Ten days before famed Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle was killed he sat down with knife-maker Ernest Emerson to design a knife. It was a perfect match, bringing together the right men to make a warrior’s blade.
Instead of creating a knife designed by Kyle, Emerson has created a knife as a memorial to him that will be auctioned off, with the proceeds being donated to Chris’s family.
The knife is a CQC-6 with a titanium bolster and a black micarta handle. The blade is premium 154CM steel engraved with the SEAL Trident and “Chris Kyle — US Navy SEAL — 160 Confirmed Kills” on the blade’s front. The words “We Sleep Soundly In Our Beds … Because Rough Men Stand Ready To Do Violence” are engraved on the front and continue to the back.
Two knives will be made with one going to Chris’s family and the other to auction.
“One of these will be put up for auction with 100% of the proceeds going to the Kyle family and the other knife will be my personal gift to the family in honor of a man, a warrior, a husband and a father that I am honored to have known as only a friend,” Emerson wrote on the auction website.
When asked by The Daily Caller why he chose the CQC-6, Emerson replied, “It was the first folding knife I specifically designed for SEALs. They are custom knives made for Special Forces.”
Chris Kyle was killed Feb. 2, 1013, by a Marine vet he was helping cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Kyle’s storied career as a member of SEAL Team 3 is chronicled in his book “American Sniper”.
Navy SEAL Larry Yatch wrote of his colleague:
“I had the honor of not only knowing Chris but working closely with him for many years. There are a couple insights into Chris and what made him tick that I feel are critical for you to understand. Chris was not a taker of life; he was a giver of life.”
“He was the silent hand that ensured a bullet did not hit you from an unseen direction.”
“He was driven to do whatever was possible and some things that were impossible to protect his bothers in arms.”
“His ability to shoot accurately at great distances under impossible circumstances allowed him to keep countless soldiers safe.”
“He wiped from this earth those that were driven by hatred to try and take American lives.”
“His actions changed the tides of battles. Read that again and concentrate on the words: His actions changed the tides of battles.”
The auction will close on June 8, 2013. To view the knife or participate in the auction please click here.