Spyderco Endela Emerson Opener Folding Knife 3.41 inch VG10 Satin Plain Blade with Wave, Gray FRN Handles
DescriptionSP243PGYW: C243PGYW Endela Emerson OpenerSpyderco KnivesSized to perfectly split the difference between the iconic Delica 4 and Endura 4 models, the Endela is rapidly earning a reputation as the perfect compromise. To make this full-service folder even more capable, it is now available with an Emerson Opener—an integral hook on the spine of the blade opens it automatically as it's drawn. This high-speed version of the Endela features a saber ground VG10 blade, skeletonized stainless steel liners, a sturdy lockback mechanism, and an injection-molded fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) handle in the distinctive blue-gray color of Spyderco's Emerson-Opener equipped knives.The Emerson OpenerErnest Emerson has had a profound impact on the cutlery industry and both the form and function of the modern tactical folding knife. Although the scope of his influence is extremely broad, perhaps his most revolutionary innovation was the inchEmerson Opener. inch Also known as the inchWave-Shaped Feature inch or more colloquially—and inaccurately—the inchWave, inch it consists of a small integral hook on the spine of a folding knife blade. When the closed knife is carried tip-up and drawn from the pocket, the hook snags on the lip of the pocket and swiftly rotates the blade into the open position. If you need to use your folding knife in a hurry, the Emerson Opener is hands down your quickest option.Ernest Emerson's Knifemaking JourneyA native of northern Wisconsin, Ernest Emerson was born on March 7, 1955. He was a gifted athlete in high school and began his lifelong obsession with the martial arts at age 16 by training in Yudo, the Korean version of Judo. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse and earned degrees in physical education and world history, as well as a brown belt in Kyokushinkai Karate and a black belt in Shotokan Karate.Immediately after graduating, Emerson moved to Southern California with the sole purpose of furthering his martial arts education at the famed Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts under Bruce Lee's protégés Dan Inosanto and Richard Bustillo. There he studied the Filipino art of Kali and Bruce Lee's systems of Jun Fan Gung Fu and Jeet Kune Do. Later, he also trained in Brazilian Jujitsu under the acclaimed Royce and Rorion Gracie. During this time, Emerson made his living as a machine operator and design engineer for Hughes Aircraft.In 1978, as part of his study of the Filipino martial arts, Emerson found himself in need of a balisong, or butterfly knife. Balisongs were not widely available back then, so he opted to make his own. When his fellow students saw it, they asked Emerson to make knives for them as well. Balisongs quickly led to fixed-blade knives and, after seeing a Michael Walker custom LinerLock folder at a gun show, ultimately folding knives. With Walker's blessing, Emerson began making LinerLock folding knives and soon found himself a full-time knifemaker. Drawing inspiration from his work in the aerospace industry, he incorporated state-of-the-art, high-performance materials and concentrated on meticulously crafted, investment-quality knives.In the mid-1980s, Emerson shifted his focus to more spartan, tactically oriented designs. He also adopted the single-sided chisel grind—a signature element of the knives of fellow custom knifemaker Phil Hartsfield, who had been making knives for members of the West Coast U.S. Navy SEALs. When the SEALs asked Hartsfield to make folding knives, he explained that he only made fixed blades and introduced them to Emerson. Emerson's folders quickly became must-have kit among the SEALs, and that popularity soon spread to other U.S. and foreign special operations units and elite law enforcement agencies. It later led to collaborations with several leading commercial knife manufacturers and ultimately to Emerson Knives, Inc., Emerson's own production knife company, which he founded with his wife Mary.Emerson's legendary designs have been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Museum—an unprecedented achievement for a knifemaker—and his knives continue to be trusted by some of the world's most elite warriors.The Birth of the Emerson OpenerThe Emerson Opener is one of the most dynamic knife-related innovations ever developed and has been used—both with and without Emerson's blessing—on countless knives over the years. The actual invention of this feature, however, was an accident. According to Emerson, the instructors of the U.S. Navy SEALs Combat Fighting Course wanted to develop a specific knife for combat use. One of the features they wanted on the design was a inchblade catcher inch on the spine of the blade to protect the user's hand. Emerson incorporated the feature on his iconic Commander model and decided to shape it like a small ocean wave. When he had finished the initial prototypes of the design, several SEALs from U.S. Naval Base Coronado drove up to his shop to pick them up for
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