how old is the Emerson Wave patent?

I looked the Wave patent info up once but have since filed it so I wouldn't lose it and of course now I can't find it. :grumpy: It was first called a blade catcher I believe. Then it became obvious that it did much more than just defensively catch an opponents blade. Ernie filed for a patent in Nov. 97 and it was granted in Mar. 99.

The idea in one form or another has been around for quite a while though. I remember when Spyderco first came out with folders when people at work were using zip ties on the Spyderhole to act as a functional Wave and this was in the early days of the company right after they moved out of just making sharpeners. I don't remember the year per say but I was still in the Air Force and getting ready to get out so it had to be circa 1984-85 when I first heard of the zip tie idea.

I have read that as early as the 50s people were using some kind of idea similar to this as well. The original idea Ernie came up with was moved back on the blade and made integral with the knife blade and fortunately for him he was smart enough to patent it.

EDIT: Ok found it. :thumbup: look up patent number 5,878,500
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...,878,500.WKU.&OS=PN/5,878,500&RS=PN/5,878,500
 
Yes. Up to 20 years.

A patent gives an inventor the right to keep all others from using, importing, making or selling it or offering to sell it or the invention for up to 20 years without the inventor's permission. This gives the person that invented it an opportunity market the invention him or herself, or license others to do so, and to make a profit from it from license agreements and such.

After the patent expires, the inventor will lose exclusive rights to the invention.
Unlike trademarks the patent cannot be extended or renewed. In rare cases a special act of Congress can grant an extension though and this has been done for certain pharmaceutical companies patents which have been extended to make up for time lost during the FDA approval of it when they technically owned the patent but could not make a profit from it because they could not legally sell the drug yet.
 
So circa 2017 we can expect pretty much every cheapo knife on the planet to be waved eh?
 
Maybe. I don't recall right off it is from the date filed or the date granted so it may be circa March 2019.

Many people don't like the Wave and it seems to be a love it or hate it thing from my observations. Personally it is a dicipline thing. The Wave will eat up pockets no doubt about it. Even the very smooth working ones like my BM 420 Resistor eventually wear a hole in the corner of your pocket. Primarily the Wave/Rave is a use it when you need it item and not something that should be used everytime you need your knife out.

When I do one of my Rave mods for other members knives I always forget to tell them to pick a pair of 'sacrificial' pants to get to know the knife and how it works. Get comfortable with it and find out how it feels and then just use it when you need it after that or you won't have any pants with a good pocket left at all. Whenever cloth meets metal, cloth looses bad in the end. :D
 
I thought it was 10 years. Bummer, I'm just not enamored by any of the waved blade profiles EKI offers, and I don't have any power tools here on post to mod something else. Although modding a Spydie Persian by cutting out a significant amount of blade (enough to remove signs of the hole and reduce the closed width) would make for a pretty cool upswept profile. :) that persian thread got me thinking.
 
You might also look here at this link. I put a few pics in that thread of some I've Raved for other forum members as well as my own personal knives along with some other related info based on my observations from using all of the ones I've done or seen both factory and after market.

Some of the factory Emerson knives require a break in to get the blade action smoothed out. Once you get it worked in and used some they become quite nice also. It just takes a bit of work to break one in after getting it. I didn't realize how smooth an Emerson could be until I traded for a used one from 2000 and then reailized once they break in good they can be a very nice knife to have Waved in your pocket.

STR

http://spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17580
 
wasnt the wave started by a custom knife maker? If it was, that would be the patent source to look up.
 
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