- Joined
- Apr 5, 1999
- Messages
- 459
Dear Members,
Why do I use 154CM steel when there are other "super steels" out there? First, you need to understand why I build my knives the way I do. I build hard-use tools - that's it in a nutshell.
Believe me, I know all about all of the "super steels." I even know the metallurgists and the scientists personally and I have very frank and open dialogues ongoing with all of them. Why do I use 154CM? We do not push the Rockwell on any of our knives. They finish at 57 to 59 RC, well below the high limits. Do any of you own a real Marine Ka-Bar knife? Test the Rockwell on it and you'll see what I'm talking about. Our knives may get dull, but rarely if ever get broken. That's exactly what I want, and exactly what I don't want. I could tell you dozens of customer stories of knives that self-destructed in hard use in extreme situations, knives made by other companies - not mine. You see, most users never push their knives to those extremes, no matter how hard they claim. Ask any soldier about combat or deployment use. You find out what breaks and what lasts real fast, and I'm not talking about hand-to-hand combat. I'm talking about every day, beat the shite out of stuff, use.
We've had edges chip and tips break off, but in over 40 years and hundreds of thousands of knives, I can count on one hand the number of my knives that users have broken, and that's always been doing something really dumb. One guy broke a Roadhouse trying to pry open a manhole cover. He wedged the knife in the crack and then stepped on it with his foot. Now having said all that, I have to admit that we do use some other steels for specific orders from customers and for some special editions that we make, but you see, we don't even push 154CM, which is an outstanding steel for its intended use, so there's no real reason or need to go for any of the so-called upgraded steels, because we would still only heat treat them to 57 or 59 Rockwell also.
It seems like everyone is always trying to put me in the box with all the other companies. I've never marched to their drummer, and I never will. It's not who we are, and it's not how we are. Emerson Knives Incorporated was the first, foremost and only tactical knife company in the world for a very long time. Younger members of this forum would never even know that fact. I created that market, and I've owned that market for almost 40 years now. Everything from us is done for a purpose, and that's what our customers expect. Not a rant, not a bash, just an explanation.
Best,
Ernest
Why do I use 154CM steel when there are other "super steels" out there? First, you need to understand why I build my knives the way I do. I build hard-use tools - that's it in a nutshell.
Believe me, I know all about all of the "super steels." I even know the metallurgists and the scientists personally and I have very frank and open dialogues ongoing with all of them. Why do I use 154CM? We do not push the Rockwell on any of our knives. They finish at 57 to 59 RC, well below the high limits. Do any of you own a real Marine Ka-Bar knife? Test the Rockwell on it and you'll see what I'm talking about. Our knives may get dull, but rarely if ever get broken. That's exactly what I want, and exactly what I don't want. I could tell you dozens of customer stories of knives that self-destructed in hard use in extreme situations, knives made by other companies - not mine. You see, most users never push their knives to those extremes, no matter how hard they claim. Ask any soldier about combat or deployment use. You find out what breaks and what lasts real fast, and I'm not talking about hand-to-hand combat. I'm talking about every day, beat the shite out of stuff, use.
We've had edges chip and tips break off, but in over 40 years and hundreds of thousands of knives, I can count on one hand the number of my knives that users have broken, and that's always been doing something really dumb. One guy broke a Roadhouse trying to pry open a manhole cover. He wedged the knife in the crack and then stepped on it with his foot. Now having said all that, I have to admit that we do use some other steels for specific orders from customers and for some special editions that we make, but you see, we don't even push 154CM, which is an outstanding steel for its intended use, so there's no real reason or need to go for any of the so-called upgraded steels, because we would still only heat treat them to 57 or 59 Rockwell also.
It seems like everyone is always trying to put me in the box with all the other companies. I've never marched to their drummer, and I never will. It's not who we are, and it's not how we are. Emerson Knives Incorporated was the first, foremost and only tactical knife company in the world for a very long time. Younger members of this forum would never even know that fact. I created that market, and I've owned that market for almost 40 years now. Everything from us is done for a purpose, and that's what our customers expect. Not a rant, not a bash, just an explanation.
Best,
Ernest
