Emerson design question

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fishbulb

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Sep 18, 2001
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I know you guys have had more than your share of trolls around here, but I would like to make it clear this I am not one. Please check out some of my previous posts if you need confirmation of this. If I say anything offensive it is unintentional, just point out my mistakes.

I have recently started looking for a really tough folder for outdoor use, as a backup and complement to the fixed blade that I usually take camping. Having read volumes on the forums and Emerson website about these being the hard use knives, I decided to check them out. The only hands on experince I have had with one so far is handling my friend's Commander. I don't know the year or generation, but it had a wave, if that helps.

These are my impressions of the Commander I got to play with:
-Good design, nice blade shape and handle.
-The Wave is great, even though I couldn't quite get it to work. I'm sure some practice could fix that.
-Fit and finish was about average, for the same price range I've seen better and worse; but I would certainly consider the particular knife I saw to be acceptable.
-Finally, a maker who doesnt consider disassembly to be abuse is a big plus.

Overall a favorable impression, but I did have one concern. I could neither see nor feel how this knife was more suited for "hard use" than any other high quality folder. That is, it wasn't worse than the competition; I just couldn't tell how it was better ( I hope that makes sense).

Obviously a lot of people who know a lot about knives think differently, so there is apparently something I am missing. Exactly what design or material features make Emerson knives more suited to hard use than other comparable folders? I've tried a few searches, but this is a hard thing to look for.
 
emerson is different in the respect that they will stand behind their products 110%. Their abuse scale is much broader and vague compared to other makers. It is easier to get repairs and replacements for defective knives from them.

Steve C.
 
Thanks for the info, but I am more interested in the features of the knife as a product than I am in the warranty.

I've been thinking about this for a while and I have come up with a few possibilities that would increase the durability of the knife without being visible:

-Use of higher strength fasteners and hardware than the competition. For example, a Grade 8 bolt looks and feels like a standard one, but performs much better under stress. I seem to remember hearing that Emerson stop pins are better than the industry standard design, so this may be it.
-I have never heard the handle polymer specificly described as Zytel, so it could be another plastic entirely with superior qualities. It would be hard to improve in the impact strength of FRN, but the abrasion resistance could probably be increased a great deal.
-There could be a different heat treat or composition in the liners which results in improved performance.

I don't have anything to support these ideas, basicly I'm just tossing some possibilities out.

I'm actually surprised that there hasn't been a more informative response to this.
 
I am surprised, too, that no one else has replied. The handle material is G-10. This is the same material used for computer circuit boards, so it will hold up very well. the liners are aircraft grade titanium, a plus because most other companies use steel. The blade steel is 154CM, which is easy to sharpen and will hold an edge for a decent amount of time. All of the blades are 1/8th inch thick. The commander and other knives with normal style blades have v-grinds and the tantos have chisel grinds. If you would like to know anything else please email me at clawhands1@hotmail.com

Regards,

Steve C.
 
Let me start by stating: I like Emerson Knives. I own several of them, I use them, I like them and I like using them. Let me also say that while I have never dealt with EKI directly, I understand that they stand behind their products and liberally construe warranty requests with a view of satisfying customers.

Now that I have said that, allow me to say this: Emerson Knives have a cult-like following. You asked some tough questions that are, well, tough to answer. Do you compare the hinge and stop pin (even the newer upgraded one) to the Buck-Strider? Do you compare fit and finish to the Al Mare SERE? or the blade steel to VG-10, M2? Is EKI's G-10 better than the G-10 other knives have? You start asking questions like this and the faithful will rise up and question your loyalty, troll factor, masculinity, patriatism and who knows what else.

My opinion, there are sharper knives, stronger knives, knives with better fit and finish, knives with larger components, stronger components, better finished materials. There are knives have have better attention to detail and perhaps better value in terms of utility to cost ratio. With that backdrop, one could make that statement about just about any knive.

We all know that we buy our knives with a view towards utility and pride of ownership. Very few of us, if any look at our knives as merely a tool. I'll grab a screwdriver out of the toolbox, use it and throw it back in the box and never give it another thought until I need it again. I do not consider my knives in this way and doubt any here would differ in that regard. Emerson knives have great designs, (gotta love the Wave!) and I am willing to overlook areas where they are bested by others while I enjoy my pride/joy of ownership with EKI knives. If I start to look too closely at screw vs. screw, liner vs. liner, stop pin vs. stop pin, fit and finish vs. fit and finish, sharpness vs. sharpness and value vs. value I might get to the point where I feel as though I overpaid and undergot. I do, in fact, feel that way about the $369.00 I paid for the Super Commander. However, I don't look at my knives that way and I do enjoy Emerson knives. I just don't ask too many hard questions of these Hard Use knives.
 
Well said Nimrod. I use a commander and will always use a commander. It has never let me down and I doubt ever will.

I hope you can give one a try!
 
Gundy, I have tried the Commanders. It is the model that got me started with Emerson. I have the Stuper-Commander (I'm still in a Stuper over what I paid for it!), a 2000 Commander and a CQC7B Satin that I carry. I will likely get a 2002 Commander as I appreciate the improvements that were made.
 
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