Do you ever get tiered of it...

[ebidis]

The Emerson bashing I mean?

There is a thread over in general right now about "over rated knife brands", and of course it's turning into the usual Emerson, and CRK bash fest.

Its always the same old tired crap: They're over priced, They aren't hard use, they use flimsy ti liner locks, they need better steel, yada yada yada. I'll have to admit I took the bait and responded to a couple of posts.

Oh well, I love my Emersons for reasons that go beyond the materials. I guess I'll just have to accept that some people will never get it.

 

[Urban redneck]

Lol I was wondering when this was gonna pop up here! Yea I was reading that thread, and Emersons always seem to come up when "overpriced" is the topic, but I have always believed that a product is only worth what someone will pay for it. So if no one was buying Emerson knives, then yes, they would be overpriced. But with thousands of rabidly loyal customers that have no problem shelling out the money for one, then they don't fit the criteria.
As far as the "liner lock/not hard use" crap, whenever I hear a comment passed about any reputable brand, I can't help but ask myself, "What the HELL are you using your pocket knife for?!?!" I work in industrial construction (Union millwright) and admittedly can be kinda hard on my tools, but am never abusive towards them, so consider the fact that from what I can see, the average user is either
A) sitting behind a desk, knife is part of his EDC costume and flipped repeatedly in his cubicle
B) knife is sitting in a drawer or safe, only to be taken out and looked upon by human eyes only during special events (weddings, births, bar mitzvahs and such)
Or
C) is a normal, responsible rational adult that knows and respects how to use a knife and does so for normal purposes.
The term Hard Use is thrown around too loosely, and I'm sorry but a pocket knife will never be the ideal tool to chop your way out of a burning Blackhawk!

I feel your pain brother! Rant OVER! Lol!

 

[longun]

I chuckle at the Emerson bashing. I may have even felt the same way at one time. But as I've gone around the circuit of knife manufactures, I returned to Emerson. They just get the job done. Now they are almost exclusively the folding knife of my choice. I say almost, because I sometimes carry a Victorinox. I guess everyone has a preference.

 

[UDIVER]

Most of these guys here on the forum treat their knives as "Man Jewelry" and unfortunately since Emerson's aren't covered in diamonds and sparkly shit they aren't loved, its a shame.

I've owned just about every major brand and some custom makers and now I just support Emerson and ZT.

 

[ebidis]

I chuckle at the Emerson bashing. I may have even felt the same way at one time. But as I've gone around the circuit of knife manufactures, I returned to Emerson. They just get the job done. Now they are almost exclusively the folding knife of my choice. I say almost, because I sometimes carry a Victorinox. I guess everyone has a preference.

I carry other knives as well as my Emersons, but I usually have an Emerson on me. They are my go to knives if I have to do something that I dont want to use my Pretty knives for. LOL.

Its funny, because Emersons aren't exactly cheap, but I'm not afraid to use them for tougher jobs. I guess that's what they're intended for anyway.

 

[petah]

Any plublicity is good plublicity. Especially when your advertising busget is zero. I would be worried if people just stop talking about thrm.

 

[Aias]

Yep--some will never get it. I was one of those guys years ago... then I tried one. I got it.

 

[Ground0]

Majority of the bashing is because Emerson still is tried and true on proven materials. People want the fancy full Ti knife with anodizing, rainbow colored damascus blade and something that will go "oooh" and "ahhh" over. People want to literally see where their money went in the knife. Emerson however is a feel and ergonomics. I am privileged to own a few of his knives and have to say in terms of ergonomics they are my benchmark. Once you hold one in your hand and have the confidence that it will stay there no matter what you do that is where my money went to.

 

[Lycosa]

What Emerson bashing?
Carry on!
rolf

 

[Riley12]

Those people just need a 7!

 

[shinyedges]

For me Emerson asks to much for what they are, that said many dudes pay their price and feel satisfied with their purchase. Key words are for ME they are priced too high, I get Emerson fans like supporting Ernest Emerson and I sympathize with his opinion as well but it doesn't change the fact his liner lock "hard use" knives aren't exactly "hard use" knives. Hopefully this thread doesn't killed with butt hurt people.

It's not that I'm concerned about the liners breaking, the problem for me is that both examples I have owned I could cause the lock to move out of alignment with very little pressure on the spine. I could also disengage the locks by spine whacking against the palm of my other hand. Notice I didn't say against a vise, or on a wooden table, just hitting it on my palm caused both locks to fail and the blade to close. I treat my knives like tools and try not to abuse them, but for a "hard use" tool I expect it to not close on my hand with such little force.

edited cuase I dont know how to quote huehue

Agreed on Emerson. I decided to pull the trigger on a brand new CQC7V because I loved the look of the knife. I figured I'd give it a shot because, despite all of the negative things I'd read about Emerson, I had never actually handled one. I have to say that I wish I'd never purchased it, but that's okay with me. At least now I know from personal experience.

Pros:

1. I love the texture and color of the G-10 that Emerson used on the handles of that particular knife. If I was asked to point out the perfect G-10 for knife handle slabs, that would undoubtedly be it. They really knocked it out of the park in that regard.

2. Blade shape. I don't harbor the brutal hatred for the chisel grind that seems to be a talking point for many of Emerson's critics. It's okay, I could take it or leave it. However, I have to say that I absolutely adore the tanto blade shape that they went with in this knife design. It was basically perfect.

3. Wave opening. It's pretty self explanatory. I love Emerson's wave design.

Cons:

1. Fit and finish. It was basically impossible for me to find a harmony between being able to open the knife easily, and side to side blade play when closed. When I tightened the pivot screw enough to eliminate blade play, the knife was way too difficult to open one handed, even when waving it open I had to use entirely too much force and snap. Likewise, when the pivot screw was loose enough to keep the opening action smooth and easy, the side the side blade play was ridiculous.

2. More on the opening: After a few months of use, it got really sticky at certain points during the blade pivot when opening the knife. Even after a thorough disassembly, cleaning and lube job, it was still sticky at certain points. The pivot screw tightness was irrelevant when it came to this issue. I'm not sure why.

3. Lock issues: After a few months of use, the lock worked itself almost all the way to the far end of the blade. The knife started at probably 25 % lockup, and it now rests about as far to the right as it can physically go.

4: Lock issues cont.: This was the final damning issue for me, and caused me to permanently retire the knife: Lock rock. With the knife fully opened and locked up, it takes a very small amount of pressure on the blade to cause about a 30% lock slip. That is absolutely unacceptable to me. I don't want to be using the knife hard one day and have the lock completely slip and send my ass to the emergency room because the blade closed on my hand. Safety is #1, and Emerson failed big time.

5: And finally, price. 200 bucks is too much for this knife, considering everything that I mentioned above. These are the sort of issues I'd expect from a 20 dollar Gerber or something, not a company like Emerson who touts their products as "The World's #1 Hard Use Knives".

Those are my thoughts on the matter.

Is this what you call "bashing"? Because that's not bashing. It's the first hand experience of people who have owned and used Emerson's. Because it's not glowing praise it's bashing huh? Or because your experience is different everyone else's experience with Emerson's is untrue?

Get a grip. And no, not everyone who criticizes Emerson because of their experience with them carries a knife for "man jewelry". I spent more than a year deployed and use the hell out of my knives, so the "man jewelry" theory is whack.

 

[115Italian]

I took the bait in that thread and posted defending Emerson. We all have our opinions and it is what it is. I alway try not to discuss Emerson knives outside of the Emerson forum. There is some hate toward the knives. Again each person is entitled to their opinion.

 

[Silvanus]

Bladeforums is an interesting beast. I frequent the green forum more than BF now because of the negativity of this forum (not the EKI subforum, just BF in general). There are always threads like that, somebody wants to stir up trouble and bash other brands and the thread eventually gets closed. I was an avid poster here on the EKI forums but I just don't come around like I used to. The BF negativity and bashing is just something I don't want to deal with. I love Emerson Knives above all others, and Ive chosen to be in a place that has like minded people. And even those that don't like Emersons keep to themselves and practice a "live and let live" mentality.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Majority of the bashing is because Emerson still is tried and true on proven materials. People want the and something that will go "oooh" and "ahhh" over. People want to literally see where their money went in the knife. Emerson however is a feel and ergonomics. I am privileged to own a few of his knives and have to say in terms of ergonomics they are my benchmark. Once you hold one in your hand and have the confidence that it will stay there no matter what you do that is where my money went to.

If that is what "people" want, why aren't the vast majority of knives like that - "fancy full Ti knife with anodizing, rainbow colored damascus blade"?

 

[UDIVER]

If that is what "people" want, why aren't the vast majority of knives like that - "fancy full Ti knife with anodizing, rainbow colored damascus blade"?

You serious?

Lets just look at some $200-$300 knives from these brands to compare...

You mean to tell me that the "normal" knife guy is going to spend his $300 on the Emerson over these 3?

Most of these knives sell because of all the carbon and anodizing bullshit they do, you're just paying for a look and some carbon and with Emerson you pay for the design, for a family run business, 100% US made and one of the best warranties in the business, its much more than some pretty "man jewellery"

I understand these companies make normal blades with just some Ti and G10 but for the most part they go out of the way to make it over the top and "pretty" to sell it.

And I respect Emerson for NOT doing that, they make a knife that's meant to do work and that's it, that's much more appealing in my eyes.

Spyderco

Benchmade

ZT

Emerson

 

[Thomas Linton]

"Some" is not the "vast majority." I'll give you some. Obviously correct. I question "vast majority" based on what I see for sale.

 

[UDIVER]

Like I said, not all of them are like that but more often than not these companies try to splash ano, Ti or carbon anywhere and any chance they get.

 

[STAINLESS90]

It gets kind of tiring when it comes to any brand. Emerson was not my first "real" knife, I started with Spyderco's and Benchmade's. They were great knives, just not great knives for me. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

[UDIVER]

It gets kind of tiring when it comes to any brand. Emerson was not my first "real" knife, I started with Spyderco's and Benchmade's. They were great knives, just not great knives for me. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Absolutely, my issue is with people bashing a knife or company they have never owned or even held in hand, which is the majority of people bashing Emerson's.

I think its hilarious.

 

[shinyedges]

Where is all this "bashing" ? The three people I quoted(myself included) who had criticism towards Emerson did in fact own Emerson knives and had first hand experience.

Someone saying they think a knife is overrated is not "bashing" to me. I didn't see a whole lot of out right crap talking or "bashing" Emerson. As a matter of fact many of us even stated the designs appealed to us.


Bashing in my eyes is out right slandering or baseless name calling. So what "bashing"?

Absolutely, my issue is with people bashing a knife or company they have never owned or even held in hand, which is the majority of people bashing Emerson's.

I think its hilarious.