In the early years Emerson customs used many different types of pivots. They were generally 2 piece pivots.
A threaded screw went into a cap. There were many different forms of this design. Ernie once said he experimented
a lot and just grabbed whatever pivot he though would look good. On his Pretac knives, he sometimes even had
filework on the pivots. These fileworked pivots are extremely hard to find. These generally are found on the first pretacs,
and Vipers.
Here is an example of an early pivot.

The next pivot to come into play was the threaded bolster pivot. This design utilizes a threaded screw that actually screwed
into the titanium bolster on the back side of the knife. Most threaded bolster knives utilized a sleeve design that the screw
slid through that also isolates the screw from the blade.
This helps to minimize pivot screw movement, and make for smoother action.
This design was used on Vipers and Early CQC-x knives.
Generally these knives are called "Pre-Factory" knives.
(There are also Pre-Factory knives that are not threaded bolstered)
It was replaced somewhere around 1998 when Ernie stated making prodction knives.




YOU CAN SEE THE END OF THE SCREW THOUGH THE BACK SIDE


NOTICE THE SLEEVE


YOU CAN SEE THE THREADS IN THE BOLSTER

The domed pivot went into use in about 1998. This design utilized a threaded screw with a female cap.
The cap had a distinct curve that is hard to miss. These knives are also referred to "early customs"
Also a sleeve is no longer used in the pivot mechanism.
These were used up to around 2005.

THE CAP IS DOMED

Around 2005 Ernie went to a flat pivot cap. This design utilized a threaded screw with a female cap.
This female cap was perfectly flat. It is the design he uses to this day.




THE CAP IS FLAT


NO SLEEVE IN PIVOT