[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
THE MARTIALIST VOL. TWO NO. EIGHT
Why the Kerambit?
By Phil Elmore
Photo by Phil Elmore
Why do some knives become fads?
There are plenty of possible reasons.
The
Rambo
movies made hollow-handle
survival knives all the rage back in the
1980s. Theorizing over a lockback
stiletto supposedly purchased by OJ
Simpson made that knife a best-seller
during the publicity surrounding
Simpson’s murder trial. Any and all
forms of “tactical folder” swept the
industry after Spyderco introduced the
pocket clip and thumbhole opener – but
this last is not a fad. It was an industry
trend.
My Winchester light shipped to me with
a Chinese-made Nylon belt sheath. The
Nylon is quite light and the stitching,
adhesive residue, and overall
workmanship are on par with the
sheaths one gets with those bargain-
basement plastic-handled knives
imported from the ChiComs. It works,
but experience tells me it will start to
fray and unravel after a couple of
months (if not several weeks) of daily
wear and tear. The sheath has a hook-
and-loop closure.
Photo by Phil Elmore
Photo by Phil Elmore
At what point does a fad become a
trend? I couldn’t say until after the fact.
It’s true, though, that as of this writing
the Indonesian kerambit (characterized
by a finger hole at the end of the grip
and most often possessing a hawbill-
shaped blade) remains wildly popular in
the knife industry. Several major
manufacturers offer them, from Steve
Tarani (whom I would consider the most
prominent advocate of the kerambit –
his
www.karambit.com
site is one good
stop for information) to Ernest Emerson
The Winchester is a decent light for its
price range –- roughly comparable to a
Mini Maglite, but more powerful and
more “tactical.” There are many
superior lights available, but this one
could serve a role in your personal self-
defense gear as a budget lighting
alternative.
16
THE MARTIALIST VOL. TWO NO. EIGHT
to Sal Glesser and Spyderco.
Countless other manufacturers have
gotten into the act, too. Inexpensive
kerambits made in China for Mtech and
Master Cutlery are everywhere, with
RAM Instrument joining the fray to offer
kerambits under both RAM and Vtech
brand names.
Thompson’s Warrior’s Edge system
(reviewed in video form at
The
Martialist
) is based on “long range knife
fighting” and biased towards large
knives, so I can understand from where
he’s coming with his opinion. At the
same time, there are those (myself
among them) who don’t consider range
to be something you can effectively or
reliably control when fighting with
blades. I’ve sparred some truly gifted
teachers using training knives and, to be
honest, the size of my knife or the grip
that I used made no difference to my
opponents. The “reach advantage”
offered by the size of your knife is, in my
opinion, of only minor importance
compared to your body mechanics.
Photo by Phil Elmore
Emerson and Tarani have both written
articles favorable to the kerambit for
various trade publications. On the other
side, no less a knife industry icon than
Lynn Thompson has weighed in on the
kerambit’s drawbacks.
In 2003, Thompson published one of his
sure-to-be-controversial editorials in the
Riposte
column in Cold Steel’s catalog.
He wrote that the kerambit, which he
characterized as “an obscure knife from
Indonesia,” was being “pawn[ed] off” on
an “unsuspecting public” with the help of
Blade
magazine (a publication with
whom Thompson has had his
differences in the past). Thompson also
correctly pointed out that the kerambit is
small, concealable, allows for powerful
slashes and stabs at close range, and is
difficult to disarm. He went on to criticize
the inherently weak extended grip and
the relatively short reach of the reverse
grip with the kerambit.
The Emerson kerambit is among the best
made. Avoid copies from Master Cutlery.
Photo by Phil Elmore
Sal Glesser’s kerambit is clearly a Spyderco.
It’s also a good knife with unique flair.
Photo by Phil Elmore
17
THE MARTIALIST VOL. TWO NO. EIGHT
This fixed-blade is patterned after a popular
knifemaker’s kerambit design.
Forward Grip
Photo by Phil Elmore
Photo by Phil Elmore
This debate aside, why
would
you
choose a kerambit over one of the
countless other knife designs available?
I think choosing any knife involves
making a
style
choice as much as a
utility choice. If you are drawn to the
kerambit – which I’ll grant is a very
intimidating and “flashy” blade – it is
because you like its style.
While the kerambit’s image will work
against you legally – if you choose to
use it in self-defense, you can bet you’ll
be cast as a vicious knife-fighter
wannabe in court – it does have certain
real physical advantages going for it.
Because it is designed primarily for a
reverse grip, it lends itself well to vicious
cutting attacks and hooking thrusts that
closely resemble arm movements with
which you are already familiar. In
Jurassic Park, when the Sam Neil
describes the velociraptor’s talon, he
holds a fossilized claw in his hand in
much the same way as one holds a
kerambit. The talon, extending from the
hand, rips through whatever the hand
passes.
Extended Grip
Photo by Phil Elmore
Reverse Grip
Photo by Phil Elmore
of your hand and facilitating a secure
and positive draw. If the kerambit
you’ve purchased is properly designed,
it will be possible to carry the knife with
the finger ring up and the blade forward
for draw directly into a reverse grip.
Some of the cheap imports on the
The finger ring of the kerambit acts to
stabilize the knife in your grip, giving you
good control over the blade and making
it harder for the knife to be knocked free
18
THE MARTIALIST VOL. TWO NO. EIGHT
market have the clip placed in a more
conventional manner, making them
suitable for left-hand carry only.
The extended grip is
more problematic.
The applications of
this method are very
limited; it is useful
for momentary
slashing and slicing
maneuvers and is,
as has been
observed by many,
not a strong position
in terms of retention.
I don’t see any need
to bother with
extended-grip tech-
niques, but of
course I won’t
discourage you from
learning them.
This imported Kerambit can be drawn into a
reverse grip if carried on the left side.
What I will
discourage you from
doing is spinning the
kerambit. This is an
epidemic among
knife people – inner
wrist injuries from
spinning the
kerambit by its
wring. If you must
spin the knife, do so
wearing a leather
cuff on your wrist for
protection. There
are certain benefits
to such dexterity training, but I see no
self-defense application for spinning in
most cases.
Photo by Phil Elmore
Is the kerambit useful as a daily utility
knife? It’s as useful as any hawkbill
blade. It cuts well and could be used for
anything from linoleum to horticulture, I
suppose. There’s nothing you can do
with a more conventional knife that you
cannot do with a kerambit held in a
forward grip (unless the curved blade
makes the knife impractical for the task).
Photo by Phil Elmore
The kerambit is a flashy, lethal-looking
tool that is useful for close-range fighting
(and very powerful in that role). It is not
the best choice for daily carry if you’re
worried about being politically correct,
but it certainly has style. If you do
choose it, be mindful of its strengths and
weaknesses.
19
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
© 2009 Po zniszczeniu przeszłości przyszedł czas na budowanie przyszłości. - Ceske - Sjezdovky .cz. Design downloaded from free website templates