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Nice write-up! Thanks for putting the time into a great post. Emerson ergos are one of the main reasons I continue to buy more.
 
Outstanding! I can tell you put a lot of effort into your write-up & it really helps me to better understand handle ergonomics.
 
Interesting write up, thank you.
I actually found myself holding my knife as read this so I could get a better understanding of what you are describing.
 
Thanks.
I let my hand tell me.
I love the CQC7 held in a foil grip the best.
 
Thanks for the write-up. I prefer the grip of the commander myself also. Which surprised me due to having small/medium hands.
 
asdf12345 said:
Here are some brief thoughts on ergonomics. This information was very useful for me in selecting knives that I know will fit my hand well, without being able to handle them personally.

As many of us do not live near a dedicated knife store or cannot attend shows, being able to judge whether a particular knife will be a good fit or not is important.

Hopefully these observations will help others who are interested in an Emerson but who may not be able to handle them before purchase - each handle offers different attributes that may or may not benefit particular users depending on their preferences. While my own preferences will likely not be identical to others', the thought process behind these observations may help others to have a better view on what they prefer as far as ergonomics go.

To date I have handled only a few Emerson knives, but my experiences have given me some perspective on how the handle shape affects grip posture and how the user's preferences factor in to various handle shapes.

For the purpose of this discussion, my focus will be on the two forward grips, hammer and saber grip, and four very different handle types: the Viper MV-5, the CQC-7, the Horseman, and the Commander.

My personal preference for saber grip is that the handle shape is such that the thumb and the muscle group on the palm to which the thumb is attached are allowed full, natural contact with the knife's handle.

That is to say, I want the curvature of my thumb to conform naturally to the knife handle without having to consciously stretch the muscles in my thumb or the muscles at the base of the thumb.

The consequences of this type of grip is that I grip my knives at a slight cant, and my fingers tend to contact the knife's handle farther down the grip than in a usual hammer grip.

The natural shape of the thumb and the shape of the palm at the base of the thumb create one continuous curve as shown in this photo.

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Due to this, the Horseman and MV-5 have fit my hands the best because they exhibit this curve that allows both my thumb and my palm to rest comfortably yet be in full, rigid contact with the knife.

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For hammer grip, my preferences are different. I want the handle shape such that my fingers may rest comfortably side-by-side along the knife's handle without coming into contact with my thumb or my palm.

Therefore, the Horseman and MV-5 both are not suited for me when it comes to this type of grip due to their lack of substantial width at the choil (shown by the yellow line):

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Therefore, my preference as far as hammer grip goes would be either the Commander or the CQC-7 as their handles are wide at the choil area:

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However, I note that the CQC-7's handle contour is not well suited to my preference of full contact with the thumb and palm along the handle. This is due to the fact that the handle begins to taper too far away from the thumb ramp, and because the taper itself is not long enough to fit the full length of the base of my palm - thus it is too flat for my particular hand and I have to stretch my thumb to gain full contact with the knife handle.

5OGDJU0.jpg


However, the Commander's handle has a more generous curve with a taper that begins closer to the thumb ramp, allowing my hand full contact with a saber grip and preventing my fingers from contacting my thumb or my palm in the hammer grip.

1q1A2oe.jpg


Therefore, for my particular hand and preferences, the Commander will be the most comfortable in the two grip positions that I commonly use.

This is not to say that the ergonomics of any one of these knives is better than the others. It is an observation that particular preferences in handling knives can make certain knives a better fit for your particular hand. Experimentation to see what is the most comfortable for you during use will allow you to make more informed choices, especially if you are unable to handle these knives in retail stores or at shows.
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I read your post, and looked at you photo about five or six times. If I was giving you a grade for effort, and quality of work. it would be an A+.

I personally am a hands on kind of person and vascellaterd back and forth about a Commander, or CQC-7, as I am also a 12% being a Lefty or Southpaw.

Bought the CQC-7 because it just feels better in my hand. Would also love to have a MINI 15 in a Full Left Handed Version buy it is not in production in a left handed version. BTW just bought another CQC-7 Lefty, as now I have one with backspacer, and one with standoffs.

Call it a wish Mini 15 Lefty.
 
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