What would you recommend?

Folder or fixed...

Fixed I like the Strider..... or Pika for a small one

Folder I like the Emerson or 5.11 Tarani

Fixed/Folder is an important question.

Also note, I have cut myself accidentally more times on my karambits in a year, than I have all of my other knives my entire life.  Respect the karambit. A very effective weapon. Don't imagine it's a utility or useful knife, it's not.

I'm not sure really. Been carry folding knives all my life but for the karambit I think I'd prefer fixed. I think fixed makes more sense for a karambit? I could be wrong

What do y'all think about the compliance edge klaaw knife?

https://www.zombietools.net/shop/the-mauler/

I took a course with Steve Tarani about 5 years ago and started using a karambit on/off duty (plain clothes LEO) as a back up.

In my humble opinion the hooked blade is very limited and I prefer the karambit ring with a straight blade.

Emerson makes several styles with a straight blade I have both CQC7 and Commander styled

Look at Compliance Edge for a fixed blade.

Strictly speaking not a karambit, but this is also an option. They also make one for the smaller Delica.

Emerson

Emerson Karambit fixed

I have a Fox folding karambit. It has a wave so it deploys very fast. I carry it on my off side. I really like it.

James

Not sure if you’ve already made your decision but I’m a bit of a karambit fanatic. Currently own;

- Fox DART XT and 599 TiC
- Emerson Super Karambit
- Tops CUT4.0
- Ontario Knife Co EOD
- Cold Steel Double Agent
- Busse War Boar clone (couldn’t find a real Busse for sale)
- CRKT Provoke, my most recent acquisition

There are benefits and drawbacks to each.

As far as fixed goes, the OKC EOD and Cold Steel DA are two great options, both being reasonably sized. The CUT4.0 and War Boar clone are both a little too big for concealed EDC. If you’re going for fixed, I would look for one with a blade length of no more than about 3.5” just to keep it manageably concealable and carryable. I don’t have as much personal experience with it, but the Tarani Strider samples have a solid reputation and there are two versions, a larger and smaller, so you can pick the one that fits you best.

For folders, I would generally suggest avoiding liner- and frame-lock architecture as they’re generally known to be the easiest lock types to fail under the specific type of force that is often applied to a karambit-type blade (namely, putting pressure on the spine of the blade when trapping/manipulating limbs). That would eliminate the Fox DART, 599 (except for the new back-lock version), 479 (larger version of the 599), Emerson folding karambits, among many others. Not that these aren’t very well made, high-quality knives; but they are inherently more likely to fail when used as a karambit is intended. A big consideration for folding karambits is making sure you get one that has a method of deploying the blade with one hand. For this reason I generally dislike the 5.11 Tarani folding karambit, WE Knife 708, or any other folding karambit that relies solely on a flipper tab or thumbstud/thumbhole for opening, all of which are damn near impossible to actuate one handed when holding the blade in the reverse grip as a karambit is intended. The Emerson Wave feature is well known for fast and reliable one-handed opening and many companies have either licensed it or made their own version for their folding karambit blades - The Spyderco Karahawk is one such example, which also features a strong back-lock mechanism that would be more dependable. Other options here would be the Fox 599 XT or Mandiola Defense CDHK, both of which use a stronger back-lock mechanism and employ Wave-type features for reliable single-handed opening.

Another new option is the ingeniously constructed CRKT Provoke, designed by Joe Caswell. It’s built like a tank, easily opens with one hand, and the unique pivot mechanism and lock make it one of the sturdiest and least-likely-to-fail options for a folding karambit currently on the market. The Provoke also happens to be the karambit I personally EDC

I own several but lately I’ve been carrying a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 in a pocket and this Pika for weapon retention.

I’m a police officer (23+ years) and I work in T-shirt and jeans so concealment is necessary.

Typically I carry a G19 and spare mag, jframe bug, and lightweight cuffs

Attached File

mind showing a pic of the blade too? thanks for sharing

I picked up the compliance edge klaaw. not sure what I think of it. its my first type of karambit style knife and not sure if Ill be able to get used to it

I'm a fan of the Hibben Claw II.

That's a cool knife.  Is it a Bastinelli?

Yep....

Attached File

Probably moot by now but the TOPS Quickie looks promising.

https://www.topsknives.com/quickie

A nice little option for the poors.

https://www.amazon.com/Masalong-Outdoor-Survival-Tactical-Concealable/dp/B074K5151B/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=masalong+karambit&qid=1562993478&s=gateway&sr=8-7

I had one that I eventually gave to my uncle and used a BM Azeria to replace it for weak side carry but I was thoroughly impressed with the build quality. A few strokes on a steel got it shaving sharp.

It was honestly a bit small for my hands but they're XXL so your results may vary.

Looks like Masalong has quite a few options available.

Like the Pika and Picoeur for fixed and 5.11 Tactical Tarani Karambit or Fox Bastinelli Black Bird Karambit - Emerson Wave for Folders

https://skallywagtactical.com/product/ss-blade-2/

Saw this today and thought of this thread.

I carry that Spyderco Matriarch 2 with Emerson Wave and signet ring everyday !!! Ridiculous fast deployment from my weak side carry for defense and the PM2 does the daily cutting tasks

I'm enjoying the new devils claw 2 by Tops