OH NO Commander is all new for 2002

E

Eich1911

Search "Kyle Eichenseer" before dealing with me.
Joined
Sep 13, 2001
Messages
253
Just got in from the SHOT Show, and WOW wait till you guys see the updated 2002 Commanders. Same over all size, but a bigger stop pin, and alot of other little touches. So I guess we all will have to get new ones!

Got to meet Mr. Emerson in person and look at some of the trainers, and the Damascus blades. No customs (well one viper) to drool over, but show was great.

Show was great over all, cant wait till tomorrow to see the rest of it.
 
I did some field testing on this variant in Central America, and with urban carry here in the states. It is a great folder, and should answer any concerns over previous "faults" with the commanders. It also shows that the people at Emerson are listening to what their consumers want.
 
Are the liners thicker or improved similar to the '98 Commander? That would be nice to see.
 
Did you see any of the new Triton X-39 Emersons there?

I can't wait for the 2002 Commander!!!!
 
The liners are still .050, but . . . the backspacer has been lengthened, really solidifying the feel of the knife.

There is only one Triton Proto on display at the show, the Manual version.

Did ya'll get a chance to see the Super Commander Prototype?! :D

Also, if you see a guy with a Goatee and hair (other then Ernie), that would be me. Monday is my last day at the show.

John
 
Bel:

Yeah, Ernie had at least 4 of the prototypes at the show. He was showing them off, and waiting for some individuals to arrive to take a look at them prior to determining a price point on them. He was mentioning around $69.00 on several of the models he was showing.

This show is huge! I was only able to spend several hours there Saturday morning, and John any myself only made it through approximately 2/3 of the first room. I understood from talking with John later that we were in the "small" room and hadn't even gotten to the "main" room.

It was great to finally meet Ernie, and his daughters. His wife hadn't arrived yet, and was probably with the baby.

John and I also caught up with Steve Ryan at the Columbia River booth and got to take a look at the custom bag of goodies that he had with him. Man are those some large folders! Blade shapes from hell, with finishes that can't even be explained!
 
I'm going to try and get some pictures today of the Cerrara Knives. Bear in mind that they are very rough prototypes and some design changes are already happening.

There will be two sizes, regular and large. Bodies are Polymer, but there was one metal bodied Proto there, so you never know. :D Blade will be available in Tanto and Spearpoint. The will be "tip up correct" and it appears that the clip will be reversible.

Don, you should have sen "The Big Room"!! Liong, Ewok and I spent the day in there. Also, the show was AWESOME and I was there til the wee hours playing Roulette

John
 
Thanks John, for the liner info on the Commander. Tell me about the Super Commander. I'm "on the list" for one through TAD, but haven't been able to get any more specifics except for what's on the website. Would really like to know how much more "super" the knife is going to be or if it's just a longer version with cosmetic differences.
Wish I could have made the show. Sounds like fun, but hard on the bank account :eek:
 
John,

Looks like I missed a lot by not being at Las Vegas this time round.
Say Hi to Bel and the Usual Sspects.
Warmest wishes,
Oliver
 
New Commander for 2002!??! i just spent $200 on a 2001, guess i have to get a generation 3 commander :) :)
 
Oliver, ya shoulda been there buddy. :D

Ji, the SC ("Super Commander") is going to be an awesome piece.

Here is a copy of the mini preview I did for another forum about a week ago.
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 ya’ll 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 wasn’t 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 it’s 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 it’s 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..

Overall impression would be . . . excellent!! I’ll be in for several.
Click to expand...
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I have other pictures I'm editing and Liong got shots at the SHOT Show a couple of days ago (next to my third Gen Commander and Mini) :D I expect them to be up on TADs site soon.

John
 
I guess while were at it, I should post up the mini review I did on the New Commander as well . . . . .
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 doesn’t 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, EKI’s Production Manager, he says that the blade grind was changed slightly and that the body was changed just a hair. While I didn’t have a second generation Commander handy to compare the two, honestly, I couldn’t 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 I’d 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 didn’t appear any thicker. It was about this point that Shawn pointed out that the backspacer had been changed. It’s 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.

John
Click to expand...
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As for the backspacer issue, the second generation (older) Commander is the green scaled one on the bottom and the Third gen (new) Commander is in the middle. The top is the Super Commander Proto that is talked about in another string.
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John, does the wave on the newer Commander have a higher pitch to it or is it just the pic?
 
I don't know about the rest of you guys but as soon as I get a couple of Super Commanders I think I'm gonna have a whole drawer full of knives for sale. :D :D :D
 
John,
Thanks for the great preview/review!! Tried to post this before, but don't think it went through.
I hope EKI is right about the longer backspacer, because IMHO the heftier blade would warrant a thicker liner. But you're right, I'll try it before I come to any conclusions.
I'm liking the rest of the improvements and I'm glad I made it onto TAD's "list". And I suppose if the liner thing bothers me too much I can always give Mr. Doggett a jingle to transfrom it into a framelock. It might turn into a sorta oversized Sebenza :D Sounds better by the minute. Thanks again, Ji
 
the pitch in the pic looks exactly like my '99, when held up between my comp screen and my eye...oh, like *you* didn't just do it!!
 
Jesus Dman, good eye!!

There are a couple of ever so slight changes that I didn't really mention. The grind has changed just a hair, the thumb ramp has just a touch of curve to it, giving the wave a slightly higher pitch and the butt is just the slightest bit bigger due to the backspacer/screw pattern change.
 
Do all of the 2002's have these mods...or are there some "old-style" 2002's floating around. The real question is this: when I get the money together and order one on-line...can I just say "make sure it's a 2002 Commander" or do I also need to describe the differences in features to make sure I get the correct one?
 
LynnBob, I can't say 100%. Sorry.

But if it were me, I would have them check and make sure that the actual word "Commander" was on the blade. That should take care of it.

Dealers are getting them as we speak.
 
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