First emerson

B

Bflo

Joined
Jan 9, 2013
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2
I recently acquired my first Emerson, a CQC-7F. I really like the knife, but I have some minor issues and I was wondering if they were normal or if I got a lemon. First, the lock is very difficult to depress. If the knife is opened slower with the thumb disk, the lock is easier to depress than when opened with the flipper or wave. Will this break in eventually? Second, the pocket clip doesn't contact the scale other than where it screws to the scale. This results in a lose fit in my pocket.

Are these two points normal for Emerson folders?
Thanks
 
Bflo- Good evening. Your knife will break in just fine.
You can remove the clip, use the correct size screw driver, and gently bend it a little. No too much. I had to do this twice with my many Emerson knife purchases.
rolf
 
To make the lockup a little less sticky, take a graphite pencil and rub it on the blade where the lockbar makes contact with it. Do this every once in a while and it will make the lock stick less and eventually it will break in. I did this with my 7 and it worked great.
 
It'll break in. I have a jungle 7 that I'm still breaking in. One day it's just all smooth.
 
I recently got my first Emerson as well, a commander. Gotta say, I'm disappointed. Before I bought it I read many posts about poor fit and finish, but I guess I chose to ignore them b/c of the reputation of Emerson and his hard use knives. I was also was interested in the wave feature. I'm not super hard on my knives, but working in LE I wanted a knife I could depend on, like my Al Mar SERE 2000 that I had been carrying. The action is gritty and slow, even after toying with the tension screw. The liner lock is sticky and travels really far when I deploy the blade quickly, which also means with a lot of force. I haven't broken the knife down yet and cleaned it, but I think paying over $200 for a knife means I shouldn't have to. I imagine I'll keep it and try to work with it, but it will probably be the last Emerson I buy. I get Emerson's mantra of "its a tool and it works", but for the money I can buy other knives that work just as well and seem to be better put together. Anyway, first post. If any one has any secret means of improving my commander let me know. Thanks.
 
BossOyster said:
I recently got my first Emerson as well, a commander. Gotta say, I'm disappointed. Before I bought it I read many posts about poor fit and finish, but I guess I chose to ignore them b/c of the reputation of Emerson and his hard use knives. I was also was interested in the wave feature. I'm not super hard on my knives, but working in LE I wanted a knife I could depend on, like my Al Mar SERE 2000 that I had been carrying. The action is gritty and slow, even after toying with the tension screw. The liner lock is sticky and travels really far when I deploy the blade quickly, which also means with a lot of force. I haven't broken the knife down yet and cleaned it, but I think paying over $200 for a knife means I shouldn't have to. I imagine I'll keep it and try to work with it, but it will probably be the last Emerson I buy. I get Emerson's mantra of "its a tool and it works", but for the money I can buy other knives that work just as well and seem to be better put together. Anyway, first post. If any one has any secret means of improving my commander let me know. Thanks.
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Try using it a lot
 
Can't stop playing with it. But I've been working it for almost two weeks now. And when I go back to my al mar and spyderco sage, the difference is noticeable.
 
That's why I like buying them on the exchange. Half the time some poor guy breaks it in for you and sells it practically unused.
 
The best formula is to clip that knife to you pocket and use it! The knife will do the rest, like break in, and you will come to love the Emerson knife.
Trust me.
 
Lycosa said:
The best formula is to clip that knife to you pocket and use it! The knife will do the rest, like break in, and you will come to love the Emerson knife.
Trust me.
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^^ My suggestion as well. And I'd also stop comparing it to something else. Let the knife speak for itself and show you what it can do. Then decide if Emersons are for you or not. They may not be, but the only way you're gonna know is to give the knife a fair chance to do what it was designed to do the way it was designed to do it.
 
I can back the fact that Emersons require break in. They are usually ornery at first. It can be frustrating for a first-time owner expecting air-bearing smoothness, etc. out of the box. Some lock stick is normal on a new one--it will go away as it breaks in and the lockup gets even better. The grittiness and rough spots in opening/closing will appear and disappear all through break in. Expect it for a while. It's normal.

Hard wrist-flipping isn't good for any knife. Use the knife...or at least cycle it some normally. After 1000 or so openings you'll be digging it more. Emersons usually aren't the greatest flickers--keep in mind you're working against double detents and the CQC-7 design isn't for fast-action thumb flicking necessarily. You might have to tweak the pivot some later, but for now let the action smooth out and go from there.

And don't lube it. It doesn't need it. That can delay the break in even more and really make it feel sluggish.

This is a fairly common discussion around here. Emerson needs to include a "What every first time Emerson owner should know" pamphlet with each knife.

You have a lifetime knife there...break in is but a flash in the pan. Patience.
 
BossOyster said:
I recently got my first Emerson as well, a commander. Gotta say, I'm disappointed. Before I bought it I read many posts about poor fit and finish, but I guess I chose to ignore them b/c of the reputation of Emerson and his hard use knives. I was also was interested in the wave feature. I'm not super hard on my knives, but working in LE I wanted a knife I could depend on, like my Al Mar SERE 2000 that I had been carrying. The action is gritty and slow, even after toying with the tension screw. The liner lock is sticky and travels really far when I deploy the blade quickly, which also means with a lot of force. I haven't broken the knife down yet and cleaned it, but I think paying over $200 for a knife means I shouldn't have to. I imagine I'll keep it and try to work with it, but it will probably be the last Emerson I buy. I get Emerson's mantra of "its a tool and it works", but for the money I can buy other knives that work just as well and seem to be better put together. Anyway, first post. If any one has any secret means of improving my commander let me know. Thanks.
Click to expand...

That's a shame man, but I'll tell you this...

Since you at least like it well enough to keep it, I think you're going to be glad you did down the road. It's a classic knife for a reason. I hope you read my post above. Yours is a fairly common sentiment among first-time owners of Emersons, most of whom go on to love their knives and are still posting here five years later about their 10th Emerson they just purchased. They aren't beauty queens, instead they are strongly built, rugged knives made for work. Your Commander is certainly going to differ from your SERE in most ways.

I wouldn't disassemble it at this point. I'd break it in under factory assembly. Let the action smooth out first....then, if you need to, tweak the pivot some later. I never lube mine. They don't need it.

Emersons are a little different--their own animal. :) That may even be why you bought it in the first place. The Commander is a big knife. It also has all the pedigree and resume you expect when you made the decision to buy it. It will work out for you with use and patience.

I have a micro....best plain ol' "pocket knife" I ever owned.
 
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They really are great knives... they get sharp and cut very well, great ergos, almost no maintenance--like many have said, just use them, and the rest takes care of itself.
 
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