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  • the SARK, the US Navy's Search and Rescue Knife, was designed and built within 24 hours by custom knifemaker Ernest Emerson?

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Updated live from Wikipedia, last check: May 24, 2013 00:19 UTC (46 seconds ago)

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SARK
EKISark.jpg
"Emerson SARK"
Type Folding Knife
Place of origin Torrance, California, USA
Service history
In service US Navy
Used by Navy Special Boat Units
Wars War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Production history
Designer Ernest Emerson
Designed 1999
Manufacturer Emerson Knives, Inc.
Produced 1999 through present
Number built 3,000+
Variants P-SARK(pointed tip), NSAR(line cutter on blade spine)
Specifications
Length 8.2 inches (210 mm)
Blade length 3.5 inches (89 mm)
Blade type Wharncliffe
Hilt type G-10 laminate and 64AVL Titanium
Scabbard/sheath Pocket Clip

The SARK (Search and Rescue Knife) or NSAR (Navy Search and Rescue) is a folding knife designed by Knifemaker Ernest Emerson for use as a Search and Rescue knife for the US Military. It features a wharncliffe blade with a blunt tip in order to cut free trapped victims without cutting them in the process. A variant with a pointed-tip designed for police use exists, known as the P-SARK (Police Search and Rescue Knife).

Contents

History

After a helicopter crash in 1999, which resulted in the deaths of six Marines and one sailor, the United States Navy performed an assessment of their equipment and decided, among other things, that they needed a new search and rescue knife.[1][2] The Ka-bar knives issued to the SBUs (Special Boat Units) had catastrophically failed to cut the Marines free from their webbing.[1]

The Navy went to Emerson Knives, Inc., where the owner, Ernest Emerson, designed and fabricated a working prototype within 24 hours.[1] The Navy found that the knife met their needs, and the model was dubbed the "SARK" (Search and Rescue Knife).[2] The SARK is a folding knife with a wharncliffe-style blade and a blunt tip designed so a rescuer could cut trapped victims free without stabbing them. Seeing another need in the police community, Emerson replaced the blunt end of the SARK with a pointed end and named it the "P-SARK", or Police Search And Rescue Knife. The Ontario, California Police Department consulted Emerson to produce written policy for the carry and deployment of the P-SARK knives in their department.[3]

In 2005, the Navy changed the requirements on the SARK to incorporate a guthook on the back of the blade for use as a line-cutter.[4] Emerson made the change on this model, which was designated the NSAR (Navy Search And Rescue) Knife and only made available to the United States Navy.[4]

Specifications

All three models feature a wharncliffe shaped chisel-ground blade that is 3.5 inches (89 mm) long and hardened to a Rockwell hardness of 57-59 RC. The handle is 4.7 inches (120 mm) long, making the knife 8.2 inches (210 mm) in length when opened. The blade steel is Crucible's 154CM and is 0.125 inches (3.2 mm) thick. The butt-end of the knife is square-shaped and features a hole for tying a lanyard. Some models are made with partially serrated blades to aid in the cutting of seatbelts or webbing.

The handle material of the SARK is composed of two titanium liners utilizing a Walker linerlock and a double detent as the locking mechanism. The reasons for using titanium as a linerlock material were due to its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance.[5] The handle's scales are made from black G-10 fiberglass, although models were made for a few years utilizing green G-10. A pocket clip held in place by three screws allows the knife to be clipped to a pocket, web-gear, or MOLLE.

Each model is equipped with Emerson's Wave opening mechanism.[1] The Wave is a small hook on the spine of the blade designed to catch the edge of a user's pocket, opening the blade as the knife is drawn.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Combs, Roger (2004), "Emerson Knives", Knives Illustrated 18 (2): 36–41, 65–69
  2. ^ a b Covert, Pat. "Strike Force!" American Handgunner, January 2000. Available at findarticles.com, Retrieved on May 5, 2009
  3. ^ Griffith, David (2002), "On the Cutting Edge", Police Magazine 10 (2): 68–75
  4. ^ a b Rescue and Survival Equipment Manual, NAVAIR 13-1-6.5, Naval Air Systems Command, Washington, D.C., February 2007
  5. ^ "Titanium Alloys – Corrosion and Erosion Resistance". The AtoZ of Materials:Materials Information Service – The Selection and Use of Titanium, A Design Guide. http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1336. Retrieved May 05, 2009.  
  6. ^ Emerson, Ernest R. "Self Opening Folding Knife". US Patent. http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5878500. Retrieved May 05, 2009.  
  7. ^ Overton, Mac (2007), "Knives Inspired by the World's Most Popular Combat Rifle", Knives Illustrated 21 (1): 16–20

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