Emerson and ZT knives

B

boatsman

Joined
Sep 30, 2008
Messages
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How do these two companies knives stand up against each other. I am pondering a purchase from one of these and am curious which might be better as an EDC.

Boatsman:thumbup:
 
I think that depends on what you want in a knife. Anything made by Kai industries (Kershaw & ZT ) is going to be high in the quality dept. Most of the knives in the ZT line are a little too big for me to EDC so I might lean toward some of Emerson's smaller designs.

But if you want a larger folder then I agree with the others and ZT would be the way to go. My favorite ZT is the 0200 folder, my favorite Emerson is a tossup between the CQC7 and the Mini Commander. I have a newer Mini Com and the overall fit & finish is excellent.
 
I have both brands and each has their place. ZT's are big and over built, Emerson's are easier to carry but not quite as substantial. Given one to choose in a life or death situation I would pick ZT.
 
Both brands are pretty overpriced in Europe (e.g. ZT301 costs between 250 and 300 Euros - Emerson Commander is well over 200 Euros) so I only have the ZT301 and 200 which are fine knives but far from perfect. Blade play is an issue with 301 and they are quite heavy and bulky. No, no users for me.

I have only handled Emerson Commander. Good knife, but not worth the price tag. Fällkniven PXL is in the same price range and then the choice is clear.
 
At this point I am leaning toward the ZT200. I like the large size, also being a fan of the SNG series knives.
Boatsman:D
 
I'm honestly not a big Emerson fan. The chisel-ground blades, the grating pivot pins, and (I have heard of this a lot but not seen it myself) the titanium lock wearing out quickly...I don't think they're worth the rather high cost.
 
eburon said:
Blade play is an issue with 301 and they are quite heavy and bulky. No, no users for me.
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That's the first I've ever heard of the 300 series having blade-play issues. Is this from just your own personal experience or have you seen multiple examples of this?
 
Own personal experience. It has blade play to the sides and even when I tighten up the screw, the problem reappears after some use, that is basically cutting wood. That is the reason I don't use the knife anymore. Maybe I should return it to Kershaw/ZT to have it fixed - I heard many good stories about their CS.
 
eburon said:
Own personal experience. It has blade play to the sides and even when I tighten up the screw, the problem reappears after some use, that is basically cutting wood. That is the reason I don't use the knife anymore. Maybe I should return it to Kershaw/ZT to have it fixed - I heard many good stories about their CS.
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I think it's worth sending in, since the problem will only get worse with time and usage. No sense in letting such a good knife sit in the drawer, a knife that tough is meant to be used. ZT/Kershaw has one of the best warranties in the biz, give it a shot and let us know how it turns out, thanks.
 
If you can wait, Kershaw/ZT is coming out with a smaller version of one of their folders. They make a great knife.
 
you may be on to something there (smaller 200), let's hope so!

the present one is an excellent product, especially for the price.
 
Emerson would make better EDC knives.... Yet.. I would never own one because of the blade grinds......
The ZT line is a bit ridiculously huge and built at times...
However, you can just buy a ZT with say a chive for your left pocket to make up for it..
Otherwise CQC-14 perhaps...
 
I have been carrying an Emerson Super CQC-7 and a ZT 200 for the past year. Both knives are similarly sized.

The CQC-7 wins the easy to carry award. It's lighter and has a flatter profile. The 200 is a big hunk of knife. It's too bulky for tight jeans and the pockets khakis tend to sag. The carry clip on the CQC-7 wins hands down. The ZT clips are too small and the "bends" stick out too far. If I had to handle a knife all day, it would be the 200. The CQC-7 has the ergonomics of a 1x2 board. As for blades, both were very sharp and stayed that way.

I like these knives. Both were too big, for me, to carry everyday. The Emerson Mini Commander will be my next EDC knife.
 
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