- Joined
- May 21, 2000
- Messages
- 6,172
I'll be ordering one if for no other reason than I admire the engineering skill it took to come up with this design.
. . . is the only function of a Karambit self-defense?
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!
Why? Sharp curved blades have been around for millennia. They aren't hard to sharpen at all.Sharpening would be pretty tough.
Karambits are literally derived from gardening tools. (Agricultural tool)
CRKT Provoke $157.19
Keep the information flowing. Maybe it will reach my tipping point.
True the origin of the karambit derives from a much larger sickle type harvesting tool used in SE Asia and the Philippines but, in its smaller, compact modern weaponized form, it is no longer designed to be used as such.
Can it still be used for certain gardening (or agricultural) tasks? Of course but there are many other knives better suited for gardening/forestry work.
FYI, the price just dropped a few $ on the previously referenced site to $154.32.
Canceled and reordered one for this price. You can freely cancel and reorder on that site because a charge is not posted until the knife is actually shipped.
Yep just signed up for thatEven lower from a site that does drops in mass (and has a paying membership here!)
Even lower from a site that does drops in mass (and has a paying membership here!)
Me too but that $140 drop is really testing me.I like it. I dig karambits (mostly nostalgically) and the mechanism is fascinating. My biggest factor is that I don't know if I can really justify dropping $150-200 on something that would largely be a curiosity piece.
Free shipping alsoMe too but that $140 drop is really testing me.
I don't have a a karambit yet.
The mechanism looks cool. Please someone correct me but it looks like any positive force on the blade is transferred to the lock? Can't really get a good look to confirm for myself.