Editing Ernest Emerson (section)

==Viper Knives==
[[File:Three "Viper" knives.jpg|thumb|alt=3 folding fighting knives with micarta handles and titanium bolsters| Viper Knives: MV-5, MV-3, and MV-1]]

As a direct result of watching his fellow martial artists train with a fixed-blade fighting knife in class, yet carry some type of a folding knife when they left the training area, Emerson decided there was a need for a sturdy folding knife designed primarily for combat.<ref name=tieves42/> Although Emerson had always maintained that the knives he made were built as fighting knives first and foremost,<ref name="basch"/> in October 1985 he stripped down five of these designs to simpler materials.<ref name=combs39>{{harvnb|Combs|2004|p=39}}</ref> He continued his use of linen or canvas micarta because of its high tensile strength and superior gripping surface when wet; he decided on black or dark grey for the color instead of the brighter colors used previously.<ref name="Norman"/> He retained the titanium for the liners and bolsters but chose to bead-blast them a flat grey matte color as opposed to the colorful anodizing which used to appear on his knives.<ref name="Norman"/> The reasons for using titanium were its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance.<ref name="profile">{{harvnb|Lang|1996|p=17}}</ref>

Emerson ground the blades of these knives from ATS-34 steel with a [[Rockwell scale|Rockwell hardness]] of 57–59 and made them thicker toward the tip, creating a stronger-tipped blade than he had made previously.<ref name=tieves42/> He bead-blasted the blades as he did the liners and bolsters instead of rubbing or polishing them, giving them a matte finish as opposed to the mirror-polished finish common on his earlier knives and other knives at the time.<ref name=combs39/><ref name="walker"/>  Emerson designed each one of these knives for a specific purpose. The slender Viper 1 and smaller Viper 2 were designed for use as a police officer's backup weapon.<ref name="Norman"/>  The Viper 5 was designed to be used by naval boat crews, as the handle was contoured with a rear brake so as to not slip from the user's hand when wet and the Viper 3 was designed as a pure fighting knife with its 4-inch blade.<ref name="Norman"/>

Emerson's goal for this Viper line was to produce a working knife which would be more resistant to the elements and more durable than the "art knives" for which he had become known.<ref name="Norman"/><ref name=tieves42/> These knives were created to satisfy the demand for a practical field-grade combat knife which could be carried discreetly and accessed quickly.<ref name="garrett"/> He sold these five models under the name "Viper Knives" and changed the logo on the blades to read the same.<ref name="garrett"/>  Emerson makes these models on a custom basis under the names MV1–5, "MV" standing for "Model Viper".<ref name="walker">{{harvnb|Walker|1993|p=38}}</ref>