Gear AfterSHOT: Emerson HMMV-K – MidTech Knife Mike Searson January 23, 2016 Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More The concept of the Mid Tech knife has been around for a while. This is when a custom maker outsources the major components of the knife, except for the blade. Emerson Knives has always drawn a bold line between their factory production pieces and the hand crafted customs made by Mr. Emerson and the prices reflect this with production knives selling in the hundreds and aftermarket custom knives in the thousands. However they are officially releasing a Mid Tech knife this year and in what seems to be our theme at SHOT Show, it is one they did before. Emerson's HMMV-K was first released as a limited edition knife for the Emerson Collector Association in the winter of 2003. Without calling it a Mid Tech, that is essentially what the knife was, with many of the first batch of 50 probably more custom, with Emerson completing all the work on them. Talk about a work horse. The blade on this knife is .190 thick and the chisel-grind makes it as sharp as a razor with little to no parasitic drag when performing a cut. Liners are constructed of .09″ thick titanium and the scales are a thick .125″ black G10. The back spacer is milled stainless steel that adds a bit of weight to the knife but makes it extremely rugged. While it comes with a pocket clip, the HMMV-K would probably be more suited for carry in a sheath or belt pouch. It will definitely wear out your pockets, we had that happen with an original HMMV-K and a pair of 5.11s. This is literally a folding pry bar you can shave with. Our HMMV-K (serial number 046 if you ever see some yokel trying to sell it!) was stolen a few years back and we have been trying to find a replacement ever since. Thankfully this Mid Tech version means the return of a classic design that may have not been for everyone, but always suited my needs. MSRP is close to $600 for this limited run of less than 100 knives from Emerson. Blade Length 3.8″ Overall Length 9″ Closed length 5.2 Liners .090″ Titanium Spacer .250″ Stainless Steel Handle Materials Textured Black G10 ##### We have a steady stream of images from SHOT this year appearing in this article if you're interested. Follow us on Instagram, @RECOILmagazine and keep an eye out for these hashtags: #recoilmagazine, #recoil, #shotshow2015, #mediadayattherange and especially #recoilSHOT2016. What is the NSSF SHOT Show? The NSSF SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show) and Conference is an annual event held by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Typically attended by thousands of people from all 50 states and over a hundred countries, it is (quite rightfully) described as the “…world's premier exposition of combined firearms, ammunition, law enforcement, cutlery, outdoor apparel, optics, and related products and services. Imagine the Worlds' Fair, but packed with everything from mini-guns and every breed of body armor, bows and boots; from eye pro and ear pro to optics and ordnance, socks to swords…you get the idea. Interestingly (perhaps fortuitously, for some) SHOT 2016 overlaps the 2016 AVN Awards, which would provide us with article fodder of an entirely different nature if we thought anyone there might have good trigger awareness and muzzle discipline… You can see imagery from our coverage of last year's SHOT Show right here. 2016 SHOT Show January 18 — Media on the Range (numerous shooting facilities in and around Las Vegas) January 19–22, 2016 Sands Expo and Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada Hours Tuesday, January 19 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 20 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 21 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Friday, January 22 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Explore RECOILweb:Griffin Armament Launches "Make Silencers Great Again" PromotionThe Business of Killing: Sniper MoneyballThe TRICON Fixed BladeSHOT 2016 Troy Industries: the Tomahawk NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.