I want to buy an Emerson

[StuntZombie]

David,

Did you contact Emerson to see if they would take care it for you? I've always heard they have great customer service, just like Spyderco. I guess it's a moot point now though, as it seems you've already gotten rid of it.

When you say you were able to white knuckle it into failure, what do you mean? Are you saying that gripping the knife tightly caused it to unlock? If that's the case, maybe it's a grip issue rather than a lock issue.

Also, every liner lock I've owned, with the exception of a Benchmade AFCK, would show slight slippage when I put pressure on the blade. My Spydie Military was especially bad. After a bit of work, I figured out that the problem was oil was getting on the locking surface, causing the slippage. I disassembled the knife, cleaned it up, and the slipping was gone. Just something to keep in mind.

miyamotomusashi,

I'm not sure what other issues you've had with your Emerson knives, but I have to agree with Jimd on that picture. My 2008 CQC-7A locked up like that at first, but after opening it and closing it a bunch, it has perfect lockup.

[Fred Sanford]

StuntDouble,

Just so you know a small bit of history, liner locks are prone to this kind of failure. I mean if I squeeze the knife handle while holding it the lock either gets really close to disengaging or actually does disengage. What happens is the meat of your lower part of your index finger usually starts to mash the lock back outwards to unlock it when you squeeze a knife like this. When you do this to a frame lock it just mashes the lock tighter.

Here is a very short partial list of liner locks I've been able to do this to and gotten rid of: BM 910, BM Apparition, BM Dejavoo, Strider AR, Emerson CQC-10, BM 912, BM 880, Kershaw Leek, BM 425 Gravitator, BM 690..... I could keep going but that's all I could think of for now.

It seems the best liner locks have the liner lock pretty guarded so it's semi-difficult to close. The Spyderco Viele is like that. So is the Herbst. I also cannot white knuckle those knives.

I don't trust folding knives in general but I trust liner locks the absolute least. I would rather have no lock than a liner lock. They scare me a little bit because they are pretty unreliable.

Just go have a search for "liner lock" on Bladeforums.com and read the discussions....or if you're just a registered member then Google it but narrow the domain to Bladeforums.com.

That said, I had no want at all to send my '10 to Emerson. It's a known thing and on more than one occasion I have had knives sent back to me from Kershaw and Benchmade that were still not fixed so I just gave up on liner locks completely. Then I took a chance on a Military. It is currently THE ONLY liner lock that I cannot get to fail by "white knuckling". The lock also does not slide to the side when you put pressure on the back of the blade when open. Some people will think this is very nit-picky but I don't care. I am not gonna put my fingers at risk. I have also talked to dealers that have told me personally that they have sometimes had to go through 8 knives before they found a decent Emerson to send to the customer. I've heard this from a dealer that most of us buy from.

I like how Emerson's look......and I like the man......but I will not buy another one. That's all. :) No hard feelings........it's just a knife.

[StuntZombie]

David,

I get what you're saying now. I still think a lot of it may depend on how thick a person's fingers are, and the positioning in relation to the lock release. I just tried it on my CQC-7 a bunch of times, and I was able to get the liner to move once, but not enough to induce any play. Of course, I have smaller fingers, and I think the lock might be covered a bit more than on your '10. Like you said, all locks have their weaknesses, but liner locks' weaknesses are definitely more apparent.

It's funny you mention that you have never had that issue with the Spydie Military, because it was the exact opposite for me. When I gripped the Military harder, my index finger tended to disengage the lock due to the large cutout in the scale. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Truthfully, I'd like to see manufacturers of liner locks do away with the cutout on the non-lock side scale. As long as there is a grippy surface on the lock itself, there shouldn't be an issue as far as unlocking it. Or maybe do what Benchmade did with the AFCK and grind the lock so it matches up with the finger choil.

P.S. Don't worry, I'm not an Emerson fan boy. I was just lucky enough to get a good one on my second time around.

[Fred Sanford]

David,

...Truthfully, I'd like to see manufacturers of liner locks do away with the cutout on the non-lock side scale. As long as there is a grippy surface on the lock itself, there shouldn't be an issue as far as unlocking it. Or maybe do what Benchmade did with the AFCK and grind the lock so it matches up with the finger choil...

Dude I totally agree. I like knives that are more difficult to unlock. I'd rather have to "two hand" unlock a knife than have it do it accidentally.

:)

[cr123]

+1 on Emerson.

I consider Emerson my gateway to the sharps. Prior to purchasing an Emerson, I felt pretty content with a Leatherman Wave or Charge. I didn't really need a dedicated knife but I figure might as well buy one that is made in the US with a good rep. I took the plunge and ordered a production karambit. It's wicked sharp and easy on the hands.

While looking up Emerson information, I see alot of love for Spyderco and Sal.

I now happily choose simple cheese and mustard sandwiches and fruit to save up for these G10 covered works of art.

[Toad310]

Try to get an older one. I have many of the Emerson production models, and it seems the quality, and QC went down a bit.

I would say forget about anything after 2005.

All of my 98 and 99 models have the best fit and finish detail of my collection. I have had to send some back over the years.

Emerson customer service is very good, no worries if you encounter something.

The custom models are first class all the way, I am talking about the EKC knives
All of my Emerson customs are perfect!

[Superfuzz]

I've carried an Emerson SPECWAR A for about 8-9 years now. Never let me down in some of the nastiest locales you can imagine. Damned fine knife.

Now...that being said, Ive carried an Endura since 1992 (back when the clips were plastic molded and prone to breakage). I have the latest Endura G10 atm...still loving them. That coupled with a Rescue, on my gear, are my daily load-out.

Get an Emerson...just know Spyderco will still be here when you come back, hehee.

[FLYBYU44]

I don't have an Emerson, but I love the A-100. I won't ever buy one though. The thing is, the A-100 cost me nearly as much as a Sage 2 would, the Sage 2 is a Ti framelock that is close to a Sebenza in quality. The A-100 is a Ti liner lock with 154cm blade and g-10 scales, how can it be that much? Plus I hear nothing but horrible things about Emerson linerlocks, most people suggest sending them in. When I pay $175Canadian for a knife, it shouldn't have to be sent back to the factory to be fixed, it should be perfect when I get it. I'm not going to lower my expectations, I'll just buy spydies instead. :)

[Seanski]

Here is the only Emerson I own which is the Horseman. Had it for months but haven't really had the chance to use it. Other than a sticky liner lock which I might have to send back for a fix it's a nice looking and fits well in the hand kind of knife.

[Toad310]

I don't have an Emerson, but I love the A-100. I won't every buy one though. The thing is, the A-100 cost me nearly as much as a Sage 2 would, the Sage 2 is a Ti framelock that is close to a Sebenza in quality. The A-100 is a Ti liner lock with 154cm blade and g-10 scales, how can it be that much? Plus I hear nothing but horrible things about Emerson linerlocks, most people suggest sending them in. When I pay $175Canadian for a knife, it shouldn't have to be sent back to the factory to be fixed, it should be perfect when I get it. I'm not going to lower my expectations, I'll just buy spydies instead. :)

You just Can't beat Spyderco when it comes to value. They have excellent QC, and well, a great deal overall.

The Sage 2 is a very good deal.

Toad

[KaliGman]

Actually, the Q.C. issues began at the very start. When Emerson founded his production company. At the time, I was heavy into Benchmade knives. And was kicking myself for not having gotten the Benchmade CQC-7. (Emerson gave Benchmade permission to use his design). I had an opportunity to handle one. Quality, through and through. But Benchmade's version was discontinued since Emerson wanted to use that model for his first production knife.

Many of us figured that was fine. We even expected Emerson's production version of the CQC-7 to be better than Benchmade's... And what a horribly wrong assumption that was! The first CQC-7s off the production line were junk! (It's one of the reasons why Benchmade's version is now a collector's item).

To Emerson's credit, quality did improve. But it has never been to the standard of Spyderco... or even to the standard that many of us expected from a production knife with the Emerson name on it.

As previously mentioned, I bought my Mini-Commander from a B&M shop. The first one the salesman handed to me, didn't lock up properly. Neither did the 2nd one. (Same issue as your CQC-7). I finally told him to just bring out all the Mini-Commanders he had in stock. (All eight of them). I looked through them, and bought the best one out of the lot.

Interesting perspective, Monocrom. I have multiple Emersons, all of them shipped from Emerson directly (just as I get my Spydercos direct from the factory). I have had exactly one little quality control issue, and that was a tiny bit of "overspray" of the ceramic coating on a fixed blade karambit. Since the karambit was going into a kydex sheath anyway and the coating was going to be "polished" by the insertion and removal of the blade from the sheath, I did not worry about it. All of my folders have been top notch. I have had one warranty repair conducted by Emerson and that was when I wore the locking system out (through what really should have been considered abuse), but Emerson still fixed it for free. I still have a Benchmade version of the 7, though mine is the law enforcement auto version. Guess what? I far prefer the other versions of the 7 that I have had that were made by Emerson. The quality of all of my 7s has been impeccable, from the HD-7 I have to the CQC-7 I gave to my nephew, they have all been good. The CQC-7 has been my nephew's EDC for years, and, though he usually can break something by merely looking at it, it is still going strong.

I have a circa 2001 Raven B, green handle, in my left pocket right now, and its fit, finish, and function are great. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe there were a few "substandard" shipments that made it out of the factory.

I do know that every Emerson model is made in the U.S., on the factory floor below Mr. Emerson's office in California. with the exception of the Hard Wear knives which are made in Japan (Sakai). I know that he cares about his product and its reputation. I also know that American labor costs are higher than those in many other nations. 154CM, g-10 and titanium are his materials of choice, kind of a "if it isn't broken, don't fix it mentality." If you want exotic steels, experimentation with multiple locking systems, etc., go somewhere else (like Spyderco, for instance). If you want good ergonomics, good performance in a martial context, and great customer service, Emerson Knives is a good place to look (of course, so is Spyderco).

[FLYBYU44]

Interesting perspective, Monocrom. I have multiple Emersons, all of them shipped from Emerson directly (just as I get my Spydercos direct from the factory). I have had exactly one little quality control issue, and that was a tiny bit of "overspray" of the ceramic coating on a fixed blade karambit. Since the karambit was going into a kydex sheath anyway and the coating was going to be "polished" by the insertion and removal of the blade from the sheath, I did not worry about it. All of my folders have been top notch. I have had one warranty repair conducted by Emerson and that was when I wore the locking system out (through what really should have been considered abuse), but Emerson still fixed it for free. I still have a Benchmade version of the 7, though mine is the law enforcement auto version. Guess what? I far prefer the other versions of the 7 that I have had that were made by Emerson. The quality of all of my 7s has been impeccable, from the HD-7 I have to the CQC-7 I gave to my nephew, they have all been good. The CQC-7 has been my nephew's EDC for years, and, though he usually can break something by merely looking at it, it is still going strong.

I have a circa 2001 Raven B, green handle, in my left pocket right now, and its fit, finish, and function are great. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe there were a few "substandard" shipments that made it out of the factory.

I do know that every Emerson model is made in the U.S., on the factory floor below Mr. Emerson's office in California. with the exception of the Hard Wear knives which are made in Japan (Sakai). I know that he cares about his product and its reputation. I also know that American labor costs are higher than those in many other nations. 154CM, g-10 and titanium are his materials of choice, kind of a "if it isn't broken, don't fix it mentality." If you want exotic steels, experimentation with multiple locking systems, etc., go somewhere else (like Spyderco, for instance). If you want good ergonomics, good performance in a martial context, and great customer service, Emerson Knives is a good place to look (of course, so is Spyderco).

This is another problem, you get terribly mixed reviews of Emerson knives. You seem to like them very much and have never had any problems with them. Other's have nothing but problems. I find that so much. Perhaps I would buy a A-100 if I could examine it in a store, but there are no stores that sell it around here. If I'm buying it online, I want to know that it will be 99-100% perfect when I get it. I realize that it takes more money to make the knives 100% in the USA and Emerson uses decent parts to make their knives for sure, but you can get 95% of the knife from a different manufacturer for 70% of the cost and that kind of bugs me. I wouldn't hesitate to spend $170 on a A-100 beacause I really like the design, however I would need to know that it was perfect before I paid that for it.

[Water Bug]

I've recently purchased Emerson's CQC-8 and CQC-10 direct from his web site. I really appreciate the simplicity of design and concept of these knives. Both models lock up to the far left of the tang, which is fine by me as that means there's that much more locking surface to wear in. As noted by one member, this all will eventually break in with use.

Also, I treat my locking folding knives the way I treat my slip joints... the lock is merely a retaining feature and shouldn't be 100% depended upon. You wouldn't (and shouldn't) rely 100% on the safety of a firearm to do what it's suppose to do 100% of the time... I say the same applies to locking folding knives. In my opinion, it comes down to personal responsibility, situational awareness, and common sense when using knives or firearms.

Anyway, Emerson has a nice design and concept worth looking into.

[Toad310]

Actually, the Q.C. issues began at the very start. When Emerson founded his production company. At the time, I was heavy into Benchmade knives. And was kicking myself for not having gotten the Benchmade CQC-7. (Emerson gave Benchmade permission to use his design). I had an opportunity to handle one. Quality, through and through. But Benchmade's version was discontinued since Emerson wanted to use that model for his first production knife.

Many of us figured that was fine. We even expected Emerson's production version of the CQC-7 to be better than Benchmade's... And what a horribly wrong assumption that was! The first CQC-7s off the production line were junk! (It's one of the reasons why Benchmade's version is now a collector's item).

To Emerson's credit, quality did improve. But it has never been to the standard of Spyderco... or even to the standard that many of us expected from a production knife with the Emerson name on it.

As previously mentioned, I bought my Mini-Commander from a B&M shop. The first one the salesman handed to me, didn't lock up properly. Neither did the 2nd one. (Same issue as your CQC-7). I finally told him to just bring out all the Mini-Commanders he had in stock. (All eight of them). I looked through them, and bought the best one out of the lot.

I have the Benchmade CQC7, and it is much better than the EKC model. locks up perfect. I bought it in 1994 or 95, and carry it from time to time. The quality, fit and finish are just wonderful.

I have a EKC CQC7 from 99, and it works fine, but I find the BM CQC7 a better knife.

The only Emerson Knives I will get now are custom models.

I am looking at my Orange Spyderco Military, and it it rivals the best of the best. Been thinking about ordering a second as a back up. Love the orange.

I want to say that Mr. Emerson is a decent guy, and deserves our respect for what he does.

[Doc Pyres]

I am looking at my Orange Spyderco Military, and it it rivals the best of the best. Been thinking about ordering a second as a back up. Love the orange.

Not to hijack this thread, but I have to agree with you Toad. I like the Orange Millie so much, I did get a back up. This seems to be the year of Orange. :D

[Jimd]

I just received a 2005 Commander, plain edge, that is the cat's pajamas. Lockup is 100% perfect. The locking bar is also pretty thick on this one, which is an added bonus. It's definitely one of the sharpest knives in my collection at this time. Super-smooth action.

Like KaliGMan, I also have a Raven B (actually, I've owned 3 over the years), and each has performed perfectly.

Don't forget, guys...there can be issues with any man-made tools. I've paid $400 for custom knives that have needed tweaking.

But I'll say that every single knife I've ever purchased, if I've had a problem, the maker/manufacturer backed up the product and fixed it promptly. This includes Emerson, Strider, and our very own Spyderco (yes, I had a complete lock failure with a Spyderco knife).