Cold Steel Recon 1, Emerson CQC-7 or Benchmade 553?

Emerson CQC-7. 'Cause Ernie's just cooler than those other guys, whoever they are. :D

All kidding aside, I personally prefer a linerlock to the Axis lock (BM) or Ultra lock (CS). Not necessarily based on strength, toughness, etc., as I think those models listed all pretty equal in those areas. I just prefer linerlocks.

~Chris
 
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I would say Emerson or CS. I hate BM, and think their knives feel very cheap, esp. for their ungodly prices.
 
Im not a fan of cold steel because of the asus 8 and the weight of the knives. Benchmades are a little pricey, but mostly worth the price
 
orca8589 said:
Emerson CQC-7. 'Cause Ernie's just cooler than those other guys, whoever they are. :D

All kidding aside, I personally prefer a linerlock to the Axis lock (BM) or Ultra lock (CS). Not necessarily based on strength, toughness, etc., as I think those models listed all pretty equal in those areas. I just prefer linerlocks.

~Chris
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That's funny because the fact the the CQC-7 is a linerlock and that it has a chisel grind are the only two reasons why I would choose anything else over it.
 
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Interesting choices. Sure enjoy those tanto edges huh?

Well there is going to be a price difference between them, BM - $90, CS - $60, Emerson - $120.

The Recon 1 will definitely have a longer blade and that Triad lock, which is very reassuring. Has very grippy G10 scales. Though the black coating on it, scratches off pretty easily.

The Benchmade has the axis lock going for it as well as the 154cm steel. The only thing that I don't like is the plastic handle scales, especially at its price range.

The Emerson has the chisel grind and edge with the same 154cm. It can be had with the "wave" feature. Grippy G10 handles. Titanium liner, though there is some tendency for it to stick in the beginning and travel over to the other side through repeated usage.

Phew that might have been a bit boring for some. Personally I like the Cold Steel for price, the Emerson for its fame, and not so much for the Benchmade.
 
Can someone who has owned or owns two or all of these knives give me their opinion based on experience?
 
It really depends on your applications. The Emerson is purpose built for defense/offense, the Recon 1 is a tough and perhaps a large folder for EDC and the 553 falls somewhere in between. All are quality knives that will go the distance. For most practical applications, I personally would go for the Benchmade.

Edit - I currently own the old and new Recon 1 and the 553. I took a pass on the CQC-7 as it really didn't do anything for me, however I do have 5 other Emersons.
 
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I own or have owned all three (well, the clip/drop point variants in the case of the Recon/Griptilian). IMHO, the Emerson has the best ergonomics and balance of the three, as well as the best combination of blade and handle materials. I wouldn't let the linerlock dissuade you. Linerlocks get a bit of a bad rap because they're easy and inexpensive to make and thus appear on a lot of crappy knives. But when done right, they're a perfectly good type of lock, and Emerson definitely does them right. They're also (along with framelocks) probably your best bet if you're going to be using the knife in an environment where dirt, sand, etc. exposure could be an issue. The main downside of the Emerson is that it's quite a bit more expensive than either of the other two knives.

As for the Recon, it's probably the most heavily built of the three. I'd put its AUS-8 blade steel a notch below the 154CM of the Emerson and Benchmade, but it's still a good steel, especially with a good heat treat like Cold Steel's. The handle is highly contoured, which could be a good or a bad thing: if your hand is the right size for it, it'll fit like a glove, but if not you're somewhat out of luck. The Tri-Ad lock is excellent, and, combined with the heavy build, probably makes the Recon your best bet if you're planning to do anything really silly like batoning with your folder.

The Griptilian offers a good steel at a relatively low price point, and has good ergonomics for a variety of hand sizes. The main complaint some people have about it is the "plastic-feeling" handles. The material Benchmade uses (Noryl GTX) is very strong and lightweight, so in terms of durability and functionality the handles are perfectly fine, but some folks don't like the feel of them. Lastly, Benchmade's Axis lock is, of course, a good locking mechanism.
 
Of the three, the Emerson is almost twice the price of the other two, so its not really a fair comparison. I would say for value for money and all-round practicality, the Benchmade.

Edit: Forgot to say why. Personally I like Benchmade products and the Axis lock. Its totally ambidextrous, extremely strong and lightweight. I like a double ground knife and I dont like a coating. Plus Benchmade have an excellent warranty.
 
These are my likes and dislikes so far based on my research:

Cold Steel Recon 1
Likes:
Blade shape, Reinforced tip, Tri-ad lock
Dislikes:
Weight, Blade Steel, Teflon coating

Emerson CQC-7
Likes:
Tacticool, Blade Steel
Dislikes:
Linerlock, Chisel grind

Benchmade 553:
Likes:
Blade Steel, Axis lock
Dislikes:
Handle Material, Blade thickness

Based on this information which one would you pick?
 
InfamousOne said:
These are my likes and dislikes so far based on my research:

Cold Steel Recon 1
Likes:
Blade shape, Reinforced tip, Tri-ad lock
Dislikes:
Weight, Blade Steel, Teflon coating

Emerson CQC-7
Likes:
Tacticool, Blade material
Dislikes:
Linerlock, Chisel grind

Benchmade 553:
Likes:
Blade Steel, Axis lock
Dislikes:
Handle Material, Blade thickness

Based on this information which one would you pick?
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It really depends on the weight that you place on each of those different attributes, which is something that none of us can tell you.
 
The reality is that at some point, you will probably want all three. Toss the names into a hat and let fate sort it out. ;)
 
I have a Super CQC 7 and 2 Recon 1 ( Tri-ad & Ultralock ). Recon 1 w/Tri-ad, no doubt :
Price
Lock
Ergo
For Emerson :
Wave
Steel
 
InfamousOne said:
These are my likes and dislikes so far based on my research:

Cold Steel Recon 1
Likes:
Blade shape, Reinforced tip, Tri-ad lock
Dislikes:
Weight, Blade Steel, Teflon coating

Emerson CQC-7
Likes:
Tacticool, Blade Steel
Dislikes:
Linerlock, Chisel grind

Benchmade 553:
Likes:
Blade Steel, Axis lock
Dislikes:
Handle Material, Blade thickness

Based on this information which one would you pick?
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Well, here's my two cents based on your findings.

The Recon 1 is going to be the tank of that bunch. Cold Steel makes sure a quality job is done on their Aus8 and IMO Aus8 is still a viable steel , as far as weight is concerned I am positive the newer models are unlined which means a big drop in weight. The blade coating - My American Lawmans both had a nice stonewash finish under that blade coating so there's your Tootsie Roll suprise.

The EKI CQC7 is a knife I really love , mine however sits in my amo closet waiting for a balloon to go up since for EDC use I found it unsuitable for a few reasons. One is it's not meant as a utility/EDC knife and that was the role I was putting it to and my reasoning behind that is that the titanium linerlock tends to wear faster than other linerlocks I have used. The blade shape for me was not a factor is my deciding to 'semi-retire' it. EKI knows how to do a proper linerlock ( in that it wont fail or fold on you providing it is not worn across the tang , in that case all bets are off :P
, a well made linerlock is as good as any other lock , don't let the naysayers tell you different... The chisel grind ? Once you get used to it is so much easier to maintain and gets plenty sharp. In closing the CQC7 has a lot of things going for it , one of the most well designed knife handles out there , excellent blade steel, pocket friendly weight factor. It is more expensive though than either of your competing knives.

The BM 553. IMO the only thing that knife has going for it is more choices in handle or blade color. I have a negative opinion regarding axis locks - I do not think they are all they are cracked up to be , the more pieces involved in a lock on your knife , the more chance for something to fail. If the tanto's primary purpose is penetration under stress than the axis lock is a crap choice for a lock in that style of blade , once again IMO. I would choose EKI's liner over BM's axis for a self defense knife any day of the week. BM's Mini Grip style of knives could be so much cooler but they arent. They use a hollow and cheap feeling plastic and knowing BM your knife may or may not even come sharpened ! It may come with loose screws too so be prepared in advance with a torx set , if you do not have one yet.

Those are my thoughts.

Tostig
 
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I have all three and my favorite is the emerson, but like others have stated its a bit pricier and not really fair to compare.
The recon 1 is an awesome knife imo. I love the g10, its HUGE, came razor sharp, and the lock is probably the strongest of the three. ($65)
The emerson is also a great knife. The steel is a little higher quality than the recon, I love the wave feature, razor sharp, the only thing that I don't particularly like is the chisel grind (but its grown on me). ($140)
The bm is an all around great knife. If I had to pick one for edc I would pick it. Its not to big/small, same steel as emerson, axis lock is nice, also came razor sharp, but Im not to crazy about the handle material. ($70)
 
The one thing that no one has mentioned yet and the one thing that I would find most important for a defensive knife is how fast you can deploy it. In my experience the recon 1 with its triad lock is more difficult to open quickly than either of the other two options.

All three of these knives are quite different from each other and all three have things that you may or may not like about them and the only way to learn what you like is to try out knives from all three of these makers.
 
You will get the most bang for your buck out of the recon 1. aus-8 is easy to sharpen and you can't beat the triad lock. if you strip the blade coating the knife looks much nicer.
 
InfamousOne said:
That's funny because the fact the the CQC-7 is a linerlock and that it has a chisel grind are the only two reasons why I would choose anything else over it.
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I hear that, and that's something that for a while made me not even consider an Emerson; then I got a CQC-10 in trade, and I love it. The CQC-7 is going to be more expensive than the other two, so in the end it'll be a matter of preference. Have you tried the Emerson knives? If not, get the CQC-7 and see if it works for you. (I'm a former woodworker, and I'm fairly good at sharpening chisels, so the Emerson grinds don't bother me so much.)

~Chris
 
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