Fit and Finish - A Long Story

I had my first waved CQC-7 in ATS-34 maybe 10 years ago, I dropped it once on a tile floor and the wave notch broke off. Was quite surprised that this could happen.

My second Emerson was a waved Karambit, great knife that was. One thing I remember well from the Karambit is that I cut myself when I reached into my fanny pack.

I just arrived at the gym, it somehow opened...fortunately I had a first aid kit in my car. I cancelled the workout that day...ouch that Karambit was scary sharp !
 
cevtv said:
Why should he? He started this thread, and said what he needed to say.
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He hasn't made it clear weather he personally supplied knives to the troops that went on the missions he mentioned or weather he was only assuming it. I and a lot of others are very curious to know.
 
Where have you been? He has been supplying knives to the Teams since the 90s. Fact.

When SEALs write books they they don't talk about the Benchmade knives or the Spyderco knives they carry. They talk about their Emerson knives. Richard Marcinko talks about the knife that Ernest Emerson personally gave to him.
 
ssblood said:
Where have you been? He has been supplying knives to the Teams since the 90s. Fact.
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Yes, we all know that, but a lot of knife companies have/have had contracts with the Military too, not just Emerson. To name a few: Gerber, Ka Bar, Benchmade, Cold Steel, SOG, and I believe Spyderco will have one soon.

Him saying Emerson knives were the ONLY knives the soldiers had during those missions and nothing else is very hard to swallow. Do we really need to go through this again?

I am just really curious to hear his response to that, not trying to troll here.
 
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Dear Lord...

beating-a-dead-horse.gif
 
ssblood said:
You hit the nail on the head there. Sounds like the pivot backed off.
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Only way to prevent bladeplay is to make it a fix blade tightening the pivot till it wont close. For the price of the cqc mini15 I can get two knives that do not have this problem and have superior fit and finish. I appreciate a tool but if I pay 200$ for a damn hammer i expect the head to not be loose or crooked. Ended up having to have the knife shipped to my grandfathers house in PA where we will have to go pick it up. On a final note knife laws in NYC do not represent knife laws for the whole state. This we wont ship to NY bs is just as bad as having everyone assume your from NYC when you mention you live in NYS.
 
I've said this once and i'll say it again:

"built for work" is no excuse for sloppy f/f given the PRICE of EKI products, and please save the made in the USA talk because EKI is not the only quality production cutlery company that does that, but is certainly the most expensive one given the material and f/f. Mr. Emerson is either taking advantage of EKI's popularity among consumers or having a difficult time better allocating production resources to make the manufacturing process more efficient.

However, it has been made clear in this thread that Mr. Emerson simply don't care about f/f, so whatever we complain is irrelevant. Mr. Emerson is a successful businessman and no one can argue that, but I think his lack of intention to pursue better quality is very disappointing.

If anyone cares, many say that EKI products cut very well, and it's true, but it's no magic. it's a combination of steep edge angle and aggressive (coarse) sharpening, and Emerson knives are not tough at all, although as heavy as they are, they should be.
 
ssblood said:
When SEALs write books they they don't talk about the Benchmade knives or the Spyderco knives they carry. They talk about their Emerson knives.
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Besides Richard M., which books written by Navy Commandos talk their Emerson Knives? I have read Marcus Lattrells book about Operation Redwing and there were no Emersons in that book.
 
Use Google or something. You have obviously done zero research and do not know much about Emerson knives.
 
ssblood said:
Use Google or something. You have obviously done zero research and do not know much about Emerson knives.
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Assuming you know a lot about Emerson knives, what do you know about other brands that have government contracts or support US troops or are being used by the troops?

There are plenty of them out there btw. Emerson knives is merely one of many.
 
I purchased three Emerson knives in the early 2000s. I no longer include them in my EDC rotation but not because of any flaws in the knives. I actually like Emerson's design philosophy and the construction is fairly straightforward with the same issues every folder but Chris Reeve's have - the blade pivot adjustment.

You can disassemble any Emerson with a dime and a small phillips screwdriver - no trick allen screws or anything, just the tools you can find almost anywhere on the planet.

Sure they're stamped parts; with very few exceptions, all mass produced knives are produced in the same fashion.

The only reason my mini CQC7A is no longer in my EDC rotation has more to do with what I use my knives for and the fact I now have a couple of CRKs that NEVER need blade tension adjustment. For a "righty" his blade bevel is on the wrong side too . . . again personal choice.

He has successfully marketed his knives as "combat ready" and apparently has quite a following among military and law enforcement. Whether this is real or simply marketing isn't mine to judge. I like his knives and his design philosophy but they are sufficiently idiosyncratic that I no longer carry one.
 
Benchmade, Strider, Gerber, etc. The list goes on and on with who has a Military contract. Emerson never said that all the SF, and all the Rangers, and all the PJs were carrying his knives. He said when OBL was eliminated that the guys on the ground in the compound were carrying his knives. It is said that DEVGRU was the unit in the compund. It is also common knowledge that Emerson has designed knives for the Teams and for the SWCC. Common sense would then tell you that chances are, those guys were all issued at least one knife of Emerson's design.

As for fit and finish. I recieved a new Prestige Traveler in a trade the other day. The fit and finish does indeed leave something to be desired. For the 160 street price it is a nice knife though. Both liners are titanium, lockup is early and solid, no blade play at all. Functionally this knife is flawless. I can't feel that the liners do not perfectly match the G10 when I white knuckle grip the knife. I'm happy with the knife and it will do what I ask of it. What more could I ask?

The simple answer is, if you like the knife and are happy with it then it is the knife for you. If not, sell it NIB and loose nothing. This goes for every brand of knife, just not Emerson knives.
 
pj551016 said:
Assuming you know a lot about Emerson knives, what do you know about other brands that have government contracts or support US troops or are being used by the troops?

There are plenty of them out there btw. Emerson knives is merely one of many.
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Who cares about Gov. Contracts? SEAL Team6/DevGru can use whatever they want. It does not have to be issued. The fact that Mr. Emerson actually KNOWS the guys in the Teams, because THEY have gone DIRECTLY TO HIM to get knives made for them, is more than enough to believe that yes, he actually does know what they had with them for knives. One of the SEAL Teams actually uses Emerson's "Lethal Edge" Skull logo as their insignia........


SealTeamPatch.jpg
 
This thread is a perfect example of why industry professionals tend not to post on the internet.

All of this speculation on what folding piece of steel some guy was carrying on a battlefield is just hilarious. I think Ernie know's who his customers are.

Either buy his products on their merit, or don't.
 
cevtv said:
Who cares about Gov. Contracts? SEAL Team6/DevGru can use whatever they want. It does not have to be issued. The fact that Mr. Emerson actually KNOWS the guys in the Teams, because THEY have gone DIRECTLY TO HIM to get knives made for them, is more than enough to believe that yes, he actually does know what they had with them for knives. One of the SEAL Teams actually uses Emerson's "Lethal Edge" Skull logo as their insignia........


SealTeamPatch.jpg
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My father served with the Night Stalkers out of Ft Campbell KY, for those of you not familiar with the military thats the 160th and they work with Seal team 6 and the rangers regularly. Dad still has his service knives, a Gerber multi tool and a buck folder, would have to go dig up the old fixed blade but he's never heard of an Emerson. If they where as popular as they are made out to be you would think he would have seen one in his 18 years serving with the 160th.
 
Damn_Animal said:
My father served with the Night Stalkers out of Ft Campbell KY, for those of you not familiar with the military thats the 160th and they work with Seal team 6 and the rangers regularly. Dad still has his service knives, a Gerber multi tool and a buck folder, would have to go dig up the old fixed blade but he's never heard of an Emerson. If they where as popular as they are made out to be you would think he would have seen one in his 18 years serving with the 160th.
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Well dang, if a retired pilot from the 160th didn't know what pocket knives his passengers were carrying, it must all be a lie. :rolleyes:
 
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