The World’s Fastest Folding Knife Deployment Is Shockingly Simple

In the grand scheme of pocket knife designs, its easy to get caught up in the obvious details, like the blade shape, knife steel, handle materials and even locking mechanisms. But sometimes, what you might think of as minutiae can make a huge difference in your EDC blade’s functionality.

Perhaps nowhere is this more true than with Emerson’s patented, twice-trademarked Wave deployment mechanism. This relatively tiny, seemingly innocuous addition allows you to extract and open your folding knife in one fell swoop.

It also holds the crown as the fastest deployment mechanism in the world. Yes, it’s even faster than automatic knives. Best of all, it was invented by accident.

Emerson

Origin of the species

Designed in collaboration with author and Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, the Sheepdog (pictured above) remains one of Emerson’s most enduring, recognized and respected offerings. While it’s not quite the first knife ever to feature the Emerson Wave deployment, it’s one of the most popular offerings that employs that mechanism today.

However, to find the origin of the Emerson Wave, we have to go back to the release of The Commander, which won the best overall award at the 1999 Blade Show. This beefy knife with its recurve blade was designed in collaboration with the Navy SEALs.

But here’s the kicker: The Wave was actually invented by accident. The Navy SEALs asked Emerson to make a blade catcher that would “stop [an assailant’s] blade from sliding up the back of [a] knife and cutting [one’s] arm when in a one-on-one knife fight.” In creating that blade catcher, Emerson discovered that it also self-deployed when pulled from the pocket. Thus, the Wave was born.

While there would be no Wave without the Commander (and vice versa), it’s far from the only Emerson knife boasting the mechanism. To date, the brand has 32 folding knife listings in its catalog with the Wave deployment. And that’s to say nothing of the other brands that have licensed it.

Spyderco

Ride the Wave

That’s right, the brand has licensed the tech out to other brands, including Kershaw, whose CQC knives could be likened to more budget-friendly Sheepdogs.

One of the more significant “non-Emerson” Wave knives, however, is the Spyderco Endura — one of the brand’s original, trailblazing lightweight folders. This fourth-generation version boasts an ultralight FRN handle, VG-10 steel blade and back lock, alongside the Wave deployment.

Another brand to employ the Wave is country singer Zac Brown’s USA-made Southern Grind. The deployment can be found on select versions of the brand’s Bad Monkey folder. The one you see here features a 14C-28N steel blade, twill-weave carbon fiber handle and titanium liner lock.

Amazon

How it works

Perhaps the best thing about the Wave — yes, even better than its speed — is how exceptionally simple it is to use. Rather than removing your knife from your pocket before deploying it, the Wave allows you to do both in one swift motion.

Start by slipping the knife into your pocket like you would any other, using the clip to keep it from sliding deeper into your pocket. Then, as you pull the knife from your pocket, the Wave will “catch” on the pocket seam, unfolding the knife as it comes out of your pocket.

That’s it. It’s really that simple. And because it can be extracted and deployed in one single motion, it’s technically even faster than auto knives. Talk about a happy accident.

Catch your own Wave

As mentioned, Emerson has pages of knives that include the Wave deployment. However, a few of the knives we mentioned stand out as significant, even among other Wave blades — and not all of them are made by Emerson. Check them out below (and maybe pick up one or two for yourself).

Emerson

Emerson Sheepdog

• $263.95 at Emerson Knives

Spyderco Endura 4 FRN Emerson

• $152 at Spyderco

Amazon

Southern Grind Bad Monkey Emerson Tanto

• $252.88 at Amazon

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