Emerson's original customs that were used by the SEALS (which were a big part in making him famous) were dual Ti linerlocks. When the designs made the move to the production models he tried to keep the same basic construction components. The Ti was used initially on both liners because of the chance of encountering salt water which will rust a lot of stainless steels, especially in those days. I assume the switch to the current Ti/steel liner setup was to decrease cost without much decrease in performance. The knives were, and still are, made with the thought of resistance to the elements in mind. That's why Emerson knives use nylatron washers instead of metallic ones. Titanium will flex and not break as easily as steel and still return to true without much effort. The Ti also galls with the steel tang at the lock interface making the signature "pop" when releasing an Emerson lock. This, in theory, makes the lockup more solid even if it is to a small degree.
I love Emerson knives for exactly what they are and exactly what they are made of. I don't ever see Ernie making the switch to all steel liners, just like he wont really deviate from using 154CM as the main blade steel. Emersons are purposely made the way they are and have a lot of thought put into the reasons why. They are very basic and in some ways crude, but that is the charm of them to a lot of people. To answer your above questions, I would not buy a stainless liner lock Emerson or a lockback one.
Yessir, I'm soakin' up what you're spillin'. Two recipes folks don't want to mess with: Coca-Cola Classic and Emerson Knives. I get it. I respect it. And to a degree, I actually agree with it.
I completely agree with Officer's Match (who posted above) that he'd rather EKI go back to double titanium liners. Me too. But since the original spec has already been altered (and, might I add, without consumers asking for it,) it kind of begs the question; do ti liners offer much of an advantage over steel, anymore? Maybe it does to the lock (and maybe this *is* why they stuck with titanium); especially when partnered with the wave feature (ie. stress and shock absorption properties.) I'm looking into it at my own leisurely pace, and I've already read some interesting articles regarding shock absorption as it pertains to titanium bike frames. Totally different application, but interesting nonetheless.
I'm also interested in the XHD series that Turbo4x4 has kindly brought to my attention. It is certainly a deviation from the ol' classic recipe, but I'd buy one. And, yeah, maybe the back-lock idea was a dumb one, but I'd bet they'd move a few units in, say, a licensing deal with a company like Cold Steel. Anyway, I digress.
What I'm
not here to do is tell Mr.Emerson how to run his business, or what EKI fans should appreciate or like. I would never presume. Just asking some questions to folks who like knives. Especially
Emerson Knives, because I like 'em too.
Cheers, and thanks for the input.
-Brett
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