Karambit?

Hi All,
This is my first post here and thought I'd chime in as I see you are discussing something near and dear to me. Firstly...I am a karambit knife maker specifically and have been for the last 3 (or more) years steadily. That aside, I see you have mentioned the M Tech fixed blade Karambit...that one happens to be a direct rip off of my custom Model 1 Karambit (originally made by me over two years ago) that can be seen it my website or at sites like www.tadgear.com or www.knifeart.com . Granted, I as a custom maker make no two alike but for sure it is my profile design that they stole and prouced with inferior materials at a fraction the cost. WIth paying me or acknowledging me or simply asking me ! So, having held M Tech knives another folding Karambit designed by Liong Mah (who they also ripped off !), I can safely say they make CRAP !. I guess it isn't bad for a below $20. knife but you get what you pay for. It's these cheapies that are precicely the cause of so much crackdown by the police here in NYC on respectable knife carriers. Why ? because they are the knives a thug would be and use to commit a crime with because they are throw aways. That's another issue all together. Just beware the knock off compay's is all.:soapbox: LOL Anyway, I am ta=ranting, nice to stop in and see that Karambit have taken a major place in the true knife users repetoire as well as the knife collector. I have been waiting for this day..he, he...now the WORLD !;)
There are plnty of other Karambit out there that are well made and good quality. The Strider Karambit is a good one, the Dionaldo designed Hossom custom is a good one as well. Reese Weilands Raven as you have mentioned is also a good one(haven't held the Bengal/Cutter version yet ?). I love the new Liong Mah/Rick Hinderer Folding Karambit, that is in my opinion the best folding karambit yet. Ofcourse Steve Ryan makes a mean Karambit and Warren Thomas' Karambit's have been great also. No shortage of these babies nowadays. Good lucking choosing the right one for you. Taka care happy new year.....Rich
 
DerespinaKnives, aka Rich,

Welcome to Martial Talk. Please feel free to give more information on your knives and or questions in the knife arts forum or The ProShop Forum.

Once Again

Welcome

Rich Parsons
Assistant Administrator
 
Rich,
Thanks bro ! much oblied for the welcome. As for my knives they can be seen at the following links:
http://knifeart.com/ricder.html

http://www.tadgear.com/edged tools/custom knives/richard_derespina.htm

and lastly at my website
www.derespinaknives.com

as well, there are pics that have yet to be posted on my site as I look for a new webdesigner in the meatime so I can email them to anyone interested. I have 6 models of Karambit available as well as several new ones to come and some other fixed blades also. Thanks again, like what I see here fellas. Take care.....Rich
 
Welcome Rich,

You got some cool kerambit designs!

If you could please give us some basic stats and prices for your kerambits.

Look forward to seeing the info.

Palusut

P.S. Your website url in your signature is missing missing a "k".
 
Palusut,
Thanks alot. I am glad you like them and I am happy to be here. As for prices, I don't know if it would be appropriate here to show prices. They run anywhere drom $140. - $400. dependant on the model from neck knife to the Model 6 Karambit. However, for anyone interested..feel free to contact me and I can send you a list. As of now the current wait time is 3 - 4 months. All the Karambit are made with either ATS 34 or S30V steels. HT to about 60- 61 Rockwell. They are predominantly chisel ground as I feel that make the best wound. It makes for a traingular wound that because of the punctures geometry it is least likely to close and there for the opponent would just keep bleeding:eek: I occasionally make some double ground versions and hollow ground versions but at my leisure as they are usually one of a kinds. Actually all are one of a kinds as I never make two the same way regardless of model number. I always am doing something to the handles or to the blade grind to make each one a little diferent from the next so I don't repeat myself and the customer has his or her own "one of a kind" so to speak. I usually use G10 but will sometimes use Micarta or Titanium scales. I try to make my knives as comfortable to hold as possible. All my Karambit have a dimple in the hanlde or grip changes should that be your preferred method of grip change. Thanks for pointing out the missing K, much obliged. Hope that covers it ? Take care .....Rich

PS, here's a pic of the model 5 with Ti scales serrated...
 

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Originally posted by DerespinaKnives
Rich,
Thanks bro ! much oblied for the welcome. As for my knives they can be seen at the following links:
http://knifeart.com/ricder.html

http://www.tadgear.com/edged tools/custom knives/richard_derespina.htm

and lastly at my website
www.derespinaknives.com

as well, there are pics that have yet to be posted on my site as I look for a new webdesigner in the meatime so I can email them to anyone interested. I have 6 models of Karambit available as well as several new ones to come and some other fixed blades also. Thanks again, like what I see here fellas. Take care.....Rich

Rich D,

THank you for the links. Nice looking blades. Even though I know little of the style, yet I am always learning.

As to Web Design, Kaith Rustaz one of our Admins is a professional Web Hosting and Web Designer. He might be able to help you.

His web page is Silverstarsites.net A link can be found at the bottom of each page.

Thank You Again
 
Thanks Rich, I will haveto get in touch with Kaith ! I have a good host for next to nothing, I just need someone who's adept in design to re-do my site and tweak some new pics I have and add pages and stuff. Thanks again bro.....Rich
 
Wow. Nice work. I like the Model 6. Very nice you've got the rear break on all of them too making them good to go in reverse grip extended.

What's the measurements on the ring? One inch diameter? Looks like the rings on Models 1 & 2 are bigger than on the 4 & 6 but it could just be the angle of photos or a trick of the eye as the G-10 covers all the way on the 4 & 6.

Very nice, and yes, you can definately see your design all over the M-Tech. There's a special place in hell for people who steal other peoples art.

Michelle
 
Michelle,
Thanks so much. Yes they all have a small rear break and all the finger rings are 1" diameter. Hopefully I won't be there to meet the MTech guys when they get to hell LOL ! The models 4and 6 are just 1/8" thick as I felt flicking technques are best done with lighter blades and these are quite large especially the 6 with a 6" blade. Not that you should flick a large battle karambit, that would'nt be smart usually but for the forms practitioner they might want to. I will make some 3/16" versions of these as well with 1/8" scales to slim them down a bit as well. Eerything else is 3/16" thickness. Peace....Rich
 
Hey Rich!

Nice to see you posting here!!

Good to see someone who knows "a little" about Karambits posting similar findings on those P.O.S. MT rip offs. God they make me sick.......

I hate to say it, but they will probably smear serious practioners of the FMA/IMA's as those crappy zinc handled balisongs did in the 1980's.

Your designs still look great, keep up the good work.
 
Rich,
Welcome to Martial Talk!
I have a question, it is probably silly but I'll ask anyway.
Do you make trainers? Also, do you make "left-handed" models?
The reason for the second question is this, a friend of mine makes some trainers for us to use at my studio, where he teaches his FMA/IMA skills, I noticed that some of his trainers were distinctly left or right handed. I realise that this would not necessarily be an issue with a fixed blade model, but may be with a folder, especially if it has a clip on it.
Thanks
 
Seig, Stickdummy and Palusut, thanks again for the shout outs !
Palusut, I like the model 3 a lot as well, it has a Barong-ish style to it but still maintains a few of the needed attriutes of a karambit. The Model 2 has more the traditional hooked blade but within most legal limits (in single edge) I usually make them double edge though. It has just a bit of modernism to it to also. Thanks !
Seig, I have been thinking of making trainers but haven't had a chance to get to it, although I eventually will do it. As for right or left, they as fixed blades are ambidextrous although as chisel grinds this may make whichever side you prefer face the opposite when in use. That wouldn't change it's performance at all though. Sometimes as I have mentioned I make them double ground so that would be best probably for a lefty. The sheaths can usually be used on either hip or in the small of the back as well. As for a trainer in lefty, it shouldn' matter as it's the profile that is universal. In a folder there would definately have to be some changes. I am working on a folder and would probably make some lefty's also. However, the folder won't be out for almost a year from now as I have toio many fixed blade designs to complete on the drawing board. Thank you so much.
SticDummy, I cannot agree more ! Those cheap *** knives you can get in any head shop or in chinatown or on that late night tv knife show SUCK ! and will be the very things that will restrict honest knife users from being legally able to carry a knife. Here in NYC a few weeks ago they did a huge crackdown on those type of knives as they considered them ILLEGAL ! While I don't like them they are for the most part not illegal to carry but it's the rise of knife related crime with these very cheap knives that genereated fear in the local government enough to confiscate a lot of legal knives as well as illegal knives. They are just going haywire now ! Sheeesh ! Thanks you as well. Take care .....Rich
 
Did everyone see the new karambit article in this month's Blackbelt mag?
 
Thought you guys would get a kick outta these cool pics TAD just took. JUst keeping the KArambit discussion going here...LOL...Peace....Rich
model_41.htm

and
model_6.htm
 
Anyone have any word on the fairly new Spyderco karambit. It's priced at $160-90 and looks alright. Seems to have a sturdy design, but the blade is really small. Comments.
 
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