Emerson CQC13: Fit and finish plus smooth opening?

MTHall720

MTHall720

Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Messages
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I'm giving serious thought to getting one but the cost is more than I usually spend so want to be sure I am not disappointed. I keep hearing about fit and finish being below average. Does anyone have this in a plain edge satin? If so what is your impression? Most of my blades are Benchmade, Kershaw, and some CS.
Thanks.
 
To be honest with you all of my emersons are hit and miss my 13 was a ok with fit and finish but they not advertised as the best fit and finish.My lock up was really sticky and it traveled to 50% really fast and it was really gritty when new from box but after I took it apart and cleaned and lubed it was smooth as glass.I love my cqc 13 and my commanders no problems as far as function fit and finish for me is really not a big deal.I think if you like the blade shape and you can get passed the minor issues in my opinion that knife will really grow on you just like all the other ugly emersons grow on the rest of us lol.
 
I have a CQC13 satin PE, I really like the blade shape and ergonomics, however I had to take it completely apart when I first got it and clean out the factory lube that was like glue, very tacky, it also took about two weeks of use before I could disengage the lock one handed. After cleaning it and breaking it opens fine, however the pivot loosens quickly to the point of blade play after 5 or 6 openings blue loctite might fix it, but I don't have any (haven't had to use it on any of my other knives) and don't carry it enough to bother with it yet.
 
Like others have said it's gona be hit and miss on fit and finish but emerson customer service will take care of you, I own several emersons and i have a ritual when i get a new one, I take it apart and clean it and get all that gunk from the factory off it , lube it with my lube, and I adjust the detent on mine, just becaue i like mine to be be super super smooth, but i don't suggest trying to adjust your detent unless you know what your doing. I found a thread on how to do it and did it on a beater emerson for my first try and i kinda messed the knife up so i had to disassemble the knife and make the detent stronger. Now i've done it so much I can adjust it in a few seconds, right when the knife comes straight out of the box. I have a super commander that is just as smooth as my zero tolerance 550 and just below my zt 560.
 
As HuntBomb stated, yes they certainly grow on you. I picked up a Mini a100 and i can't put it down. It did seem a little stiff at first and if i loosened the pivot it would rub on the liner but eventually it broke in (about 48 hrs) and i could snug the pivot back to where it was supposed to be. I picked this one up on the exchange to see if i would like the "feel" of an emerson and since i do, i'm definitely going to get the Mini CQC-15.
 
Allen R. said:
Like others have said it's gona be hit and miss on fit and finish but emerson customer service will take care of you, I own several emersons and i have a ritual when i get a new one, I take it apart and clean it and get all that gunk from the factory off it , lube it with my lube, and I adjust the detent on mine, just becaue i like mine to be be super super smooth, but i don't suggest trying to adjust your detent unless you know what your doing. I found a thread on how to do it and did it on a beater emerson for my first try and i kinda messed the knife up so i had to disassemble the knife and make the detent stronger. Now i've done it so much I can adjust it in a few seconds, right when the knife comes straight out of the box. I have a super commander that is just as smooth as my zero tolerance 550 and just below my zt 560.
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What lube do you use? (for your knives, that is)
 
I also agree with Allen R. ...Emerson's customer service is top notch and they took care of me ASAP.
The pivot screw does loosen up rather easily, but loc-tite will fix that in no time.
 
Emerson customer service is I think the best in the industry. They honor warranty replacement/repairs no questions asked no matter if you are first or fourth owner.

I use Rem-Oil on the blade and Sentry's Hi-slip grease on the pivots. The new pivot shouldn't need any loctite.
 
My CQC-15 was made in 2012 and the pivot loosened up every 5 or 6 openings before I added loc-tite.
The chisel/v grind also takes some getting used to, but works just fine.
The Gentleman Jim is next on my list.
 
I love my emersons not to mention they are a great base when it comes to pimpin.I think they are some of the best looking knives as far as customs go from ernie or reese weiland or nathawuts I just recieved my custom ti framelock conversion from reese weiland and could not be happier.
 
I have bought two 2012 Emerson knives in the last month or so, and have been very pleased with both. This coming from a guy who previously really only carried Spyderco/Kershaw/ZT, larger production stuff. I was wary of the things I read before buying, and once I got my first Emerson, I DID have to break it in, take it down and clean and lube it, and just give it some attention before I got it operating exactly how I wanted it to operate. For instance, finding just the right spot to adjust the pivot, so it waves fully, and opens smoothly, but has no play. If you don't have a problem with doing this (and really, what knife guy doesn't want to tinker) then you'll be happy. They really are heavy duty, serious business knives. Oh, and as for FnF, I've noticed nothing about my CQC-7BW or Mini-Commander that in any way fits poorly or seems poorly finished (other than maybe a few machining marks visible on the liners). In fact, the finish on the stone washed/satin finish blade of my Mini-Commander is actually downright beautiful.
 
Why not find a prestige dealer and actually inspect the knife before you buy as opposed to just buying on line. Thats how I have purchased my Emersons. Who knows you may end up wanting a different model once you start handling them. Your hand will always let you know if its the right model for you as soon as you hold it.
 
That's exactly what I tried to do but my largest dealer in my area does not carry Emerson :(
 
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