Brand New Roadhouse - A few issues

MaxFactor

MaxFactor

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Just got my first Emerson in the mail today. Desert Roadhouse with those nifty black standoffs. Very nice looking knife and incredibly solid. But damn, everything about it seems way too tight.

I could hardly get it in my pocket because of the clip tension, not to mention that G10. I suppose that's a pretty easy fix though... just bend out the clip.

The pivot obviously needs some serious working in, as I've read almost all new Emersons do, so I was prepared for that.

My main gripe is the lock-up. It's extremely early and is very very sticky to disengage and that's when I've gently opened it. Wave opening yields a lockup that takes some serious effort to disengage.

Are the lock-up issues normal with a new Emerson? I know I can use the old graphite trick to help keep the galling to a minimum but the unnervingly early lockup is another thing.
 
Totally normal. No worries. Take the pivot out and clean the action. Put a light coat of synthetic oil or synthetic grease. Readjust the pivot and you won't believe the difference. I do all my knives like this. It takes me 20 minutes and I do it slow and enjoy the process. A newbie will take maybe 45 minutes. FYI, If you dont keep track of the assembly order, the small washer goes on the blade side with the writing. The lock up will take care of itself.

I do this with all my knives.



and apply sharpie to lock face to prevent lock stick from newness.
 
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Yeah, it's already been disassembled. Didn't really help, although there was quite a bit of nasty looking grease.

Just disassembled it again to be sure the washers were re-installed correctly... they're definitely identical.

I'm gonna try adding some synthetic oil and see if that helps at all.

Thanks for your input.
 
Now that I think about it, my Desert Roadhouse may have had identical washers.
 
MaxFactor said:
Just got my first Emerson in the mail today. Desert Roadhouse with those nifty black standoffs. Very nice looking knife and incredibly solid. But damn, everything about it seems way too tight.

I could hardly get it in my pocket because of the clip tension, not to mention that G10. I suppose that's a pretty easy fix though... just bend out the clip.

The pivot obviously needs some serious working in, as I've read almost all new Emersons do, so I was prepared for that.

My main gripe is the lock-up. It's extremely early and is very very sticky to disengage and that's when I've gently opened it. Wave opening yields a lockup that takes some serious effort to disengage.

Are the lock-up issues normal with a new Emerson? I know I can use the old graphite trick to help keep the galling to a minimum but the unnervingly early lockup is another thing.
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Use a Sharpie on the lock face of the tang and wave the knife open. After a bit, you should see the locking liner seat itself on roughly 50% of the tang.
 
I just got my second Emerson, this week...LOL...and lubing it made a HUGE difference. I clean everything. I even used some Aegis Solution to make sure I got everything and then I used a mixture of 10wt nano oil and nano grease. Night and day difference!

I got a Roadhouse earlier in the week and did the same, but I used 85wt nano oil instead of 10wt. Once again it made a big difference. Not as smooth as loose/slick as the 10wt, but still super smooth.
 
Half the fun is flipping it 300 times to break it in after you can cleaned and lubed it.
 
Yes its all completely normal. Maybe we should make a sticky with all of these new-Emerson questions/answers accounted for.

Give it time and attention and it will soon be one of your favorite blades.
 
If you want to speed the pivot break in a bit, tighten the pivot just a little tighter than what is your preference. Then manually rotate it a hundred times or so (no need to actually engage lockup). At that point I'd dissassemble/clean/re-lube, then retighten to your preferred tension.
 
I do this...... I also recommend a sharpie marker on the lock face. It takes the stickiness away instantly. I use a silver one and you cant see it on the lock face of the blade.
Black blades always take a bit longer than stone wash to break in smoothly.

We need a sticky for this stuff.


If you want to speed the pivot break in a bit, tighten the pivot just a little tighter than what is your preference. Then manually rotate it a hundred times or so (no need to actually engage lockup). At that point I'd dissassemble/clean/re-lube, then retighten to your preferred tension.
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Sounds normal to me, you just need to open/close it about a million times. After it's broken in you will love it.
 
Wow, thanks for all the advice guys. It already feels a bit better.

So... sounds like around 7 steps to getting an Emerson broken in.

1. Disassemble knife and wipe away factory sludge.

2. Apply new synthetic oil or synthetic grease.

3. Apply sharpie to lock surface of blade.

4. Reassemble.

5. Tighten pivot a bit more than desired.

6. Open/close 100+ times.

7. Disassemble, clean, re-lube, and reassemble knife.
 
I also polished the pivot area and liners where the washers lay with 2000 wet sandpaper very lightly! as to not take off to0 much metal and my emerson is smoother than my zt 560.
 
I open and close mine with the factory grease for a couple of days, then tear it apart, clean it out, and re-grease it. I feel the grittiness you feel when it's new is supposed to help break the knife in faster. It's worked for me so far
 
jaceh14 said:
I open and close mine with the factory grease for a couple of days, then tear it apart, clean it out, and re-grease it. I feel the grittiness you feel when it's new is supposed to help break the knife in faster. It's worked for me so far
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Probably a good plan, much like the 500 round break-in of a Les Baer 1911 (prior to take down/cleaning).
 
Officer's Match said:
Probably a good plan, much like the 500 round break-in of a Les Baer 1911 (prior to take down/cleaning).
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Yeah or just leave all that factory grit in there. it seems to polish out the movement. Then after opening and closing a bit dissasemble and polish parts and apply oil and grease and VIOLA'...a well working knife.


To me it seems wrong to NOT open and close a new Emerson with all that grit. I wonder if that is part of the purpose to leave all that black fine thing that people call grit. but it is not gritty when inspecting it. It is like a tiny black dust.
 
colubrid said:
Yeah or just leave all that factory grit in there. it seems to polish out the movement. Then after opening and closing a bit dissasemble and polish parts and apply oil and grease and VIOLA'...a well working knife.


To me it seems wrong to NOT open and close a new Emerson with all that grit. I wonder if that is part of the purpose to leave all that black fine thing that people call grit. but it is not gritty when inspecting it. It is like a tiny black dust.
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That's what I was suggesting basically. For those not familiar with a Les Baer 1911, Les strongly discourages disassembling one of his pistols until 500 rounds have been fired through it, well lubed of course. It will form a "slurry" of dark gray goo and make a pretty good mess. In the end, you have a uber tight yet uber smooth, precisely fitted 1911 pistol.



 
Disassembly isn't required but it helps, I've found the coated Emersons come with a grease almost like what comes on a glock ,some say its to aid in the break in of coated blades but I dunno. I do know that extremely early lock up and everything you described is typical of a new Emerson, just open her a few hundred times and you'll be Gtg disassembly does speed up the process but is not necessary. IMO Mr E. Puts his knives together for a reason and thus they need a break in period .
 
I had the same issues as you when I got my Desert Roadhouse. I came across a you tube video about taking them apart, cleaning and lubing. Simple enough even I could do it. The knife smoothed out nicely after that. It is a great knife and it is my off duty edc.

Fred
 
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