- Joined
- Apr 5, 1999
- Messages
- 460
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
I am posting these photos from a German magazine Messer Magazine featured in the most recent issue (April May 2004).
Now, my German is not that good and I do know that we (Emerson) did not score the highest overall in the series of tests done by the Magazine. I believe our fit and finish was lower than some of the others, our ergonomics was high and some of the rest I just dont understand.
However, the Emerson Commander did not break and finished the test along with several of the other manufacturers. I think Columbia River scored the highest overall.
There was one knife that broke so early in the test that it couldnt even be tested in the other categories remaining. Its easy to see which one.
There are several seasons why I am posting this. You know the obvious, but the important reason is that it was done completely without prior knowledge from the tester and used a randomly selected subject knife and model purchased by the tester. Further, it was from a completely unbiased and independent source. Nothing to favor no agenda.
We test our knives constantly locks, blades, etc. and I guarantee to you that if I chose to, I could make our knives appear indestructible and our competitors appear weak and frail. I would not do so #1, because it is unethical and #2 I dont compare our knives to anyone else never have never will. #3 Any in-house testing will always be suspect due to the high probability of skewing or biasing the information to reflect the superiority of the manufacturers (the testers) own product.
*Our Knives have been tested at White Sands laboratories for flight qualification by NASA and passed without question.
We have used pipes, hammers, vises and suspended weights to check various aspects of our knives and will continue to do so. This is not to compare, ours to theirs, but to work on continually improving our own models.
When I talk about bias, I want you to understand how easy it is and how tempting it is to skew the information and still appear to be unbiased.
Lets exaggerate this for a moment just to make a point.
Say for example there was a folding knife (A) that after you opened it up, you inserted a hardened steel bolt through the handles and blade, then lets say there was a lock back folder (B) that used a real heavy spring and precision lock up system.
Now lets test the lock failure of each knife. The knife (A) with the hardened steel cross pin took 6000 lbs. of pressure to defeat the locking system. The lock back (B) took 3,750 lbs. to defeat.
In testing the blade though, the cross bolt knife (A) blade broke in half at 1100 lbs. of lateral pressure. The lock back blade (B) took 1400 lbs. of lateral pressure before breaking.
Now, (again in theory, for the sake of this point) if I were the manufacturer of the cross pin knife (A) I would advertise the point that my knife beat the lock back in lock strength by 2,250 lbs. i.e.: My knife is better. Well just conveniently ignore the blade strength deficit.
You could do a hundred such tests and pick only those that support your hypothesis or claim, and further yet, you could seed the field with hand picked special samples of both your own and the competitors product, if you chose to and no one would ever know.
Is this unethical? Ill leave that argument up to you. Does this happen? All the time. Every product on the market faces the claims and counterclaims of their competitors. Thats business.
In the end though, Im just going to make these last points.
Always question the integrity, bias or agenda at stake when any manufacturer claims or publishes their own in-house test data. Again, the results may be actual, but the choice of categories and selected data may be completely skewed in favor of the manufacturer. Never take their word for it.
Again, this is the main reason we never publish any of our test results. No one would believe us and I would not expect our customers to take our word on testing procedures, data or results regarding our own products. Every manufacturer will publish data supporting their own hypothesis or product.
Just remember, Tobacco does not cause cancer. Nicotine is not addictive.
Ernest R. Emerson
5 May, 2004
I am posting these photos from a German magazine Messer Magazine featured in the most recent issue (April May 2004).
Now, my German is not that good and I do know that we (Emerson) did not score the highest overall in the series of tests done by the Magazine. I believe our fit and finish was lower than some of the others, our ergonomics was high and some of the rest I just dont understand.
However, the Emerson Commander did not break and finished the test along with several of the other manufacturers. I think Columbia River scored the highest overall.
There was one knife that broke so early in the test that it couldnt even be tested in the other categories remaining. Its easy to see which one.
There are several seasons why I am posting this. You know the obvious, but the important reason is that it was done completely without prior knowledge from the tester and used a randomly selected subject knife and model purchased by the tester. Further, it was from a completely unbiased and independent source. Nothing to favor no agenda.
We test our knives constantly locks, blades, etc. and I guarantee to you that if I chose to, I could make our knives appear indestructible and our competitors appear weak and frail. I would not do so #1, because it is unethical and #2 I dont compare our knives to anyone else never have never will. #3 Any in-house testing will always be suspect due to the high probability of skewing or biasing the information to reflect the superiority of the manufacturers (the testers) own product.
*Our Knives have been tested at White Sands laboratories for flight qualification by NASA and passed without question.
We have used pipes, hammers, vises and suspended weights to check various aspects of our knives and will continue to do so. This is not to compare, ours to theirs, but to work on continually improving our own models.
When I talk about bias, I want you to understand how easy it is and how tempting it is to skew the information and still appear to be unbiased.
Lets exaggerate this for a moment just to make a point.
Say for example there was a folding knife (A) that after you opened it up, you inserted a hardened steel bolt through the handles and blade, then lets say there was a lock back folder (B) that used a real heavy spring and precision lock up system.
Now lets test the lock failure of each knife. The knife (A) with the hardened steel cross pin took 6000 lbs. of pressure to defeat the locking system. The lock back (B) took 3,750 lbs. to defeat.
In testing the blade though, the cross bolt knife (A) blade broke in half at 1100 lbs. of lateral pressure. The lock back blade (B) took 1400 lbs. of lateral pressure before breaking.
Now, (again in theory, for the sake of this point) if I were the manufacturer of the cross pin knife (A) I would advertise the point that my knife beat the lock back in lock strength by 2,250 lbs. i.e.: My knife is better. Well just conveniently ignore the blade strength deficit.
You could do a hundred such tests and pick only those that support your hypothesis or claim, and further yet, you could seed the field with hand picked special samples of both your own and the competitors product, if you chose to and no one would ever know.
Is this unethical? Ill leave that argument up to you. Does this happen? All the time. Every product on the market faces the claims and counterclaims of their competitors. Thats business.
In the end though, Im just going to make these last points.
Always question the integrity, bias or agenda at stake when any manufacturer claims or publishes their own in-house test data. Again, the results may be actual, but the choice of categories and selected data may be completely skewed in favor of the manufacturer. Never take their word for it.
Again, this is the main reason we never publish any of our test results. No one would believe us and I would not expect our customers to take our word on testing procedures, data or results regarding our own products. Every manufacturer will publish data supporting their own hypothesis or product.
Just remember, Tobacco does not cause cancer. Nicotine is not addictive.
Ernest R. Emerson
5 May, 2004
