Emerson Commander

Warthog

Warthog

Joined
Oct 6, 2000
Messages
567
What is the blade steel of the Emerson Commander? Knifecenter.com says ATS-34 while their page says 154 CM. As long as it's a noticable improvement over AUS-6, I'm ok with whatever.

Any comments on this knife? Is it a liner lock? It looks super cool...

I was going to bed the black coated blade until I read what others said about that stuff getting all scratched up:(.

Warthog
 
Emerson may have switched steel suppliers like Benchmade did a while back. So perhaps the knife retailer hasn't updated their specs. yet, or it's older stock.

As I recall, 154CM is the U.S. made equivalent of Japanese ATS-34.

Yes, it's a liner lock knife, and you probably know about the "wave" opening by now if you've been to their website.
 
ATS-34 and 154-CM are basically the same steel. The only difference is that ATS-34 is made in Japan and 154-CM is made in America. I'm pretty sure Emerson uses 154-CM. It is a good steel that holds a good edge for quite a while and it is easy to sharpen. It is WAY better than AUS-6.

It is a liner lock. The liners are made of titanium. The handle scales are g-10. It is pretty light. It has the wave opener which opens the knife AS YOU PULL IT OUT OF YOUR POCKET! If you get it to work right (and it's very easy with practice) the knife will be open when you draw it. It has a very ergonomic handle. The blade is ground on both sides, but has a chiesel ground edge, so when you sharpen it, you only have to do it on one side. Some folks like it, some don't. I think it is a great knife because of it's excellent ergonomics, the wave, and the quality materials and construction. If I were you I would try to get a 2002 model. They have improvements the 2000-2001 models don't have. (bigger stop pin, bigger traction ridges, etc...)

The black coating they use isn't very durable. They offer the commander in a hard chrome coating too so pick whatever you like.

Overall, one heck of a good knife!
 
See, now I've read this review:
http://www.zvis.com/knives/folding/emrcmdr.shtml

...he didn't like the knife that much :-/...I still do. Then again, he doesn't like most of the knives he reviewed, from what I saw...

I'm discovering that there is no perfect knife (damnit!:p)...I guess it's all subjective, but I can't seem to find a knife that has really good durability, sexy looks, comfortable, sized right, has a lock I like, preferred steel, etc. etc. all in teh same knife...bah.

AntDog - you own one? How is this chisel grind to you? Do you mind it?

The Wave action is quite appealing...how does that work?? Also, the rapid deployment sheath is pretty cool too:D

Thanks for the input on the steel...at least that part is good;).

Warthog
 
Hey Warthog: I used to own one and liked it a lot. I had to sell it to pay for something else. (that happens a lot!) Anyway, I regret selling it. It was a great knife! I carried it in my left front pocket with the wave against the inside seam of the pocket. I drew it with my left hand so it came out in reverse grip. I also have an Emerson P-sark that I carry in my right front pocket. I got to where I could open them both with the wave at the same time. One in each hand. That was too freakin' cool!!

Anyway, to answer your question... I thought the chiesel grind was fine. I had no problems with it at all. In fact, I thought it was easier to sharpen than a regular edge. You just sharpen the side the grind is on until you get a small burr on the other side, then lightly strop it off with the edge held flat on the opposite side. Just create the burr, then cut it off - presto, a fresh sharp edge! Really, it wasn't tough to me at all. All the other great features of the Commander make it worth while.

The wave is that little piece of metal that sticks up out of the spine of the blade near the handle. If you do it right, the wave will catch on your pants and open the blade as you draw it. You just pull the knife from your pocket, and on the way out the wave catches on the seam of your pocket and pulls the knife open. It is one of the best reasons to buy a Commander. It really is impressive.

If you like the design go ahead and pick one up. I think you will be happy with it.

Seriously though, try to get a 2002 model with the new construction. They are very well made.
 
Hello Warthog,

I own a Commander and a SARK, both with Wave. The Commander seems to end up in my pocket more than just about any other knife at the moment. It is a big knife, but feels a lot smaller - clever design....It just feels so 'right' The ergonomics were obviously well thought out. It is light, the G10 scales have just the right amount of grip, and the blade is superb. Wave operation is easy to pick up, you will be doing it within a minute of taking the knife from it's box. Lock up is very rigid, and confidence inspiring. My lock was a wee bit sticky, but after playing with it for an hour or so, it became just about spot on. Here is a link to a video, which shows how the wave works.

http://www.emersonknives.com/Tact_index.html Go to video vault, and choose 'wave feature'

Regards,

Doug
 
i know basic members can't search now but i posted a long review about it awhile ago... in short, i personally don't think it's a very good knife, i know a lot of people do and i want to state that this is just my opinion which is derived from my experience of the knife. first of all for edc use it's not very good, the sharpened on one side is not too great, even when i thined it out to 20 degrees it still doesn't cut too good, the liners are THIN i have gent knives with thicker liners, the stop pin is tiny and if you flick out the blade fast the liner moves far across the tang and it gets kind of stuck, the grind is low which doesnt' allow for very good slicing, mines also had a very off centered blade. they advertise the knife as the #1 hard use knife but ironically it has thinner liners, stop pins, then gent knives. However, i think that if this was a purely self defense knife it would be good, the wave allows for quick deployment, the thick spine and low grind makes for a very strong blade and the sharpened one side wouldn't matter in a SD situation. I know there are a lot of commander lovers out there and all i have to say is you like you what you like so in turn it might be the best knife you've ever had or it might turn out that its not right for you
 
Originally posted by Manji
...if you flick out the blade fast the liner moves far across the tang and it gets kind of
Click to expand...

That actually sounds like a bum knife. Mine NEVER did that until I'd used it so hard the liner was worn past being safe.
I've had an Emerson Commander for over two years... and aside from a few occasions, its been my EDC for the entire time.
I've done things with it some of you would cringe at, and it hasnt failed me. I've done normal routine ranch work with it, and it hasnt failed me. I've played with it and flicked it until my arm was tired, almost daily for periods of time, and the closest that came to making it fail, was wearing the liner more than it should have in two years.

I love it... as a working knife, and a defense knife. Its everything I need in my EDC.

Carries great, performs great. Its reliable and I trust it very much.

Sharpening it is a bit tricky, till you get the hang of it, but once you do, its real easy.

I say, Get one! That way, you do the best of all possible things, you find out for yourself whether you like it or not. :)
 
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