The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Knives & Blades => Topic started by: Big Frank on November 09, 2020, 12:27:41 AM
-
I saw this Provoke karambit knife by CRKT awhile ago and thought it was a cool design. I like unusual actions but I'm not ready to shell out 200 bucks for what would mainly be a fidget toy for me. Thoughts? Opinions? If I had one I think I would have it in my hand whenever I walk around the neighborhood. No weapon is quicker to use than the one you're already holding.
One knife I have looks like a regular sheath knife except it has a lock like a typical lock-back folding knife. But when you fold it, it becomes a push dagger. It's not very unusual, just different enough that almost no one I showed it to saw one like it before. And I have the obligatory pantographic knife. I had 2 different sized ones but gave one to a friend I worked with, then I traded with him later. The large one fit nicely in the folding rule pocket on a pair of coveralls. One day at work I pulled it out and started cutting a piece out of the spark curtain that kept the welder from burning the crap out of me. It also kept me from getting my parts in without a struggle and I had to trim it down. My foreman was standing behind me wondering why the whole line was down, watching me there with a foot long knife in one hand and a Kevlar glove on the other hand, just slicing away. He never said a word to me, just waited for me to finish, then walked away. I wonder why? ;D
P.S. The handle on the pantographic knife isn't as wide as it looks in the drawing. It's as wide as you'd expect a metal sheath to be. There aren't many folding knives I know of with blades that are longer than the handles like this.
https://www.crkt.com/provoke.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=birKtIe7HRY&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJrrEoJakYg
-
The pantographic knife looks like one used by the Fallschirmjäger
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bladesandbows.co.uk%2Fekmps%2Fshops%2Fbladesbows%2Fimages%2Fparatrooper-knife-%5B2%5D-3006-p.jpg&f=1&nofb=1)
-
A lot of people call them German paratrooper knives, but I've also heard them called British paratrooper knives. I think it depends on where in the world you are, but as far as I've seen there's no proof of paratroopers anywhere using them. Some have been marked with German markings like that but it seems to be something added by the manufacturer to sell more knives. Mine looks like that but without the markings and with a less chunky looking guard. I should have kept the smaller one. At least some German paratroopers carried gravity knives. I wish I would have bought one fairly cheap when I could have. The dollar was really strong against the West German Deutschmark when I was there, like 2.40:1. Later on at home some idiot lawmakers decided they were "switchblades" because you could flick them open, and they got too expensive. Too expensive to have some @$$hole cop confiscate and keep for themselves that is, and I wanted to be able to carry it.
The Eickhorn Solingen LL80 was standard issue when I was in the army and I think it still is. It's a smaller version of the LL100 with a 3-1/4" blade instead of 4". This ad at knife command says, "Folded into the handle is a steel 3-1/2" flat tip pick.", instead of a a steel 3-1/2" marlin spike like the LL100, but the only picture it shows of the LL80 is with both of them together. The marlin spike is meant for getting knots out of lines and ropes, just like pocket knives various navies have used for the last few centuries. I can think of I few other uses too but should keep most of them to myself. It could possibly be used as an ice pick if you're fresh out of ice picks, and my favorite alternative so far, a #1 Phillips screwdriver. The only picture I've found tonight of the LL80 flat tip pick or marlin spike is the last one, and the description says it features an awl or a screwdriver. I didn't read the rest yet but those were real German paratrooper knives.
I think I'll buy one of them but I won't be carrying it. At least not around Flint Township where you can carry a gun but not a knife with a blade over 3.0" long. How f***ing stupid is that? I need a few other knives where the blade slides out the front or folds out of the side of the handle instead of the edge. I don't feel like Christmas shopping for myself this year, but if I'm good maybe I'll get something next year. ;) Or some other time when I'm done buying gun parts, as if I'll ever be done modifying, accessorizing and tinkering with them. I like the action on the Provoke karambit but I'd rather sit around and play with a gravity knife. It's one of those things I've wanted for a long time but never bought yet, whereas the karambit is just something new that looks cool and different.
http://www.german-knife.com/german-paratrooper-gravity-knife.html
ETA: When my pantographic knife, I wish there was a better word for that, when my P-knife is closed the rear of the blade sticks out past the handle like tool blade of some kind. It would give someone a nasty gash if you jabbed it into their head. If would be less effective as a striking tool elsewhere but still would still concentrate a lot of force in a narrow spot. It also keeps the handle from taking the impact at the hinges if you accidentally drop it on the ground.
-
I really didn't plan on buying a Provoke karambit but Classic Firearms had the Provoke First Responder model at a price I couldn't resist. The First Responder has a built in ceramic glass breaker, and unlike other models comes with a gear compatible sheath. Classic Firearms has it for $150.99 and it sells for about $75 more other places I looked.
https://www.crkt.com/provoke-first-responder.html
https://www.classicfirearms.com/columbia-river-knife-4042-provoke-first-responder/
-
FexEd delivered my knife around 11:30 this morning. Sunday delivery at no extra charge, but I did pay the extra $3 for insurance.
$3.00 - Insured (Recommended) - Full refund or replacement for items lost or damaged during shipping.
$0.00 - Uninsured - No refund or replacement for items lost or damaged during shipping.
That sounds like BS to me. I never heard of anything being shipped by anyone that didn't automatically have a minimum amount of insurance, but maybe FedEx is doing that. I don't normally use them. I ordered a couple other little things I needed, and even with shipping and state tax it was $195 and change total, which I thought was still a good price.
-
I'm always looking for knives with blades 3" long or slightly under, and I bought a Gerber Remix Tactical Knife for 40% off from Sunny Sports. It said that the bade was 3" long but when I got it the package said it was 2.9" long which is even better. There's less room for argument from the Flint TWP. cops about whether it's over 3" long or not. Sunny Sports was also selling footwear and used a picture of these... things in the ad. They're Sorel boots but thankfully the Sorel boots I've been wearing every winter for the last few decades are nothing like that. Women sure wear some weird things on their feet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8AdOvhYUzI&feature=emb_logo
I used the Provoke to cut the Remix out of the blister pack, then used the Remix to cut something else out of a small but thick blister pack. I stabbed myself in the thumb and the Remix drew first blood. When I got around to washing my hands the cut was too small to glue together but I smeared Super Glue gel over it with a toothpick a couple of times to make an artificial scab. It doesn't even sting now but I wore a nitrile glove when I finally cleaned my windshield. I wasn't taking any chances.
-
I'll have to remember that Sunny Sports website. With shipping they are at $28.20 whereas Amazon is $34.99. A difference of $6.79 or~20% less than Amazon.
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8AdOvhYUzI&feature=emb_logo
.
That knife is very interesting but it looks like the area around the finger hole is small. That makes me think it would be a very weak point. If the knife were to get slapped sideways while open and hit something I would think it will snap in half?????
-
Quite possible. Gerber isn't the quality it was in the 80's. But then....what small utility item is?
-
3" pocket knives... as a classroom teacher I tried to keep my pocket knife low profile, with no pocket clip used...after a couple of years with a simple Gerber small folder, upgraded to a Spyderco Walker light weight, and in 2007 a Kershaw Leek engraved with the Ft Benning 3 gun match logo was part of the shooter's package... it finished out my teaching career... I spend a lot of time now, sitting in the yard, reading, and the larger Benchmade Aries had a tendency to slip out of my pocket... I just got a second Leek as I want to keep the Ft Benning knife in nicer shape... regards
-
That knife is very interesting but it looks like the area around the finger hole is small. That makes me think it would be a very weak point. If the knife were to get slapped sideways while open and hit something I would think it will snap in half?????
I don't know what would happen. When I try to wiggle it sideways fairly hard it barely moves and sometimes I can't tell it's moving at all. It feels stronger than a lot of other knives I have. If anyone tries to slap it out of my hand I'll be sure to post the results if I'm able to. I can barely get the ring all the way on and off my ring finger which I'm guessing is around size 15. I can get the index or middle finger on either hand in to the second joint where it stops like it hit a brick wall. I just checked the size of the hole with a 7/8" HSS twist drill bit like this one and it slid right over the bit, no problem. It's not much bigger than 7/8" but it is a hair or two bigger than that.
P.S. It's Chinese-made but looks really good for Chinese. At first I thought I felt the thumb stud twist back and forth but I guess not.
-
There were a lot of people who were interested in the Provoke knife but not willing to drop 200 bucks on one. So CRKT came out with 2 new ones with Grivory thermoplastic handles for $99. So far the only colors are Orange and Zap. They discontinued the Earth color last year, but have the much better looking Desert Sand. I like that color better than mine. If they made Grivory handles in more tactical type colors, like FDE, stealth gray, black, ranger green or forest, they could sell a lot more IMO. But I think they'd rather sell more $200 knives than $99 knives. If you want tactical colors, pay tacticool prices. If you want cheap prices, get jelly bean colors.
-
Now they have a Provoke with Veff serrations. The Veff serrations pulls fibrous stuff like rope down into them so it cuts REALLY well. Too bad I don't have this one. In sand color.. Grivory. ::) They can't can't please everybody. Maybe that's why I had to buy 3 more knives. ;)
https://www.crkt.com/knife-design/designers/tom-veff-edgeologist/
https://www.crkt.com/provoke-with-veff-serrations.html
-
There's a Provoke Axe coming soon. It's going to be around 350 bucks. I thought they said 300, but I'll probably get one anyway. Can you really put a price on an axe you can carry in your pants pocket and flick open when you need it? ;) It would be better if it was a switchblade. That would have people of Democratic persuasion p***ing their knickers.
https://www.crkt.com/axe/provokex-axe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L28OnjK4jB4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is0VcaeMu0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8pU6O7jgGU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxoyPL7LkHo