- Joined
- Aug 9, 2007
- Messages
- 761
Nearly a year ago, I was asking around on this forum as to what folks thought would be a good choice for an Emerson virgin such as myself. Being less than fond of tantos and recurves, I suppose my options were fairly limited, but the real handicap was my wallet.
Anyhow, nearly a year later, Santa Clause dropped some gift cards in my lap - the sort of disposable credit cards that were meant not to be spent on necessities like food or rent - and I thought to myself, well what the hell.
So I got in touch with my favorite Vancouver retailer. $200 CAD and a week of anxious waiting later, the post dropped off an all-black, plain edge CQC-8, and a token ESEE Arrowhead, because why not.
I had thought the arrowhead might make a good neck knife, but the edge is far too thick and the shape would make it very hard to use as a general purpose cutting tool. Plus, it didn't come with a sheath.
Onto the Emerson. I have negative things to say, so let me begin by reassuring the Emerson fans that ultimately, the knife grew on me and my overall impression was positive. I just have a few nitpicks, is all.
For instance, the out-of-the-box factory fit and finish was about the worst of any production knife I've ever bought.
The liner barely engaged at all, and was very tough and sticky to disengage.
The blade pivot action was rough and gritty.
Lateral play aplenty.
Initially the knife was rubbing off black onto my hands and clothing. I'm guessing that to be machine dust left over from the production process.
There was even a spot at the front of the handle where the G-10 scale and the titanium liner weren't flush, leaving a gap maybe a centimeter long and wide enough for light to shine through. I'll try and get a few photos when I have a minute.
I've been carrying a Chris Reeve folder since my third year of University, and that was some while ago. Perhaps his nearly impractical dedication to swiss-watch fit and finish has spoiled me somewhat, but in either case I was somewhat surprised to discover the CQC-8 had been so roughly finished.
Naturally, my first impulse was to take it apart. When I had the knife lying on the table, down to its constituents, it was obvious the basic construction was quite sturdy. It just seemed like the factory may have left some shortcuts showing. Whatever lubrication they were using looked less like grease and more like grime, and the titanium liners did not look polished at all.
So I got the factory lubricant cleaned off, and polished everything with a few tufts of Nev-R-Dull before reassembling the knife, using a bit of the Reeve flourinated grease I had handy.
Well, that about did the trick! Now the knife opens smoothly - though I'm thinking of replacing the nylatron washers with phosphor-bronze - and there isn't any blade play at all. The lockup is quite sturdy, and it feels like Emerson knows how to make a liner lock, but it still sticks from time to time, especially if opened forcefully. A bit of grease helps, but doesn't totally solve the problem. I noticed when I had it in pieces that there was no oxide layer on the face of the lockbar, like one would see on a Reeve or a Spyderco. Plain-jane titanium is a good deal softer than the 58-59 Rockwell blade; I wonder if that's why it's jamming? I guess it could also be the angle of the lock face on the blade, but that doesn't seem like something a company like Emerson would get wrong; they've been making liner locks for years.
Now, after a week of carrying the knife, it's really grown on me. The handle is bigger than most of the knives I would consider for EDC - actually, the whole knife is bigger than I'm used to - but it's still wonderfully comfortable to hold and use for basic cutting chores. I qualm that the edge is only really ground on the one side, but like all my other nitpicks, that's an easy fix, and doesn't really keep the knife from cutting well anyhow. 154CM is tough and hard, so I haven't had to sharpen it yet. The only other knife I had in this steel was a Mini-Grip I sold after about two months, and didn't use much, so I'm going to say this is more or less my first serious experience with the steel.
One of my favorite things about this knife is the Wave feature; it's an ingenious way to reduce the steps involved in deploying a folding knife, which in an emergency can be life-saving. Plus, it's just damn cool
Emerson was right to get it patented.
I've played with Emerson knives before; the wave seems slightly different from knife to knife, requiring a slightly different motion or angle within the pocket. The CQC-8 seems relatively straightforward in this regard, but perhaps that depends on the pocket as much as the user.
So, while my initial impressions were jarring, I've really come to love this knife, and I don't think it will remain my only Emerson for long. Most of my objections to the fit and finish in this specific instance are mainly due to my being accustomed to different standards, and they don't really compromise the knife's toughness or abilities as a hard-use tool.
Still, the 8's design is fundamentally that of a fighter, and while it works as a utility knife, it also has 'don't f**k with me' written all over it, and at some point I'm sure I'll want something tamer, maybe without the black blade. The 10, maybe? Or the 13? Time will tell.
Photos to follow, I hope.
Thanks for the knife, Ernie
Anyhow, nearly a year later, Santa Clause dropped some gift cards in my lap - the sort of disposable credit cards that were meant not to be spent on necessities like food or rent - and I thought to myself, well what the hell.
So I got in touch with my favorite Vancouver retailer. $200 CAD and a week of anxious waiting later, the post dropped off an all-black, plain edge CQC-8, and a token ESEE Arrowhead, because why not.
I had thought the arrowhead might make a good neck knife, but the edge is far too thick and the shape would make it very hard to use as a general purpose cutting tool. Plus, it didn't come with a sheath.
Onto the Emerson. I have negative things to say, so let me begin by reassuring the Emerson fans that ultimately, the knife grew on me and my overall impression was positive. I just have a few nitpicks, is all.
For instance, the out-of-the-box factory fit and finish was about the worst of any production knife I've ever bought.
The liner barely engaged at all, and was very tough and sticky to disengage.
The blade pivot action was rough and gritty.
Lateral play aplenty.
Initially the knife was rubbing off black onto my hands and clothing. I'm guessing that to be machine dust left over from the production process.
There was even a spot at the front of the handle where the G-10 scale and the titanium liner weren't flush, leaving a gap maybe a centimeter long and wide enough for light to shine through. I'll try and get a few photos when I have a minute.
I've been carrying a Chris Reeve folder since my third year of University, and that was some while ago. Perhaps his nearly impractical dedication to swiss-watch fit and finish has spoiled me somewhat, but in either case I was somewhat surprised to discover the CQC-8 had been so roughly finished.
Naturally, my first impulse was to take it apart. When I had the knife lying on the table, down to its constituents, it was obvious the basic construction was quite sturdy. It just seemed like the factory may have left some shortcuts showing. Whatever lubrication they were using looked less like grease and more like grime, and the titanium liners did not look polished at all.
So I got the factory lubricant cleaned off, and polished everything with a few tufts of Nev-R-Dull before reassembling the knife, using a bit of the Reeve flourinated grease I had handy.
Well, that about did the trick! Now the knife opens smoothly - though I'm thinking of replacing the nylatron washers with phosphor-bronze - and there isn't any blade play at all. The lockup is quite sturdy, and it feels like Emerson knows how to make a liner lock, but it still sticks from time to time, especially if opened forcefully. A bit of grease helps, but doesn't totally solve the problem. I noticed when I had it in pieces that there was no oxide layer on the face of the lockbar, like one would see on a Reeve or a Spyderco. Plain-jane titanium is a good deal softer than the 58-59 Rockwell blade; I wonder if that's why it's jamming? I guess it could also be the angle of the lock face on the blade, but that doesn't seem like something a company like Emerson would get wrong; they've been making liner locks for years.
Now, after a week of carrying the knife, it's really grown on me. The handle is bigger than most of the knives I would consider for EDC - actually, the whole knife is bigger than I'm used to - but it's still wonderfully comfortable to hold and use for basic cutting chores. I qualm that the edge is only really ground on the one side, but like all my other nitpicks, that's an easy fix, and doesn't really keep the knife from cutting well anyhow. 154CM is tough and hard, so I haven't had to sharpen it yet. The only other knife I had in this steel was a Mini-Grip I sold after about two months, and didn't use much, so I'm going to say this is more or less my first serious experience with the steel.
One of my favorite things about this knife is the Wave feature; it's an ingenious way to reduce the steps involved in deploying a folding knife, which in an emergency can be life-saving. Plus, it's just damn cool
Emerson was right to get it patented.
I've played with Emerson knives before; the wave seems slightly different from knife to knife, requiring a slightly different motion or angle within the pocket. The CQC-8 seems relatively straightforward in this regard, but perhaps that depends on the pocket as much as the user.
So, while my initial impressions were jarring, I've really come to love this knife, and I don't think it will remain my only Emerson for long. Most of my objections to the fit and finish in this specific instance are mainly due to my being accustomed to different standards, and they don't really compromise the knife's toughness or abilities as a hard-use tool.
Still, the 8's design is fundamentally that of a fighter, and while it works as a utility knife, it also has 'don't f**k with me' written all over it, and at some point I'm sure I'll want something tamer, maybe without the black blade. The 10, maybe? Or the 13? Time will tell.
Photos to follow, I hope.
Thanks for the knife, Ernie
