Knife Deep Dive: Fox 599 Karambit Review

Knife Deep Drive: Fox 599 Karambit.

Where does the Karambit come from?

The karambit is a very old knife shape. So old, in fact, that Indonesia and the Philippines both dispute where it came from. However, they agree on one thing: that it was originally used as a pruning/gardening tool. Only later was it used as a weapon, where it thrives in the popular media. It is known for its roles in movies such as The Raid 2 and video games such as CS:GO (Counter Strike: Global Offensive) and many others.

There are many variations of karambits, but the most common blade shape is a hawkbill: an inward curved blade. They were traditionally made that way because it would resemble a tiger's claw. It can be single or double sided in its design, but it will always have the retention ring. The karambit is designed to be held in reverse grip with the index finger passing through the ring. This way you can grab what you're doing without dropping the knife.

There are many modern interpretations of the karambit, but the Fox 599 is a modern knife that captures the karambit fantastically. Made by Fox Knives in Maniago, Italy, it has everything you'd expect from a pocket knife mixed with everything you'd expect from a karambit, with some added bonuses. One of those bonuses is the Emerson opener.

What kind of locking mechanism does the Fox 599 Karambit have?

The Emerson opener, or the "wave", is the hook on the spine of the blade. When you pull the knife out of the pocket, the hook catches the edge of your pants and deploys the knife in front of you. This is probably the quickest and easiest way to open a pocket knife right now, as it's half open before it's out of your pocket!

What is the difference between the Fox 599 Karambit and the Fox 479 Karambit?

The 599 has been referred to as Fox's "mini" karambit. This can be misleading as it is not really mini. It's called that because the 479 was the first and is a larger version. The 479 would better suit people who have large fingers or wear gloves when working with their knife. Other options include: aluminum shells (478), titanium/carbon fiber shells (599TiC), straight tanto blade (597DART) and trainer (blunt edge) versions (599TK/597TK).

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