This is a summary of the changes, as posted by John Hollister:
"The '98 Commanders were the First Generation. (point of reference only)
In mid 1999 EKI made several changes to the Commander line:
*Thinned the liners a hair
*Thinner the scales
*Added a second detent to the non-lock liner side
*Changed to point grind to keep more blade thickness out toward the point
*Changed from water cutting the blades to laser cutting
*Serrated the liners (traction grooves) behind the thumb ramp
In late 2000, the blade grind seems to have gone back to the original style."
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The New and Improved Commander
EKI has made several changes to their ever popular Commander line. Some may remember when EKI made changes to the Commander in mid 1999. The thinner the scales, switched from .062 liners to .050 liners. Went from water jet cutting to laser cutting. Added a secondary detent into the non locking liner. Added more traction areas on the spine of the body and changed the tip grind slightly (a change that lasted until about mid 2000, then they went back to the original).
Looking at the new Commander design, one doesnt immediately see the changes. The first thing to catch the eye will probably be the markings. EKI has added the Wave patent number above the logo and serialized them, much the same way the Mini-Commander is. The word Commander appears under the left side leg of the logo.
The next thing to catch the eye will be the traction grooves on the body. They have added the Third Generation style traction grooves. Meaning that unlike the older versions of the Commander where the traction grooves were cut into the Titanium alone, the new ones are thicker and catch both the Titanium and the G10 ala PSARK and Mini-Commander.
Looking inside we find that EKI added the thicker stop pin that has been incorporated into all the newer designed knives. Nice touch.
In talking to Shawn, EKIs Production Manager, he says that the blade grind was changed slightly and that the body was changed just a hair. While I didnt have a second generation Commander handy to compare the two, honestly, I couldnt eyeball a difference.
The thumb ramp blade serrations are more rounded. Thier about halfway between the original water cut serrations and the second generation squared off ones.
Next Id point out the screw locations.
One subtle change that I missed entirely was the backspacer. The body actually felt more solid then the second generation Commanders. Looking inside I was that the liners had remained .050 and that the scales didnt appear any thicker. It was about this point that Shawn pointed out that the backspacer had been changed. Its actually longer now and fills more of the area that would flex when the knife is really squeezed. Very cool touch!
I guess the next question is "When". Well, I have one in my pocket right now and you can too! Mary tells me that they actually started shipping to dealers last week. Many may not even know there was a change, if your inquiring, remember the word "Commander" right on the blade
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The Super Commander
For those that have always wanted a true four inch (Edit: Actually, it's to be a 4.2 inch blade), ES1-M sized Commander, your dreams have finally come true! The Super Commander is a real pocket and hand filler.
Thus far, EKI has one, as yet unfinished, Prototype. The good folks at EKI were nice enough to give yall a small preview.
Just as with the real ES1-M, the Super Commander is everything a regular Commander is and more.
The blade on the Prototype I handled wasnt ground out yet, their making the adjustment on the grinders as I write this. I was able to examine a half completed blade and can say its going to be damn cool!
How does the Super Commander compare to the ES1-M? Pretty damn well as a matter of fact.
The most obvious comparison is going to be size . . . the Super Commander appears to be exactly the same overall size as the ES1-M.
While its extremely similar to the ES1-M, the Super Commander differs from it in several ways.
The ES1-M is Chisel Ground, the Super Commander is double ground with a Chisel edge. The ES1-M has the smaller stop pin, the Super Commander has the newer large stop pin. The ES1-M has a first generation body, the Super Commander has a third generation body (traction grooves, screw locations, ect).
Now for the one everyone is waiting to hear. The ES1-M has .062 liner, the Super Commander will have .050 liners. BUT, let me say this. Try before you reject. EKI has lengthened the backspacer, even more so then on the new Commander, giving the knife a VERY solid feel.
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hope this helps, all above information was by courtesy of my John Hollister...
