Ernest Emerson
Encyclopedia
Ernest R. Emerson is an American
custom knifemaker
, martial artist
, and edged-weapons expert. Originally an engineer and machinist in the aerospace
industry, Emerson became a knifemaker known for making decorative knives but later became better known for his combat knives, eventually founding a production company to mass-produce his designs, and popularizing a style of knife known as the Tactical-folder. Emerson's knives have been displayed as museum pieces, designed for use by Navy SEALs
, and used by NASA
in outer space
. Emerson's knives have been featured in films and novels, furthering their popularity with collectors
.
Emerson is an accomplished martial artist who has developed a combatives
system, Emerson Combat Systems, which has been taught to police officer
s, elite military units
, and civilians.
. While attending high school he displayed athletic ability as a wrestler
and baseball
player, being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
to play professional baseball at the age of 17 in the Midwest League
.
Emerson began his training in martial arts at the age of 16 with the Korean version of Judo
known as Yudo, traveling from Wisconsin to Minnesota
twice a week to attend school. He continued his study of the martial arts while attending the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse where he earned a brown belt in Kyokushinkai Karate
and a black belt
in Shotokan Karate while competing on the university's karate team. After graduating with degrees in physical education
and world history, Emerson moved to Southern California
for the sole purpose of continuing his martial arts training at the Filipino Kali Academy.a There he studied Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do
, and Eskrima
under the tutelage of Dan Inosanto
and Richard Bustillo
(both protégés of the late Bruce Lee
).a According to Emerson, he could barely afford the US$
12.50 monthly dues, and performed maintenance and janitorial duties in exchange for instruction.b Emerson subsequently trained in Gracie Jiu Jitsu for three years at the original Gracie Academy in Torrance, California
, under the founders of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu system, Rorion and Royce Gracie
. Eventually, Emerson became an instructor in his own right and combined the principles of all these systems. It was in Southern California where he met his wife, Mary, who at the time was one of the world's top female practitioners of Jujutsu
. During this time, Emerson worked as a technician, a machine operator, and eventually a design engineer for Hughes Aircraft
in El Segundo
.
Although Emerson credits his grandfather's gift of a Barlow knife to him at the age of eight years with starting his interest in knives, it was not until later in life that he turned to making them. The summer of 1978 found Emerson in need of a balisong knife
for his study of a Filipino martial art and, unable to afford one on his salary, Emerson decided he would attempt to make his own instead. He milled
and drilled the handles from aluminum
stock; the knife's blade was a simple steel blank that he hand cut with a hacksaw
, shaped with files
, and heat treated at his dining room table with a butane
torch.
When he started classes with this "homemade" knife, his instructors and fellow students were impressed with his handiwork and asked him to make knives for them.c Emerson did so and sold these early butterfly knives for just the cost of materials, but he soon raised the price to $50 each, as demand for his knives increased. Emerson went on to make fixed-blade knives on a part-time basis, but upon seeing a Michael Walker
handmade folding knife at a gun show, he was so impressed by the quality and design that he decided he was going to make folding pocketknives
from that point on.d Emerson contacted Walker and obtained his permission to use the Walker Linerlock
mechanism on his own knives.
variety, ground by the stock removal
method, and utilized rare materials from the aerospace
industry, including titanium
, carbon fiber
, micarta
, and meteorite
.e He incorporated exotic materials common to knifemakers of the time, including mother-of-pearl
, abalone
shell, paua
shell, staghorn, and rare hardwoods. Writer Paul Basch reported in 1990 that Emerson refused to use the parts of any animal or plant which was an endangered species
, noting Emerson as being an environmentally conscious knifemaker. The steel used in these blades was typically graded
ATS-34, AEB-L, or 440C, and the blades were either highly polished or hand-rubbed. Emerson made knives with Damascus steel
blades. Among custom knife collectors and purveyors today, these knives are known as the "Pre-Tac" (Pre-Tactical) models. They can be identified by their bright anodized
titanium bolsters and liners and the predominant use of clip point blades. The knives were noted for their close tolerances and precise locking mechanisms. Emerson credits the following knifemakers for helping him along during his early years as a knifemaker: Michael Walker, Clint Breshears, Bob Engnath, and Jim Ferguson.
Emerson's first logo or stamp on these knives was "Emerson Knives" surrounding the outline of a Bowie knife
; accordingly this is referred to as the rare "Bowie Logo", appearing on only a very small number of knives. When a knife collector asked Emerson if he made Bowie knives, Emerson informed him that he did not. The collector then advised him to change his logo or he might confuse the knife-buying public, as they would ask for Bowie knives instead of linerlock folders. Emerson agreed with this assessment, dropping the knife outline and the word "knives" from his stamp, using just his name in a half-circle on the blade as a logo. This marking is known among collectors as the "Half-Moon Logo" and would appear again as a transitional mark between the Viper and Specwar lines of knives.
These early knives sold for between $800 and $2,000 each; that, combined with his appearances at knife shows and write-ups in knife magazines, helped Emerson gain status and credibility as a custom knifemaker. Once established as a serious and reputable maker, Emerson was soon able to concentrate on making the knives he wanted to make—knives designed for use as opposed to show, specifically folding-knives designed for combat.
As a direct result of watching his fellow martial artists train with a fixed-blade fighting knife in class, yet carry some type of a folding knife when they left the training area, Emerson decided there was a need for a sturdy folding knife designed primarily for combat. Although Emerson had always maintained that the knives he made were built as fighting knives first and foremost, in October 1988 he stripped down five of these designs to simpler materials. He continued his use of linen or canvas micarta because of its high tensile strength and superior gripping surface when wet; he decided on black or dark grey for the color instead of the brighter colors used previously. He retained the titanium for the liners and bolsters but chose to bead-blast them a flat grey matte color as opposed to the colorful anodizing which used to appear on his knives. The reasons for using titanium were its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance.
Emerson ground the blades of these knives from ATS-34 steel with a Rockwell hardness
of 57–59 and made them thicker toward the tip, creating a stronger-tipped blade than he had made previously. He bead-blasted the blades as he did the liners and bolsters instead of rubbing or polishing them, giving them a matte finish as opposed to the mirror-polished finish common on his earlier knives. Emerson designed each one of these knives for a specific purpose. The slender Viper 1 and smaller Viper 2 were designed for use as a police officer's backup weapon. The Viper 5 was designed to be used by naval boat crews, as the handle was contoured with a rear brake so as to not slip from the user's hand when wet.
Emerson's goal for this Viper line was to produce a working knife which would be more resistant to the elements and more durable than the "art knives" for which he had become known. These knives were created to satisfy the demand for a practical field-grade combat knife which could be carried discreetly and accessed quickly. He sold these five models under the name "Viper Knives" and changed the logo on the blades to read the same.f Emerson makes these models to this day on a custom basis under the names MV1–5, "MV" standing for "Model Viper".
In the mid-1980s individual Navy SEALs
from a West Coast
team had been using personally purchased custom fixed-blade knives made by Southern California knifemaker Phill Hartsfield
. Hartsfield's knives were hard ground from differentially heat-treated A2 tool steel and are known for their distinctive chisel
-ground blades. More accurately, they are zero ground; that is, the edge has no secondary bevel
, minimizing drag when used for cutting purposes. Emerson had long been impressed by the cutting ability of the chisel-ground edge and had asked Hartsfield's permission to incorporate it into his own folding knives, which Hartsfield granted. When the SEALs asked Hartsfield to make them a folding knife, he informed them that he did not make folding knives and referred them to Emerson.
According to the SEALs' requirements, the knife had to be corrosion resistant, designed for easy cleaning in the field, durable enough to be used on a daily basis as a tool, and capable as a weapon should the need arise. Emerson's folding chisel-ground "tantō" became the sixth model in his Viper series and, while a handful of prototypes were referred to as "Viper 6", the model was soon named the "CQC-6
" (CQC refers to close-quarters combat) and was chosen by the SEALs for use.g Ownership of a CQC-6 soon became something of a status symbol among members of various elite military units, including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces
, German GSG 9
, and British SAS
.hij Because of this connection to the Special Warfare community, Emerson changed the name of his custom knife line to "Specwar Knives", and in 1996 this new designation began appearing in the logo on his blades.
Other models followed in the Specwar line bearing the CQC Series moniker, including the CQC-7 which is another chisel-ground tantō-bladed folder similar to the CQC-6 but with a saber-type handle shape. The CQC-8 ("Banana Knife") was a folder inspired by Bob Taylor's Warrior Knife and William F. Moran
's ST-9 is used by British SAS troops. The knife has the distinction of being the first folding knife that was designed to be ergonomically
correct in both forward and reverse grip. Its users refer to it as "the finest fighting knife ever developed". The CQC-9 ("Eagle Knife") is a reverse-curved hawkbill blade developed as a backup weapon for an American law enforcement agency; it has an opening hole in the blade licensed from knife manufacturer Spyderco
. Although Emerson has standard models for these custom knives which progress in order to CQC16, each one is made individually by hand.
While not the first knifemaker to build what is known as a tactical folding knife, Emerson was one of several makers who popularized the concept of the handmade tactical folder in the 1990s. Emerson's knives began appearing in the Rogue Warrior
series of novels written by the founder of the US Navy's SEAL Team Six, Richard Marcinko
, at this time which helped fuel interest among collectors.
This surge in interest for Emerson's knives soon became overwhelming. Although he had been making knives full time since 1994, Emerson was still manufacturing these knives in his home garage workshop three years later. As Emerson watched his customers' wait time expand from two years to seven, he realized that the demand for his handmade blades was far outpacing his ability to produce them. The first method to bridge this gap between supply and demand would be through factory collaborations with established cutlery companies.
Emerson's first collaboration with a knife manufacturer was with Timberline Knives in 1993 for his SPECWAR model.k This model featured a one-side chisel-ground tantō blade almost 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) thick. Its handle was made from fiberglass-reinforced nylon molded around a near-full tang. Vaughn Neeley of Timberline designed the sheath. The knife was originally a custom piece designed for Naval Special Warfare Group One, and this factory version was soon entered in the trials for the Navy SEALs knife in 1995.l Although it was not chosen by the Navy, the Emerson-Neeley SPECWAR knife won Blade Magazine
s 1995 American Made Knife of the Year Award at the magazine's Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia
, that same year and was displayed as an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art
in New York City
from May 24 to August 15, 1995.
In 1994 the president of Benchmade Knives
, Les DeAsis, approached Emerson to manufacture the CQC-6 on a larger scale as a factory production model. Preferring to keep the CQC-6 as a custom-only knife, Emerson instead licensed a similar design of his, the CQC-7.
The Benchmade factory version was sold under the model name BM970 or BM975 depending on blade length. Other designations followed which denoted blade finish, manual or automatic opening, or partially serrated blade. The knife retained the profile of Emerson's custom piece in addition to the ATS-34 steel and the titanium liners. However, on Benchmade's offering the titanium bolsters and micarta
scales were replaced with G10 fiberglass
scales, the slotted screws were replaced by Torx
head screw
s, and the pocket clip was repositioned so that the knife could be carried in the pocket in a tip-down position.
Despite these changes the knife was true to Emerson's original design, and even though it did not have the craftsmanship of a handmade piece of cutlery it satisfied customers with their own version of Emerson's work at a lower price point and without the five-year wait.
(Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show in January 2000.
Emerson continued to collaborate with other companies on knife-related projects as his own company grew. In some cases these collaborators had become his competition, such as Gerber Knives
. In 2002 Emerson collaborated with Gerber Knives to create both companies' first automatic opening knife
, the Gerber-Emerson Alliance.m In that same year, Emerson collaborated with SureFire Flashlights
by making an exclusive CQC-8 (Banana Knife) numbered and marked with the SureFire logo and sold with an identically numbered Emerson-marked Centurion C2 CombatLight. In 2005 Emerson collaborated with Andy Prisco, the CEO of the American Tomahawk Company, to produce the CQC-T Tomahawk
. This tomahawk features a curved head machined from 4140 steel with a rear spike and a lightweight fiberglass handle. Although not made by Emerson, the tomahawk was designed by him. In 2007, Emerson announced a collaboration with custom knifemaker and knife thrower Bobby Branton. The collaboration piece is a fixed-blade knife designed primarily for knife throwing
dubbed the BETT: Branton-Emerson Tactical Thrower.
One of Emerson's earliest production models, the Commander
(winner of Blade Magazines Overall Knife of the Year Award for 1999), is a large recurve folding knife based on a special custom design, the ES1-M, that he had made for a West Coast Navy SEAL Team. The Commander has a hook on the spine of the blade (originally designed as a blade catcher) which, when snagged on the edge of the pocket or sheath causes the knife blade to open as it is drawn. Emerson called this innovation the Wave and secured a patent for it in March 1999. Emerson's Wave made its way onto most of his knives both in the production and custom lines, with the exception of the Viper models. It is a required feature on all knives that Emerson supplies to military units, search and rescue units, and law enforcement agencies.
After a disastrous helicopter
crash in 1999 resulting in the deaths of six Marines
and one sailor, the US Navy
performed an assessment of their equipment and decided among other things that they needed a new search and rescue knife. The KA-BAR
knives issued to the SBUs (Special Boat Units) had catastrophically failed to cut the Marines free from their webbing.
The Navy went to Emerson, who designed and fabricated a working prototype within 24 hours. They found that it met their needs, and the model was dubbed the "SARK
" (Search and Rescue Knife). The SARK is a folding knife with a wharncliffe-style blade and a blunt tip designed so a rescuer could cut trapped victims free without stabbing them. The knife features Emerson's Wave.n Seeing another need in the police
community, Emerson replaced the blunt end of the SARK with a pointed end and named it the "P-SARK", or Police Search And Rescue Knife. The Ontario, California
Police Department consulted Emerson to produce written policy for the carry and deployment of the P-SARK knives in their department. In 2005, the Navy changed the requirements on the SARK to incorporate a guthook on the back of the blade for use as a line-cutter. Emerson made the change on this model which is only available to the US Navy and the model designation is the NSAR (Navy Search And Rescue) Knife.
In 1999, NASA
contracted Emerson to build a knife for use on Space Shuttle
missions and the International Space Station
. Rather than design a new model from scratch, NASA chose an existing model which already met their specifications, with one additional design requirement. The model is a folding version of the Specwar knife that Emerson had designed for Timberline with the addition of a guthook cut into the tantō
point of the blade with which astronaut
s could open their freeze dried
food packages
. The knife is not available for purchase outside of NASA.
On July 1, 2000, Emerson announced his semi-retirement from custom knifemaking in order to concentrate on this new production company and to fill the thousands of outstanding orders for his custom work. He still makes custom knives available for sale at knife shows, but takes no orders for new custom work. Since 1995 the only way to get a new custom knife from Emerson himself is through a lottery
held at knife shows where he is present. Depending on the size of the show, as many as several hundred potential buyers write their names on individual pieces of paper at his booth, and at a predetermined time a name is drawn. The winner gets a chance to buy one of the custom knives brought to the show.o
In 2007, Emerson branched out in a new direction, announcing he would manufacture twelve custom electric guitar
s per year. His first guitar debuted at Blade Magazines Blade Show in Atlanta
in June 2007. In 2008, Emerson opened a clothing company called "Emerson Brand Apparel" specializing in MMA and casual clothing. In 2009 at the annual NRA
Convention, Emerson announced a collaboration with custom pistol manufacturer Les Baer
to produce a custom M1911
pistol built to Emerson's specifications with a semi-custom (handground blade) folding knife named the "CQC-45"(out of sequence from the CQC series as the number relates to the caliber of the pistol). In late 2009, Emerson announced a collaboration with Spike's Tactical to produce an M-4 Carbine based upon his specifications for training, chambered in .22 long rifle and in 5.56 NATO; with a matching folding knife designated the "CQC-22" (out of sequence from the CQC series as the number relates to the caliber of the rifle).
In September 2010, Emerson announced a collaboration with Pro-Tech Knives
to produce an automatic opening version of the CQC-7. In November 2010, Emerson's Roadhouse Knife won Knives Illustrated's American Made Knife of 2010-2011 Award at the Spirit of Steel Show in Knoxville, TN. According to Emerson, the knife will be used as a prop on the Sons of Anarchy
Television Show.
In January 2011, at the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade) Show in Las Vegas, NV, Emerson debuted a new knife model designed in collaboration with Kelly McCann
known as the Canis.
, Scott Glenn
's character carried a mother-of-pearl handled, one-of-a-kind Emerson CQC6. Emerson Ravens, neck knives, and the Commander knife were used as props in the short-lived UPN television series Soldier of Fortune, Inc.
A Commander knife was used by the character of Zak in the 1998 movie Placebo Effect
; Emerson Knives is thanked in the film credits for the knife.
Ridley Scott
's 2001 film Black Hawk Down portrayed soldiers carrying Emerson folding knives in the hangar scene, and in Tears of the Sun
the Kandahar model appeared on Bruce Willis
' character's web gear, and other actors were seen with Emerson Police Utility Knives. Emerson Karambits, La Griffes, and Police Utility Knives are often used as weapons or rescue tools on the television show Burn Notice
. Frank Castle
used an Emerson Karambit to kill an opponent in one of the final scenes in The Punisher
. Transporter 2
briefly showed an Emerson fixed-blade Kandahar knife in the trunk of Jason Statham
's car along with other weapons as props. An Emerson La Griffe was featured in the 2007 film: Doomsday
.
In the Russian movie 12
a remake of the classic Twelve Angry Men
, an "Emerson CQC-7" is revealed as the potential weapon used by a Chechen teen in the murder of his Russian foster-parents. However, the knife shown in the movie is not a CQC-7 or even an Emerson made knife.
Emerson's knives are mentioned in mystery, spy, military, action, and adventure novels. At least seven of Richard Marcinko
's Rogue Warrior novels (Red Cell
, Green Team, Task Force Blue, Detachment Bravo, SEAL Force Alpha, Violence of Action and Holy Terror) prominently make mention of Emerson's knives (CQC-6 or CQC-7) as a regularly carried piece of equipment.p The protagonist, Marcinko, uses an Emerson CQC-6 or CQC-7 on various occasions. On page 175 of Task Force Blue, Marcinko remarks that his CQC-6 was a "personal gift from Ernie Emerson, himself".q
New York Times
bestselling author David Morrell
's novel The Protector not only has the main character, a former Delta Force
operator named Cavanaugh, using an Emerson CQC-7 knife, but the cover art itself is a photographic illustration of a blood-stained Emerson CQC-7. Cavanaugh uses the knife in combat as well as in many rigorous cutting chores. The author claims Emerson is "the best manufacturer of tactical knives" as well as a "top level blade instructor for elite military and law-enforcement units".r In an interview with British E-Zine Shots : The Crime and Mystery Ezine, Morrell indicated that he injured his collarbone during an Emerson knife-fighting course while performing research for the novel.s Morrell went on to include Emerson's knives in his books Creepers and The Spy Who Came for Christmas.
Three of Marcus Wynne's novels (Warrior in the Shadows, No Other Option, Brothers in Arms) feature use of Emerson's knives by the main characters. The CQC-7, Commander, and La Griffe are favored by the main characters and are used as defensive weapons throughout the books. Barry Eisler
's fictional hired killer John Rain uses an Emerson Comrade CQC-12, a folding knife based on the AK-47
bayonet
, in The Last Assassin. The characters of S.M. Gunn's novels based on Naval Special Warfare, Navy SEALs, and submarine
s routinely carry Emerson's knives. One of the main characters carries an Emerson custom MV-1 Viper knife in the book SEALs SubStrike.
Retired Navy SEAL and SEAL Team 6 Plankholder Dennis Chalker
routinely puts Emerson's knives (CQC-7s and Commanders) into the hands of the heroes of his Home Team novels based on the exploits of former Naval Special Warfare Operators. Emerson's CQC-7 has made its way into the Clive Cussler
novel, Plague Ship
.
, which has been taught to hundreds of law enforcement agencies, members of the U.S. military, and civilians.
The system is based upon the recognition of two factors: the human body's physiological
response to stress
and its reduction to the use of gross motor skills. According to Emerson, the techniques are based upon the physical and instinctual laws that govern the survival instincts and physical function of a human being.
This system is characterized by training as realistically as possible (not training in workout gear for example) and using flowing, dynamic concepts (for example, integrated fightingt and weapon transitionu) with a strong emphasis placed on overall physical fitness. Emerson maintains he does not teach a "martial art" encumbered by ritual or sporting aspects but a combatives system where the goal is more than simple self defense.v
Emerson has been consulted as a technical advisor to television and movie productions including National Geographic, specifically the program Fight Science
, due in part to his position as the Hand To Hand Combat Instructor for Harry Humphries
' Global Studies Group Incorporated, a company that teaches police and military tactics to law enforcement agencies and film production crews.w
Emerson has written over 30 articles on hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, history, and knifemaking for publications including Human Events
, Blade Magazine
, American Cop Magazine, Martial Arts Experts, Journal of Modern Combatives, Inside Kung-Fu, Black Belt Magazine, Police Magazine, and American Handgunner
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
custom knifemaker
Knifemaking
Knife making is the process of manufacturing a knife by any one or a combination of processes: stock removal, forging to shape, welded lamination or investment cast. Typical metals used come from the carbon steel, tool, or stainless steel families...
, martial artist
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, and edged-weapons expert. Originally an engineer and machinist in the aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
industry, Emerson became a knifemaker known for making decorative knives but later became better known for his combat knives, eventually founding a production company to mass-produce his designs, and popularizing a style of knife known as the Tactical-folder. Emerson's knives have been displayed as museum pieces, designed for use by Navy SEALs
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
, and used by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
in outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
. Emerson's knives have been featured in films and novels, furthering their popularity with collectors
Knife collecting
Knife collecting is a hobby which includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining knives. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating an assortment of different knives...
.
Emerson is an accomplished martial artist who has developed a combatives
Combatives
Combatives is a United States Army term for hand-to-hand combat training and techniques.-History:Militaries have long taught unarmed combat, both as physical conditioning and as a supplement to armed combat. Among the samurai of Japan, such combatives were known as Bujutsu...
system, Emerson Combat Systems, which has been taught to police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s, elite military units
United States Special Operations Forces
United States Special Operations Forces under United States Special Operations Command are active and reserve component forces of U.S. Military...
, and civilians.
Background
Ernest Emerson was born on March 7, 1955 in northern WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. While attending high school he displayed athletic ability as a wrestler
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
to play professional baseball at the age of 17 in the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
.
Emerson began his training in martial arts at the age of 16 with the Korean version of Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
known as Yudo, traveling from Wisconsin to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
twice a week to attend school. He continued his study of the martial arts while attending the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse where he earned a brown belt in Kyokushinkai Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
in Shotokan Karate while competing on the university's karate team. After graduating with degrees in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
and world history, Emerson moved to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
for the sole purpose of continuing his martial arts training at the Filipino Kali Academy.a There he studied Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial arts system and life philosophy founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, non classical and straightforward movements. Due to the way his style works they believe in minimal movement with maximum effect and extreme speed. The system works on the use of...
, and Eskrima
Eskrima
Eskrima is the umbrella term for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines, which emphasize weapon-based fighting with sticks, knives and other bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons...
under the tutelage of Dan Inosanto
Dan Inosanto
Daniel Arca Inosanto is a Filipino-American martial arts instructor from California who is best known as a student of the late Bruce Lee and authority on Jeet Kune Do Concepts.-Martial arts:...
and Richard Bustillo
Richard Bustillo
Richard S Bustillo is an Filipino-American martial arts instructor from Hawaii who was a student of the late Bruce Lee and an authority on Jeet Kune Do Concepts and Filipino Martial Arts.-Martial arts:...
(both protégés of the late Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
).a According to Emerson, he could barely afford the US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
12.50 monthly dues, and performed maintenance and janitorial duties in exchange for instruction.b Emerson subsequently trained in Gracie Jiu Jitsu for three years at the original Gracie Academy in Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, under the founders of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu system, Rorion and Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
. Eventually, Emerson became an instructor in his own right and combined the principles of all these systems. It was in Southern California where he met his wife, Mary, who at the time was one of the world's top female practitioners of Jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
. During this time, Emerson worked as a technician, a machine operator, and eventually a design engineer for Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
in El Segundo
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
.
Early knifemaking
Balisong (knife)
A Butterfly knife, also known as a fan knife or Balisong, is a folding pocket knife with two handles counter-rotating around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles. It is sometimes called a Batangas knife, after the Tagalog province of Batangas in the...
for his study of a Filipino martial art and, unable to afford one on his salary, Emerson decided he would attempt to make his own instead. He milled
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
and drilled the handles from aluminum
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
stock; the knife's blade was a simple steel blank that he hand cut with a hacksaw
Hacksaw
A hacksaw is a fine-tooth saw with a blade under tension in a frame, used for cutting materials such as metal or plastics. Hand-held hacksaws consist of a metal arch with a handle, usually a pistol grip, with pins for attaching a narrow disposable blade. A screw or other mechanism is used to put...
, shaped with files
File (tool)
A file is a metalworking and woodworking tool used to cut fine amounts of material from a workpiece. It most commonly refers to the hand tool style, which takes the form of a steel bar with a case hardened surface and a series of sharp, parallel teeth. Most files have a narrow, pointed tang at one...
, and heat treated at his dining room table with a butane
Butane
Butane is a gas with the formula C4H10 that is an alkane with four carbon atoms. The term may refer to any of two structural isomers, or to a mixture of them: in the IUPAC nomenclature, however, butane refers only to the unbranched n-butane isomer; the other one being called "methylpropane" or...
torch.
When he started classes with this "homemade" knife, his instructors and fellow students were impressed with his handiwork and asked him to make knives for them.c Emerson did so and sold these early butterfly knives for just the cost of materials, but he soon raised the price to $50 each, as demand for his knives increased. Emerson went on to make fixed-blade knives on a part-time basis, but upon seeing a Michael Walker
Michael Walker (knifemaker)
Michael Leon Walker is an American custom knife maker and sculptor based in Taos, New Mexico. Walker is the inventor of over 20 different knife mechanisms including the Walker Linerlock which he secured a trademark for in 1980...
handmade folding knife at a gun show, he was so impressed by the quality and design that he decided he was going to make folding pocketknives
Pocket knife
A pocket knife is a folding knife with one or more blades that fit inside the handle that can still fit in a pocket. It is also known as a jackknife or jack-knife...
from that point on.d Emerson contacted Walker and obtained his permission to use the Walker Linerlock
Walker Linerlock
The Walker Linerlock is a locking system developed by custom knifemaker Michael Walker in 1980 for use on folding knives.When the blade of the knife is in the opened position, it is held in place by a leaf spring that butts up against the tang of the blade to prevent the blade from closing...
mechanism on his own knives.
Pre-tactical models
Emerson's early folding knives were of the linerlockWalker Linerlock
The Walker Linerlock is a locking system developed by custom knifemaker Michael Walker in 1980 for use on folding knives.When the blade of the knife is in the opened position, it is held in place by a leaf spring that butts up against the tang of the blade to prevent the blade from closing...
variety, ground by the stock removal
Stock removal
High stock removal is a technological process with the goal to remove large / substantial amounts of material. The quantity of material, which can be removed in a specific process, depends on the material properties and the machining tool used.-Materials:...
method, and utilized rare materials from the aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
industry, including titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
, carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
, micarta
Micarta
Micarta is a trademark of Norplex-Micarta industrial high pressure laminates and refers to a composite of linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass, carbon fiber or other fabric in a thermosetting plastic, originally used in electrical and decorative Koekjes applications. Micarta was developed by George...
, and meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
.e He incorporated exotic materials common to knifemakers of the time, including mother-of-pearl
Nacre
Nacre , also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent....
, abalone
Abalone
Abalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
shell, paua
Paua
Pāua is the Māori name given to three species of large edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs which belong to the family Haliotidae , known in the United States and Australia as abalone, and in the United Kingdom as ormer shells.-Species:There are three species of New Zealand pāua:New...
shell, staghorn, and rare hardwoods. Writer Paul Basch reported in 1990 that Emerson refused to use the parts of any animal or plant which was an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, noting Emerson as being an environmentally conscious knifemaker. The steel used in these blades was typically graded
AISI steel grades
The Society of Automotive Engineers designates SAE steel grades. These are four digit numbers which represent chemical composition standards for steel specifications. The American Iron and Steel Institute originally started a very similar system...
ATS-34, AEB-L, or 440C, and the blades were either highly polished or hand-rubbed. Emerson made knives with Damascus steel
Damascus steel
Damascus steel was a term used by several Western cultures from the Medieval period onward to describe a type of steel used in swordmaking from about 300 BCE to 1700 CE. These swords are characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water...
blades. Among custom knife collectors and purveyors today, these knives are known as the "Pre-Tac" (Pre-Tactical) models. They can be identified by their bright anodized
Anodising
Anodizing, or anodising in British English, is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts. The process is called "anodizing" because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electrical circuit...
titanium bolsters and liners and the predominant use of clip point blades. The knives were noted for their close tolerances and precise locking mechanisms. Emerson credits the following knifemakers for helping him along during his early years as a knifemaker: Michael Walker, Clint Breshears, Bob Engnath, and Jim Ferguson.
Emerson's first logo or stamp on these knives was "Emerson Knives" surrounding the outline of a Bowie knife
Bowie knife
A Bowie knife is a pattern of fixed-blade fighting knife first popularized by Colonel James "Jim" Bowie in the early 19th Century. Since the first incarnation was created by James Black, the Bowie knife has come to incorporate several recognizable and characteristic design features, although its...
; accordingly this is referred to as the rare "Bowie Logo", appearing on only a very small number of knives. When a knife collector asked Emerson if he made Bowie knives, Emerson informed him that he did not. The collector then advised him to change his logo or he might confuse the knife-buying public, as they would ask for Bowie knives instead of linerlock folders. Emerson agreed with this assessment, dropping the knife outline and the word "knives" from his stamp, using just his name in a half-circle on the blade as a logo. This marking is known among collectors as the "Half-Moon Logo" and would appear again as a transitional mark between the Viper and Specwar lines of knives.
These early knives sold for between $800 and $2,000 each; that, combined with his appearances at knife shows and write-ups in knife magazines, helped Emerson gain status and credibility as a custom knifemaker. Once established as a serious and reputable maker, Emerson was soon able to concentrate on making the knives he wanted to make—knives designed for use as opposed to show, specifically folding-knives designed for combat.
Viper Knives
Emerson ground the blades of these knives from ATS-34 steel with a Rockwell hardness
Rockwell scale
The Rockwell scale is a hardness scale based on the indentation hardness of a material. The Rockwell test determines the hardness by measuring the depth of penetration of an indenter under a large load compared to the penetration made by a preload. There are different scales, denoted by a single...
of 57–59 and made them thicker toward the tip, creating a stronger-tipped blade than he had made previously. He bead-blasted the blades as he did the liners and bolsters instead of rubbing or polishing them, giving them a matte finish as opposed to the mirror-polished finish common on his earlier knives. Emerson designed each one of these knives for a specific purpose. The slender Viper 1 and smaller Viper 2 were designed for use as a police officer's backup weapon. The Viper 5 was designed to be used by naval boat crews, as the handle was contoured with a rear brake so as to not slip from the user's hand when wet.
Emerson's goal for this Viper line was to produce a working knife which would be more resistant to the elements and more durable than the "art knives" for which he had become known. These knives were created to satisfy the demand for a practical field-grade combat knife which could be carried discreetly and accessed quickly. He sold these five models under the name "Viper Knives" and changed the logo on the blades to read the same.f Emerson makes these models to this day on a custom basis under the names MV1–5, "MV" standing for "Model Viper".
Specwar Knives
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
from a West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
team had been using personally purchased custom fixed-blade knives made by Southern California knifemaker Phill Hartsfield
Phill Hartsfield
Phill Hartsfield was a Southern California sword and knifemaker based in Garden Grove, California who is noted for popularizing the chisel ground blade in the western world. Hartsfield's designs have influenced other knifemakers, primarily Ernest Emerson.-Early life:Hartsfield joined the US Navy...
. Hartsfield's knives were hard ground from differentially heat-treated A2 tool steel and are known for their distinctive chisel
Chisel
A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal. The handle and blade of some types of chisel are made of metal or wood with a sharp edge in it.In use, the chisel is forced into the material...
-ground blades. More accurately, they are zero ground; that is, the edge has no secondary bevel
Bevel
A beveled edge refers to an edge of a structure that is not perpendicular to the faces of the piece. The words bevel and chamfer overlap in usage; in general usage they are often interchanged, while in technical usage they may sometimes be differentiated as shown in the image at right.-Cutting...
, minimizing drag when used for cutting purposes. Emerson had long been impressed by the cutting ability of the chisel-ground edge and had asked Hartsfield's permission to incorporate it into his own folding knives, which Hartsfield granted. When the SEALs asked Hartsfield to make them a folding knife, he informed them that he did not make folding knives and referred them to Emerson.
According to the SEALs' requirements, the knife had to be corrosion resistant, designed for easy cleaning in the field, durable enough to be used on a daily basis as a tool, and capable as a weapon should the need arise. Emerson's folding chisel-ground "tantō" became the sixth model in his Viper series and, while a handful of prototypes were referred to as "Viper 6", the model was soon named the "CQC-6
CQC-6
The CQC-6 or Viper Six is a handmade tactical folding knife with a tantō blade manufactured by knifemaker Ernest Emerson. Although initially reported as the sixth design in an evolution of fighting knives and the first model in the lineup of Emerson's Specwar Custom Knives, Emerson later revealed...
" (CQC refers to close-quarters combat) and was chosen by the SEALs for use.g Ownership of a CQC-6 soon became something of a status symbol among members of various elite military units, including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces
United States Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and...
, German GSG 9
GSG 9
The GSG 9 der Bundespolizei , is the elite counter-terrorism and special operations unit of the German Federal Police.-History and name:...
, and British SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
.hij Because of this connection to the Special Warfare community, Emerson changed the name of his custom knife line to "Specwar Knives", and in 1996 this new designation began appearing in the logo on his blades.
Other models followed in the Specwar line bearing the CQC Series moniker, including the CQC-7 which is another chisel-ground tantō-bladed folder similar to the CQC-6 but with a saber-type handle shape. The CQC-8 ("Banana Knife") was a folder inspired by Bob Taylor's Warrior Knife and William F. Moran
William F. Moran
William F. Moran Jr. or Bill Moran was a knifemaker who founded the American Bladesmith Society and reintroduced the process of making pattern welded steel to modern knife making. Moran's knives were sought after by celebrities and heads-of-state. The "William F...
's ST-9 is used by British SAS troops. The knife has the distinction of being the first folding knife that was designed to be ergonomically
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as follows:...
correct in both forward and reverse grip. Its users refer to it as "the finest fighting knife ever developed". The CQC-9 ("Eagle Knife") is a reverse-curved hawkbill blade developed as a backup weapon for an American law enforcement agency; it has an opening hole in the blade licensed from knife manufacturer Spyderco
Spyderco
Spyderco is a Golden, Colorado, U.S.A. based cutlery company that produces knives and knife sharpeners. Spyderco introduced many features that are now common on folding knives, including the pocket clip, serrations, and the opening hole...
. Although Emerson has standard models for these custom knives which progress in order to CQC16, each one is made individually by hand.
Popularizing the tactical knife
Rogue Warrior (book)
Rogue Warrior , by Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko, is an account of how he founded two United States Navy counter-terrorist units, SEAL Team SIX and Red Cell. Commanding Red Cell, he was directed to use them to test the Navy's anti-terrorist capabilities...
series of novels written by the founder of the US Navy's SEAL Team Six, Richard Marcinko
Richard Marcinko
Richard "Dick" Marcinko , is a retired Commander in the United States Navy and a former Navy SEAL. He was the first Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Six and Red Cell...
, at this time which helped fuel interest among collectors.
This surge in interest for Emerson's knives soon became overwhelming. Although he had been making knives full time since 1994, Emerson was still manufacturing these knives in his home garage workshop three years later. As Emerson watched his customers' wait time expand from two years to seven, he realized that the demand for his handmade blades was far outpacing his ability to produce them. The first method to bridge this gap between supply and demand would be through factory collaborations with established cutlery companies.
Emerson's first collaboration with a knife manufacturer was with Timberline Knives in 1993 for his SPECWAR model.k This model featured a one-side chisel-ground tantō blade almost 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) thick. Its handle was made from fiberglass-reinforced nylon molded around a near-full tang. Vaughn Neeley of Timberline designed the sheath. The knife was originally a custom piece designed for Naval Special Warfare Group One, and this factory version was soon entered in the trials for the Navy SEALs knife in 1995.l Although it was not chosen by the Navy, the Emerson-Neeley SPECWAR knife won Blade Magazine
Blade (magazine)
Blade is a long-running consumer magazine about knife collecting.First published in 1973 under the title American Blade by Southern House Publishing Co. with Blackie Collins as the editor, the magazine's title was changed to Blade in 1982 after its purchase by Jim Parker and Bruce Voyles...
s 1995 American Made Knife of the Year Award at the magazine's Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, that same year and was displayed as an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from May 24 to August 15, 1995.
Benchmade
The Benchmade Knife Company is a knife manufacturer run by Roberta and Les de Asis in Oregon City, Oregon, United States. Its products are geared toward many niche markets, such as outdoor sporting cutlery, rescue, law-enforcement, martial-arts, and military...
, Les DeAsis, approached Emerson to manufacture the CQC-6 on a larger scale as a factory production model. Preferring to keep the CQC-6 as a custom-only knife, Emerson instead licensed a similar design of his, the CQC-7.
The Benchmade factory version was sold under the model name BM970 or BM975 depending on blade length. Other designations followed which denoted blade finish, manual or automatic opening, or partially serrated blade. The knife retained the profile of Emerson's custom piece in addition to the ATS-34 steel and the titanium liners. However, on Benchmade's offering the titanium bolsters and micarta
Micarta
Micarta is a trademark of Norplex-Micarta industrial high pressure laminates and refers to a composite of linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass, carbon fiber or other fabric in a thermosetting plastic, originally used in electrical and decorative Koekjes applications. Micarta was developed by George...
scales were replaced with G10 fiberglass
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
scales, the slotted screws were replaced by Torx
Torx
Torx developed by Camcar Textron, is the trademark for a type of screw head characterized by a 6-point star-shaped pattern. People who are unfamiliar with the trademark generally use the term star, as in star screwdriver or star bits...
head screw
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
s, and the pocket clip was repositioned so that the knife could be carried in the pocket in a tip-down position.
Despite these changes the knife was true to Emerson's original design, and even though it did not have the craftsmanship of a handmade piece of cutlery it satisfied customers with their own version of Emerson's work at a lower price point and without the five-year wait.
Emerson Knives, Inc.
In February 1996, Emerson and his wife, Mary, founded Emerson Knives, Inc. (abbreviated as EKI) in Torrance, California to manufacture knives on a larger scale than he was then capable of. This new company would be a distinct entity from his Specwar lineup of custom knives, although several custom designs would make their way into production from time to time. Four years after starting this venture, Emerson sold an entire year's worth of production in four hours at the SHOTSHOT Show
The ' is an annual tradeshow for the shooting, hunting, and firearms industry. It is the biggest event of this type in the world together with IWA & OutdoorClassics , also taking place annually. "SHOT", besides being a general reference to shooting, is an acronym for "Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor...
(Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show in January 2000.
Emerson continued to collaborate with other companies on knife-related projects as his own company grew. In some cases these collaborators had become his competition, such as Gerber Knives
Gerber Legendary Blades
Gerber Legendary Blades is a maker of consumer knives and multitools headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, United States, within the Portland metropolitan area. Currently Gerber is a sub-division of Fiskars Brands Inc, owned by the Fiskars company of Finland...
. In 2002 Emerson collaborated with Gerber Knives to create both companies' first automatic opening knife
Switchblade
A switchblade is a type of knife with a folding or sliding blade contained in the handle which is opened automatically by a spring when a button, lever, or switch on the handle or bolster is activated A switchblade (also known as an automatic knife, pushbutton knife, switch, Sprenger, Springer,...
, the Gerber-Emerson Alliance.m In that same year, Emerson collaborated with SureFire Flashlights
Surefire
SureFire, LLC. is a Fountain Valley, California company whose primary products are flashlights, headlamps, weapon mounted lights and laser sights. In addition, Surefire also manufactures knives, sound suppressors, Picatinny Rails and batteries. The company is a major supplier of flashlights to the...
by making an exclusive CQC-8 (Banana Knife) numbered and marked with the SureFire logo and sold with an identically numbered Emerson-marked Centurion C2 CombatLight. In 2005 Emerson collaborated with Andy Prisco, the CEO of the American Tomahawk Company, to produce the CQC-T Tomahawk
Tomahawk (axe)
A tomahawk is a type of axe native to North America, traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft. The name came into the English language in the 17th century as a transliteration of the Powhatan word.Tomahawks were general purpose tools used by Native Americans and European Colonials...
. This tomahawk features a curved head machined from 4140 steel with a rear spike and a lightweight fiberglass handle. Although not made by Emerson, the tomahawk was designed by him. In 2007, Emerson announced a collaboration with custom knifemaker and knife thrower Bobby Branton. The collaboration piece is a fixed-blade knife designed primarily for knife throwing
Knife throwing
Knife throwing is an art, sport, combat skill, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapons thrown, and a target.-A throwing knife:...
dubbed the BETT: Branton-Emerson Tactical Thrower.
One of Emerson's earliest production models, the Commander
Commander (knife)
The Commander is a large recurve folding knife made by Emerson Knives, Inc. that was based on a custom design, the ES1-M, by Ernest Emerson that he originally built for a West Coast Navy SEAL Team...
(winner of Blade Magazines Overall Knife of the Year Award for 1999), is a large recurve folding knife based on a special custom design, the ES1-M, that he had made for a West Coast Navy SEAL Team. The Commander has a hook on the spine of the blade (originally designed as a blade catcher) which, when snagged on the edge of the pocket or sheath causes the knife blade to open as it is drawn. Emerson called this innovation the Wave and secured a patent for it in March 1999. Emerson's Wave made its way onto most of his knives both in the production and custom lines, with the exception of the Viper models. It is a required feature on all knives that Emerson supplies to military units, search and rescue units, and law enforcement agencies.
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
crash in 1999 resulting in the deaths of six Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and one sailor, the US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
performed an assessment of their equipment and decided among other things that they needed a new search and rescue knife. The KA-BAR
KA-BAR
KA-BAR is the contemporary popular name for the combat knife first adopted by the United States Marine Corps in November 1942 as the 1219C2 Combat Knife , and subsequently adopted by the United States Navy as the U.S. Navy Utility Knife, Mark 2...
knives issued to the SBUs (Special Boat Units) had catastrophically failed to cut the Marines free from their webbing.
The Navy went to Emerson, who designed and fabricated a working prototype within 24 hours. They found that it met their needs, and the model was dubbed the "SARK
SARK
For other definitions, see Sark The SARK or NSAR is a folding knife designed by Knifemaker Ernest Emerson for use as a Search and Rescue knife for the US Military. It features a wharncliffe blade with a blunt tip in order to cut free trapped victims without cutting them in the process...
" (Search and Rescue Knife). The SARK is a folding knife with a wharncliffe-style blade and a blunt tip designed so a rescuer could cut trapped victims free without stabbing them. The knife features Emerson's Wave.n Seeing another need in the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
community, Emerson replaced the blunt end of the SARK with a pointed end and named it the "P-SARK", or Police Search And Rescue Knife. The Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
Police Department consulted Emerson to produce written policy for the carry and deployment of the P-SARK knives in their department. In 2005, the Navy changed the requirements on the SARK to incorporate a guthook on the back of the blade for use as a line-cutter. Emerson made the change on this model which is only available to the US Navy and the model designation is the NSAR (Navy Search And Rescue) Knife.
In 1999, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
contracted Emerson to build a knife for use on Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
missions and the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
. Rather than design a new model from scratch, NASA chose an existing model which already met their specifications, with one additional design requirement. The model is a folding version of the Specwar knife that Emerson had designed for Timberline with the addition of a guthook cut into the tantō
Tanto
A is one of the traditional Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate...
point of the blade with which astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
s could open their freeze dried
Freeze drying
Freeze-drying is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable material or make the material more convenient for transport...
food packages
Space food
Space food is food products, specially created and processed for consumption by astronauts in outer space. The food has specific requirements of providing balanced nutrition for the health of individuals working in space, while being easy and safe to store, prepare and consume in the machinery...
. The knife is not available for purchase outside of NASA.
On July 1, 2000, Emerson announced his semi-retirement from custom knifemaking in order to concentrate on this new production company and to fill the thousands of outstanding orders for his custom work. He still makes custom knives available for sale at knife shows, but takes no orders for new custom work. Since 1995 the only way to get a new custom knife from Emerson himself is through a lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
held at knife shows where he is present. Depending on the size of the show, as many as several hundred potential buyers write their names on individual pieces of paper at his booth, and at a predetermined time a name is drawn. The winner gets a chance to buy one of the custom knives brought to the show.o
In 2007, Emerson branched out in a new direction, announcing he would manufacture twelve custom electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s per year. His first guitar debuted at Blade Magazines Blade Show in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in June 2007. In 2008, Emerson opened a clothing company called "Emerson Brand Apparel" specializing in MMA and casual clothing. In 2009 at the annual NRA
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
Convention, Emerson announced a collaboration with custom pistol manufacturer Les Baer
Les Baer
Les Baer Custom Inc. is an American weapons manufacturer of semi-custom M1911-pattern pistols and AR-15 type rifles. Les Baer Custom was founded by the gunsmith Les Baer, Sr. in 1991 in LeClaire, Iowa.-History:Les Baer Custom Inc...
to produce a custom M1911
M1911
The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....
pistol built to Emerson's specifications with a semi-custom (handground blade) folding knife named the "CQC-45"(out of sequence from the CQC series as the number relates to the caliber of the pistol). In late 2009, Emerson announced a collaboration with Spike's Tactical to produce an M-4 Carbine based upon his specifications for training, chambered in .22 long rifle and in 5.56 NATO; with a matching folding knife designated the "CQC-22" (out of sequence from the CQC series as the number relates to the caliber of the rifle).
In September 2010, Emerson announced a collaboration with Pro-Tech Knives
Pro-Tech Knives
Pro-Tech Knives, Inc. is a knife manufacturing company based in Santa Fe Springs, California, famous for its automatic knives. Pro-Tech was founded in 2001 by Dave Wattenberg. The company produces 7000 knives per year and its most famous models are the Godfather, Godson, and the Stinger. Pro-Tech...
to produce an automatic opening version of the CQC-7. In November 2010, Emerson's Roadhouse Knife won Knives Illustrated's American Made Knife of 2010-2011 Award at the Spirit of Steel Show in Knoxville, TN. According to Emerson, the knife will be used as a prop on the Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
Television Show.
In January 2011, at the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade) Show in Las Vegas, NV, Emerson debuted a new knife model designed in collaboration with Kelly McCann
Jim Grover (martial arts)
J. Kelly McCann is a former US Marine officer and the founder and owner of Crucible Security Specialists located in Fredricksburg, Virginia. Crucible is a GSA approved facility which provides high-risk environment training and security services to the US Government and armed forces...
known as the Canis.
Emerson's knives in the media
Emerson's knives have appeared onscreen in films and television shows. In Night of the Running ManNight of the Running Man
Night of the Running Man is a 1995 American crime thriller film produced by Trimark Pictures and American World Pictures starring Andrew McCarthy and Scott Glenn. It is based on the 1981 novel by Lee Wells, who also wrote the screenplay for the film...
, Scott Glenn
Scott Glenn
Theodore Scott Glenn is an American actor. His roles have included Wes Hightower in Urban Cowboy , astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff ,Emmett in Silverado , Commander Bart Mancuso in The Hunt for Red October , Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs and The Wise Man in Sucker Punch -Early...
's character carried a mother-of-pearl handled, one-of-a-kind Emerson CQC6. Emerson Ravens, neck knives, and the Commander knife were used as props in the short-lived UPN television series Soldier of Fortune, Inc.
Soldier of Fortune, Inc.
Soldier of Fortune, Inc. was a television show created by Dan Gordon which ran for two seasons, from 1997-1999...
A Commander knife was used by the character of Zak in the 1998 movie Placebo Effect
Placebo Effect (film)
The film Placebo Effect is a 1998 American thriller written by Luciano Saber and directed by Alejandro Seri. It features Francesco Quinn, Martin Halacy, and Kirsten Berman...
; Emerson Knives is thanked in the film credits for the knife.
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
's 2001 film Black Hawk Down portrayed soldiers carrying Emerson folding knives in the hangar scene, and in Tears of the Sun
Tears of the Sun
Tears of the Sun is a 2003 American war film, depicting a United States Navy SEAL team rescue mission amidst a civil war in the West African country of Nigeria. Lt. A.K. Waters commands the team sent to rescue U.S. citizen Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks from the civil war en route to her jungle hospital...
the Kandahar model appeared on Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
' character's web gear, and other actors were seen with Emerson Police Utility Knives. Emerson Karambits, La Griffes, and Police Utility Knives are often used as weapons or rescue tools on the television show Burn Notice
Burn Notice (TV series)
Burn Notice is an American television series created by Matt Nix. The show stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Sharon Gless, and, beginning in the fourth season, Coby Bell. The series premiered on June 28, 2007, on USA Network. On April 15, 2010, the show was renewed for its...
. Frank Castle
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
used an Emerson Karambit to kill an opponent in one of the final scenes in The Punisher
The Punisher (2004 film)
The Punisher is a 2004 American comic book action film, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, starring Thomas Jane as the antihero Frank Castle / The Punisher and John Travolta as the villain Howard Saint, a money launderer who orders the death of Castle's entire family...
. Transporter 2
Transporter 2
Transporter 2 is a 2005 action film directed by Louis Leterrier and produced by Luc Besson. It is the sequel to The Transporter . It is itself followed by Transporter 3 ....
briefly showed an Emerson fixed-blade Kandahar knife in the trunk of Jason Statham
Jason Statham
Jason Statham born 12 September1967) is an English actor and former diver, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Revolver, Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels...
's car along with other weapons as props. An Emerson La Griffe was featured in the 2007 film: Doomsday
Doomsday (film)
Doomsday is a 2008 British science fiction film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film takes place in the future. Scotland has been quarantined because of a deadly virus. When the virus is found in London, political leaders send a team led by Major Eden Sinclair to Scotland to find a...
.
In the Russian movie 12
12 (film)
12 is a 2007 crime film by Russian director and actor Nikita Mikhalkov. The film was presented at the Venice Film Festival, where Mikhalkov was awarded the Special Lion for Overall Work...
a remake of the classic Twelve Angry Men
Twelve Angry Men
Twelve Angry Men may refer to:* Twelve Angry Men , a 1954 teleplay by Reginald Rose* Twelve Angry Men , a play adapted by Rose from his teleplay* 12 Angry Men , an adaptation of the play, directed by Sidney Lumet...
, an "Emerson CQC-7" is revealed as the potential weapon used by a Chechen teen in the murder of his Russian foster-parents. However, the knife shown in the movie is not a CQC-7 or even an Emerson made knife.
Emerson's knives are mentioned in mystery, spy, military, action, and adventure novels. At least seven of Richard Marcinko
Richard Marcinko
Richard "Dick" Marcinko , is a retired Commander in the United States Navy and a former Navy SEAL. He was the first Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Six and Red Cell...
's Rogue Warrior novels (Red Cell
Red Cell
Red Teams or Red Cells are U.S. government parlance for teams or units designed to test the effectiveness of U.S. tactics or personnel. "Red Cell" was purported to be a U.S. Navy SEAL team which had been organized to attempt to infiltrate and otherwise test the security of U.S...
, Green Team, Task Force Blue, Detachment Bravo, SEAL Force Alpha, Violence of Action and Holy Terror) prominently make mention of Emerson's knives (CQC-6 or CQC-7) as a regularly carried piece of equipment.p The protagonist, Marcinko, uses an Emerson CQC-6 or CQC-7 on various occasions. On page 175 of Task Force Blue, Marcinko remarks that his CQC-6 was a "personal gift from Ernie Emerson, himself".q
New York Times
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
bestselling author David Morrell
David Morrell
David Morrell is a Canadian-American novelist, best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become the successful Rambo film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. He has written 28 novels, and his work has been translated into 26 languages...
's novel The Protector not only has the main character, a former Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...
operator named Cavanaugh, using an Emerson CQC-7 knife, but the cover art itself is a photographic illustration of a blood-stained Emerson CQC-7. Cavanaugh uses the knife in combat as well as in many rigorous cutting chores. The author claims Emerson is "the best manufacturer of tactical knives" as well as a "top level blade instructor for elite military and law-enforcement units".r In an interview with British E-Zine Shots : The Crime and Mystery Ezine, Morrell indicated that he injured his collarbone during an Emerson knife-fighting course while performing research for the novel.s Morrell went on to include Emerson's knives in his books Creepers and The Spy Who Came for Christmas.
Three of Marcus Wynne's novels (Warrior in the Shadows, No Other Option, Brothers in Arms) feature use of Emerson's knives by the main characters. The CQC-7, Commander, and La Griffe are favored by the main characters and are used as defensive weapons throughout the books. Barry Eisler
Barry Eisler
Barry Eisler is a best-selling American novelist. He is the author of two thriller series, the first featuring anti-hero John Rain, a half-Japanese, half-American former soldier turned freelance assassin, and a second featuring black ops soldier Ben Treven...
's fictional hired killer John Rain uses an Emerson Comrade CQC-12, a folding knife based on the AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
, in The Last Assassin. The characters of S.M. Gunn's novels based on Naval Special Warfare, Navy SEALs, and submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s routinely carry Emerson's knives. One of the main characters carries an Emerson custom MV-1 Viper knife in the book SEALs SubStrike.
Retired Navy SEAL and SEAL Team 6 Plankholder Dennis Chalker
Dennis Chalker
Dennis Chalker is a retired Navy SEAL, inventor and author who has written six books about the United States Navy SEALs.-Career:Chalker began his military service with the U.S. Army, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division. Upon discharge he tried his hand at a few civilian jobs and found them less...
routinely puts Emerson's knives (CQC-7s and Commanders) into the hands of the heroes of his Home Team novels based on the exploits of former Naval Special Warfare Operators. Emerson's CQC-7 has made its way into the Clive Cussler
Clive Cussler
Clive Eric Cussler is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than seventeen times...
novel, Plague Ship
Plague Ship (Cussler novel)
Plague Ship is the 5th installment of the The Oregon Files by Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul. It is based around a series of violent viral attacks on cruise ships by extremists who want to make half the worlds population sterile.- Plot :...
.
Emerson Combat Systems
Emerson's study and instruction of martial arts is ongoing. He has accumulated 35 years of experience in a variety of styles and philosophies of combat. Drawing upon this base of knowledge and experience he has developed a combatives system known as Emerson Combat SystemsEmerson Combat Systems
Emerson Combat Systems is a form of modern combatives designed by Ernest Emerson. The system is based on Emerson's accumulated 35 years of study of martial arts and combat and incorporates empty hand training as well as use of weapons from knives and sticks to rifles and pistols...
, which has been taught to hundreds of law enforcement agencies, members of the U.S. military, and civilians.
The system is based upon the recognition of two factors: the human body's physiological
Human physiology
Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, bioelectrical, and biochemical functions of humans in good health, their organs, and the cells of which they are composed. Physiology focuses principally at the level of organs and systems...
response to stress
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
and its reduction to the use of gross motor skills. According to Emerson, the techniques are based upon the physical and instinctual laws that govern the survival instincts and physical function of a human being.
This system is characterized by training as realistically as possible (not training in workout gear for example) and using flowing, dynamic concepts (for example, integrated fightingt and weapon transitionu) with a strong emphasis placed on overall physical fitness. Emerson maintains he does not teach a "martial art" encumbered by ritual or sporting aspects but a combatives system where the goal is more than simple self defense.v
Emerson has been consulted as a technical advisor to television and movie productions including National Geographic, specifically the program Fight Science
Fight Science
Fight Science is a television program shown on the National Geographic Channel in which scientists and martial arts masters work together to analyze the world's fighting techniques, to compare the disciplines and to find out which one has the strongest hits, kicks and deadliest weapons...
, due in part to his position as the Hand To Hand Combat Instructor for Harry Humphries
Harry Humphries
Harry Humphries is a highly-decorated former United States Navy SEAL who currently works as a consultant and actor on Hollywood films. After graduating from Admiral Farragut Academy and attending Rutgers University in New Jersey, Humphries joined the Navy, where he was assigned to UDT 22 and SEAL...
' Global Studies Group Incorporated, a company that teaches police and military tactics to law enforcement agencies and film production crews.w
Emerson has written over 30 articles on hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, history, and knifemaking for publications including Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
, Blade Magazine
Blade (magazine)
Blade is a long-running consumer magazine about knife collecting.First published in 1973 under the title American Blade by Southern House Publishing Co. with Blackie Collins as the editor, the magazine's title was changed to Blade in 1982 after its purchase by Jim Parker and Bruce Voyles...
, American Cop Magazine, Martial Arts Experts, Journal of Modern Combatives, Inside Kung-Fu, Black Belt Magazine, Police Magazine, and American Handgunner
American Handgunner
American Handgunner is a magazine dedicated to handguns, handgun hunting, competition shooting, reloading, tactical knives and other shooting-related activities in the United States...
.