Why the Kerambit?

Why do some knives become fads? There are plenty of 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 Simpsons 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.  (The thumb hole is, in fact, an industry trend.)

At what point does a fad become a trend? We can’t usually 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 blade) remains quite popular in the knife industry, after a period of “fad” popularity during which many manufacturers introduced their own such models. Even the reluctant Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel, who trashed the popularity of the knife during the height of the blade’s newfound popularity, eventually gave in and started marketing some kerambit patterns of his own.

Other prominent manufacturers who have or who still do offer kerambits include Richard Derespina, Steve Tarani (who has written books on knife fighting and on the kerambit specifically), Ernest Emerson, and Sal Glesser of Spyderco.  Countless others have gotten into the act, too, and inexpensive kerambits made in China for Mtech, Master Cutlery, RAM Instrument, and others are everywhere.

Emerson and Tarani have written articles publicly in which they tout the benefits of the kerambit.  In 2003, Lynn Thompson published an editorial in the Cold Steel catalog’s Riposte column in which he characterized the kerambit as “an obscure knife from Indonesia… being pawn[ed] off” on an “unsuspecting public” with the help of Blade magazine (a publication with whom Thompson has had 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 contend with when attempting a disarm.  He went on to criticize its inherently weak extended grip and the relatively short reach of the reverse grip using this knife.

Thompson’s Warrior’s Edge system is based on “long range knife fighting,” and therefore biased towards large knives. While I can see where’s coming from, range is not something one can effectively control when fighting with blades.  Anyone familiar with practical knife “fighting” knows that, in real sparring, the size of the knife and the exact grip used are far less important than body mechanics, footwork, and the positioning of the shoulders (and therefore your limbs) relative to these.  Any “reach advantage” of a knife is a minor factor compared to body mechanics alone.

This debate aside, why would you choose a kerambit (also commonly spelled, “karambit”) over one of the 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, flashy blade at first blush), it is because you like it’s style, first and foremost.

The kerambit’s image will work against you legally in self-defense. If you choose to use it in that way, you will be cast as a vicious knife-fighter wannabe. As in all use-of-force issues, however, the context of your actions will matter far more than the aesthetics of the knife itself.  Ignore image, and there are indeed physical advantages to the kerambit, at least for self-defense (and perhaps even for utility).

Because the kerambit is designed to be used in the reverse grip when used martially, it lends itself well to vicious, firmly rooted cutting attacks and hooking thrusts that closely resemble arm movements you’ll already find familiar.  In Jurassic Park, when 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, extended from the bottom of your fist, rips through whatever the hand passes.

The finger ring of the kerambit acts to stablize the knife, giving you good control over the blade and making it very hard for the knife to be dislodged from your grip. It also facilitates a very positive draw (if the knife is drawn into the reverse grip as it should be).

Some kerambit models on the market, especially inexpensive models, place the clip in the same orientation as would be found on a more conventional folding knife.  This puts the clip on exactly the wrong end of the blade for draw into a reverse grip — if you are right-handed.  If you’re a southpaw, the clip orientation is perfect out of the box.

Is the kerambit useful as a daily utility knife? It’s as useful as any hawkbill blade, really. It cuts well when sharp, has great “inverse belly,” if you want to call it that, to draw material through the cutting edge, and it could be used for horticulture and for cutting linoleum (activities for which hawkbill blades are traditionally used). There’s nothing you can do with a more conventional knife that you can’t do with a kerambit, unless the curved blade is not suited to work requiring a very long, straight edge.

The extended grip is more problematic.  The applications of this method are limited; it is useful for momentary slashing and slicing maneuvers.  It is, as has been observed by many, neither strong nor easily retained.  I don’t see any need to bother with extended-grip techniques, but of course there’s really no reason to discourage you from learning them, either.

What I will discourage you from doing is spinning your kerambit. This is an epidemic among knife people, or at least it was when the kerambit first became popular.  Inner-wrist and inner-forearm injuries are only too common when one starts spinning the kerambit on its finger ring. If you must spin the knife, wear an appropriate leather wrist cuff.  The dexterity developed through such “knifesturbation” is probably of benefit, but please do consider the risks of monkeying about in this way.

The kerambit is a flash, lethal-looking tool that is useful for close-range fighting. It is, in fact, 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 its weaknesses.