CQC - 6 The CQC - 6 ( Close Quarters Combat — Six ) 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 . Specifications . The CQC - 6 has a 3 5 / 16 " 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 lanyard . 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 . History . In the mid - 1980s , individual Navy SEALs 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 . 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 aircraft 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 " . CQC - 7 . 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 . In May 2013 , a non - custom factory - made Emerson CQC - 7 knife carried by the Navy SEAL who served as point man on the mission to kill or capture Osama bin Laden was auctioned off for charity , netting over $ 35 , 400 .