Commander: no more QC problems?

ptpalpha

ptpalpha

Joined
Aug 25, 1999
Messages
1,317
I've been doing some searching here on BF for info regarding the Commander. From what I can gather, the early production runs had some QC issues, specifically regarding blade play (loose pivots) and liner lock problems. I've read lately that there have been some machining improvments made to the newer runs that solve these problems. Can anybody shed some light on this? I really want a Commander, but I don't want to have to send it back to Emerson as soon as I open the box. I don't have the option of picking and choosing the particular one I buy, as this will be a mail-order. Thanks for any help you can give.
-Paul

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My Knives: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=194082&a=1423561
 
The one I received at Christmas time from Bayou Lafourche was good to go with no QC problems. What you may want to do is ask the dealer to check the knife for you before sending it. If it passes their initial inspection, it should be ok. There are a number of good dealers on BladeForums I would trust to do the initial check before shipping.

Hope you get a good one.
 
Thanks, Bob. Glad to hear yours was fine. Having the dealer check it out before sending it to me is a good idea. I'll have him check for blade play, whether or not the liner-lock is too far when engaged, and whether or not the blade scrapes the liner when closing. Is there anything else that should be checked?

[This message has been edited by ptpalpha (edited 02-08-2000).]
 
I think that covers the important operational concerns.

I've found the pivot point gets loose periodically and needs to be readjusted. When it gets loose, the blade on mine isn't centered when closed. Once the pivot is adjusted to where I like it, the blade is centered again (no wobble). I haven't used lock-tite like some Commander owners because it's really easy to tighten the pivot to the right adjustment with just a fingernail. It usually doesn't need to be checked but every week or two.

When you do a hard wave or a hard flick opening, I've found the lock will go over further than with just a thumb stud opening. I haven't found this to be a concern, but some others have.
 
Thanks, Bob. It seems the loose pivot screw is a common complaint. While Lock-Tite has been recommended, I see your point about it inhibiting future adjustments. Well, it seems that there is no easy choice here. The best situation would be to have five or six Commanders laid out on a table to inspect, but lacking that, I'll be relying on my distributor to inspect the knife before sending it to me. These problems don't seem to be significant enough to stop me from buying one, but they have cooled my Commander fever a little bit. I'm now reconsidering the manual Socom, and have begun to entertain the idea of a Sebenza. I've got plenty of time, and want to get the most folder for my money. I guess since the Sebenza is now in the group, I'd better look at the Synergy too.
 
Well, now that you have expanded your search to include the Synergy, your search is over. It will be a LONG time before anything besides my Synergy resides in my front pocket, PERIOD
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C.O.'s-"It takes balls to work behind the walls "
 
Thanks, JH. That's a strong vote for the Synergy. OK guys, I've begun a thread in the "general" forum comparing the four knives, feel free to post there too! Thanks for the responses!
-Paul
 
I have a very early Commander. It has some blade play (side to side) that can not be adjusted out. I know it is a problem but I like everything else so much I haven't had the heart to send it back. When locked up after a rapid draw the play is not a problem although it is still there. Any comments on how long it would take to have this problem inspected, resolved ? I suspect the pivot pit is slightly undersize relative to the size of the hole in the blade. In advance thanks.
 
I you want my vote Paul, the Manual Socom would be my first choice, not that the Commander is a bad knife, but since you've had a few MT's aquired yourself here recently, you KNOW how the Socom feels in the hand! It has become my daily carry(clip-point/black serrated) on my job with the sheath in horizontal position. How much more honest can a dealer be, especially since I've got Commanders posted for sale right now!

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Knives & Things
Mike Payne
 
LOL, good point, Mike! I don't know what the heck I'm gonna do.
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I've struggled with this one for three days now, and frankly I'm tired. Sebenza, Synergy, Socom, Commander...how the heck can a guy choose just ONE? I'm completely aware of the fact that I'll end up owning all four, but that doesn't help me NOW! Well, I'm going to sleep on it tonight, and make my decision tomorrow, come hell or high water. The only thing I am sure about is that I must have a new folder!!! (and soon!) Thanks again, guys.
-Paul
 
Paul,

Many of us can relate to your present dilemna...if it is any help, single out what you want this particular folder to do. Defense/tactical? Utility? Novelty? etc.

If these criteria apply, the list would be as follows (in respective order) Commander, SOCOM, Synergy. Of course, all of these knives can be used for the same things, but certain models have specific design attributes that tend to make them more suited for certain, specialized functions. For instance the wave feature is very tactically oriented. The black blade, large integral guard, and recurve blade also contribute to a sound tactical design. The Synergy is more of a gentleman's design with its variety of colors, designs and so forth. The SOCOM, although it fits in the category of a tactical folder, it is not as specific in its design as the Commander. It seems to be more of an all around folder built for the variety of jobs one needs to perform in a combat situation while the Commmander is more of a self-defense oriented knife.

Again, try to figure out what you really want in a folder for now and choose accordingly. I know you probably went over these things already, and it will only be a matter of time before you own all three. I got a D/A SOCOM a while ago and just sold it. I am now interested in a Commander - something I had no interest in a year ago. Regardless, I really want one now.

Good luck!


[This message has been edited by Ronald Reagan (edited 02-10-2000).]
 
RR, it's funny how our tastes change, isn't it? Thanks for the advice, I'll be going over and over those criteria tonight in my head. I think the Socom is out of the picture, if for no other reason than I already own a DA-Socom, and am wanting something a little different. I also own a nice REKAT Carnivore, and it bears a striking resemblence to the Commander. However, it has no Wave. The Synergy is awesome, and if it weren't for the fact that I just heard they don't actually offer as many options as their site lists, I'd be ready to order one. I'm going to email Jim O'Young tonight to see what the deal is. Again, thanks for the help.
Paul
 
Paul,

Having just read your last post, I think the Synergy is for you. You have the tactical fighter, you already have a SOCOM (the D/A is much cooler than the manual).....

Have fun!
 
Ptpalpha,

Jim told me at the SHOT show that it was just WAY too hard to produce the knives in all of the different options. I did get to see one of the first run of production tantos though and it was quite nice.

One thing about the Synergy, it is smaller than what I had imagined it to be from the pictures. I would say it is similar in size to our CQC-7. The handle was also a bit slick (as in slippery not as in cool or Willy
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) for my tastes in a purely defensive blade.

We are going to be at Knife Expo 2000 this weekend and I would bet that Jim will be there too. If you are in the area, stop by and say hi.

Take care,
Derek
 
Derek, those two items you mentioned do concern me. The "rough finish" handle is no longer an option, and you're not the first one to mention that the standard model is rather slippery. And reading through the "To the Point" article on the Synergy, I noticed that the pic of the synergy in somebody's hand did look kind of small. This is not helping me make up my mind. I'll tell you why I'm not dead set on the Commander, and you can laugh at me like everyone else is.
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I've wanted a custom leather belt sheath from Gary Graley for quite a while, and had pretty much decided to send him my MT DA-Socom for a horizontal carry sheath. But then I started thinking, "do I really want to be carrying a big auto exposed like that? Isn't that kind of asking for trouble?" So I then decided I'd buy a cool new manual folder, and have Gary make the sheath for that. The Commander in a belt sheath seems to kind of cancel out the coolest feature it has: the Wave. Which started me thinking about the MA Socom, Synergy, Sebenza, etc. NOW I'm wondering if I shouldn't just bite the bullet and go for a custom. The obvious problem there is price. Custom Emersons are not cheap, heck ANY custom worthwhile isn't. So this long explanation just goes to show that I'm pretty much back where I started...wondering what the heck I'm going to buy. As far as the show this weekend, it's my anniversery, and my wife and I will be out of town all weekend. Senator says I've got my priorities mixed up!
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ptalpha,
Iread your posts, all relevant and salient concerns and issues.
Why not get a Commander and still carry it as you describrd w/ the Grayley Custom Belt?
Yoy would still use it as any other knife and it's deployment is FAST w/ snapcut,
wristflick etc. WAVE is still there for Soda Pop or the occasional Beer :-{).
Or if you feel Frogee try to catch someone's Blade w/ it !
I use the ES1-M and don't always use the WAVE feature in deploying it and am absolutely crazy about it.
IMHO
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"This is the law:
There is no possible victory in defense, The Sword is more important than the shield, And skill is more important than either, The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental."

 
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