighting knife) because it does not have a sawback (a
distinctive thin backwards curving cutting edge).
Karambits: Shape and Design
A karambit is an Oriental folding
knife that has a straight cutting edge with a finger-like curve on the back of
the blade for use as a stabbing weapon. It can also be used for slashing and
various other manual tasks in close-quarters combat.
The shape of this blade, which is
triangular in cross-section, allows it to fit neatly into small spaces and
still have sufficient strength and cutting power. Unlike most Western knives
that have pointed blades, it cannot easily penetrate cloth without tearing;
however, it can still cut through tough fabrics such as denim or canvas.
The karambit pocket
knife is used in martial arts to defend against the attack of multiple
opponents and in dual-wielding fighting styles, such as silat or escrima,
although it is also used in Krav Maga. The traditional design of the karambit
has a blade edge of roughly 45° to the back of the handle.
This makes it easy to grasp by your
index finger as well as your thumb, but makes it a bit challenging to open
one-handed. Some variants allow for easy one-handed opening by replacing the
bottom segment of grip with a stud for your thumb to push down on, instead of
wrapping around over the blade's edge.
Karambit Folding Knives
When Old Timers first saw a
heavy-duty large blade folding
knife that would not lock in their pocket (or are pocket), they would
hesitate to use it or carry it on them at all. For most people, a folding knife
is something that you rarely use to cut a piece of meat or slice fruit, and
certainly not an everyday tool used to cut rope or hack open an object.
For this reason, folding knives were
not designed to withstand too much pressure and abuse, as they are meant to be
used as a utility blade. The Karambit pocket knife, like other traditional
knives, were designed to be cutting tools that could handle physical
abuse.
It was originally designed for
cutting rope or slicing fruit, but could still cut down a coconut with ease.
Because of its shape and strength, it was used as a weapon among different
groups of people.
This karambit was used by farmers in
Indonesia when working in the rice fields due to its ability to take on tough
tasks without breaking or getting dull. It would help farmers cut down trees
and clear brush from their land easily without damaging the knife or injuring
themselves in the process.
Karambit Fixed Blades
Buying a fixed blade knife is not as
challenging as it may sound. But the question is, what are fixed blade
karambits? Let's find out!
A fixed blade karambit knife has a
single, stationary blade that does not fold or open. Fixed blades usually come
with a full tang that runs through the center of the handle and gives strength
to the overall cutting edge of the weapon.
The blade of a fixed-blade knife is
designed in such a way that it can be honed to an extremely sharp edge and be
kept so without wearing down, which makes them ideal for survival use such as
hunting and self defense.
This karambit is a small utility
fighting knife with a fixed blade which is believed to have originated in
southeast Asia and employs a reverse grip, similar to the claw of a tiger. They
have an inwardly curved blade, which makes them ideal for close quarters
combat. These were originally used as farming and household tools but now they
are commonly used as weapons instead.
Benefits of Karambits
Karambit knives are typically a
fixed blade knife with a point or spike jutting out of one end of the handle,
forming an upward-curved bow. They are most often used in combat and martial
arts. Fixed blade karambit is more versatile than a karambit pocket knife.
These knives have been used
primarily in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand
since the early 20th century. It is suggested by many that this is because they
could kill more silently than other traditional knives and dirt easily conceal
them making them perfect for assassins who work for hire.
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