On the FB page, I'm hearing things like "clinch pick" etc, and I want to know what I don't know. School me up!!
Just to answer this directly: This is a Clinch Pick,
http://store.tripleaughtdesign.com/ShivWorks-Clinch-Pick
Designed by Craig Douglas (aka "southnarc") as a tool for close quarters, to increase advantage, defend the gun, solve problems of accessibility etc. The edge is reversed, so that offending limbs can be hooked and sheared, to clear the body line; And so that thrusts can be, in effect, cycled with an upwards pull on the withdraw, using the muscles of the back to pull and tear (vs. conventional edge orientations which typically rely on pushing motions).
Craig/ShivWorks is highly recommended for training with, particularly on knife stuff.
I vastly prefer this sort of knife (of either edge orientation, or a push dagger... mm, push dagger); Small, fixed blade, and carried forward of the hip. Some explanation of this, more articulate than I can offer, was posted years back by the late Paul Gomex, in this thread:
http://www.bayoushooter.com/forums/...sitioned-rapidly-accessible-fixed-blade-knife (Hopefully it's not gauche to link another forum here... The article exists nowhere else but forums, as far as I can tell, and as much as I'd like to ask Paul to post it...)
Another article, covering some of the same ground, but from Chris Fry of MDTS:
http://www.mdtstraining.com/small-fixed-blades/
And more food for thought from Chris:
http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/off-centerline-tool-carry/
Chris is another trainer I'd recommend for blades in general. Neither he nor Craig are specific karambit guys, but rather generalists with strong approaches.
My thoughts (just so I'm not doing nothing but posting links):
I think that smaller (sub 4" blade) fixed blade knives are the way to go, particularly carried forward of the hip.
Sheaths should allow a full fighting grip on the knife, from the outset of the drawstroke (just like you'd want in a handgun holster).
Folders are sub-optimal because of manipulation needs; The best you can do is a "Waved" folder, with the Emerson type catch on the spine that deploys the blade as you draw it from the pocket, requiring less fiddlefucking. And even those aren't as reliable or sure as a fixed blade.
Skills wise: Skill will always trump gear, even here. Any knife will do if you'll do.
Knives are a tool for problem solving in asymmetrical kissing distance violence. The idea of "knife fighting", a knife on knife duel, is a fantasy. You'll have a knife, and he'll have whatever, but no one is squaring off and having a knife fight unless they've done every single thing wrong since they put on pants that morning, culminating in agreeing to have a challenge match knife duel. Asymmetrical is the word for good knife skills.
In general, I'd suggest avoiding flashy knife work. Access is the biggest difficulty with a knife: Beware of trainers that do not spend a good amount of time on robust skills for fighting your way to the knife (striking, positional dominance, in fight weapons access). If all they do is start with the knife drawn, they're skipping the actually most difficult part of the fight. Using a knife is brute simple; Look at how the guys who put hurt on people with edges/pointed weapons all the time (cons) do it, and then compare that to the "flavor of the month" instructor in "knife fighting", and beware the overly fancy.
Focus on access: Strong striking and positional dominance skills, leading into strong access and then very direct and brutal application of blade to body, with intent/working to achieve desired goals.
Also, beware (beware, beware) of the very popular idea in "knife fighting" that you can cut particular muscle groups, or target particular parts, and stop someone from attacking by disabling their limbs with such targeted cutting. Called Biomechanical Cutting, and a few other things, the idea is rife with fallacies, despite it's popularity. Having been in EMS off and on for ten years, and worked in environments where I've seen a lot of cut injuries (agriculture, studio art, metal fabrication), there is absolutely no merit to the idea that you can cut someone just right to make them immobile. Not unless you've brought a machete and are taking off limbs. It's a popular idea, and it has absolutely nothing to substantiate it, and lots of evidence to the contrary. Again; The fancier is it, the further away from simple it gets, the more suspect it becomes, with knife combatives.
