By Travis Pike – SOFREP
If someone ever tells you nice watch at a urinal you may want that watch to be the ParaClaw CQD watch. I mean, it might be a compliment, but if its make creep than compliment at least you’ll have a knife on hand. Literally on hand, or well, on the wrist. The ParaClaw series from Outdoor Edge comes as both the original Paracord bracelet as well as the ParaClaw CQD watch. This design gained a lot of attention online, and also a lot of less than reputable rip-offs. Outdoor Edge is the original manufacturer and they are unsurprisingly the only quality option for the ParaClaw.
The core of the design is the Hawkbill blade that’s a mere 1.5 inches long, attached to both a bracelet or watch. Both are made from paracord and the blade hides in the clasp that secures the bracelet or watch around your wrist.
Sneaky Stinger
The ParaClaw is a sneaky little stinger that allows you to carry what has to be the most disguised knife in the world. If the key to proper concealed carry is concealment you don’t get much more concealed than the ParaClaw. These handy knives are designed to be for last-ditch self-defense or even weapon retention tool.
If you get in a pinch and are wrestling over your firearm the position of the Paraclaw on your wrist is convenient. It’s easy to grab, deploy and get into action. It’s not something your opponent would see coming and would allow you to inflict instant damage, and hopefully free your gun up to end the threat. The hawkbill blade is perfect for cutting into the wrist, shoulders, or neck of your opponent.
Outside of just getting your weapon back the ParaClaw acts what’s best described as a concealed carry SOC-P dagger. It creates distances, causes pain, and ends fights. The blade allows you to get the advantage in a ground fight and to change an attackers mind or allow you to gain an advantageous position.
The Blade
The blade is made from Cr13MoV stainless steel so sweat from the wrist won’t cause corrosion. To tag onto that the knife has a very nice Blackstone finish that I really like. The steel itself durable, plenty sharp, but isn’t made for heavy everyday use. It’s not a tool, this is a weapon. You want it to be sharp and ready should the need arise for some close quarters bloodletting. The back of the knife has a thumb rest and jimping to allow you to use your thumb to drive the blade through a target. Its hawkbill design allows it to excel for slashing.
Slashing is certainly how this knife is supposed to be used. It’s a bit short for stabbing, but for well suited for opening up an opponent. Below the edge of the blade is a slight guard to tuck your trigger finger under. This will allow you to exercise the utmost control of the knife, and lower your risk of hurting yourself. You can untangle and unbraid the bracelet and use the blade and sheath in other roles. I’m working them into a sling for my 80 lower receiver AR pistol.
The Handle
The handle is, of course, the weaved paracord that makes up the bracelet or the watch band. Outdoor Edge has the bands hand weaved from paracord. With a weapon like this, you have to keep things into perspective. This isn’t a Ka-Bar, they are both fighting knives but serve different purposes.
The Outdoor Edge Paraclaw is for quick and brutal engagements. It’s not a working knife, but with that in mind, the Paracord handle is actually very comfortable. It’s soft, fills the hand, and is comfortable enough for its intended use.
The Watch
Obviously, the main difference between the watch and the bracelet is one tells time. The CQD watch head is a precisely crafted timepiece with a Japanese quartz movement.
A quartz movement is a very accurate means to tell time, and the use of a battery means no winding. Quartz timepieces are also very durable due to their fewer moving parts. The watch comes in both large and medium bands and the choice between Zinc alloy and stainless steel. The Zinc Alloy model is a bit cheaper, and a very adequate timepiece.
It’s a watch designed for EDC indoors and out. It’s water resistant up to 170 feet for the stainless steel model and a 100 feet for the zinc alloy model. Both have titanium PVD coatings, mineral glass and a glow in the dark lume indexed display.
Complaints?
My only complaint would likely ultimately create a function issue. From a purely looks perspective, I’d like a thinner handle. The bracelet and watch band seem to be a little on the large side and I prefer smaller bands overall. However, a smaller band means a smaller handle and that could compromise the tool as a weapon.
The Paraclaw
The ParaClaw is a unique weapon that will provide you with a hidden blade for those close encounters of the violent kind. The ParaClaw isn’t a main fighting knife, but a way to create distance to escape, reformulate and attack, or to get to a better weapon.
Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine gunner who served with 2nd Bn 2nd Marines for 5 years. He deployed in 2009 to Afghanistan and again in 2011 with the 22nd MEU(SOC) during a record setting 11 months at sea. He’s trained with the Romanian Army, the Spanish Marines, the Emirate Marines and the Afghan National Army. He serves as an NRA certified pistol instructor and teaches concealed carry classes.
