3 Emersons in a row with the same exact failures?
Did you send them in for warranty and what did they do to fix the issues?
Honestly, I never sent them in for warranty. The first model I tried I ended up just not liking, so I wasn't interested in sending it in, I wouldn't have been interested in carrying one even if it didn't have problems. I figured I'd get another I might like more, and assumed they couldn't all be that bad. The second had the same problems, plus a slightly warped liner on one side. The third I borrowed from a friend who complained of similar issues and found the same problems again. I ground off the wave (which I found more annoying and dangerous than useful) and bent in the lock to where I thought it should be (putting it in a comfortable "stiffness" similar to other linerlocks) on the one I thought I might keep, but that still didn't do it for me. I just didn't like the knives in the end, hated the wave, didn't like the left-hand chisel grind, loose pivots, gritty action, machine marks all over, etc.
It's entirely possible that I just tried 3 duds in a row, and I've heard that some years of Emersons are better or worse, etc. And Emerson may indeed have incredible customer service, but if I'm on the fence about a company and try 3 different $150+ models of their knives and not a single one meets my requirements for even a
mediocre knife, I'm done trying. I gave them more than a fair chance in my opinion (and that's all that this is, my opinion). I ended up selling one (with full disclosure of my perceived problems with it) and ended up giving the other two away. In short, did I have a great experience with my Emersons? No. Do I trust the lockup on an Emerson as much as on a Sebenza, based on my experience? No. Would I still encourage you to get one if you're interested? Yes.
As with everything else, I encourage people to form their own opinions based on their own experiences. OP asked for mine, that's what I supplied. And in the end, the only way
you're going to really see what one is like
yourself is by trying one.
On a side note, I find it mildly amusing that you posted this in the Emerson forum. I didn't realize until now that this was posted in this forum, and I'm not trying to poop on anyone's parade, I just saw it at the top of the "new posts" list and thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. I don't have a place in mind that you
should have posted it, but asking here is kind of like going to a VW Beetle owners meeting and asking if VW Beetles are good cars.
Cheers