Its patent – and possible infringements of it – have been debated ad nauseam on the Internet. It has been copied, it has been imitated, it has been emulated, it has been praised, and it has been dismissed. It has been proclaimed the best feature in a folding knife since the thumb hole. It has been called a gimmick and condemned as too difficult to use under stress. It is the patentedEmerson Wave, a hook protruding from a folding knife blade. When drawn from a pocket, the Wave catches the lip of the pocket, pulling the knife blade open. The deployed folder thus practically opens itself when the knife is presented.
The Wave is by no means Ernest Emerson’s only claim to fame, but it’s a significant contribution to the knife world. Emerson’s hard-use knives are among the brands I respect and carry – knives I would recommend to a family member or a friend without hesitation and without fear that the knife will fail. I feel the same way about Sal Glesser’sSpyderco knives – blades that, with their signature (and patented) opening holes, are similarly iconic. If you asked those who carry and use tactical folding knives to name the most innovative developments in the evolution of the pocket folder, Spyderco’s thumb hole and Emerson’s Wave would be high on almost every list you received.
It was for some a dream come true when Glesser and Emerson collaborated on a folding knife combining both features – Wave and Spyderhole – on a single pocketknife. The result is the Spyderco Waved Endura.
The Waved Endura, limited to a production run of only 500 units and available exclusively throughSelfDefenseGear, has a blade just one sixteenth of an inch under four inches long. Manufactured of VG-10 steel and featuring the usual "scary sharp" Spyderco edge, it looks like something between a drop point and a spear point. Gone is the traditional Spyderco hump profile; the blade spine travels straight back to the hook of the Wave, into which has been set the Spyderco opening hole (half above and half below the line of the spine).
The operation of the thumb hole is self-explanatory. The hole provides purchase for the thumb, allowing the operator to open the blade with one hand. The Wave, by contrast, is designed to open the blade as it is removed from the pocket. I found the Waved Endura worked best with the mostly horizontal pocket profile of a pair of jeans. On the slash pockets of slacks, it sometimes failed to catch the lip of the pocket – though with practice, I learned to draw the knife with adequate rearward pressure to make sure the blade deployed.
In testing the knife cut and penetrated very well, thanks both to the nearly symmetrical profile of the point and to the razor-keen factory edge ground on both sides. As with my first Endura (one of the first "tactical knives" I ever purchased), I could use the Waved Endura to cut pieces of paper in the air as they floated to the floor (including light newsprint). The knife drove deeply into stacked cardboard, too, its edge holding well after several thrusts.
The blade of my Waved Endura opens smoothly and locks positively with the slightest lateral play and barely perceptible vertical play – well within acceptable limits for a folder with synthetic handles lacking metal liners. The rocker-bar lock has the scallop of the Boye Detent, which is intended to prevent accidental release while the knife is gripped in the hand. This functions easily but not too easily and the lock exhibits a health snap when it engages.
The reversible bead-blasted pocket clip has good tension and works very well. It is neither too tight nor too loose. It can be reversed for right- or left-hand use, too, though the knife is tip-up carry only. (The Wave feature is not compatible with tip-down carry.)
The knife is eight and thirteen sixteenths inches long overall. Traction of the FRN handle (which I also find attractive in grey) is very good. The knife is quite pleasant to the touch.
One feature I always appreciate on my knives, and which I believe contributes to comfort and traction in handling, is a good set of thumb grooves. The Waved Endura has an excellent thumb notch behind the opening hole, with grooves cut just as I like them (precise, sharp, and deep, but neither too sharp nor too deep to be comfortable).
This is an excellent self-defense and utility tool that incorporates two of the knife industry’s most desirable features. It is comfortable, functional, and (given its limited production run) relatively unique. The collaboration between two of the knife industry’s leaders was not something I could ignore.
The Martialist congratulates both Emerson and Spyderco.