Emerson Ravens

Reprinted with permission of Knives Magazine

Recently, noted knifemaker Ernest Emerson came up with a new solution to this dilemma and started his own line of semi-custom production knives modeled after his custom blades.

Regardless of your personal definition of a tactical knife, you've probably heard the Emerson name before A talented maker of superior folding and fixed-blade knives, Emerson "arrived" when his knives became the blades of choice among many members of the Military, special operations community, particularly the U S Navy SEALS. When this fact became widely known, demand for his knives skyrocketed Emerson’s new line of production knives is intended to meet this demand by making near-custom-quality versions of his popular knife patterns available to the knife-buying public now.

The first two models of the Emerson production series are the Raven E1A and E1B folding knives. Both knives feature 3-1/2-inch triple-tempered, subzero-quenched ATS-34 blades ground from 1/8-inch stock The E1A boasts a hollow-ground, clip-point blade profile, while the E1B features Emerson’s popular chisel-ground Tanto blade Although our test knives were satin finished, production models will feature either bead blasted or Black-Ti-coated blades.

Both blade designs are mated to a pair of titanium liners that form the skeleton of the handle and the basis for a very stout liner lock system. The titanium liners are inlayed into handle scales made from a Kevlar-reinforced material called Kydron, which is significantly stronger and more durable than Zytel. The knives are held together with slotted-head stainless steel screws and a threaded stain-less steel pivot pin, all of which are blackened to match the handle scales. Both models also feature lanyard holes and a blackened stainless steel clothing clip attached to the butt end of the handle.

I found that both Emerson models functioned flawlessly, opening smoothly and locking securely in the open position. The handle design, which is identical on both models, is one of the most comfortable and ergonomically pleasing I have found on any knife, production or custom. The finger groove on the lower portion of the handle provides a secure grip and index, while the extended shelf on the upper surface allows the thumb to extend forward slightly. This provides a very comfortable grip and enables the thumb to apply great pressure when cutting. When applying the knife defensively, this design, along with the tapered butt of the handle, make the knife a natural extension of the hand The user can cut and thrust with both power and precision, yet I can manage the shock of weapon impact without fear of injuring his own hand.

Picking A Point Style

In contrasting the two designs, most people would consider the Tanto blade to be primarily for defensive use and the clip point to be more utility oriented. To be fair, however, I tested both knives with both applications in mind.

To judge overall utility and ease of handling, I used them for several days in the kitchen. Typical cutting and slicing chores were a breeze, and I noted little difference in the performance offered by the different blade shapes. When boning several chickens, I did notice that the clip-point blade was somewhat easier to use for delicate work than the Tanto blade I also noted that, although my hands became completely coated with chicken fat and very slick, the textured, well-shaped handles of these knives allowed me to retain a very positive grip.

After a complete cleaning, I put the knives to work on some tougher cutting chores. Both the serrated and plain sections of the edges performed well on rope, leather straps, cardboard and other abrasive materials. In whittling tests on both soft and hard woods, the chisel-ground blade of the E1B definitely performed more like a wood chisel than 'a knife. Although some may find the slight drift caused by this grind annoying, I found it offered better control and reduced the possibility of gouging hard materials. The steeper angle of the edge bevel did cause this grind to dull a bit more quickly than the hollow-ground blade, however.

Strong Locks

The integrity of the liner locks was tested by using both knives as froes to split pieces off a section of two-by-four. With the edge on the top of the length of two-by-four, I used a second piece of wood as a maul to strike the blade back. I repeated this process numerous times with both knives with absolutely no effect on the blade lockup.

Applying the knives in the weapon, mode, I found that both blade shapes slashed and penetrated very effectively on denim-covered cardboard practice targets. Once again, the handle design allowed for positive control and easy management of impact shock. Edge retention was well above average, and despite numerous hard impacts on the target, the lockup of both knives remained tight.

Resharpening of both knives was easily accomplished on a hard Arkansas stone, however, the chisel grind of the E1B required a slightly different technique. At Emerson's suggestion, I first sharpened the beveled side of the blade to create a noticeable burr, then stropped the flat side on the cardboard back of a legal pad to remove the burr and polish the edge. With a little practice, I easily restored a shaving sharp edge.

Overall, I found the Emerson E1A and E1B fulfilled their purpose admirably, providing near-custom performance at production prices ($179.00 plus S&H each, to be exact).