Emerson QC

Zantetsuken's CQC7 was awesome. Then my Mach 1 came. Did you notice I added Usual Suspect to my signature? :D
 
Originally posted by Thomas J Ekman

What's your opinion of the brand?
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Thomas,

I have handled only about 10 (they are difficult to see here) of them and I was very disappointed by the Commander. The ones I saw were almost falling apart. The blade touched the liners, they felt flimsy. The wave though is very good idea IMO.

My advice is to handle them first and if you like the particular knife - buy it. But I would not buy one over the net.

David
 
Let me start this by saying that I really don't have much of an opinion regarding Emerson knives. So why am I here? Well, at one point I worked for a knife company and we sold a number of different products. I was extremely aware of the effort that was involved in the QC process.

Periodically I would then go out into the market place to see how the knives and such were displayed, etc. Something I discovered was that it was pretty often that the models displayed in different shops were not in the shape that they left the factory, of that I was certain. In fact in several cases it was pretty clear that someone had played with and used the product before putting it in the display, and possibly had loosened it up - either taking it apart to see how it worked, or something similar. In at least one case, the condition was bad enough that I asked for the tool that came with the product and fixed the display piece on the spot.

So, my point is that, particularly with a highly visible product like an Emerson, it is not always the case that if you find it loose in the display case at the store that the problem originated with the manufacturer. Sadly, I think the some retailers have less than skilled help who are naturally curious about their products. I would say that in order to draw such an opinion from a review in the shop, take a look at several of the ones that are "in the cabinet" still in their boxes, largely untouched by anyone but the factory.
 
I've got approximately 20 production Emersons and haven't seen any noticeable QC Problems.That's not to say they're not out there, it's just I haven't seen them
 
Originally posted by zantetsuken
I dont know about a conspiracy out to destroy emerson knives. Ive had 2 emerson knives, a commander and a cqc7. The cqc7 was fine, no problems, the commander was ****ed up. The blade was off centered, the screws came out, and the liner went all the way across the tang. You can draw your own conclusions from the replies people have posted here, but I would give serious thought before paying upwards of 200 dollars for a knife that would need to be immediately sent back to the factory.
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Pay particular attention to what I italicized in your quote.

You didn't pay "upwards of 200 dollars" for that Commander. And by saying this, "that would need to be immediately sent back to the factory" gives the distinct impression that is what happened to you personally.

When in fact, you traded for that "****ed up" Commander, you traded a new Gunting [a $125.00 knife] for it and you're pissed someone ripped you off on the deal. So, instead of blowing them out of the water, you smack EKI around.

Like I said, it does not matter if EKI fixes past problems, there will always be someone who will knock them down. This was dishonest and I was going to let it go even though I discussed it with you earlier and I was disappointed in your own views with regard to this.

It was not so much you needed to "apologize" to EKI and certainly not ME. You should have corrected it for your own good. Because YOU are making YOU look bad. But you don't see this.

I was not going to do this until I heard what was being said elsewhere in the nether regions of the Internet. I figured, "EKI is hated by some people and why create further rancor about it? Screw it!" However, you are not telling the other side of the story and in leaving that out, you paint a picture that is not accurate.

That's pretty sad Bud.
 
I am only a NEWBIE still lurking and learning. I only have three emersons and for me they are beautiful knives. There always seems to be some "warmth" when discussing them and I am just too stupid to understand how someone can buy a new knife, have a problem with it, send it back to Emerson, where they have shown me great customer service and treated me right. I best go back and sit in the corner and circumsize myself..........again
wolf:p
 
I've owned two Commanders, a Mach-1, a La Griffe and right now I just have a CQC7B. I think one Commander had a QC issue with the lock. I have really gotten to like the CQC7 I think even more than the
Commanders that I used own. Its very sharp and and has a solid lock up. I also think that its smoother than the Commanders I used to own. I will probably get another Commander down the road but a production ES1-M maybe too much temptation.

Frank
 
I only own one Emerson (Mini CQC7B) and it's not a bad little knife. Out of box, it had an excellent lock up, a sharp edge, and a bad paint job (but I didn't really care, it's a hard use knife). Anyway, within 3 weeks of carrying it as an EDC, I noticed that the liner started to disengage from the blade with the slightest bit of pressure on the back of the blade. I took it apart, cleaned it, and readjusted the liner. I have had no problems since. However, I did contact the company to let them know the problem, and they were more than happy to take the knife back to be looked at.
Good luck,
Matt
 
Custom Emersons, Beyond reproach. Classic. Production Emersons. OK, but not in the same solar system. Pretty good for the $$, though.
 
Ok...I hope this doesn't make me the target or rabid Emerson fans but here goes. I bought a Commander at Blade Show West and I'm very pleased with it....but, I had to handle three Commanders before I found one that I was happy with. I understand that they say in their paperwork that they have a break-in period but the other two that I handled had an unacceptable lock engagement. I'm sure the problem was easily fixed but I don't generally buy something brand spankin' new that I plan on having to fix when I get home. Ok, I'm ducking now...let 'er rip.
 
Simple question, why is the 98 Commander a fair bit/slightly better? Why is a company making a product that is worse than it used to be? Most good companies, no I lie! ALL good companies strive to constantly improve and inovate, why then let an inferiour product hit the shelf when previous models are a bit/fair bit/ lot better?

I am not invlved in the politics and care not a damn what anyone thinks, but I was going to buy a Commander until a Moderator told me that the 98 model WAS better. After reading that from a Moderator and not some whining upstart, I listened. I spent my money elsewhere. Guess what? Until the Commander is BETTER than the 98 model, I won't buy one period. There are plenty of other companies who strive to improve: Spyderco, Chris Reeve, Microtech, Masters Of Defence etc etc etc. Just let me grab my flame proof suit...:(
 
I'm puzzled over the '98 Commander issue also. That the '98 Commander is much better all around than the current Commanders is about the only thing we can all agree on....

I would not be surprised in the least if a version of the '98 Commander is supplied to NASA, and the military, and I would also not be surprised if some "custom" version were to be released, costing much more, that was surprisingly close to the '98 Commander.
 
I'm strapped in and have double checked my Nomex to make sure the flames can't hurt me. Though I'm sure I'll feel the heat.

Emerson knives invoke a lore of the warrior, the trained fighter. They stir the fantasies of armchair operators and back yard recons. I do not mean this in a bad way as they are entitled to a heritage and presence in the SpecWar community and oeprators have been places and done people with EKI knives on their side.

With that said, and with all do respect to Ernest Emerson, they make decent knives at a relative premium price point to their quality of design and execution. You are paying, in part, for the lore, the heritage, the experience and all those other intangible, yet not worthless, facets of the Emerson mystique. For the price of an Emerson, you could do better.

BUT I own a Commander (gotta love the Wave) and carry it frequently. For "Hard Use" it is not my first pick. My Busse knives hold that role and in a folder I usually go for the Buck-Strider in BG-42 when I know abuse is anticipated. It's design, execution and price point will avaoid a spilled milk feeling when the inevitable ding occurs.

Emerson, like any other company, is in business to make a profit. That is not a dirty word, it is a fact of life. They are producing knives less capable than past models ('98) at a price point that obviously provides a decent margin (compared to what else is available in that range) and appear unphased (uncaring?)by comments and complaints about QC. They do what they do, offer what they offer and make money at it. If you do not like it, don't buy it. That must be their attitude based upon posts and corporate responses, (lack thereof) either on the net or in practice.

Now that I pi$$-d off all the faithful I would like to say that I still consider myself a Usual Suspect and have pre-ordered my new heavy duty Commander in Chrome and O.D. It may not be the best bang for the buck ... but I'm hooked.
 
But I have owned one 2000 commmander. It was fine. Good lock up and everything was finished and fitted well. The wave was neat, but I did not like how it ate up my pockets. If you get one and don't like it, they make great trading knives as they are very popular. I also have the utmost respect for Mr. Emerson as I beleive he knows what he is talking about in regards to knife design and self defense.
 
I have recently aquired a new 2000 Commander.It is very sturdy and has no QC problems.The liner seems plently thick and so do the handle scales.Liner position and blade lockup is perfect no blade play."Flimsy"is not one of the words I would use to describe what I'm holding,but everyone is entitled to their opinion which I respect.I have never been a fan of the liner lock,but this Commander impresses the hell out of me,and I'm not easily impressed.I might just buy another Emerson I'm so pleased with this example.I only wish I hadn't let the rumors and opinions of some people disuade me from checking one out and buying one all these years.While feedback is a valuable tool,people tend to leave out vital information in some situations and also some have other agendas.Don't get me wrong,It's not that I don't believe the QC problems never existed,but sometimes things get blown out of proportion for one reason or another.NO comapany is perfect and sometimes a lemon can get out of a factory,that's life.

"A guy gets a knife in trade or buys it from a private party and the previous owner messes it all up,so the new owner thinks the knife is a piece of crap,when actually it is the fault of the previous owner and not a reflection of quality of the manufacturer".

I think this happens quite often and maybe what alot of the complaints stem from.I remember reading alot of complaints on Benchmades QC heat treat,blade not aligned,dull edges etc. etc.Call me lucky,but out of a couple dozen Benchmades I had only ever sent back one for QC/warranty work and even that was a very minor problem.So my suggestion is, with regards to concerned knifenuts considering purchasing an Emerson,do yourself a favor and personally handle one and form you very own opinion.

Signed by An Emerson Fan,
Ralph
 
I have an Emerson CQC7B that is a far better value than the SEVERAL BM copies of the same.All of which were from 1998-1999 era.The Emersons actually cost a few dollars less than BM.I sold off all of the BM's I had.tom.
 
I'll admit that I haven't handled a Commander for awhile, hopefully these issues have been addressed.

I have seen several Commanders that had considerable blade play. Also the lockup wasn't the greatest. I love the design. If it were made with Spyderco quality it would be my EDC.

All the CQC7's I have handled seem to be excellent quality. In my personal experience the QC problems seem to be mostly limited to the commanders. A real shame since that is my favorite design of the production Emersons.

I may try one again if to see if QC improvements have been made.
 
As I stated in a previous post, I recently visited my local gun/knife dealer which I very very much like, they are very picky about what they stock, know their inventory well, and take excellent care of their merchandise. They had a CQC7B on hand that I tried out and was remarkably impressed with... it seemed to have a very strong lockup, and a quality blade, additionally I thought it's "Paint Job" was impressive, after further looking and seeing the excellent Emerson warranty policy I decided this was more or less the knife for me, I think some of you are correct in that some of the "bad" emerson are that way due to lack of care from the dealers, this is why i'd never dream of doing business with anyone else than the dealer I originally went to.
My attitude? Judging by how it looked and felt Emersons are one of the best folders on the market, and a great value for the $110 price tag of that CQC7B, between the fact that i've great dealer and Emerson seems to be a great company, I am more than confident that should any problem arise it can be dealt with in a better than acceptable manner.

As I said before... as soon as I get the chance, i'm buying that CQC7B, and unless most of the people who claim their emersons "sucked" give me some good reasons why and tell me if they actually did anything to correct the problem, that won't change.
 
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