What's the deal with the Emerson Wave?

Marshwheeling · Mar 27, 2015

A couple of weeks ago, my boy gave me this knife, a Kershaw CQC-6 with the Emerson Wave feature that opens the knife as it is drawn from the pocket:

It is pretty cool, and really works, but I wonder how useful it really is. Any thoughts?

2hawk · Mar 27, 2015

How fast do you need it?
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0o4cYU4OGk[/ame]

If you did need a knife for self-defense, there's a good argument to be made for it; I would think it really useful in that scenario. OTOH, if you use a knife as a tool more often than for SD, it might be more than you need.

Marshwheeling · Mar 28, 2015

Yes, but who has ever really needed a knife for self defense? I never have, although I use one daily as a tool. For utility purposes, I can't see where it gives an advantage over any knife that can be opened with one hand. Of course, the same can be said of any assisted opener.

On the other hand, it is still cool. It has to be dead cheap to produce, and the license fee can't add much to the cost of the knife, as Kershaw sells this one in the same price range as many of its assisted flippers. There is no reason not to add the wave to every folder made. Mr. Emerson deserves to become very rich.

dewingrm1 · Mar 28, 2015

I believe Emerson knives were originally marketed to military and law enforcement. I carry a Spyderco Endura with the wave feature as a duty knife. I like the fact that I can deploy my knife from my pocket and not have to worry about fumbling with opening it if needed. Makes sense for a police officer that might use his knife to fend off a disarm attempt.

Ματθιας · Mar 28, 2015

An already deployed fixed blade is faster and has less that could go wrong.

Watchdog · Mar 28, 2015

Marshwheeling said:
A couple of weeks ago, my boy gave me this knife, a Kershaw CQC-6 with the Emerson Wave feature that opens the knife as it is drawn from the pocket

That's a really nice gift! Those knives aren't cheap. I could see where a fast opening knife would come in handy. And I guess if you didn't want to use the wave feature, you could change the way you put the knife in your pocket.

deadin · Mar 28, 2015

Looks like a good way to tear the seam out of your pocket...

Watchdog · Mar 28, 2015

Ματθιας;138460088 said:
An already deployed fixed blade is faster and has less that could go wrong.

Yeah, but then you gotta carry it in a sheath. Unless you just want to pretend to be Jim Bowie maybe, and carry it stuck in your belt or a brightly colored waist sash or something. Maybe make a fashion statement with it.

Fred Ward · Mar 28, 2015

Options are always good. I have used a knife for self defense more than once, for a variety of reasons, and I often carry a knife now when a handgun is not, shall we say, appropriate. I think everyone should have a variety of defensive knives at their disposal, including fixed blade, automatic and assisted opening.

tbgunner88 · Mar 28, 2015

Pretty neat idea, but it seems like it puts the knife in an awkward position to defend yourself with if you were in a hurry.

Marshwheeling · Mar 28, 2015

WATCHDOG said:
That's a really nice gift! Those knives aren't cheap. I could see where a fast opening knife would come in handy. And I guess if you didn't want to use the wave feature, you could change the way you put the knife in your pocket.

It is a nice gift. Not cheap, but not really expensive, either, at just under $30. It is quite sharp; out of the box it will shave the hair on my arm. Opening with the thumb disc was a bit stiff at first, but a quarter turn off the pivot screw and a drop of gun oil slicked it right up.

Construction and finish is pretty typical Kershaw, a brushed stainless frame lock, with one G10 scale. I will be pleased to carry it.

Marshwheeling · Apr 4, 2015

Brief update

The more I carry this knife, the more I like it. Still no need to defend myself with it, but the self-opening feature is endlessly amusing. It doesn't hurt that the knife has a good blade, too.

Absalom · Apr 4, 2015

Glad to hear you like it. After carrying one of the old Benchmade-Emerson CQC-7's since the mid-90s, I bought one with the wave feature more out of curiosity some time ago from a guy I knew at a good price.
What I found to be the issue, and the reason why I still prefer my old Emerson without the wave feature, is that you have to basically develop two slightly different moves to draw the knife from the pocket, because at least in my case I find myself frequently pulling out the knife without wanting it open right away. Someone may ask to borrow it, or I may get it out to lay on the table anticipating to need it, or I'm changing pants, or whatever, and with the wave, I find myself holding an open blade when I don't want to unless I pay extra attention.
But maybe I just didn't practice enough

.

kwselke · Dec 25, 2016

A couple of months back I started a thread on switchblades just to learn. I did learn that switchblades probably are not for me. I have a long history of buying myself knives at Christmas time and a couple of weeks back got a bug compeling me to buy new knives for myself. I bought another Spyderco Delica 4 and that did not fix my urge for new knives.

Twice in the last year I've had dogs accost me on my early morning walks. What saved me was that I acted like the Alpha Male Human Pack Leader and the dogs backed off. If it had become a contact sport I would have been mauled and the dog would have been ripped by my Delica, which is not a fighting knife or even close. I decided I wanted more knife just to carry on my predawn exercise walks. I decided a wanted a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 and started shopping online. I was about to buy what would become a $150 knife that I would carry, put wear on, possibly use, and of materials whose quality was way beyond my needs. I rethought and decided to buy yet a third Delica 4 along with a Spyderco Endura 4 Emerson Wave Opener. Drive out that would cost about the same as a Paramilitary 2. If I use, loose, and abuse the Endura 4 Emerson it is half the cost of the Paramilitary 2.

I was skeptical, but it took me no time at all to learn how to deploy it. I find it works best with loose fitting pants, which is what I wear while exercising. With snug jeans on I may get no or only partial deployment of the blade upon withdrawal from the pocket. After a couple of morning walks with it I think the Endura 4 Emerson is perfect for what I bought it for. But it is not going to replace my basic Delica as to what I carry most of the time.

Kanewpadle · Dec 25, 2016

deadin said:
Looks like a good way to tear the seam out of your pocket...

Which they will do. They're hard on pockets.

deadin · Dec 26, 2016

Anybody else have one of these Kershaw's??

(This one will draw blood from the user if they aren't careful....)

Ivan the Butcher · Dec 26, 2016

I carry a Kershaw with the Emerson wave feature every day. I fix things for a living. When I need a knife, I need it open and I need it now.

My grandfather lost his right hand in a industrial accident before WWII, and the whole family is all about knives that open one handed. The Wave is a little hard on pockets, I'm very hard on the rest of the pants, so it works out! Work pants like blue jeans hold up pretty well, My dress pants have held up to 8 months of carry, but I can control the force in opening the knife!

Ivan

H Richard · Dec 27, 2016

I've carried a Kershaw Leek for 10 years and am sold on the "one hand" use.

Marshwheeling · Dec 27, 2016

Zombie thread.

What's the deal with the Emerson Wave?

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