# Karambit and knives like it



## Zack (Feb 25, 2016)

I've heard a lot about this kind of curved knife, if I remember it correctly. But how in the world do you use it? Is it a combat knife that replaces a straight dagger? Or is it a really awesome looking skinning knife or something like that? Are there other blades like the Kirambit and if so, what are the differences?


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## Zack (Feb 25, 2016)

Really quick, I'm not sure if it's Kirambit or Karambit.


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## CupofJoe (Feb 25, 2016)

I don't know it/them but
Karambit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and
What Is a Karambit | Karambit Overview
may give you some more information.


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## Zack (Feb 25, 2016)

Thanks! That helped a lot. Kind of cool that it started as a farming tool.


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## Jerseydevil (Feb 25, 2016)

I'm not to familiar with this particular knife, but from the design, it looks more like a slashing blade, as the curve makes thrusts difficult. It would be used with an underhand grip, and with the blade on the inside of the curve means that there is a greater cutting surface. The blade could be hooked onto the target and pulled across something like a limb or the throat and would dig in rather than slide over. The underhand grip means that it will have a shortened range, so lunging with it is not really an option. It makes sense that this would be a close range backup knife. If the user starts to grapple with the opponent, he would stun or distract him and then slash for an exposed area, like the neck, using a motion similar to a hook punch, drawing the blade across the target area and pulling through. I haven't seen any testing, but I presume that the slashing blade won't be particularly effective against thick clothing, and the user would have to target bare skin.

There is an underhanded straight dagger called a roundel dagger, that was common in Renaissance Italy, which is almost exclusively a stabbing blade. Really, it's the polar opposite of the karambit. There is also the kukuri knife, which is a curved slashing blade, but is used in a more standard grip.


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## T.Allen.Smith (Feb 25, 2016)

I have some familiarity & even have a few. 

These knives have humble origins, as mentioned above, but developed into lethal weapons in Filipino martial arts. 

Traditionally, both edges are sharpened, but in modern times, due to legal restrictions, they are often single-edged, sharpened only on the inside curve. 

They are handled in three usual grips. The first is held in the palm with the blade extending between thumb and forefinger with the pinky finger in the rear loop. The 2nd is a reverse grip where the pointer finger goes through the loop & the blade extends between pinky and palm. In that grip the blade sweeps forward. The 3rd is an extended grip where only a finger through the loop secures the knife and the entire weapon extends several inches for a longer reach, used with a raking motion in the opponents joints (typically elbows, knees, shoulders, and neck).

The karambit is a devastating close quarter weapon. The claw-like tip naturally digs into flesh when the weapon is pulled. Cuts deepen with the sharpened inner edge. When sweeping for a rearward cut, the outer sharpened edge slices like a scimitar (though obviously shorter). 

There are several outstanding YouTube videos of the karambit being demonstrated by experienced martial artists. For an introduction on its use & capability, I suggest you start there.

Doug Marcaida is a good video resource. Here is one of his videos.
Karambit Blade Work With Doug Marcaida - YouTube


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## MiguelDHorcrux (Feb 27, 2016)

I am from the Philippines and I have seen people practice this. I also talked to someone from the Philippine National Museum about the weapon. It was a slashing weapon, and our ancestors patterned it after the tiger's claw. Normally, slashes are in the shape of an 8, or sometimes S or C. Targets are often the hips (this part moves a lot, so a slash here will yield a lot of blood) then the armpits and necks and the backs of the ears. It can also be used to stab the eyes, and if the target moves to defend his eyes with his hands or raise a weapon to deflect the karambit, you slash on his wrist instead. Filipinos are also by nature short (I'm only tall because I'm a half-breed haha) so they can hit the back of the knee and thighs. All in all, this weapon is not a one turn kill. You will bleed your enemy to death. Plus, the loop where the index finger go through often also has a small stabbing blade in it.


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