Cardboard Karambit

Recently, I watched a video of a fight between two martial artists. One fought with a combat knife while the other, a Karambit. I was astonished with the quick and fluid moves done by the fighter wielding the Karambit. This video made me feel that I need to learn a few simple Karambit moves. But training with a real one would be really foolish as it can cause really serious injury if used incorrectly. So, I decided to make a model of a Karambit using cardboard for me to practice. I am sure there are other people that there are other people who like video game weapons like the Karambit, so here is the step-by-step tutorial on how you can make one too.

• Cardboard (I used 0.3cm thick cardboard)
• Cardboard Cutter
• Instant Adhesive/ Superglue
• Black Induction Tape
• Pencil
• Pen
• Scale
• Scissors
• A4 Size Paper
• Metallic Paint - Inca Gold 576E
• Printer (For printing a template)

This is the model I made on how the Karambit would look like - using Fusion 360.

You can see an image above this paragraph, that will be the template for cutting cardboard.

How to use this to cut the cardboard?

• Print this template on an A4 size sheet
• Take a piece of cardboard, big enough to fit the A4 sheet onto it
• SPREAD GLUE/ ADHESIVE EVENLY ON THE UNUSED SIDE OF THE A4 SIZE SHEET
• Paste the A4 sheet onto the cardboard

Note: Most cardboards will have a side neater than the other. For me, the cardboard which I used had a clean side and a striped side (showed above). Make sure you stick the paper in the worser side.

Now, it's time to cut the cardboard. I recommend you, use cardboard cutters. They are meant to cut through cardboard with ease, which is much better than scissors. Precautions to take while using cutters -

• Do it slowly
• Keep a cutting board/ mat under the cardboard while cutting
• Have a strong grip on the cutter during the process
• Wear gloves or any other protection to prevent any injury

Take your time and cut all the pieces according to the template neatly.

You might have figured out how the pieces should be glued together. It's pretty simple, there are 9 pieces in total, right now, we only need 5 pieces as labelled in the template - 2 × Blade, 2 × Handle, 1 × Middle - Grip. Now, stick the 2 Blade pieces together, joined by the rough/ side with the template stuck.

Take the 2 Handle pieces and 1 Middle - Grip, I have marked the side of each piece (in the image) so that you know how to glue the pieces together.

Now, glue the Middle-Grip piece on top of a Handle piece. There will be some space left to the top of the Handle piece, you need to stick the blade there.

Take the Handle piece and glue it on top. The model of the Karambit is finished.

Take thin strips of cardboard/ paper, to glue it around the periphery of the model. Stick it all around the model to give it a neat look.

Now take the two unlabeled pieces from the template (2 triangles and 2 pentagonal shapes) and stick it to both sides of the handle - this is done to give the handle a bulky look after the grip (induction tape) is stuck to it, or you can just use the Karambit like this if you don't want the grip.

For the grip, I used induction tape, but you can use any other black tape. I wanted to give it a rubbery feel, which we get from the induction tape. Just wrap the tape around the handle, from the ring till the blade.

To give the blade and the ring a metallic finish, I used metallic paint - (Inca Gold 576E) and generously coated over the cardboard. You can see the metallic shine of the Karambit in the image.

Now, for the final touch, I cut a few shapes of induction tape using the cutter and stuck it to the blade. It was meant to be an emblem of a royal family. 😅

This is the most fun step of this whole project. It is time to start practicing simple tricks with a Karambit. It has only been a day, and I had a lot of fun with it. It is really good for practice. It is also a great fidget toy - you will spin it without even knowing!!!

I had a lot of fun building and sharing this project. This was really easy, yet it was the most fun project I have posted. I would like to thank Instructables for giving me an opportunity to make and share this project. I hope you have made this project and had as much fun as I had.

Happy Building

:)