Reviews and Ratings for Cold Steel 22C Tiger Claw Karambit Folding Knife 3" S35VN Plain Blade, Black G10 Handles

(5 reviews)

4.6 out of 5 stars

5 star

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1 star

Cold Steel 22C Tiger Claw Karambit Folding Knife 3 inch S35VN Plain Blade, Black G10 Handles

Price: $124.95

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Edward
Sherman Oaks, Ca

Jun 07, 2024

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip

Cons: Lock Ease of Use

Well built karambit.

For what it is, it is excellent. Maybe I would have preferred a compression lock even though the triad is the strongest in the biz. Bulkier than I am used to, but practice makes perfect. Also, the triad lock takes getting used to. I can middle finger flick it open with a little wrist fling, I can also whip it out upside down with a little wrist flick w/little effort.(maybe because of synthetic lube). The cpm S35 vn should be good, hopefully it has a good heat treat. Sharp from the factory. Use st. Claire's or some other lube on the pivot and triad lock pivot bar.

Aj
NC

Mar 09, 2021

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Pocket Clip

I love this stupid knife

Oh man, this thing is ridiculous. It's my first wave-able folder, and I love it. Can it be opened one-handed in any other way? No, of course not, why would you want to? It's too much fun to whip it out. It's surprisingly light for its size, in my opinion. The G-10 has a very nice feel, not too rough, not too slippery. Boy, this thing turns heads when you open it. That loud snap of the lock engaging, and then the size of it. Yes, this handle is too large to use the retention ring the way you might with a traditional karambit. No, I don't care. Spinning it into extended grip makes me feel like I'm holding a small spear. It's silly. I love it. Speaking of the retention ring, it's nice and smooth, unlike the one on a cheap chinese knockoff karambit I tried. Don't worry, it's my money I wasted, not yours. The ring is also a little too large, but that matches the rest of this knife. Maybe it would fit like a glove if I were wearing some. The pocket clip kinda sucks, but I don't use pocket clips anyway. A little too strong and a little too little. I'll probably take it off when I get around to it. I wasn't expecting a chisel grind because I don't see it mentioned anywhere in the description, but it's probably for the best. Who wants to sharpen TWO sides of a karambit? Not that I expect to need to sharpen it any time soon. Final verdict: Don't buy this knife. I want it to still be in stock when my willpower collapses and I need another one. Don't buy the serrated version either, I'll probably want that, too.

Nathan
Alberta

Jun 12, 2021

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Lock Ease of Use

Absolute HOG of a knife

I didn't think I'd enjoy this knife anywhere near as much as I do. Visually, it's such a striking piece, really a head turner. Very light for it's size, the fit and feel is almost immaculate. Surprisingly ergonomic considering how straight the handle is. G10 is textured very nicely, grippy but not too coarse. Size wise, the handle I find is perfect. Seen a few people ragging on it being too big but this is done deliberatey to accommodate multiple grips. That being said, in the traditional reverse/ice-pick grip, the elongated handle actually gives you an extra 2 or so inches of reach on top of the colossal 4 3/8" blade. The Hawkbill style blade is honestly one of the least curved/hooked blades I've seen on a karambit, allowing this knife to serve more utilitarian purposes. The "wave" feature on the spine is definitely usable, albeit a little tricky to perfect. Not nearly as effortless as the Emerson but when this does work it feels fantastic, let alone looks and sounds very intimidating. The famous Tri-Ad lock is one of the highlights of this knife. You hear all the time about how bulletproof it is, but to actually have it in your hands and feel the snap of the blade locking into place is a different story. This lock is BULLETPROOF. Though I will admit even I, with my monstrous hands have a hard time closing the blade because of how stiff the lock disengage is. The retention ring is purposefully oversized just like everything else on this knife. Made to accommodate use with gloves. Due to its thin profile and how lightweight it is, you can absolutely flip and flail this guy around if you know what you're doing. All in all, this is a fantastic quality karambit. I find myself unable to put it down for more than half an hour; well worth every penny to this enthusiast.

Richard
Hollidaysburg, Pa

Mar 13, 2020

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight, Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use

Great quality, strong, durable, not really a tactical Karambit.

Like most Cold Steel products, this knife is constructed to survive an atomic explosion. By sacrificing a modicum of ease at open & close, you get a bulletproof frame and a lock mechanism that is consistent and virtually failure proof. The edge on that fancy S35VN steel is ground perfectly, the knife weighted and balanced very well. Unless your hand is absolutely enormous, however, it does not perform well as a tactical karambit (in fact, few folding karambits do). One-hand open will leave the knife with the point down, not up, and your index finger resting comfortably in the groove. That's exactly what you want for say, cutting rope (although you'd want a serrated edge, ideally, for that) or heavy fishing net. With the knife reversed in a tactical grip, however, and your pinky won't be anywhere close to the groove. The handle is way too long for comfort, and the weight that felt perfect in a down-point grip now lends a sluggishness to your flip. It's really just not nimble enough to use as a combat karambit.

Nate
,

Jun 24, 2023

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Pocket Clip

It’s bigger than you think

This thing is an absolute beast, the box it comes in makes it look like any other pocket knife but this thing takes up the ENTIRE box it comes in. I have fairly large hands (xl gloves) and this thing dwarfs my hand. When my pinky is in the ring my index finger is still almost 1” from the upper finger choil. Size out of the way, it’s an awesome knife. It s razor sharp out of the box albeit with a fairly strange “1 side heavy” grind (think chisel). The triad lock is as secure as they claim and the more the knife is used the more secure it gets in the lock. The lock gets fairly stiff if used heavily so be prepared to have to use some force to open it. The finger ring is very large, great for gloves but not so much if you aren’t wearing them, the ring can fit my thumb in it with room to spare. For its size it is very lightweight, definitely added to my surprise when I opened the box to find a 6” long knife sitting there. The Emerson wave works pretty well though is a little touchy, you have to pull backwards a little more than other Emerson’s I own (and I own 11). The only reason this thing isn’t 5 stars is because it is an absolute pocket hog and the pocket clip. It’s like carrying a second phone in my pocket and with the pocket clip about 2” sticks out of your pocket. As far as the clip goes it was nearly impossible to put on a belt/pant pocket out of the box, they put an inwards bend on the end of the clip that makes clipping it on extremely hard. I ended up bending it back with a Vice and it works great now.

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