How are Emerson Knives

My pros and cons. I like 154CM, liner locks and G-10. My favorites ar the A-100's, CQC-7s, and maybe the new Journeyman. I don't like Emersons recent 25% price hike on all ready overpriced knives. As far as what Mr. Emerson posts on his site and BF's I don't care for. I find that SOME of his "marketing" is comparable to Lynn Thompsons.
 
I've owned 12 emersons and never had any fit and finish problems. never had any liner lock issues either. had to break them in, but once they were broke in the locked up great. And i use my knives hard, and never had issue. easy to sharpen, great warranty, and cool aftermarket stuff for them.
 
I had two, and both of mine were made well. I traded them.
I won't buy another after reading his post here at BF. Thats just me though, as I know many don't mind what he has to say, and some even like that kind of talk. I tend to buy my knives from more humble owners. Not trying to flame, and sorry to his customers if I sound like I am.
 
Nimick said:
Emerson knives are awesome because Ernie is cooler than Chuck Norris. End of story.
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I don't know about that.
I have the Emerson Complete Combat Karambit training DVD's.
I like Chuck Norris's movies better.
I think I learned more from them too.:D
 
Well, here is my opinion.

I have never owned an Emerson Knife. I have never even held an Emerson knife. I sure would like to though. I am interested in the combat karambit and the CQC 8 mostly. Those are two good looking knives IMO. I would be upset if I received it and had lockup issues, grinding issues, pivot issues, big nasty scratches, dings, etc. If it didn't have smooth liners or something minor (IMO) I would not care too much.

I haven't followed Emerson's comments, marketing, etc. but I assume that, at worst, he is comparable to Lynn Thompson. I can't stand Lynn Thompson but I still like Cold Steel knives.
 
Threads on Emerson knives are always so... overwhelming.
Just my 2 cents... Emerson knives are already so expensive, yet they are still increasing in price. Either something is going wrong, or something is going right.
 
Ken44 said:
I had two, and both of mine were made well. I traded them.
I won't buy another after reading his post here at BF. Thats just me though, as I know many don't mind what he has to say, and some even like that kind of talk. I tend to buy my knives from more humble owners. Not trying to flame, and sorry to his customers if I sound like I am.
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Yup, the whole reason I even saw that post is because a poster on another forum quoted it and said that is why he will always buy Emerson knves.... Then again, the poster is one of those guys whose desktop wallpaper is always special forces, he is constantly buying the newest "survival gear" that is trendy and overpriced, and buys the blngingest ar15 accessories which he shoots twice a year.

Sort of mall ninja with taste, I guess?(and money)
 
marketing strategy aside, I think Emerson could definitely improve their f/f. Also, I deeply believe that poor f/f does hinder function, as it shows the maker pays no attention to detail. The lock-engagement is sub-par on Emersons as well. The contact surface is very small, leaving more force concentrated on a little spot on the lock head, causing excessive wear.

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PJ
 
My .02

If you owned a company that made a product, and you sold every one of your products, days after they were made.

Why would you change anything?

Especially why would you make a change that would slow down production. Even if it would bring a bigger price it would have to be so much of a bigger price to make it worth it and then the people that like them the way they are, wouldn't be able to afford them?

I say if you don't like them, don't buy them. But don't worry, someone else will.
 
This is a basic concept in manufacturing, an ethical one actually. One should always seek to improve their products, making them better in quality, cheaper in cost, and shorter in average processing time. This will ultimately benefit both the manufacturer and the customers. Given the price of Emersons, don't you think they at least COULD have done a better job controlling their quality and fitting/finishing their products? Doesn't seem too smart to me to feel very comfortable and stay where he is. That's no proactive at all.

If the demand far exceeds the production capability of Emerson knives, he should probably hire a few more employees and try to boost up his production capability(which he did), that would usually drive the cost down, but instead we saw a price hike. Given how others are managing their production, I think there's plenty of room for Emerson to improve.

To answer your question, I would make changes proactively to stay competitive and satisfy my customers. I feel obligated to make my customers feel it's worthwhile to spend money on my products.

PJ
 
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bdg72 said:
I recently bought the Traveler and the lock-up was nonexistent. I could close it with my hand without too much trouble after it was locked up. I thought about returning it but may just toss it in the trash. I won't buy another. Also, I bought it right after I read his post and was really looking forward to what I thought was a great user.

On another note, mine was sharp which was too bad. I rather a knife with a lockup that will give way in a light breeze to be dull as all hell. Poor fit and finish is one thing. This knife was defective to the point of being dangerous!
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Yes you should just throw the POS out. My trash day is Thursday night. I'd be happy to take care of that for you.:D PM me, I'd be glade to take it off you hands. Maybe a second opinion might be a good validation.
 
bdg72 said:
I recently bought the Traveler and the lock-up was nonexistent. I could close it with my hand without too much trouble after it was locked up. I thought about returning it but may just toss it in the trash. I won't buy another. Also, I bought it right after I read his post and was really looking forward to what I thought was a great user.

On another note, mine was sharp which was too bad. I rather a knife with a lockup that will give way in a light breeze to be dull as all hell. Poor fit and finish is one thing. This knife was defective to the point of being dangerous!
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Yes you should just throw the POS out. My trash day is Thursday night. I'd be happy to take care of that for you.:D PM me, I'd be glade to take it off you hands. Maybe a second opinion might be a good validation. I'd be happy to inspect it and test it.
 
bdg72 said:
I recently bought the Traveler and the lock-up was nonexistent. I could close it with my hand without too much trouble after it was locked up. I thought about returning it but may just toss it in the trash. I won't buy another. Also, I bought it right after I read his post and was really looking forward to what I thought was a great user.

On another note, mine was sharp which was too bad. I rather a knife with a lockup that will give way in a light breeze to be dull as all hell. Poor fit and finish is one thing. This knife was defective to the point of being dangerous!
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Yes you should just throw the POS out. My trash night is Thursday night. I'd be happy to take care of that for you.:D PM me, I'd be glade to take it off you hands. Maybe a second opinion might be a good validation. I'd be happy to inspect it and test it. I'll extend my off to anyone else who wants to throw out their evil Emerson knives.
 
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i own several Emersons. one very early commander ( has screws down center or handle) and the rest are 2010 and 2011 dated. the action on the black blades are a bit rough at first but once you break them in they are superb. they are not meant to be pretty they are HARD USE KNIVES and are meant to be used as such. they are the only folder i have ever owned that i can split a 2X4 and then still be sharp enough to shave with. as far as out of the box sharpness by far the sharpest production knife iv had so far.
 
Emerson's are great knives a little overpriced for what u get ya but so are a lot of other brands as well that people don't complain about... my traveler opens smooth locks up super tight stays sharp for a long time and the ergos are among the best!! what more could u ask in a knife.. it functions very very well and that's what matters if u wanna buy something that looks pretty and has polished liners buy a crk or something a lot that line.. Emerson are great users!!
 
paigegunsmith said:
i own several Emersons. one very early commander ( has screws down center or handle) and the rest are 2010 and 2011 dated. the action on the black blades are a bit rough at first but once you break them in they are superb. they are not meant to be pretty they are HARD USE KNIVES and are meant to be used as such. they are the only folder i have ever owned that i can split a 2X4 and then still be sharp enough to shave with. as far as out of the box sharpness by far the sharpest production knife iv had so far.
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By your definition of "hard use", is that supposed to give them or anyone that makes knives a pass on improving the quality of a tool? It doesn't make sense. There are plenty of folders that can split a 2x4 and retain a sharp edge,; you can do it with an Opinel. A lower Rc on the blade increases toughness, the edge rolls instead of chips. Personally, I'd like to see a video of you doing that.
 
they're the best for self defence on edc mode....the only thing wrong with them is the pocket clip displaying too much of the knife ....everyone knows your cariying!
 
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