The Emerson Range Master Sheepdog Knife ~ Review

USA -(Ammoland.com)- Some of the best designs in the tactical community come about when like-minded innovators meet and share ideas. Such is the case with the Emerson Sheepdog Knife.

Lt Col David Grossman, USA (ret) is probably the world’s foremost authority on combat and the psychological effects of such. His books On Killing and On Combat have been best sellers and are required reading for military units and police departments throughout the world.

When he is not writing he is touring the country speaking before police departments, military organizations, school boards and communities on the subjects of school shootings, post-traumatic stress disorder, violent video games and self-defense tactics and training.

Ernest Emerson is somewhat of a legend in the tactical community having designed knives for use by various elite forces around the world such as SEAL Team Six, the British SAS and German GSG-9. Emerson is also known for turning around a new prototype in a rapid fashion as he did with a search and rescue knife that he designed for the US Navy nearly two decades ago.

So it came as no surprise that when Lt Col Grossman wanted to have a knife made that he contacted Ernest Emerson of Emerson Knives.

The Emerson Sheepdog Knife Collaboration

The two had known each other for some time and Grossman’s books are often referenced in the combatives classes that Emerson teaches on a routine basis. Despite the friendship, Grossman had a very specific idea for a knife design and wanted that concept to come to fruition regardless of the manufacturer.

He wanted the best knife he could have his name on and had some very specific requirements:

• It had to have a deep, positive choil so that a user’s hand could not slide forward onto the blade.
• The handle needed to be ergonomic, comfortable and secure when used hard or under dangerous conditions.
• The knife needed to be built for the average man, not too large and not too small, the key is that a soldier or lawman should feel comfortable carrying the knife even when they are not on duty. Something a big knife prohibits most people from doing.
• The blade had to be just under 3.5 inches and it cannot look too much like a weapon
• The knife had to be a tactical utility tool first and foremost but it must still function as a sound defensive weapon if ever needed as such.
• The blade needed to be easy to sharpen, not too brittle because it might be used to pry in an emergency, if necessary.
• The knife needed to be disassembled by the user so it can be cleaned and serviced easily.
• It needed to be drilled for both right and left side carry configuration.
  The knife needed to be opened easily under stress in a gross motor skills environment and it should have a “flipper” opening feature.

Emerson’s custom and factory knives have always embodied specifications 1 through 8 and the first half of point 9. These are liner lock style knives that roll on a ball detent and make use of Emerson’s wave shaped opening feature that open the blade on the draw. Bearings would be something new to the California-based knife company.

Undaunted, Emerson had a prototype built within 24 hours.

That original version used a clip point, Bowie style blade. After the prototype was on its way to Grossman, Emerson crafted a second version with a spear point blade, similar to the CQC-10 model he had designed for gun maker Heckler & Koch in the 1990s.

With the prototype Bowie blade in hand, Grossman saw the picture of the second knife and gave his approval to produce two versions.

The Grossman Sheepdog knife was officially introduced at the 2015 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the entire first run, all Bowies, sold out by the end of the four day show.

Author’s Impressions

At first glance the Sheepdog looks like a typical tactical knife produced by Emerson’s production company with G10 handles, titanium liners, wave shaped opening feature and a stainless steel blade with a chisel grind.

Closer inspection reveals the flipper handle and for a first-time effort, the end result is outstanding. The blade fires out like a rocket and the execution of this design makes one wonder why EKI did not go with this type of feature sooner.

The ability to switch the clip to the left or right side handle makes it perfect as a backup weapon in case an attacker attempts a gun grab. In an instance like this, the dominant hand is used to protect the sidearm while the offhand draws the blade and goes to work on the assailant.

The name is perfect for this knife as Grossman is the source of the famous essay “On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs” used to describe the relationships between pacifist citizens, violent aggressors and law enforcement officers, military servicemen and law-abiding armed citizens.

The Sheepdog knife has an MSRP of $239.95 and is available at your local Emerson Prestige Dealer or direct from EmersonKnives.com or Sheepdogknifeandgun.com .

Editors Note: Check Amazon for best price on Emerson Range Master Sheepdog SF Flipper Knife

Specifications:

• Overall Length: open 8.4 inches
• Blade Length: 3.4 inches
• Closed Length: 4.85 inches
• Blade Thickness: .125 inches
• Handle Thickness: .530 in.
• Weight: 5.5 ounces

Materials:

• Blade Steel: Crucible 154Cm Steel Heat Treated to RC 57-59
• Lock: 6AL-4V Aerospace Titanium Liner Lock Mechanism
• Handles: NASA qualified black checkered G-10 glass epoxy laminate, impervious to water, oil, fuel and other liquids.

About Mike Searson

Mike Searson’s career as a shooter began as a Marine Rifleman at age 17. He has worked in the firearms industry his entire adult life as a Gunsmith, Ballistician, Consultant, Salesman, Author and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1989.

Mike has written over 2000 articles for a number of magazines, websites and newsletters including Blade, RECOIL, OFF-GRID, Tactical Officer, SWAT, Tactical World, Gun Digest, Examiner.com and the US Concealed Carry Association as well as AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.

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