Early knifemaking

Although Emerson credits his grandfather's gift of a Barlow knife to him at the age of 8 years with starting his interest in knives, it was not until later in life that he turned to making them. The summer of 1978 found Emerson in need of a balisong knife for his study of a Filipino martial art and, unable to afford one on a working man's salary, Emerson decided he would attempt to make his own instead. He milled and drilled the handles from aluminum stock; the knife's blade was a simple steel blank that he hand cut with a hacksaw, shaped with files, and heat treated at his dining room table with a butane torch.

When he started classes with this "homemade" knife, his instructors and fellow students were impressed with his handiwork and asked him to make knives for them. Emerson did so and sold these early butterfly knives for just the cost of materials, but he soon had to raise his price to $50 each, as demand for his knives increased. Emerson went on to make fixed-blade knives on a part-time basis, but upon seeing a Michael Walker handmade folding knife at a gun show, he was so impressed by the quality and design that he decided he was going to make folding pocketknives from that point on. Emerson contacted Walker and obtained his permission to use the Walker Linerlock mechanism on his own knives.

Background

Ernest Emerson was born on March 7, 1955 in a 20-foot-square log cabin built by his grandfather in northern Wisconsin, and was raised in a family of farmers, craftsmen, and teachers. While attending high school he displayed great ability as an athlete, specifically as a wrestler and baseball player, being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals to play pro baseball at the age of 17 in the Midwest League.

Emerson began his training in martial arts at the age of 16 with the Korean version of Judo known as Jodo, traveling from Wisconsin to Minnesota twice a week to attend school. He continued his study of the martial arts while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a brown belt in Kyokushinkai Karate and a black belt in Shotokan Karate while competing on the university's karate team. After graduating with degrees in physical education and world history, Emerson moved to Southern California for the sole purpose of continuing his martial arts training at the Filipino Kali Academy. There he studied Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, Kali, and Escrima under the tutelage of Dan Inosanto and Richard Bustillo (both proteges of the late Bruce Lee). According to Emerson, he could barely afford the US$12.50 monthly dues, and performed maintenance and janitorial duties in exchange for instruction. Emerson subsequently trained in Gracie Jiu Jitsu for three years at the original Gracie Academy in Torrance, California, under the founders of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu system, Rorion and Royce Gracie. Eventually, Emerson became an instructor in his own right and combined the principles of all these systems. It was also in Southern California where he met his wife, Mary, who is one of the world's top female practitioners of Jujutsu. During this time, Emerson worked as a technician, a machine operator, and eventually a design engineer for Hughes Aircraft in El Segundo.

Ernest Emerson KnifeMaker

Ernest R. Emerson (born March 7, 1955) is an American custom knifemaker, martial artist, and edged-weapons authority who founded Emerson Knives in 1996. Once known for making "art knives", he later became better known as one of the knifemakers who started the "tactical knife" trend in the early 1990s with his award-winning cutlery. Emerson's knives have been displayed as museum pieces, carried by Navy SEALs, and used by NASA in outer space. His knives have been featured in books and films, making them valuable and popular with collectors.

Emerson's knifemaking career was born from his experience as an engineer and machinist in the aerospace industry coupled with his lifelong study of martial arts. Drawing on his experience as a craftsman and engineer, Emerson has also begun making custom handmade electric guitars.

Emerson's own personally developed fighting technique, Emerson Combat Systems, has been taught to police officers, elite military units, and civilians worldwide, making Emerson a highly sought-after combatives instructor, author, and noted authority on edged weapons in combat.