Ernest Emerson started making custom knives in his garage in 1979. He rapidly rose to prominence as a knife maker due in equal parts to his expertise as a craftsman, (tool and die maker), his artist's eye for design, and his practical experience as one of the world’s most sought-after and respected hand-to-hand combat instructors.

Emerson’s work has been featured and exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Museum. There are only a handful of living artists who can make that claim. As an instructor in hand-to-hand combat and edged weapon skills, Mr. Emerson has taught the most elite warriors on earth, from the US Navy SEALs to the Guards of Parliament in London and everywhere in between.

He is the author of scores of articles, books, and videos regarding tactics, training and combat. As one of the most sought after instructors in the world he is in high demand for seminars and lectures to civilian, military and law enforcement agencies.

He is an inducted member of The Martial Arts Hall of Fame, along with such venerable names as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. In fact he is the only knife maker known who also owns and operates his own training facility, the world-class “Black Shamrock Combat Academy Gym” in Los Angeles, California.

At a time when knives are designed by graphic artists and 22-year-olds who never did more than use a knife to sharpen a pencil, the legacy of the Emerson name Emerson and the company Emerson Knives stands head and shoulders above the rest.