Armed Lifestyle - Issue 2 - June 2022

50
EMERSON KNIVES COMMANDER
Emerson Knives Commander
by Trampas Swanson
Throughout the history of mankind, no item of equipment has
been more underrated yet more used than a good knife. From
war zones to daily civilian life, the need for a quality blade arises
at every turn. I find myself in agreement with many serious
blade users that a solid fixed blade is the first place to look for a
good carry knife. Unfortunately, our society has evolved to make
carrying one much more difficult and less socially acceptable.
Whether it’s non-permissive foreign countries, restraining liberal
controlled state laws or simply daily attire, there are many
situations where carrying a decent sized fixed blade would just
not be possible and / or legal. This is where the concept of the
“tactical folder” comes into play as what I consider the best
option for most applications. In this article, AL Magazine looks
at a high-quality knife simply titled the “Commander” from a
well-respected blade company that’s been an industry leader for
years, Emerson Knives, Inc.
The tactical folding knife is a complicated tool to specifically
define. It’s the consensus of most in the blade industry that a true
tactical folder would include, at a minimum, these characteristics:
1.) One hand operation (open / close);
2.) Blade locks open;
3.) Pocket clip;
4.) Solidly built, especially the pivot and lock; and,
5.) Blade design that can be used offensively.
is widely known in the current blade industry as the Father of the
MODERN Tactical Folder. Much like Henry Ford didn’t invent the car
but improved and modernized it to a much larger scale, Emerson
seems to have picked up where Terzuola ended. Drawing from
his vast background as a machinist and accomplished Martial Arts
instructor, Ernest Emerson was able to bring tactical folding knife
concepts to the world platform not only through high quality,
large scale production but also an incorporation of the blade into
military, law enforcement and private military training as well.
By the end of the 1990’s, the company’s flagship model, the
Commander, was born to immediate success. As with all Emerson
products, the Commander is constructed 100% in the US and
proudly made completely of US parts. Named Best Overall Knife
While Bob Terzuola is often considered the Father of the
Tactical Folder due to his use of the disk thumb lever, pocket clip
and early use of the Walker liner lock, it is Ernest Emerson, who