History accounts for the names of many people who have become legendary due to their contribution to their field. In the field of weaponry this is no exception. Among them are such notable names as Masamune, Ingelri and Ulfberht, Claude-Etienne Minié, and John Browning, who have all left their mark on weapons and armor manufacturing. Unlike masters of other artistic media, the creation of weapons is less attributed to the names of their innovators as they are to the function their creations fulfilled at the time. At every moment in the history of arms and armor, something was a game changer and weapons and combat was never the same since. Ernest Emerson, founder of Emerson knives might just be one such innovator when it comes to the creation and production of tactical knives. The crazy part is he has only just begun to flex his muscles when it comes to the craft of knifemaking. In just over 40 years, Ernest Emerson went from making his own balisong knife in his home with some scrap metal and simple tools to being the premier contractor for US Special Forces, SEAL teams, NASA, and first responders in the United States. Ernest Emerson has been a practitioner of martial arts for nearly half a century. He was born in 1955, in a log cabin his grandfather built. His dad was a teacher, and so he was raised with an appreciation for education and hard work, fighting for everything he had. As a young man, his athleticism took him to the University of Wisconsin--LaCrosse in the 1970s, where he majored in Physical Education, and was even drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals to play baseball professionally. But perhaps his true passions lie in martial arts. He got his start in 1971 with Yudo, a Korean method of fighting, incorporating throws and grappling. At the time, Bruce Lee had made people with the right training look super-human in their ability to defend themselves, and Ernest Emerson was about to find himself at the epicenter of a time when many greats in the field of martial arts were also getting their beginning. Among others, these are some of the disciplines of martial arts Ernest Emerson has trained in: Anyone who knows anything about martial arts understands that at this time, Ernest Emerson was standing on the shoulders of giants. With a working knowledge of kinesiology, athleticism, and practical application through multifaceted disciplines of martial arts, Emerson would later be able to apply what he had learned to the utility of his future trade. They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and in Ernest Emerson's case, he needed a balisong knife for escrima class. But in 1978, these were expensive pieces of equipment, so applying what he knew from his dayjob as an aerospace machinist, he made his own out of some aluminum and steel stock in his own home. The other students in his class were so impressed with his handiwork that they started asking him to make balisongs for them as well, paying him for the cost of materials alone. Eventually he started to charge for his craft and with the inclusion of fixed and folding linerlock blades, he was able to launch into knife making full-time. He and his wife Mary, a prominent student of Jiu Jitsu herself, started working together to make a tenuous dream into an empire. Like master swordmaker Masamune, it took knowing how to use a tool to create the best tool for the job. Early tactical knives, especially folders, where still in their infancy in America, with bulky trench knives or switchblades being what people knew. Locking mechanisms such as the linerlock were just coming into the mainstream, and Emerson jumped at the chance to use this technology in his own designs, seeing their practical application for not only fighting, but a variety of other uses as well. Folding knives allowed a user to carry a legal folding knife for self-defense, with quick deployment and the strength for tactical use without stepping over the line when it came to legalities in a nation where switchblades were banned. Emerson began knifemaking like many designers, with the artistic trade shows and competitions, which showcased knives more as works of art than combat ready tools of a martial artist. With years long waiting lists for his creations, Ernest Emerson decided to take the next logical step and begin manufacturing his knives for a larger audience. Ernest Emerson was a pioneer when it came to features you see on most tactical knives today: Ernest Emerson has plied his trade in collaborations with other companies as well: Not just weapons on the battle field, their versatility, strength and design apply to various niches of search and rescue as well, and tactical design which make them as essential as a fork or spoon at the dinner table when it comes to tactical use. Ernest Emerson lives with his wife, a lifelong student of martial arts herself, Mary Emerson, in California. He has been a technical consultant for a variety of television programs on weapon systems, and has a podcast. He is also a purveyor of tactical wear, flashlights, and collaborator with Andy Prisco, in making tactical tomahawks, worthy of the Emerson moniker. Continuing to strive for his ultimate best, Ernest Emerson has gone on to manufacture blades on his own with Emerson Knives, INC (EKI). Not sacrificing any of the quality of his previous endeavors, he now works independently to product some of the best tactical knives in the business. Not just a go-to knife for Special Forces operators world wide, Emerson Knives are also prized possessions of knife enthusiasts and collectors. After 40+ years of knife making, Ernest Emerson has decided to spend more time with family and less time in the shop making custom knives. He only attends two knife shows a year now. The Blade Show in Atlanta and the USN convention in Las Vegas. Two virtual custom shows and lotteries are held each year (Christmas Show and Spring Show) as well, where lotteries are held now instead of orders for his custom blades. This has set another trend for other knife makers as well, who are also offering custom knives through a lottery only. But it doesn't mean that the crowds don't gather just to purchase a knife from his inventory. At these knife shows, buyers flock to the Emerson tables to buy what is available. Collectors often spend upwards of $1200-2000 on an Emerson custom hand-made knife, even through a secondary market. They don't last long on the shelf either, being sold quickly. Emerson Knives, Inc. blades are made in Harbor City, CA and held to such rigorous standards of workmanship that they come with a lifetime guarantee for manufacture and materials. Knifeart.com sells only the best curated knives and are so confident you will love your purchase that we will not charge a restocking fee if you don't think it is the best thing since sliced bread. Just send it back, no questions asked. There are so many Emerson Knives to choose from, you'll have to see for yourself, and priced right so you can order more than one!Living History
A lifetime student of martial arts
Knifemaking to manufacturing
Evolution of the Emerson knife
A trendsetter
Working well with others
Not Just for Our Special Forces Anymore
What he is doing now
An enduring legacy among collectors
Relationship with Knifeart.com
Emerson Knives History
