Bought my first Emerson

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zrfunited

Joined
Dec 19, 2007
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I bought my first Emerson. A plain edge, non wave, spear point CQC-7. I was reluctant at first because I have read a lot of bad press on Emerson's fit, finish, lockup and quality control, But I figured I would go ahead and find a good price on a 7 and give it a try before moving on to any of the other models. I found a 7 for under a $100 and it was pretty much a no brainer. I received it friday and have been carrying it all weekend.
I must be one of those fortunate individuals who just gets lucky. This 7 is awesome. I love the simplicity of it. The handle fills my hand without feeling overly large clipped to my front or rear pocket. The lockup on this thing is very solid and the liner is a good thick piece of titanium that nests up perfectly against the bottom of the blade at about 20% engagement. I will continue to carry it and put it through its paces. So far I love it.
 
Congrats on your first Emerson. Good choice with the spearpoint. :thumbup:
It's a great blade shape for everyday utility tasks. :D
 
Just curious, where did you hear all the bad press? Every Emerson I've ever owned has been a tank, some better finished than others, but all solid.
 
ten-ringer said:
Just curious, where did you hear all the bad press? Every Emerson I've ever owned has been a tank, some better finished than others, but all solid.
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I have run into some negative scuttle here on BF and I have been searching other sources on the net for reviews. Some were positive and others less than. Although I was tempted toward the emersons because of the die hard fan base that they have earned.
 
zrfunited said:
I have run into some negative scuttle here on BF and I have been searching other sources on the net for reviews. Some were positive and others less than. Although I was tempted toward the emersons because of the die hard fan base that they have earned.
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Ok, well, congrats! The 7a is a classic, and a steal for under a bill. I have no doubt it won't be the only one you end up with! :D
 
zrfunited said:
I have run into some negative scuttle here on BF and I have been searching other sources on the net for reviews. Some were positive and others less than. Although I was tempted toward the emersons because of the die hard fan base that they have earned.
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bfc is a generally emerson friendly site, evidenced by the subforum.

every brand has its customer base and its detractors. also every brand has its quality control issues, no one puts out a perfect product every single time.

i think most of what you read that is negative will be about some qc issue, that is normally easily fixed. other complaints tend to be largely subjective, blade steel, ergos, price, etc.
 
it seems like ya really love EKI's or really hate 'em, no in between, and both love to post why it seems, not many brands inspire such a range of emotions imho, EKI and strider seem to be the top 2 in that regard.

imho a lot of haters cant sharpen them, or dont like the grind to begin with, back in '99 or '00 EKI seemed to have a few issues with liner locks but thats been resolved for close to a decade now, though by some folks posts ya would never believe that lol,


like i said, ya either love 'em a whole whole whole lot or depise 'em.
 
Agreed... people seem to either love or hate them. I think that the issues people have with them is largely due to the unrefined appearance of them. They are admittedly blocky with very definite edges on the handles (G-10 not heavily rounded off). I however do not have an issue with any of that. I was a huge fan of REKAT when they were around, and they were similarly built. Like I said earlier the 7 I have locks up solid, feels good in my hand and clipped to my pocket. I have yet to sharpen it but I don't think it should present to much of a problem. Any tips before I try?
 
I think I am going to shoot for a horseman next. Something about that up swept blade really appeals to me. Reminds me of the REKAT pioneer that I carried in the Navy.
 
I had some negative things to say when I got my first emerson... but and its a big BUT. I called the company up spoke to mrs. emerson and sent my knife to them. Got the knife back and they made everything right withing a week! AWESOME customer service, AWESOME warranty, and 100% made in the good ol' USA. They just cant be beat. On a side note... sold and/or traded just about everything else for emersons. I have noticed that I really have taken a liking to the 154 CM over just about any other, maybe I am just getting too used to it... but congrats on the 1st emerson and It will not be you last.
 
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zrfunited said:
Agreed... people seem to either love or hate them. I think that the issues people have with them is largely due to the unrefined appearance of them. They are admittedly blocky with very definite edges on the handles (G-10 not heavily rounded off). I however do not have an issue with any of that. I was a huge fan of REKAT when they were around, and they were similarly built. Like I said earlier the 7 I have locks up solid, feels good in my hand and clipped to my pocket. I have yet to sharpen it but I don't think it should present to much of a problem. Any tips before I try?
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i loved REKAT myself until i had so many lock probs with my sifu's, if folks think EKI liner locks are bad they outta try the rekat Sifu's rolling lock, that lock + the long blade + all the inertia from the long blade = imho the worst lock on any knife i have ever had dealings with, imho they will fail even if ya baby them, nothing short of horrible.
 
rnjschloss said:
I had some negative things to say when I got my first emerson... but and its a big BUT. I called the company up spoke to mrs. emerson and sent my knife to them. Got the knife back and they made everything right withing a week! AWESOME customer service, AWESOME warranty, and 100% made in the good ol' USA. They just cant be beat. On a side note... sold and/or traded just about everything else for emersons. I have noticed that I really have taken a liking to the 154 CM over just about any other, maybe I am just getting too used to it... but congrats on the 1st emerson and It will not be you last.
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I just got my first(cqc 7a) and the fit was atrocious, probably one of the worst i've experienced....the lock engagement is the problem area and after about 30 minutes with a sharpmaker rod i got the knife into good usable shape.(came at probably 5% lock engagement)
I really like the design of the knife, ergonomics, and the materials used. Also,being made in America is a nice plus. I think the initial disappointment will soon be replaced with positive memories from use. But the fit on these really needs to be improved upon IMHO
 
I dont know where all this hoo-ha about the fit and finish comes from.

Of all the Emersons I have owned, only one (the first) had an issue - a non centered blade - which was corrected by disassembling the knife and reassembling it and tightening the pivot screw a notch.

None of the others have had any problems. And I think I have had 8 or 9 different models pass through my hands so far.
 
My Emersons are my favorites of the brands that I own. They are a no BS knife that are designed for use and not for a shelf. I am slowly turning much of the rest of my collection into Emersons that will all be used. I somehow think that any detractors simply haven't really used their knives.
 
If you receive a knife that you know is flawed, send it back for a replacement.
 
tricker said:
I just got my first(cqc 7a) and the fit was atrocious, probably one of the worst i've experienced....the lock engagement is the problem area and after about 30 minutes with a sharpmaker rod i got the knife into good usable shape.(came at probably 5% lock engagement)
I really like the design of the knife, ergonomics, and the materials used. Also,being made in America is a nice plus. I think the initial disappointment will soon be replaced with positive memories from use. But the fit on these really needs to be improved upon IMHO
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That's actually a good thing, early lock up will let the knife settle in nicely. The lock bar is made of Ti, that has good wear resistance but will "compact"
somewhat before the wear starts. The hardned blade tang is a good bit harder than the titanium so will remain all but untouched.

The only thing I would say needs a bit more attention if i had to pick flys is the fit of the scales and liners. I have had knives that were a good bit off,
but other wise fine. That and maybe a bit of a clean up of the lazer cutting marks on the liners.
 
Haze said:
... The only thing I would say needs a bit more attention if i had to pick flys is the fit of the scales and liners. I have had knives that were a good bit off,
but other wise fine. That and maybe a bit of a clean up of the lazer cutting marks on the liners.
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It is funny that you should mention that, Haze. Just yesterday I was looking at that very same detail, wondering why the liners were left a bit rough. As I handled the knife, I realized that those slightly rough liners actually aided my grip on the knife. Now, I don't know if that is actually the purpose, but if you compare the resistance on the EKI liners with polished edge liners, you will see what I mean.
 
Haze said:
That's actually a good thing, early lock up will let the knife settle in nicely. The lock bar is made of Ti, that has good wear resistance but will "compact"
somewhat before the wear starts. The hardned blade tang is a good bit harder than the titanium so will remain all but untouched.

The only thing I would say needs a bit more attention if i had to pick flys is the fit of the scales and liners. I have had knives that were a good bit off,
but other wise fine. That and maybe a bit of a clean up of the lazer cutting marks on the liners.
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i actually looked everything over real hard and the liners and scales all seem to match up nicely, but the liner didn't have ,what i would consider, enough engagement to be safe....i didn't feel like sending them 14$ for something i could do at home
 
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