Emerson Knives

Details on paper, or in pictures I doubt emersons will ever make sense...like has been said before there is an allure that some are interested in
 
To be honest, I used to talk bad about Emerson when I first got into knives. I echoed a lot of the same sentiments that many are saying here. I felt they were overpriced and used mediocre materials.

About a year ago, I found a very good price on an 8. I said why not and bought it. I traded it off because it was too big for my tastes. But something about it stayed with me. I couldn't put my finger on it. I ended up getting a Horseman a few months later. Emerson does not make his knives to be pocket jewelry. He makes them to be used and easily maintained. I realized that after I pulled the Horseman out on the roof to cut some felt because I had dropped my roofing knife. It clicked then. I realized I had no qualm about using it.

I don't know if it's due to the finish on it (that being the slight gaps on the G10 and liners and backspacer) but the fit was extremely tight. And the satin/stonewash finish is gorgeous. I used to be a stickler about finish...but now I don't really care because I only buy a knife every now and then and I use them.

The only knives I have bought this past year have been Emersons. They just work. Hell. They even kicked the SnG out of my pocket and that's a feat in its own. That's my experience with Emerson.
 
Carried a Benchmade 970, and later a EKI CQC-7 while in the Army. During that time I used a knife harder than I have since. Held up just fine so I have a sense of trust about the product. I have knives that are sharper, nicer made, prettier, but I have a sense of trust in Emerson knives.
 
La_Maleta_Azul said:
What a lot of people don't realize is that Emersons are essentially handmade knives. There's a lot of handfitting and handfiling, not to mention each model is built in small batches. Compare this (EKI) to Benchmade's factory:

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Hand work = more expensive. Plus it gives the knives a certain character that other production knives don't have.
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Spyderco and Chris Reeve also have small operations that have been in business a long time, and they both manage excellent fit and finish. Spyderco continues to innovate and experiment with new materials.

I like Emersons as well, but at the price point, nope. It's like people that buy a Harley because it is a Harley; never mind that other bikes are better built or have better ratings. Perhaps people buy them because they like them, and for no other reason, but the issue I was stating is that the price of the knives is unwarranted as it is based on a name.

I'm sure the livelihood of all the EKI employees is based on that price point. I guess it is just a different method of marketing. Just seems like it would be better for a company to stand behind their excellent quality rather than a name and the mystique/hype attached to it, but that's just my opinion and counts for little.
 
RemyKaze said:
Spyderco and Chris Reeve also have small operations that have been in business a long time, and they both manage excellent fit and finish. Spyderco continues to innovate and experiment with new materials.

I like Emersons as well, but at the price point, nope. It's like people that buy a Harley because it is a Harley; never mind that other bikes are better built or have better ratings. Perhaps people buy them because they like them, and for no other reason, but the issue I was stating is that the price of the knives is unwarranted as it is based on a name.

I'm sure the livelihood of all the EKI employees is based on that price point. I guess it is just a different method of marketing. Just seems like it would be better for a company to stand behind their excellent quality rather than a name and the mystique/hype attached to it, but that's just my opinion and counts for little.
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Once again, we are talking about a different demographic. Both CRK and Spyderco are not after the same market as Emerson. I won't buy a CRK because IMO, they are horribly overpriced for what you get - a CNC milled knife. Spyderco blades are great and I have lots of them, but when the fertilizer hits the ventilator, I'll be grabbing an Emerson, thank you very much.
 
A.P.F. said:
Once again, we are talking about a different demographic. Both CRK and Spyderco are not after the same market as Emerson. I won't buy a CRK because IMO, they are horribly overpriced for what you get - a CNC milled knife. Spyderco blades are great and I have lots of them, but when the fertilizer hits the ventilator, I'll be grabbing an Emerson, thank you very much.
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That is literally the exact same argument that is being made against Emersons. Horribly overpriced for what you get, met with multiple excuses and justifications which never really validate the reason for price vs materials/f&f.

Again, I like these knives so I'm not hating on em. Just throwing some logic out there. I'm not a big CRK fan at all, but one could easily argue that the care that goes into crafting their knives justifies the price. Not enough to make me buy one over a cheaper knife with better steel/better lock, but then the same argument is applied to Emersons.

The demographic is what? Knife USERS? Military? LE? I am a knife user, as opposed to a collector, and logic tells me that my options are better tools at lower prices from other companies. The new ZT collaboration is a great example of what an Emerson production knife could and should be, at that price point. 40 bucks more nets me m390 and a stronger lock. Why was this not offered by EKI themselves?
 
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RemyKaze said:
That is literally the exact same argument that is being made against Emersons. Horribly overpriced for what you get, met with multiple excuses and justifications which never really validate the reason for price vs materials/f&f.

Again, I like these knives so I'm not hating on em. Just throwing some logic out there. I'm not a big CRK fan at all, but one could easily argue that the care that goes into crafting their knives justifies the price. Not enough to make me buy one over a cheaper knife with better steel/better lock, but then the same argument is applied to Emersons.

The demographic is what? Knife USERS? Military? LE? I am a knife user, as opposed to a collector, and logic tells me that my options are better tools at lower prices from other companies. The new ZT collaboration is a great example of what an Emerson production knife could and should be, at that price point. 40 bucks more nets me m390 and a stronger lock. Why was this not offered by EKI themselves?
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Guilty as charged. I am a former Army Weapons Tech, so I like em tough and dirty. Yes, I think that it is a safe bet that Emerson's target demo are Military, LEO, first responders or anyone that wants a knife that will perform in harsh or dangerous conditions. Now, just speaking as an old dumb 'plug', I wouldn't want M390 in a field situation as it is just too darn hard to sharpen, at least for me. I have in a pinch reset a rolled edge on 154CM using an old fireplace grate. I am sure you get the gist.

I can't argue with the value that the ZT and Kershaw collaboration will bring to the knife world, but I wouldn't be surprised if Emerson users tend to stick with what they know.
 
Well, I come back , and find a 4 page thread I started. Let me be clear to those that have dissented on my questioning. All I was looking for, was a little encouragement if you will, to buy an Emerson. All I wanted, was some logical, thought based reason, of why I would buy a flawed part. What I got was, "it's easily beaten by so much else, for less money, so you just dont get it man". I guess this pretty well cured my itch.

I guess I don't follow, when guys say, "this is what I'm bringing to the end of the world party". There are many knives out there that include better steel, better locks, and most likely able to take more abuse. That just seems counter intuitive. To each his own. Thanks for the input guys, sorry to bother. Looks like I'll pass.

Edit: I also don't need or want "pocket jewelry". But for the love, when I spend 200 bucks on a knife, I do want it smooth and right.
 
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A.P.F. said:
Guilty as charged. I am a former Army Weapons Tech, so I like em tough and dirty. Yes, I think that it is a safe bet that Emerson's target demo are Military, LEO, first responders or anyone that wants a knife that will perform in harsh or dangerous conditions. Now, just speaking as an old dumb 'plug', I wouldn't want M390 in a field situation as it is just too darn hard to sharpen, at least for me. I have in a pinch reset a rolled edge on 154CM using an old fireplace grate. I am sure you get the gist.

I can't argue with the value that the ZT and Kershaw collaboration will bring to the knife world, but I wouldn't be surprised if Emerson users tend to stick with what they know.
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I feel you on that. That is likely the same reason companies like ESEE go with 1095 and AUS8. My only argument is the price. I think the Kershaw collabs will really bring the heat because they're similarly serviceable at much lower price points. If my Zing is any indicator, Kershaw brings a lot of knife for $30-$40.
 
I don't know about the knives because I'm still waiting for mine to arrive from EKI. But when you buy an Emerson you do at least get the coolest logo in the knife world. Some other manufacturers' logos look as though they have been made by a 5 y/o with a potato stamp.
 
RevDevil said:
So what kind of wages and insurance and other benefits are the American workers in the factory supposed to expect from that exactly? How about the cost of making the knives? If you don't like them or find them off-putting in some way, the solution is quite simple, don't spend your money on them and buy what you do like. Not everyone likes the same thing, what makes one thing awesome for one, makes another yawn.

ETA: You appear to have a very visceral reaction to this brand. How many do you or have you owned? I can think of at least 3 other brands that truly deserve this level of scornful reservation. Another thing, no, it's not a status symbol. This is far from being the Fedora poppin, thrift store hipster, sweater vest wearin', Weezer twinkie pop rock lovin', grown man eating Flintstone's chewable vitamins, knife brand.
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Its true I kinda started to hate them. Btw. Can you tell me the other 3 brand names? Just out of curiousness.
 
I kind of agree, the fit and finish could be better.. I only have the one Emerson, a Gentleman Jim and I like it a lot but there are certain things about it which could be improved. It's a good knife and glad I have it. There are no others on my with list.
 
L2bravo said:
Well, I come back , and find a 4 page thread I started. Let me be clear to those that have dissented on my questioning. All I was looking for, was a little encouragement if you will, to buy an Emerson. All I wanted, was some logical, thought based reason, of why I would buy a flawed part. What I got was, "it's easily beaten by so much else, for less money, so you just dont get it man". I guess this pretty well cured my itch.

I guess I don't follow, when guys say, "this is what I'm bringing to the end of the world party". There are many knives out there that include better steel, better locks, and most likely able to take more abuse. That just seems counter intuitive. To each his own. Thanks for the input guys, sorry to bother. Looks like I'll pass.

Edit: I also don't need or want "pocket jewelry". But for the love, when I spend 200 bucks on a knife, I do want it smooth and right.
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What's "flawed" or "better" to you are value judgments based on what you want. Not everyone values a knife by the numbers and initials on the blade steel. Not everybody cares how much R&D and innovation a company does. Not everybody worries about how shiny the liners are or whether the blade "flows smoothly" from closed to open. If that's your criteria, fine. You should buy what fits it. Emersons don't. They don't pretend to. But that doesn't make them flawed or less dependable. Emerson produces what I like and trust in a folder and I'll spend more $ to get that than I will to buy something else that has some "community seal of approval" for the way it looks or how close its tolerances are or how cutting edge the materials are.
 
Over the years I have had in and out of my collection nearly 10 Emerson knives. Truth be told I agree with you 1,000,000,000% they are over rated made from mediocre corner cutting materials with a grind that no one else across the industry uses. Over priced for what you get... Do you sense my disdain for them yet. I have no more in my collection and happy about it too.
 
rororo64 said:
You could always wait for the ZT 0620. Emerson design with good materials and good fit and finish for a good price
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My guess is that even the Kershaw/Emerson imports will be built better and be of higher quality. Goes without saying that the ZT collab is going to bury the Emerson line. If you watch the Bladehq Kershaw interview about the Emerson collab he says numerous times that he thinks the cheaper Kershaw will get people into an Emerson eventually ( that's the conclusion I took away). Truth is people will start dumping their dumpy Emerson's to buy the cheaper Kershaws and Zt collabs
 
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