CQC-6
Encyclopedia
The CQC-6 or Viper Six is a handmade tactical folding knife
with a tantō
blade manufactured by knifemaker
Ernest Emerson
. Although initially reported as the sixth design in an evolution of fighting knives and the first model in the lineup of Emerson's Specwar Custom Knives, Emerson later revealed that the knife was named for SEAL Team Six. It has a chisel-ground blade of ATS-34 or 154CM stainless steel
and a handle made of titanium
and linen micarta
. The CQC-6 is credited as the knife that popularized the concept of the tactical folding knife.
.
The blade profile of most CQC-6's is a Japanese chisel ground tantō with a single bevel or zero-ground blade sharpened on only one side. Early models have a buffline similar to a hamon found on a Japanese Samurai Sword due to a leather buffing wheel used by Emerson to finish his blades. Unlike the typical Japanese chisel-grind, Emerson's grind is on the left-side of the blade as opposed to the right-side.
The handle material of the CQC-6 is composed of two titanium liners utilizing a Walker linerlock
and a single or double detent as the locking mechanism, although one experimental model exists with a ratchet lock. Titanium bolsters make up the front half of the knife with the back half represented by linen micarta scales. The reasons for using titanium as a linerlock material were due to its strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. The screws in the handle, and pivot are traditional straight-head screws to accommodate easy disassembly in the field with an improvised tool, if needed. Most models feature traction grooves for a more secure grip in a wet environment and a chamfered lockface. Early knives were made with black linen micarta and later models featured a proprietary green color made exclusively for Emerson. A pocket clip held in place by three screws allows the knife to be clipped to a pocket, web-gear, or MOLLE
.
from a West Coast
team had been using personally purchased custom fixed-blade knives made by Southern California knifemaker Phill Hartsfield
. Hartsfield's knives are hard ground from differentially heat-treated A2 tool steel and are known for their distinctive chisel
-ground blades. More accurately, they are zero ground; that is, the edge has no secondary bevel, minimizing drag when used for cutting purposes. Emerson had long been impressed by the cutting ability of the chisel-ground edge and had asked Hartsfield's permission to incorporate it into his own folding knives, which Hartsfield granted. When the SEALs asked Hartsfield to make them a folding knife, he informed them that he did not make folding knives and referred them to Emerson who manufactured folding knives utilizing the Walker linerlock
.
According to the SEALs' requirements, the knife had to be corrosion resistant, designed for easy cleaning in the field, durable enough to be used on a daily basis as a tool, and capable as a weapon should the need arise. Emerson's folding chisel-ground "tantō" became the sixth model in his Viper series and, while a handful of prototypes were referred to as "Viper 6", the model was soon named the "CQC-6" (CQC refers to "close-quarters combat") and was chosen by the SEALs for use. Writer, David Steele, refers to the CQC-6 as the sixth model after five prototypes as opposed to the next in the evolution of the Viper line of knives. Emerson, himself, says the moniker "six" was used because the SEALs in question were members of SEAL Team Six.
Ownership of a CQC6 soon became something of a status symbol among members of various elite military units, including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces
, German GSG 9
, and British SAS
. Because of this connection to the Special Warfare community, Emerson changed the name of his custom knife line to "Specwar Knives", and in 1996 this new designation began appearing in the logo on his line of custom blades. It should be noted that the CQC-6 was not an officially issued item, but rather one that was privately purchased by the troops in question.
Richard Marcinko
's Rogue Warrior
novels (Red Cell
, Green Team, Task Force Blue, Detachment Bravo, SEAL Force Alpha, Violence of Action and Holy Terror) prominently feature the CQC-6 as a regularly carried piece of equipment. On page 175 of Task Force Blue, Marcinko remarks that his CQC6 was a "personal gift from Ernie Emerson, himself". The popularity of Marcinko's books helped fuel the popularity of the CQC-6 in particular and Tactical Folding Knives in general beyond the realm of Military and Law-enforcement personnel.
and the moniker "Emerson Specwar Knives". The gunsight logo was briefly replaced by Emerson's Diamond logo for a period of 1 year(2004–2005), until the die to cut the logo was broken and Emerson resumed the Specwar log. In 2004, Emerson incorporated his patented "Wave" opening device into the profile of the blade.
The blade finish has almost uniformly been Emerson's trademark satin flats and matte edges. However, some models were made with a Black Tenifer coating. The steel was originally ATS-34 but was replaced by its American equivalent: 154 CM. Emerson has made "dress" versions with Damascus steel
blades and Titanium blades with a bonded carbide edge.
Emerson has used exotic handle materials such as decorative hardwoods, abalone shell
, and mother-of-pearl on these dress variants; these models often feature polished hardware as opposed to the bead blasted bolsters on the tactical models. A few early models featured a titanium backspacer, replaced in later years by a backspacer made of G10 fiberglass. Some early CQC-6's featured cutouts in the micarta handle slabs for a small pair of tweezers
as found on the Swiss Army Knife
.
In Japan
there are strict laws regarding the manufacture and possession of tantō blades. In response to this, Emerson made a small batch of CQC-6's with a more conventional blade-grind for a Cutlery Show in Seki City
. These knives featured the grind on the right-side of the blade as opposed to the left.
Emerson makes a 10% scaled up version of the CQC-6 known as the "Super Six" and a 10% scaled down version retro-named the "CQC-5". Like all of Emerson's custom knives there is a 13+ year backlog and no new orders for knives are taken.
In November 2001, Emerson made a one-of-a-kind CQC-6 and auctioned it at the New York Custom Knife Show for the benefit of children whose parents had been killed on 9/11/2001: 100% of the proceeds went to this charity. This knife featured polished hardware, hand-checkered micarta scales, and an engraved blade reading: "We shall strike a dagger deep into the heart of such evil".
In 1994, the president of Benchmade Knives
, Les DeAsis, approached Emerson to manufacture the CQC6 on a larger scale as a factory production model. Preferring to keep the CQC6 as a custom-only knife, Emerson instead licensed a similar design of his, the CQC-7. Even though it did not have the craftsmanship of a handmade piece of cutlery it satisfied customers with their own version of Emerson's work at an affordable price and without the five-year wait. Benchmade manufactured automatic
versions of the CQC7 such as the BM9700. Currently Pro-Tech Knives
of Santa Fe Springs, California manufactures an automatic version of the CQC-7 in collaboration with Emerson.
The CQC-7 is similar in size and blade profile to the CQC-6 with the main difference being a rear brake at the butt of the handle of the CQC-7 as opposed to the boattail shape of the CQC-6. After the contract with Benchmade expired, Emerson began production of this model in his own factory, Emerson Knives, Inc.
, in 1999. The production version of the CQC7 is not a handmade knife and features no bolsters or micarta in the handle construction. The handle material on the production model is G-10 fiberglass and the edge of the blade has a secondary bevel. There is a larger and smaller version of this knife known as the "Super CQC-7" and "Mini-CQC-7", respectively and a version with a drop-point blade as opposed to a tanto. An "all titanium" handled version with a framelock was made in 2005 known as the HD-7 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of this model. Emerson makes handmade versions of the CQC-7 with variations similar to the CQC-6 mentioned above.
In the Russian movie 12
a remake of the classic Twelve Angry Men
, an "Emerson CQC7" is revealed as the potential weapon used by a Chechen teen in the murder of his Russian foster-parents. However, the knife shown in the movie is not a CQC7 or even an Emerson made knife.
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
with a tantō
Tanto
A is one of the traditional Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate...
blade manufactured by knifemaker
Knifemaking
Knife making is the process of manufacturing a knife by any one or a combination of processes: stock removal, forging to shape, welded lamination or investment cast. Typical metals used come from the carbon steel, tool, or stainless steel families...
Ernest Emerson
Ernest Emerson
Ernest R. Emerson is an American custom knifemaker, martial artist, and edged-weapons expert. Originally an engineer and machinist in the aerospace industry, Emerson became a knifemaker known for making decorative knives but later became better known for his combat knives, eventually founding a...
. Although initially reported as the sixth design in an evolution of fighting knives and the first model in the lineup of Emerson's Specwar Custom Knives, Emerson later revealed that the knife was named for SEAL Team Six. It has a chisel-ground blade of ATS-34 or 154CM stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
and a handle made of titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
and linen micarta
Micarta
Micarta is a trademark of Norplex-Micarta industrial high pressure laminates and refers to a composite of linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass, carbon fiber or other fabric in a thermosetting plastic, originally used in electrical and decorative Koekjes applications. Micarta was developed by George...
. The CQC-6 is credited as the knife that popularized the concept of the tactical folding knife.
Specifications
The CQC-6 has a 3 5/8" long blade. The handle is 4 5/8" long making the knife close to 8 inches in length when opened. The butt-end of the knife tapers to a point and features a hole for tying a lanyardLanyard
A lanyard is a rope or cord exclusively worn around the neck or wrist to carry something. Usually it is used where there is a risk of losing the object or to ensure it is visible at all times. Aboard a ship, it may refer to a piece of rigging used to secure objects...
.
The blade profile of most CQC-6's is a Japanese chisel ground tantō with a single bevel or zero-ground blade sharpened on only one side. Early models have a buffline similar to a hamon found on a Japanese Samurai Sword due to a leather buffing wheel used by Emerson to finish his blades. Unlike the typical Japanese chisel-grind, Emerson's grind is on the left-side of the blade as opposed to the right-side.
The handle material of the CQC-6 is composed of two titanium liners utilizing a Walker linerlock
Walker Linerlock
The Walker Linerlock is a locking system developed by custom knifemaker Michael Walker in 1980 for use on folding knives.When the blade of the knife is in the opened position, it is held in place by a leaf spring that butts up against the tang of the blade to prevent the blade from closing...
and a single or double detent as the locking mechanism, although one experimental model exists with a ratchet lock. Titanium bolsters make up the front half of the knife with the back half represented by linen micarta scales. The reasons for using titanium as a linerlock material were due to its strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. The screws in the handle, and pivot are traditional straight-head screws to accommodate easy disassembly in the field with an improvised tool, if needed. Most models feature traction grooves for a more secure grip in a wet environment and a chamfered lockface. Early knives were made with black linen micarta and later models featured a proprietary green color made exclusively for Emerson. A pocket clip held in place by three screws allows the knife to be clipped to a pocket, web-gear, or MOLLE
Mölle
Mölle is a locality situated in Höganäs Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 725 inhabitants in 2005.It is best known for its scenic harbour and its location adjacent to the Kullaberg Nature Reserve...
.
History
In the mid-1980s, individual Navy SEALsUnited States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
from a West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
team had been using personally purchased custom fixed-blade knives made by Southern California knifemaker Phill Hartsfield
Phill Hartsfield
Phill Hartsfield was a Southern California sword and knifemaker based in Garden Grove, California who is noted for popularizing the chisel ground blade in the western world. Hartsfield's designs have influenced other knifemakers, primarily Ernest Emerson.-Early life:Hartsfield joined the US Navy...
. Hartsfield's knives are hard ground from differentially heat-treated A2 tool steel and are known for their distinctive chisel
Chisel
A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal. The handle and blade of some types of chisel are made of metal or wood with a sharp edge in it.In use, the chisel is forced into the material...
-ground blades. More accurately, they are zero ground; that is, the edge has no secondary bevel, minimizing drag when used for cutting purposes. Emerson had long been impressed by the cutting ability of the chisel-ground edge and had asked Hartsfield's permission to incorporate it into his own folding knives, which Hartsfield granted. When the SEALs asked Hartsfield to make them a folding knife, he informed them that he did not make folding knives and referred them to Emerson who manufactured folding knives utilizing the Walker linerlock
Walker Linerlock
The Walker Linerlock is a locking system developed by custom knifemaker Michael Walker in 1980 for use on folding knives.When the blade of the knife is in the opened position, it is held in place by a leaf spring that butts up against the tang of the blade to prevent the blade from closing...
.
According to the SEALs' requirements, the knife had to be corrosion resistant, designed for easy cleaning in the field, durable enough to be used on a daily basis as a tool, and capable as a weapon should the need arise. Emerson's folding chisel-ground "tantō" became the sixth model in his Viper series and, while a handful of prototypes were referred to as "Viper 6", the model was soon named the "CQC-6" (CQC refers to "close-quarters combat") and was chosen by the SEALs for use. Writer, David Steele, refers to the CQC-6 as the sixth model after five prototypes as opposed to the next in the evolution of the Viper line of knives. Emerson, himself, says the moniker "six" was used because the SEALs in question were members of SEAL Team Six.
Ownership of a CQC6 soon became something of a status symbol among members of various elite military units, including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces
United States Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and...
, German GSG 9
GSG 9
The GSG 9 der Bundespolizei , is the elite counter-terrorism and special operations unit of the German Federal Police.-History and name:...
, and British SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
. Because of this connection to the Special Warfare community, Emerson changed the name of his custom knife line to "Specwar Knives", and in 1996 this new designation began appearing in the logo on his line of custom blades. It should be noted that the CQC-6 was not an officially issued item, but rather one that was privately purchased by the troops in question.
Richard Marcinko
Richard Marcinko
Richard "Dick" Marcinko , is a retired Commander in the United States Navy and a former Navy SEAL. He was the first Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Six and Red Cell...
's Rogue Warrior
Rogue Warrior
Rogue Warrior may refer to:* Richard Marcinko , former Navy SEAL and best-selling author, nicknamed "Rogue Warrior"* Rogue Warrior , a book by Richard Marcinko...
novels (Red Cell
Rogue Warrior (book)
Rogue Warrior , by Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko, is an account of how he founded two United States Navy counter-terrorist units, SEAL Team SIX and Red Cell. Commanding Red Cell, he was directed to use them to test the Navy's anti-terrorist capabilities...
, Green Team, Task Force Blue, Detachment Bravo, SEAL Force Alpha, Violence of Action and Holy Terror) prominently feature the CQC-6 as a regularly carried piece of equipment. On page 175 of Task Force Blue, Marcinko remarks that his CQC6 was a "personal gift from Ernie Emerson, himself". The popularity of Marcinko's books helped fuel the popularity of the CQC-6 in particular and Tactical Folding Knives in general beyond the realm of Military and Law-enforcement personnel.
Variants
While each CQC-6 is made by hand by Emerson, there are certain subtle variations between models of different years. The earliest examples feature the Emerson "half-moon" logo, which is simply the name "EMERSON" arranged in an arc on the blade. This was replaced by the Specwar logo in 1996 which resembles the gunsight on the Stealth aircraftStealth aircraft
Stealth aircraft are aircraft that use stealth technology to avoid detection by employing a combination of features to interfere with radar as well as reduce visibility in the infrared, visual, audio, and radio frequency spectrum. Development of stealth technology likely began in Germany during...
and the moniker "Emerson Specwar Knives". The gunsight logo was briefly replaced by Emerson's Diamond logo for a period of 1 year(2004–2005), until the die to cut the logo was broken and Emerson resumed the Specwar log. In 2004, Emerson incorporated his patented "Wave" opening device into the profile of the blade.
The blade finish has almost uniformly been Emerson's trademark satin flats and matte edges. However, some models were made with a Black Tenifer coating. The steel was originally ATS-34 but was replaced by its American equivalent: 154 CM. Emerson has made "dress" versions with Damascus steel
Damascus steel
Damascus steel was a term used by several Western cultures from the Medieval period onward to describe a type of steel used in swordmaking from about 300 BCE to 1700 CE. These swords are characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water...
blades and Titanium blades with a bonded carbide edge.
Emerson has used exotic handle materials such as decorative hardwoods, abalone shell
Abalone
Abalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
, and mother-of-pearl on these dress variants; these models often feature polished hardware as opposed to the bead blasted bolsters on the tactical models. A few early models featured a titanium backspacer, replaced in later years by a backspacer made of G10 fiberglass. Some early CQC-6's featured cutouts in the micarta handle slabs for a small pair of tweezers
Tweezers
Tweezers are tools used for picking up and manipulating objects too small to be easily handled with the human hands. They are probably derived from tongs, pincers, or scissors-like pliers used to grab or hold hot objects since the dawn of recorded history...
as found on the Swiss Army Knife
Swiss Army knife
The Swiss Army knife is a brand of pocket knife or multi-tool manufactured by Victorinox AG and Wenger SA. The term "Swiss Army knife" was coined by US soldiers after World War II due to the difficulty they had in pronouncing the German name....
.
In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
there are strict laws regarding the manufacture and possession of tantō blades. In response to this, Emerson made a small batch of CQC-6's with a more conventional blade-grind for a Cutlery Show in Seki City
Seki, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu, Japan.The city was founded on October 15, 1950.On February 7, 2005, the municipalities of Horado, Itadori, Kaminoho, Mugegawa and Mugi, all part of Mugi District, were merged into the present-day city...
. These knives featured the grind on the right-side of the blade as opposed to the left.
Emerson makes a 10% scaled up version of the CQC-6 known as the "Super Six" and a 10% scaled down version retro-named the "CQC-5". Like all of Emerson's custom knives there is a 13+ year backlog and no new orders for knives are taken.
In November 2001, Emerson made a one-of-a-kind CQC-6 and auctioned it at the New York Custom Knife Show for the benefit of children whose parents had been killed on 9/11/2001: 100% of the proceeds went to this charity. This knife featured polished hardware, hand-checkered micarta scales, and an engraved blade reading: "We shall strike a dagger deep into the heart of such evil".
CQC-7
Benchmade
The Benchmade Knife Company is a knife manufacturer run by Roberta and Les de Asis in Oregon City, Oregon, United States. Its products are geared toward many niche markets, such as outdoor sporting cutlery, rescue, law-enforcement, martial-arts, and military...
, Les DeAsis, approached Emerson to manufacture the CQC6 on a larger scale as a factory production model. Preferring to keep the CQC6 as a custom-only knife, Emerson instead licensed a similar design of his, the CQC-7. Even though it did not have the craftsmanship of a handmade piece of cutlery it satisfied customers with their own version of Emerson's work at an affordable price and without the five-year wait. Benchmade manufactured automatic
Switchblade
A switchblade is a type of knife with a folding or sliding blade contained in the handle which is opened automatically by a spring when a button, lever, or switch on the handle or bolster is activated A switchblade (also known as an automatic knife, pushbutton knife, switch, Sprenger, Springer,...
versions of the CQC7 such as the BM9700. Currently Pro-Tech Knives
Pro-Tech Knives
Pro-Tech Knives, Inc. is a knife manufacturing company based in Santa Fe Springs, California, famous for its automatic knives. Pro-Tech was founded in 2001 by Dave Wattenberg. The company produces 7000 knives per year and its most famous models are the Godfather, Godson, and the Stinger. Pro-Tech...
of Santa Fe Springs, California manufactures an automatic version of the CQC-7 in collaboration with Emerson.
The CQC-7 is similar in size and blade profile to the CQC-6 with the main difference being a rear brake at the butt of the handle of the CQC-7 as opposed to the boattail shape of the CQC-6. After the contract with Benchmade expired, Emerson began production of this model in his own factory, Emerson Knives, Inc.
Emerson Knives, Inc.
Emerson Knives, Inc. is a production knife company founded in 1996 by custom knifemaker Ernest Emerson in an effort to mass produce his folding knife designs for the US Military and Collector markets.-History:...
, in 1999. The production version of the CQC7 is not a handmade knife and features no bolsters or micarta in the handle construction. The handle material on the production model is G-10 fiberglass and the edge of the blade has a secondary bevel. There is a larger and smaller version of this knife known as the "Super CQC-7" and "Mini-CQC-7", respectively and a version with a drop-point blade as opposed to a tanto. An "all titanium" handled version with a framelock was made in 2005 known as the HD-7 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of this model. Emerson makes handmade versions of the CQC-7 with variations similar to the CQC-6 mentioned above.
In the Russian movie 12
12 (film)
12 is a 2007 crime film by Russian director and actor Nikita Mikhalkov. The film was presented at the Venice Film Festival, where Mikhalkov was awarded the Special Lion for Overall Work...
a remake of the classic Twelve Angry Men
Twelve Angry Men
Twelve Angry Men may refer to:* Twelve Angry Men , a 1954 teleplay by Reginald Rose* Twelve Angry Men , a play adapted by Rose from his teleplay* 12 Angry Men , an adaptation of the play, directed by Sidney Lumet...
, an "Emerson CQC7" is revealed as the potential weapon used by a Chechen teen in the murder of his Russian foster-parents. However, the knife shown in the movie is not a CQC7 or even an Emerson made knife.