As a dealer I have handled dozens of the Emerson production knives and maybe hundreds of the Benchmade version. My overall opinion is that the Emersons are better. They are more consistent out of the box and I have seen no difference in strength.
I wouldn't try to pry a door open with either one but folders aren't prybars. They aren't even good fighters. None of them. The locks aren't strong enough and their overall construction won't stand up to the stresses and dynamics of a struggle between large, strong, well-conditioned opponents. They are cutting tools made for slicing, dicing and maybe, in a pinch, slashing or jabbing.
The REKAT rolling lock is the only lock I consider strong enough to withstand all that stuff and I'm not even too sure about that. Things can get pretty radical in a life and death struggle so who knows? Of course this is from someone who believes the best weapon to take to a knife fight is a gun.
All of that said, I have plenty of experience with both Benchmade and Emerson knives. All of the Emersons I have had have been smooth, had solid lockups and very good fit and finish out of the box. This has been consistent from knife to knife, whether it is a Commander, CQC7, Specwar or any other Emerson knife. The position of the lock on the blade I consider to be insignificant, as long as there is full engagement. Whether it goes half way or all of the way over it doesn't matter as long as the lockup is tight and the blade doesn't move.I have never seen an Emerson lock fail. That doesn't mean it hasn't happened, I just have never experienced it and have never had a customer bring one back or report a failure.
Benchmade, on the other hand was much less consistent out of the box. Some were really smooth while many others were very stiff and hard to operate. Many had locks that didn't fully engage and I have seen several failures.
Heat treatment of the blades was spotty and many had chipping problems on the edges. Some came back with the opposite problem, no edge holding. The blades were soft, not properly hardened. This has been a chronic problem with Benchmade for a long time.
The true test is in sales. I have a bunch of the Benchmade CQC7s in stock. I have had them a long time. They don't sell, even though they are out of production and, supposedly, in high demand.
The Emersons, on the other hand, are hard to keep in stock. The price difference is what I consider insignificant (I sell both at or near full retail) and buyers still prefer the Emerson models. If the Benchmades are so good, then the price shouldn't make that much of a difference.
I am not a web dealer in that I don't have a website and try to compete in that market. Most of my sales are walk-ins at the store and at some shows. People who buy my knives, for the most part, have the opportunity to handle them before purchasing and, when they do, they invariably buy the Emerson. That has to count for something.
I realize that this is a thread dedicated to bashing Emerson and I can understand how most of you feel when it comes to the business practice and customer service end of the line. It has to be frustrating when the wait keeps going up and there appears to be no end in sight. I wouldn't even think of ordering a custom knife from them now. Five years is absolutely out of the question, especially at my age. Having said that, though, I can't really sit quiet when the quality of the product is being maligned, I think, unfairly. I'm not a novice at this. I have been dealing with and selling knives for a long time and I think I have a pretty good idea of what makes a good product and I am convinced that Emerson has it.
No I don't work for Emerson and I am not an Emerson direct dealer. I get my knives in ones and twos from distributors just like most of the other dealers. This is strictly my own opinion based on years of experience. No axe to grind, just leveling the field, so to speak.
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Dennis Wright
Wright Knife & Sporting Goods
1-800-400-1980
("Have a knife day!")
wrightknife@ixpres.com
