Smaller Kerambits

The Call for Smaller Kerambits

By Guro Jeff Chung

2007

Kerambit players in today's modern tactical world need to follow the same considerations that any serious knifer would. Training clearly is important. Realistically, not everyone can access training in regular classes. Fortunately there are many videos and book sources available to the consumer looking to gain an education in the use of a kerambit. The more educated we become, the more critical we can be of our kerambit designs.

I see more and more Larger and Heavier kerambits being brought into the market. Often I have been told that is to accommodate those consumers who have larger hand sizes. As mentioned before in the prior article on kerambit design, the bigger the design, the more difficult it is to carry and conceal. In traditional use, a kerambit was meant to be a concealed weapon. It was meant to be used with stealth and with deception in mind. Smaller designed kerambits allow us to more closely identify with the roots of this unique knife.

I also find in my studies that a smaller kerambit can actually have MORE of the available features that anyone could want, and allow more effective use than some of the larger designs. As an example, a smaller kerambit can have a more curved blade, yet, because it is smaller, it can be used in more of a linear fashion without snagging or catching on an obstruction like a larger bladed kerambit would. By having the smaller blade, with more of an acute angled orientation, it works well for extension and retraction, with less chance of injury to oneself. And as mentioned before, a smaller kerambit is easier to carry and conceal on a regular basis.

As an instructor, I feel a sense of responsibility for what I pass onto my students. With a shorter blade, it is less easy to cause a permanent lethal effect on an opponent. It is possible to be lethal, but now, the intent and will to cause such harm must truly be there to effect that. Otherwise, it remains a powerful tool for self-defense and discouraging continued aggression by an opponent.

Finally, smaller kerambits generally mean less steel and less work for the maker, and that translates into lower cost, for you, the consumer. Save money on one kerambit, and that'll leave you more money for the next one!


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