I kind of want to get one.
Emersons are wayyyyyyyyyy expensive for me, how is the Spyderco Karahawk and the Fox karambits?
Emersons are wayyyyyyyyyy expensive for me, how is the Spyderco Karahawk and the Fox karambits?
Like should I get a Spydie or an Emerson?
Spyderco's Karahawk is probably going to have a street-price just south of $200 (it has a 2.35" blade). You can get an Emerson with a 2.6" blade for ~$200-230.
What do you specifically want in a Karambit? Folding or fixed (fixed is going to save you a lot of money)? Waved or not? What blade-length? Would you be better served with a normal folding knife that has a Hawk-bill blade?
I know diddly squat about Karambits other than what I've read online, so I can't really speak to them but Emerson seems to be the standard everyone goes by. I've heard some good things about Fox Knives' Karambits, but I don't know enough about them to say one way or another.
What do you specifically want in a Karambit? Folding or fixed (fixed is going to save you a lot of money)? Waved or not? What blade-length? Would you be better served with a normal folding knife that has a Hawk-bill blade?
I know diddly squat about Karambits other than what I've read online, so I can't really speak to them but Emerson seems to be the standard everyone goes by. I've heard some good things about Fox Knives' Karambits, but I don't know enough about them to say one way or another.
I was wanting folding, and the 2.3 to 2.6 seems nice. The emerson has a chisel grind and is over all thicker, but looks much more sturdy, the Spyderco is thinner and has a saber grind which I would prefer, but it also doesn't seem as sturdy.
I know there are other hawkbills out there but honestly for me the Karambit has the cool factor going for it.
I know there are other hawkbills out there but honestly for me the Karambit has the cool factor going for it.
Holy crap - I didn't see that the Karahawk was only going to be 2.5mm blade-stock - I hope that's a mis-print on Spyderco's web-page. That's the thickness of a Delica.
Yeah, I'd go with the Emerson for sure in that case. I don't know that Karambits need to necessarily be super-stout, but I would at least think they'd go with something as thick as the Sage (3mm) for what is essentially a self-defense / fighting knife.
heres a video of them
Man the emerson though, I could move up to a 12 gauge for that.
Man the emerson though, I could move up to a 12 gauge for that.
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Yeah, I guess the Spyderco's blade-thickness isn't that big of a deal (I just dug out my old sabre-grind Delica and they're much beefier feeling than the FFG versions), and the Hawk-bill adds even more structural rigidity.
I've never even held an Emerson Karambit, but that one in the video looks like it would feel like holding a brick - I can't imagine trying to do anything with a folder that fat (but again, I'm no Karambit guy, that might be what one looks for in a Karambit).
I do wonder how the Spyderco deploys with that back-lock. Back-locks inherently have more drag than typical liner locks due to not having a ball-detent (with lock-backs, it's usually just the lock-face riding the backside of the pivot). Still, with a wave or the Spydie-hole, it should deploy quickly enough - I'd just like to see a comparison between the two.
I've never even held an Emerson Karambit, but that one in the video looks like it would feel like holding a brick - I can't imagine trying to do anything with a folder that fat (but again, I'm no Karambit guy, that might be what one looks for in a Karambit).
I do wonder how the Spyderco deploys with that back-lock. Back-locks inherently have more drag than typical liner locks due to not having a ball-detent (with lock-backs, it's usually just the lock-face riding the backside of the pivot). Still, with a wave or the Spydie-hole, it should deploy quickly enough - I'd just like to see a comparison between the two.
Oh, I almost forgot - 5.11 Tactical also makes (supposedly pretty nice) Karambits.
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