Emerson Knives – Complete In-Depth Review

A knife that I hate that I have come to enjoy…

So for the longest time, I have bad-mouthed this brand thinking that it was overpriced junk and immediately dismissing it. The brand I’m talking about is Emerson knives and the specific model is the Commander.

Emerson gets a lot of hate and though I see where people are coming from, after having the chance to try a couple I must say they’re starting to grow on me. 

Now we all know how the internet works, people love ranting and raving (often for no apparent reason) and unfortunately a lot of us (myself included) fall into this trap. I believe some of the comments are warranted but that isn’t reason enough to discard this knife.

Who they are made for

Emerson knives are pretty purpose-built with a large focus on military/LEO and tactical uses. So the vast majority of us will not be using this knife to its intended purpose, myself included.

My knives are tools and are for utility and everyday tasks, that’s about it. So already the main functionality is lost but I think they still make excellent work knives. The Commander especially!

So I’ve now owned multiple Emerson knives (a Sheepdog, Desert Roadhouse, and a few Commanders/super Commander/mini Commander just to name a couple). Though they all are excellent knives I wanted to specifically talk about the Commander.

They have all been solid dependable knives that just want to go to work! I have been really happy with them and the fact that I have owned multiples is a testament to how much I enjoy this platform!

But it’s important for me to not even with all my praise and love for these knives and this brand I have one small complaint… So my main issue I have with Emerson is this, they are very expensive for what you are getting on paper.

But let me reiterate a very important point, they’re expensive for what you’re getting on paper. We’ll get more into pricing and my thoughts later. 

Something that’s important to understand is that these are knives that are designed to be first and foremost a weapon that Military and LEO can stake their lives on. I may be a Service Member (Army and now Air Force) but by nature of my job, I am definitely not in a position where I need a combat knife.

Just because it was designed with tactical applications in mind doesn’t mean it can’t be used for everyday tasks and it definitely doesn’t mean the average person can’t enjoy a tactical knife.

Emerson creates tactical fighting knives that can be used for everyday tasks rather than everyday carry knives with a tactical look. 

As I stated earlier this was a difficult brand for me to get into. Due to the prejudices, I had developed from being on the internet I was already pretty pitted against Emerson. Current knife design trends definitely go against some of the design and material choices that Ernest Emerson has made.

With the vast majority of makers are moving towards lightweight, premium handle and blade materials, slim comfortable profile in a pocket, deep carry/loop over pocket clips, pivots that run on bearing and fancy lock types, etc.

The Emerson knives seem to defy all of these trends, but you have to think back to who these knives are made for. They weren’t made with the average consumer or popular knife trends in mind. 

Specifications

Though Emersons are fairly lightweight (the Commander comes in at 5.5 oz which isn’t bad at all for a 3.75-inch blade and 8.75-inch overall length) they’re a bit on the heavy side for the majority of people.

The general rule for a lot of people in the knife community is one ounce for every inch of blade length (3-inch blade=3 ounces or less and so on) or under 4-5 ounces. Basically we want our knives to be as light as absolutely possible. Most manufacturers achieve this by doing things like milling out/removing liners, going to a frn/grivory material, replacing components with lightweight/more expensive materials like carbon fiber and titanium, and in general making the knives smaller.

Emerson on the other hand is not making attempts to significantly reduce weight. They may hand replaced steel liners with titanium but they are not milling out portions of those liners (which could weaken the structural integrity of the knife) just to shave a few ounces.

This may break some people’s weight rule for their knives but in my book, extra strength overrules a little extra weight. I tend to carry heavy, titanium frame lock knives so this is definitely on the lighter side of my collection.

Something I really am happy that they’re doing is offering a wide variety of size options for a few of their models.

For example, they offer a Mini Commander (3.4″ blade, 8″ overall length, 4.5 oz), Commander (3.75″ blade, 8.75″ overall length, 5.5 oz), and a Super Commander (4″ blade, 9.5″ overall length, 6.9 oz).

There are a few companies that are offering regular and mini versions of their knives but a lot of them miss the mark in my opinion with one version being far too large or far too small. Being able to pick a perfect sized knife for your hands and needs is extremely welcome and user friendly.

While the rest of the knife industry is playing around with premium handle materials like titanium, wood and bone, micarta (a fabric or linen material compressed in layers bonded with an epoxy), or carbon fiber.

Emerson knives stick to their guns with a high traction g10 (a high-pressure fiberglass laminate) and titanium liners.

Don’t get me wrong these are both excellent materials and Emerson’s g10 handles are extremely grippy and cut out to provide maximum retention.

Ease of use and comfortability

A lot of people have issues with these knives due to how rough they feel in hand and how they tear pockets up. Though I definitely see where people come from but once again you need to remember the philosophy of use for these knives.

They are designed to stay locked into your hand and keep your fingers from sliding down the blade under heavy use.

Since I work as a mechanic my hands are often covered in grease, oils, or hydraulic fluid I definitely appreciate the high level of traction this knife provides.

With all the Emersons I’ve owned I’ve come to recognize the serious thought and design put into making these knives as ergonomic as possible!

With the Commander especially it doesn’t matter whether you’re slicing through thick material, using the tip to open a box, piercing (both in a forward or reverse grip), a saber grip, or a hammer grip it is extremely comfortable!

Some knives are comfortable in hand but force you to hold your wrist at an uncomfortable angle just to perform a certain task. The Commander definitely feels like an extension of your arm allowing for extended use with little discomfort.

Having a knife that is comfortable and ergonomic can save you a great deal of time and effort!

Emerson Overall design

It seems the knife industry is moving more and more towards utilizing bearings and at minimum phosphorus bronze washers in their pivot systems whereas Emerson seems to be trapped in the past with plastic washers…

Though this statement is true its not necessarily correct. Yes, many companies are designing their knives to flip open on steel or ceramic bearings providing a fast and smooth opening. Bearings may seem better but they are very susceptible to dirt, sand, and grit gumming up the action causing premature wear on your knife.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of stigmas when it comes to plastic washers due to them often being used in budget knives.

Emerson knives on the other hand do run on a plastic washer or more accurate Nylatron, which is a Teflon impregnated nylon. Teflon washers provide good support to the blade with little friction allowing for a smooth opening.

Nylatron is considered a “self-lubricating” material so even when the pivot is extremely dirty it will still open relatively smoothly.

Many people see this as poor quality but I have been extremely happy the action of my knives, my main Commander is so nicely worked in that it has the same drop shut action as many of my bearing knives. 

The liner lock

Emerson almost exclusively utilizes a titanium liner lock which provides an excellent lockup that is more than adequate for the uses it was (and wasn’t) intended for all while providing easy one-hand manipulation.

Over the last few years, my collection has definitely been gravitating towards liner and frame locks simply due to the strength and simplicity of the lock. It is a lock that is easy to manipulate and its a lock style that even non-knife people seem to understand with little to no explanation. 

Emerson issues you might run into

With some of these knives, you can run into lock stick issues. This has to do with how the titanium liner lock interfaces with the steel lock face of the blade.

They will feel sticky (sometimes you’ll hear a funny little click when you disengage the lock) and require a bit of breaking in. This is just due to what happens when two different metals rub and wear together.

I wasn’t aware of the breaking period or the tricks people use to alleviate this when I owned my first Emerson (basically color the face of the liner lock that contacts the blade with a pencil and it’ll solve this problem).

I just assumed it was junk without understanding why it was happening or that it would go away in time. It may seem irritating but it’s well worth the break-in time.

Hardware used

The hardware Emerson has chosen to construct their knives in my opinion is another win even though many people disagree. They assemble their knives using a flathead screw for the pivot and small crosshead screws securing the body.

This is an excellent idea in my opinion due to the fact you’re more likely to have access to a Phillips and a flathead driver in the field than Allen wrenches or Torx bits. Since the vast majority of multitools have a flathead and Phillips drivers you are more likely to have access to the tools you need to maintain your knife.

You just have to be very careful not to strip the Phillips screws due to their small size (this is why I believe the majority of people dislike this choice in hardware).

But it’s my opinion that this is just yet another choice that proves this knife was meant to be used in the field more than it was as an everyday carry. 

Emerson grips comparison

You’ll notice in the pictures that my standard Commander (black scales) uses standoffs (small barrel-shaped spacers that separate the two scales of the handle) compared to the solid plastic backspacer on my Jungle Commander (green handle).

This is just due to updates in Emerson’s assembly process (sometime around 2013-2014 they were switched to standoffs).

Both are essential functions the same with the newer version being a little easier to disassemble and to replace parts for warranty purposes. I also believe the newer version is a little easier to clean out due to less debris getting trapped within the body of the knife.

carrying the Emerson

Though the blade and handle are very important another essential component of the modern folding knife is the pocket clip. Some people are old fashioned and like carry their knives loose in the pocket. The majority of users like their knives to be retained upright in one spot in their pocket.

None of that turning sideways and digging into your leg that carry knives like a Buck for me! (Quick note I love my Buck, not badmouthing it one bit I just end up belt carrying that one rather than it bouncing around loose in my pocket.)

The common trend with most makers these days are deep carry clips allowing for more of the knife to be concealed in your pocket so as to not draw attention to your knife.

This is completely understandable since there are people out there who would be uncomfortable knowing someone around them is carrying a knife. It’s unfortunate but it’s just how things are and its easier to keep a low profile than deal with a scenario like that.

Emerson on the other hand does not come standard with a deep carry clip nor are their clips positioned so the knife rides as low as possible. There is a good half to three-quarters of an inch sticking up out of your pocket.

Not very concealed at all but provides an easy grip to pull the knife out of your pocket. I tend to have a bit of trouble with some of the really deep carry clips when I’m in gloves (especially winter gloves).

But the Commander provides plenty of handle sticking out of the top of your pocket to be able to remove from your pocket. 

function and opening

The Commander has two main ways to open the knife, the first being the thumb disk and the second is the Emerson wave feature.

I really have come to enjoy the thumb disk it is very easy to open and provides a fast deployment. Even in thick gloves, which can make it difficult to open some other knives that use smaller thumb studs, the disk provides a fast and smooth opening.

My one complaint with the thumb disk is that it sometimes gets in the way of the cutting path so materials can get caught on the disk as the knife slides through the material you’re cutting.

The second opening method is by using the Wave feature. The wave is the hook located at the top of the spine near the handle. The way this feature works is as you pull the knife from your pocket you can catch the hook on the edge of your pocket and deploy the knife extremely fast.

Now, this seems to be a little overkill for the standard everyday carry and more often than not I don’t use the wave feature and just carefully remove the knife and open it with the thumb disk.

Its something I have to be aware of but it’s not a deal-breaker.

For the more casual user, it’s more of just a cool feature to have, and sometimes it comes in handy when you’re trying to quickly deploy the knife. 

Emerson’s blade grind

Emerson’s choice in blade steel and how they grind those blades is another source of grumbling on the internet for good reason.

But I have come to see the logic behind the choice. The Commander is sporting a 154CM steel blade with a chisel ground edge. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with blade grinds, a standard grind forms an isosceles triangle (two equal sides, two equal angles).

A chisel grind on the other hand is more like a right triangle with one side of the blade forming a straight edge and the other comes down at an angle to form the edge.

So when its comes to sharpening a chisel ground blade all you do is run the ground side on your sharpener until you have a burr (basically the steel edge rolls towards the flat side of the blade) and then you simply knock that burr off the flat side and you have a sharpened edge.

Sharpening Emersons

This makes for a very simple sharpening process that can be accomplished with bare minimum sharpening tools.

Ernest Emerson wanted these knives to be able to be sharpened in the field on basically any abrasive medium whether it be a chunk of brick, on the concrete, or a piece of pipe, basically whatever you had on hand. I have actually sharpened my Commander on a coffee cup and then used the suede portion on my boots as a strap to knock the burr off. 

what most think

Though many people are unhappy about this choice in the grind, it was what he and a group of Navy Seals picked when he was creating a purpose-built folding combat knife for these elite units.

The chisel and chisel grind has been prevalent in edged tools for hundreds of years because of its strength ( mostly due to having more material behind the edge than a typical v grind) and ability to create a fine edge with the simplest of tools.

I have found it to be very quick and easy to put an excellent working edge that is more than sharp enough for my needs with very little effort. This being said it is definitely not the sharpest knife in my collection but when you compare the amount of effort I put in its definitely the easiest to sharpen. 

Emerson steel choice

With so many companies switching to super steels (M390, CPM20CV, CPM-M4, S90V, etc) in their designs it may seem strange that the Commander sports .125 inch thick 154CM blade. 154CM is often deemed as a mid-range leaning towards budget steel.

The super steels are formulated to provide maximum edge retention and high resistance to corrosion.

Though these features are desirable in the everyday carry community, we want our knives to run and cut as long as possible between sharpenings. The downfall is all these knives are quite difficult to sharpen (and that’s with the proper tools)!

The whole reasoning behind the choice of 154CM is to provide well-rounded steel (in edge retention, toughness, ease of sharpening, and corrosion resistance) that can most importantly be easily field sharpened.

All while still being able to hold a good edge through a significant amount of work. Something I have noticed from my own experience is that 154CM edge tends to roll rather than chip under heavy use which in my opinion is preferable since its much easier to fix a roll than a chip.

what sets Emerson apart

Then we come to what really drew me in and is what I believe to be the best feature of this knife, the recurve blade.

The Commander boasts a very prevalent recurve (“S” shaped edge) which creates a large belly and an extremely strong tip. The “S” shaped portion of the blade helps the edge really dig into the material when slicing.

Making for easy cuts through cardboard, cordage, and especially wide webbing which often requires multiple passes to cut through with knives with less of a belly than a recurve. This design provides maximum cutting power from a plain edge while still retaining strength and utility.

I’ve used it to break down two recycling cans worth of cardboard that my new patio set came in and it went through it no problem. I had originally started with my Spyderco Manix 2 but it just got to be very dull and extremely uncomfortable in hand.

So I ended up switching to the Commander just to see how it would handle it and it destroyed the remaining three-quarters of the boxes. This wasn’t standard cardboard either it was a solid ⅜-½ inch of the heavy-duty stuff.

I was super impressed with how well it handled it and how comfortable the handle was even with heavy use! I even hit a staple that held the box together (with quite a bit of force I might add) and all it did was roll the edge a bit.

I was sure I had chipped the blade, I walked away with just a small roll and about two minutes on a ceramic rod and it was sharp as ever. I can say after that I was 100% sold on the Commander and Emerson knives.

why so expensive?

Finally, we move to my main complaint. The main issue I have with Emerson is the price. The majority of their knives run in the $200-$275 price range which seems kind of excessive for what you’re getting.

On paper what you’re getting in steel and materials the price seems like the price is quite high compared to other makers for similar materials.

But when you get the product in hand and really use it, you start to understand the value is in the design, the ergonomics, in the people that manufactured the knife, etc. It is impossible and unfair to boil knives and knife prices just down to materials alone.

I have had knives in this same price range with more premium materials that I have hated due to personal problems with design or ergonomics. I am definitely on the utilitarian side of the fence for me value comes from the ability of my tools to stand up use and work comfortably.

In my mind, the fancy materials can’t even come close to making up for an uncomfortable knife in hand and especially in use. Another important thing to remember is that Emerson is a relatively small company (easily 50 people or less judging by company photos on his site).

Compare this to a lot of other makers who have multiple factories, largely automated processes, and hundreds of employees. You have to admit they’re busting out knives like crazy! Then you factor in their warranty service which is excellent, possibly one of the better in the business.

They will standby their products because they know their knives can handle it and they want to provide a product that will be put to the test and win! All this just makes the price a little more understandable. For me at least.

Is it for everyone?

Some people have had issues with fit and finish and I am not sure whether these have been legitimate quality control problems or people’s problems with the design philosophy. I tend to think its the latter, to be honest.

The knife definitely doesn’t fit into the standards most people have for the majority of everyday carry knives but you have to remember this is not a normal everyday carry knife. 

In conclusion

I would love to see these knives come down to the $175-$200 mark I think they’d be much more appealing to the less tactical and more EDC side of the knife community.

That being said I was able to pick up the Commanders I own for $160-$200 range on the secondary market (the Super Commander will be more expensive due to scarcity). Since it seems people either love or hate these knives, the standard models don’t seem to have that great of resale value.

Which is great if you’re just looking to try one out and aren’t sure if you’ll like it enough to by one new. I would highly recommend trying one out especially a version of the Commander.

It is an exceptional knife even though it was designed for self-defense, I believe it to be an excellent heavy use utility work knife! If this price range is still a bit out of your reach you should definitely look into getting a Kershaw/Emerson collaboration which comes in at a sub $50 price point and are still excellent knives.

Despite all the complaints Emerson is definitely a brand I would recommend you consider when picking an everyday carry knife.

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Thanks for reading and let me know if you have had any experience with Emerson knives and if you were happy or not with them.

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