CQC-7

CQC-6
Five variants of the CQC6
Type	Folding Knife
Place of origin	Torrance, California, USA
Service history
In service	US Navy
Used by	Navy SEALs
Wars	Desert Storm, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Production history
Designer	Ernest Emerson
Designed	1989
Manufacturer	Emerson Knives
Produced	1989 through present
No. built	500
Variants	spearpoint, hollow-ground, right-side grind, and damscus blades
Specifications
Length	8"
Blade length	4"
Blade type	Tantō point ATS-34 Steel
Hilt type	Linen Micarta and 64AVL Titanium
Scabbard/sheath	Pocket Clip

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.

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 memory characteristics 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.