Emerson Knives Super Commander True Satin

Reviewed by corwin99 on January 31st, 2010

I have to admit, with Emerson knives I’m not sure I know what the hype is all about. While I think this is a fantastic knife design, the construction and materials are pretty standard stuff. Additionally, the extra cost and rarity of a true satin finish is somewhat odd, since a Satin finish is available on nearly all knives of this price range with no extra cost.

But then again, it is an Emerson. His custom knives command a huge premium on the secondary market, so its not surprising his production stuff is also highly sought after. Strange than the Ken Onion Chive doesn’t hold the same esteem, however.

From a design and ergonomic standpoint, the knife is extremely well made. The knife has great feet and fanastic control, especially given its large size. The Wave feature is obviously very desirable for many users of this knife, though I personally am not a fan of it. It deploys quickly, but is difficult to use when you want to be more discreet. The true satin finish is a very nice feature to have, since it is my preferred finished on general user knives.

The knife is shaving sharp, but has a sabre grind, popular with Emerson. This one is particularly shallow, given the knife a relatively thick edge, and obtuse cutting geometry, making the knife more suited to hard use at the expense of cutting efficiency.

154CM steel is a tried and true American original that is strong, reliable, and easy to sharpen. The G-10 Handles are resistant to just about anything and very grippy. The flat-head trademark pivot is supposed to make the knife easy to adjust in the field, and the titanium liners and lock are pretty standard at this level of knife. Aside from the design, however, nothing really stands out. Emerson relies on his design to charge the $100 premium over other knives out there with similar materials, and level of fit and finish.

The Super Commander is a great, tough user knife, and would be likely fantastic for military or LEO’s. However, aside from the design, there is very little value in the knife that one would typically associate with the price tag. Emerson’s do maintain their value, so resale prospects are good. Great knife, with a few small complaints, but I feel the pricetag is about $100 too high.

Specs:
Overall Length: 9 1/2″
Blade Length: 4″
Blade Steel: 154CM
Handle Material: G-10
Liners: Titanium

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