I HATE KARAMBITS BUT.... CRKT PROVOKE CASWELL DESIGN NEW VIDEO PG 10

Lapedog said:
Looks like you just lost $12.80 lol
Click to expand...

I haven't decided whether I should think of it as losing $12.80, not losing anything (since I wasn't planning on getting a CRKT version), or having already lost $1,379 last April! :D
 
CRKT Provoke $157.19
Keep the information flowing. Maybe it will reach my tipping point.
 
I like the engineering aspect of the opening system of this karambit; and that alone is enough to justify buying and enjoying one. I've done the same thing with two other licensed knock-off CRKTs with clever opening systems:

2v2EQYTACxAWtWs.jpg

2v2EQYT6gxAWtWs.jpg


Neither of these knives offer any advantage over a normal EDC, say from Spyderco, Benchmade or ZT. They are cumbersome to use. Clever, but cumbersome.

I see the same thing with this karambit. And it's barely a karambit, which is supposed to function like a tiger's claw. The curve is barely enough to qualify as a karambit. The blade is so small, narrow and unbelieveably thick that I don't see any functional advantage. It's attractive only because of the nifty opening system. Like my two other CRKTs, it's a toy or a design exercise.

Nothing wrong with that, but let's call it what it is.
 
Twindog said:
I like the engineering aspect of the opening system of this karambit; and that alone is enough to justify buying and enjoying one. I've done the same thing with two other licensed knock-off CRKTs with clever opening systems:

Neither of these knives offer any advantage over a normal EDC, say from Spyderco, Benchmade or ZT. They are cumbersome to use. Clever, but cumbersome.

I see the same thing with this karambit. And it's barely a karambit, which is supposed to function like a tiger's claw. The curve is barely enough to qualify as a karambit. The blade is so small, narrow and unbelieveably thick that I don't see any functional advantage. It's attractive only because of the nifty opening system. Like my two other CRKTs, it's a toy or a design exercise.

Nothing wrong with that, but let's call it what it is.
Click to expand...

It's kind of a niche user knife. For me it basically fills the role you describe. An interesting toy that will rarely be carried, and never used as a utility knife.
 
madcap_magician said:
It's kind of a niche user knife. For me it basically fills the role you describe. An interesting toy that will rarely be carried, and never used as a utility knife.
Click to expand...
Ok, silly question time, why did you buy three if you aren't really going to carry them?
 
Glock19C_Gunner said:
Karambits are primarily designed to be a weapon, and not an EDC tool.

A very specialized tool, that someone with a modest amount of training, can utilize a lot more effectively than someone could use something like a Sebenza or Strider for defensive purposes.
Click to expand...

Well, that's the marketing of karambits.
I've had a karambit in my left front pocket for going on 10 years now.
The supposed benefits for being a weapon are not really there.
Likewise, the supposed lack of utility use is also false.

It will cut things just fine.
It will not be a better weapon than any other normal knife though, despite what 10000 screaming martial artists will yell at me (I'm a martial artist too, so I'll just yell back at them... :D).


Glock19C_Gunner said:
If curious, look up some videos and articles on Doug Marcaida - he shows just how effective the karambit can be. The man is literally a master of his art.
Click to expand...

Doug also does fine with any other regular knife.
He really seems to like karambits, and that's cool; everyone has their favourites.
 
I don’t think of it as a toy. It may have a bit of a toy factor, like the multiple knives that many here are buying today, but for those who regularly carry a Karambit, it is a serious tool. Well conceived, safer to deploy, excellent build quality, modular to allow blade change, backed by an exceptional knife maker, and something I will carry daily. If one can’t appreciate it, I get it. Simply don’t buy it.
 
unwisefool said:
Ok, silly question time, why did you buy three if you aren't really going to carry them?
Click to expand...

Mostly because it was just so darn cool. I wanted to have one to carry, and have the option to leave one in the safe and recoup some of the purchase cost selling a third on eBay or whatever. If I sold two of my three at retail, I would have gotten the keeper for $50.
 
madcap_magician said:
Mostly because it was just so darn cool. I wanted to have one to carry, and have the option to leave one in the safe and recoup some of the purchase cost selling a third on eBay or whatever. If I sold two of my three at retail, I would have gotten the keeper for $50.
Click to expand...

 
madcap_magician said:
I wanted to have one to carry, and have the option to leave one in the safe and recoup some of the purchase cost selling a third on eBay or whatever. If I sold two of my three at retail, I would have gotten the keeper for $50.
Click to expand...
I feel like there should be a term for that kind of mentality...can't quite think of it:rolleyes:
 
cigarrodog said:
I don’t think of it as a toy. It may have a bit of a toy factor, like the multiple knives that many here are buying today, but for those who regularly carry a Karambit, it is a serious tool. Well conceived, safer to deploy, excellent build quality, modular to allow blade change, backed by an exceptional knife maker, and something I will carry daily. If one can’t appreciate it, I get it. Simply don’t buy it.
Click to expand...

Definitely a lot of cool stuff about this knife.

What do you think of the blade? That's what really put me off. It's tiny at 2.4 inches long, about an inch wide and a whopping 0.2 inches thick.

That's the same thickness as my Busse Bushwhacker Battle Mistress, which has a beefy 10.5 inch blade. That blade is twice as wide.

Geometry cuts. So why would you want a stubby prybar to cut stuff? Or for defense? What would be lost by going with a thinner stock, say half as thick?
 
stabman said:
Click to expand...

Hahaha I admit after getting divorced and seeing my net income drop by a third, I have spent a lot more time thinking about how to eak out a few extra dollars out of literally everything. I'm literally selling my body to science as well, though sadly that is not as profitable as I hoped. I am part of this research study that is paying me $20 per blood draw, but I didn't know that A) it would be added to my paycheck, and take like a month to get there and B) that going in before work to do it would take more like an hour than ten minutes because of the line for blood and urine labs in the morning.

... but... $20 is $20, and I sure need it more now.

WValtakis said:
I feel like there should be a term for that kind of mentality...can't quite think of it:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

If you want to look down your nose at people who flip knives on Bladeforums, that's fine by me. If you want to look down your nose at me just for thinking about flipping knives somewhere else, that seems a might excessive, but I guess I can't stop you.
 
Last edited:
Twindog said:
Definitely a lot of cool stuff about this knife.

What do you think of the blade? That's what really put me off. It's tiny at 2.4 inches long, about an inch wide and a whopping 0.2 inches thick.

That's the same thickness as my Busse Bushwhacker Battle Mistress, which has a beefy 10.5 inch blade. That blade is twice as wide.

Geometry cuts. So why would you want a stubby prybar to cut stuff? Or for defense? What would be lost by going with a thinner stock, say half as thick?
Click to expand...

All karambits have short blades because they are designed for close quarters (inside) fighting where a long blade would be at a disadvantage. It is NOT a gardening tool!

Also, FWIW, if you miss w/the 1st swing of your 10" blade or have the swing blocked by an experienced martial artist w/a karambit, you will be severely cut up (and down on the ground bleeding, if not dying already) before you know it.

Blade shapes vary from extremely radiused hawkbills to flat wharncliffes. The Provoke blade doesn't look entirely flat but clearly is more wharncliffe than not. The Sypderco Yojimbo is a wharncliffe and is considered a very effective fighting knife.

Watching some of Caswell's promotional videos, the knife was designed, at least in part, for military use, where it would be subject to all kinds of challenges (not just cutting flesh) where prying actually might be necessary. So, the thickness and weight of the knife makes sense in terms of that.

There are all kinds of knives, just like there are all kinds of tools. If you just want a thin and light weapon, I still think the Marcaida's Pika is the BEST karambit that you can buy.

However, if you think that you may have to use the knife for more than just slashing or stabbing an arm, neck, leg, belly or chest, you may find that the Provoke may be the better tool to have on hand and certainly wouldn't be bad to have in your knife case simply to provide you w/an additional option.

In terms of fighting knives, I have a lot to choose from but none of the ones that I already have are anything like the Provoke, which is my reason for wanting to buy one.

OBTW, another good reason to have a thick and heavy karambit blade, like the one on the Provoke, is that it would be more likely to penetrate and break bone on impact (think sternum, ribs, scapula and/or skull) rather than deflect or bounce off as would be more likely with a thinner, lighter blade. This is also a good reason to have a flat pointed blade shape (like the wharncliffe) than one that is radiused.

Just saying . . . LOL! ;)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top