quote:

Emerson Custom Black Six CQC-6...............01-01-2013, 06:29 PM

Custom Ernest Emerson Black Six/ Black CQC-6 #8 from The Gathering in 2009. Black hand checkered scales, thick lockbar, domed pivot, black blade. Quote from Mr. Emerson about the Black Six, "The rarest of the rare a full black on black CQC-6. The knife that put me on the map in the Special Warfare and Special Operations Communities. This dark sinister beauty feels right at home in the world of black operations and it never gives up its secrets."

Regarded as one of the most sought after models from Mr. Emerson. Has been a safe queen since day one. The last one sold for over $6,500.00 recently. I'm asking $6,000.00 USPS Money Order or PayPal+3% ($6,180.00) for this amazing Black Six/ Black CQC-6. Includes original box and warranty registration paperwork. Will also come with a Bill's Custom case. Shipping will be on me and I will insure, track and have signature confirmation via USPS. U.S. sales only please.
http://www.bladeforums.com/for...stom-Black-Six-CQC-6

quote:

The Memorial “6” Knife

This very special knife was built to commemorate and memorialize the tragic events of August 5, 2011 in Afghanistan which took the lives of 30 military personnel and one canine operator, of which 22 belonged to Naval Special Warfare including one NSW Canine, “Bart”. This knife model, the Emerson Handmade Custom CQC-6 is a knife that has seen duty in every American theatre of Combat, both covert and overt since the late 1980’s. It is built to the exact specifications as demanded by the US Navy SEALS and is the same as the ones carried by those elite, highly skilled warriors for over 25 years. This beautiful yet deadly, handmade creation features the unique Emerson chisel ground blade developed specifically for Navy SEAL use. The knife comes with two hand ground blades. The one in the knife is a fully combat ready blade, razor sharp and is exactly the same as I have always built for the operators. The second blade is hand cut and hand ground from the steel of an I beam pulled directly from the wreckage of the World Trade Centers, that were destroyed by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. It is exactly the same as the combat blade except that it is not heat treated and is marked WTC steel (World Trade Center). Anything related to the World Trade Centers is extremely rare and virtually unobtainable for a number of reasons. I was presented the steel for this blade from the proper channels and I am very honored to have been chosen to use it for this cause. The body, bolsters, lock and liners are built from 6 AL 4V Titanium. The handle scales are built of midnight black micarta and exquisitely checkered for a secure hard use grip. The knife is 100% made in the USA of 100% American made materials right down to the screws.

The bolsters of the knife are engraved with both the Navy SEAL Trident and the Army Aviation bade honoring both the Naval Special Warfare personnel and the air support crew of the Army Aviation unit that were also lost. The blades are engraved with the words, “In Memory of Operation Extortion 17 August 5, 2011.” The reverse sides of the blades feature the Emerson logo and the words of an anonymous Navy SEAL who once told me, “We will not Relent, We will not Rest. We will not Fail.” The pocket clip of the knife features 30 stars and one paw print for the thirty warriors and “Bart,” who were lost that fateful day.

Their memorial knife is also built to symbolize the nature of US Naval Special Warfare Operations. The SEAL Trident is featured on the front of the knife, the sharpened side, of the blade representing the cutting edge, the offensive, attacking role of SEAL operations. The Army Aviation Badge is engraved on the rear side, the clip side for carry of the knife, representing the support role of the Air crews who insert the SEALS into their operating arena. The Grey bolsters reflect the SEAL’s ability to strike from the shadows, complete their mission then fade away back into the shadows like ghosts. The midnight black handles reflect the world of Black (covert) operations, the world where these highly trained elite operators excel in the execution of their deadly and dangerous skills, unknown to all but those who also wear the Trident.

The World Trade Center blade is cut from wreckage taken directly from the buildings and represents a direct tie back to that fateful day, September 11, 2001 and the reason that America and all of its warriors are engaged in this deadly conflict. It is the reason that these warriors were fighting and the reason that these heroes risk their lives and the reason for which, sadly, they gave the ultimate sacrifice. The World Trade Center blade also represents Americas unwavering commitment through the efforts of these frontline warriors to take the fight directly to the enemy. An enemy who wants nothing more and nothing less than to destroy the freedoms and liberties that we stand for and threatens our very way of life. It is because of these heroes, their vigilance and ferocious resolve, that we and our families are able to sleep soundly in our beds at night. We owe everything to them.

quote:

Emerson Ultimate CQC-6

Ernie declared the Ultimate 6 as the finest knife that he has ever made! Harkening back to his Pre-tac days, from single Titanium slab he formed what are the Scales & Bolsters, Checkering the scales while scalloping and satin finishing the bolsters. Then for the first time in about 20 years Ernie anodized the piece, & put a buff-line on both sides of the blade. He also designed in a Recessed Linerlock. It is a most rare and very special piece...it is The Ultimate CQC-6

quote:

namor
09-09-2009, 10:03 AM

It is pretty rare to see a well-established maker - let's make that SuperStar maker - present a completely new take on his best known knife. Most successful makers are loathe to tinker with or challenge themselves by changing features on a proven winner.

Ernie Emerson took his iconic CQC 6 and re-wrote the knife. (See his picture below). First of all, he re-designed the "bolster" to echo his older, pre-tac knives, especially by using an old-style thumb detent, and a slightly slimmer profile. He continues on that theme by anodizing the "bolster" and using polished hardware. Next, he returns to the use of checkering on the "handles". Why the quote marks around these pieces? Because, in a first for an otherwise long and creative career, he made the handle actually out of one solid piece of titanium, carved out to look like a bolstered knife. Notice the three screws holding it together near the boattail, instead of the usual two centered screws - a telltale that this is not your father's 6! To accomodate the lock bar, he milled the inside and inset the ti lock. Finishing the esthetics, he put standoffs on the back, another first for Emerson. The blade is also a combination of old and new: it has a wave, clearly a post-1995 design cue. But, the blade grinds and profile are closer to the original, meant-to-penetrate-kevlar design that was so popular with the NSWG guys who pushed the knife at the start. It even has the famously absent buff line finish! Ernie calls it his Ultimate Six, and its hard to disagree.

There are two or three of these made, with any more unlikely. Not since the Stealth was made in 1990 to showcase the tactical beauty of an art knife (or artful beauty of a tactical knife) has Ernie made something like this. You never know, though, he may just surprise us again...

quote:

namor
09-10-2009, 12:00 AM

Just sold for $4500 = a bargain to my mind.

quote:

namor
09-14-2009, 02:17 PM

I didn't buy it - just noting it was sold. At the price, though, its a bargain.

Any of the 6 Stealth knives (table price $1,000) Ernie made sell for well over $5,000; the new version Rhinos, with bolsters, (table price $1,000) sell for $6-8,000 and there are at least 15 Rhinos out there; and, a variety of his other rare ones have sold upwards of those prices too. The table price on this uber-rare knife was $2,000, so Ernie figures its one of his most valuable knives ever, too.

quote:

namor
09-24-2009, 01:50 PM

AJ - I've personally handled more than 10 Rhinos over the years. He made five in 1994-5, all black, with retainer pin holes. Then, he made another five around 1999, also all black. Since then, he's made at least five satin, bolstered, green micarta handled Rhinos. Maybe eight of them. None has ever relably sold for more than $8,000; some current owners may be asking $13,000 and good luck to them! And, since the whole mythology of the Rhino was that it was super rare, and made specifically for the SEALs, it sorta defeats the purpose to talk about a recent satin one, not particularly rare, being so very special or desired. These three Ultimate 6s are exactly that - extremely rare, recognized by Ernie himself as truly desirably, and priced very very fairly in the context of Emerson knives' sales to date.

Those black sixes are a totally different animal, all G-10 handles, 13 have been sold so far, maybe more to follow. Feel free to PM if you need more clarity.

quote:

Ernest Emerson Stealth Prototype

Ernie wanted to make a knife that showcased the pinnacle of his creative abilities, the ultimate knife that he could achieve. He named it the Stealth, because it was meant to evoke the F117 Stealth Fighter.

A limited edition of 5 or 6 (no one knows for sure!). Featured in his early catalogs, it was $1,000 in 1990, when a CQC-6 cost just $375.

And this Stealth is first one made and considered the Prototype by Ernie..so it was not numbered.

quote:

06-24-2011, 02:12 PM#1



Ernest Emerson



Registered User


Join Date: Apr 1999Posts: 270


Fit and Finish - A Long Story

Regarding the fit and finish of Emerson Knives-

I've never built the knives for looks or for a fancy finish or for "perfection."

You'll notice we never enter any of the "quality in manufacturing" categories at the Blade Show.

We don't because we know we won't win.

We have however, won the top award, Overall Knife of the year and several other awards including American Made Knife of the Year, along with a long list of awards from many, many shows.

The thing about fit and finish is that, that is all it is, fit and finish. It has nothing to do with the function of the knife or the design of the knife.

Now, I'm going to tell you that Chris Reeves is a dear friend of mine. Sal Glesser is a friend of mine and Columbia River well, I really don't know them personally. Having said that, I will now say that those are the knives that I am most often compared to. All of them have fine fit and finish.

Now, with all due respect, I will also tell you this. None of those knives were present when (all) of the Somali pirates were taken down. None of those knives were present when Al Zarqawi was captured and killed.

None of those knives were present when Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was taken captive. And none of those knives were present when Osama Bin Laden was shot dead. Yet, there were knives that were present at all of those and hundreds more firefights, assaults and covert actions. Anyone care to guess what knives those were?

We make tens of thousands of knives a year. We get about 35-40 complaints a year about fit and finish, and it is less than a fraction of one percent of our total. The other tens of thousands seen to be just fine for our customers.

Now, before all the business majors and other business experts come out and say "Ernest Emerson is not a good businessman. He isn't responding to the demands of his customers or evolving his business plan." I will just say this, "Like Hell I'm not." We haven't even had to advertise in almost 10 years. And yet our businesses (all 4) continue to grow and prosper.

And before these same folks also come out to make statements like, "Emerson is just being lazy" or "design, performance and finish are all as equally important, he's just making excuses for his lack of consideration for our needs." Well, there is a big difference between wants and needs and sometimes the two meanings get switched. I don't make excuses. I never did and I never will. I will, though give you the reasons why I do as I do.

You can say what you want about me or my knives, but you can never say that I don't know my customers. Hell, I know several thousand of them on a first name basis, and many are my friends. I know what knives they need and I know what they want and expect in an Emerson Knife. There are no other major knife companies with that close a relationship to their customers.

Most of you know me. It's obvious that some of you do not. To me a knife is just like a good hammer. It is a tool. I just need it to work and work. People come to like Emerson Knives because that's what they do. And I'm happy that in that regard, I've done my job well.

A little more about me. I've dealt with this same type of issue both in regard to shooting and in combat skills. I've had people say things like "Your feet were not in the "right" position. Your punch didn't turn properly. You didn't squeeze your knees together on the arm bar." I usually respond by saying "come here, put your hands up." And in a couple of seconds they are either on their ass or tapping out. I once had a guy tell me one time I don't know anything about weapon control in a knife attack. I had him come out and I said "I want you to "control" my knife." I hit him about six times with the knife, and kicked his right leg so hard that he buckled. I told him, You're lucky I didn't throw my left cross. your guard was down the whole time you were chasing my knife. I didn't want to hurt you." In a real fight you don't control the weapon. You control the man. The weapon will follow." By the way, he is now a good friend of mine.

I can't tell you about all the different martial arts and the goofy names for all of their techniques. I couldn't tell you all the crazy "rules of fighting" that they all claimed you needed to know. I can tell you what it's like to get caught with a straight right and get knocked clean out. I can tell you what it feels like to knock someone out. I can tell you what it's like to break your knuckles on someone's face (more than once). I can tell you what it feels like to feel your nose slowly snap as your face is being ground into the mat. I can tell you what it's like to see cross-eyed for a couple of hours after being hit so hard you see stars. I can tell you what it feels like when your jaws and teeth don't align for a couple of days after taking a good hook to the chin.

I can tell you what it's like to do roadwork in the snow in the dark at 0430 hrs before you start your morning workout in a freezing cold gym at 0500 hours for two hours, knowing that you are going to train for another two hours that evening.

Most of the guys who always knew all the details about fighting arts just couldn't tell you those things.

As to shooting skills, I know nothing about ballistics, wound cavities, foot pounds of energy, muzzle velocity, etc, etc. But I can hit a target. I can hit it under stress and I can hit it when someone is shooting back at me. And it doesn't matter if it is a pistol, a rifle, a subgun, or a shotgun.

We could track a white tail deer in the Northern woods in -12 degree weather, shoot it, dress it out and eat venison if you would like. I use a 50 year old Remington 30-06 that used to belong to my Dad, to do the job. I wouldn't even be able to tell you what brand of bullets I was using.

I have a friend who is a Navy SEAL Sniper who told me he was not interested in all the minutiae and details that revolve around shooters and their discussions of such. But, his Chief told him, son, you have to learn all that crap or you'll never be accepted into the "community" no matter how good you are. He was the top sniper in his class and has a long list of "accomplishments." He knows his dope but he still doesn't' know all of the facts and figures the others guys argue about constantly. And everyone wants him for their deployment.

I was a pretty good athlete, a serious athlete. I played college football and pro baseball. In my high school we had a serious badminton competition every year and many of the competitors went out and purchased $150.00 aluminum rackets to compete with. They were very nice, very light, very tight and had a lot of spring. My Junior year I went down to our local hardware store and bought a cheap backyard badminton set for $29.95 with four wooden rackets. I took one of those loose wooden rackets, painted it red, white and blue, wrote the words "U.S. Bomber," on the handle and whipped everyone in the tournament of over 100 players. I did it to prove it was not about the equipment, it was about the player. You may want to read an article I wrote for Human Events, on the problem with weapons dependency for more insight into that mindset.

When I played ball, I couldn't tell you all the stats of the major league players or who was in first place. I didn't buy a new mitt or cleats every year. But I can tell you what it feels like to catch a line drive hit so hard that it hisses in the air and your hand swells up for days after the catch. I could tell you how you can't sleep on either side at night because of the open strawberries on your hips from stealing bases. I could tell you the difference in the feel of a bat due to its grain and density when it contacts the ball. And I could tell you what it feels like to hit one "out of the park", and I never, ever, wore batting gloves. I still have and use the same mitt I bought in 1971. After re-lacing it dozens of times, it still catches as good as it ever did.

The guys who always knew all the stats never got the chance to play against those major leaguers. I did.

People are always trying to put me in a box, a conventional box along with all the other conventional knife companies. I get that. Problem is, we're not conventional. Never have been and never will be. I don't fit into a box - any box for that matter, and I never will.

Some have even bragged, "I've got the balls to tell Ernest Emerson what's wrong with his knives. I'm not a fan boy." All I can say is if that's your definition of having balls then you've not had a very hard life.

You might ask why is Emerson going on about all this stuff? It has nothing to do with knives or fit and finish.

Well, it has everything to do with my knives because it is about me and who I am. My knives reflect me, the way I see them and the way I use them. The point being made is that some of you do not know me or even know about me. If you did know me then you would know one thing for sure, that I am about performance and performance only. Either something works or it does not. Either you can do something or you cannot. It does not matter to me how much you "know" about the subject or the fanciness of your gear. And whether or not the handles or liners line up perfectly or not on the ass end of a knife does not affect the performance of the knife in one single way.

And in the end those other, highly finished knives don't get to go on all those crazy adventures that mine do. And selfishly, I'm damned proud of it. Maybe I'm doing something right.

Maybe some of you know me just a little better now. And maybe some of you will now know why my knives are the way they are. And maybe some of you will still find fault with our knives, myself and the way I do things. I'm ok with that.


My Best Regards,

Ernest R. Emerson

quote:

07-01-2011, 04:47 PM#54



Ernest Emerson



Registered User


Join Date: Apr 1999Posts: 270



Dear Buffalo Hump,

We've supplied a lot of knives to South Africa over the years, both to hunters, guides and soldiers. I've never once had, not one single comment back that the 154cm steel underperformed in any regard.

As to your comments about certain steels staying sharp in the field. All I can say is, what field are you describing? I have dulled every knife made from every super steel that exists just as quickly as each other in hard use environments. Do you think I live in a vacuum? I live , breathe, eat, and sleep knives. I build knives. I have a Knife Company. I know just a little of what I speak. I get the chance to test any and every knife I want and every new steel that comes out. I don't even have to pay for it. I live on a Ranch and I'm constantly in the field somewhere. My choice in steel has nothing to do with the price of steels. They are all about the same in the quantities that we purchase. You should also note that I do not heat-treat the 154cm to the Rockwell hardness that other companies do. They go to RC 61-62 and I only go to RC 57-59. That also has nothing to do with price as the heat treating costs are the same. If for example, I used a steel that could be heated to a RC 75 (theoretically) I would still only take it to 57 to 59 Rockwell, so what would that super steel do for you?

Here's a quote I've used for years when talking about all the "super steels" that come and go year after year. "A broken knife is no knife. A dull knife is still a knife." The hard users and all the military always get the point.

Hell, one of the most battle proven and tested knives of all time is the K-Bar and it's in the low 50's on the Rockwell scale and definitely not a "super steel".

Like I've said before and how I've lived my entire life, it's about performance, and performance only. Cutting open a cardboard box and cutting someone out of a downed helo are two quite different degrees of use. My knives have done that and will undoubtedly do it again. I'm Ok with the 154cm steel that does that task well. Some get that. Some never will.

As to your recent post about our knives and the military and about the soldiers carrying "cheap" knives I could only think, "What planet is this guy from?" Then I realized the obvious - you've just never been in the military. Got it.


My Best Regards,

Ernest R. Emerson

quote:

04-22-2013, 01:01 PM#1
Ernest Emerson
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 1999Posts: 270

Emerson Lottery

Dear Member’s,

This is the first official announcement for the Emerson Spring Virtual Knife Show and lottery. This will be the biggest and the best one that we have ever done. I will be introducing 15 new custom knives at this year’s show. It will be the biggest introduction of the New Emerson Custom designs in the history of knife making. I will be introducing the knives from the “7 knives in 14 minutes”, video along with several others that no one has ever seen. In addition I will have the first knife ever designed by my son Lucas, called, “The Conjurer”, and it’s a damn good one.

The date of the Spring Show and Auction will be Saturday May 18, and it will be hold in the same way as we did our Christmas Show. We will draw a name and knife out of the box to determine what knife you get. I will be posting many more details between now and the show.

Here is a list of just the New knives;
1. The Tiger
2. The Centurion
3. Emerson Combat Systems Fighter
4. Government Mule “A”
5. Government Mule “B”
6. The Gladius
7. The Apex
8. The Amazon
9. The Panzer
10. The Dragoon
11. The Hatin
12. The Soiree
13. The Patriot
14. The Beast
15. The Conjurer
(Lucas Design)

That’s all for now. I have to get back to work.
Best Regards,
Ernest Emerson

quote:

Emerson Knives, Inc.
41 minutes ago.
CQC-15s are coming through now! With the Stand-Offs!

Emerson Knives, Inc. We do plan on making all of our knives with stand-offs, including the CQC-10.
34 minutes ago · 1