How are the Emerson framelock knives?

[STR]

Looking at the CQC-12 I two words describe it is Simplicity and practicality.

The so called satin finish is subdued something close to other bead blasted finishes but not as gray not shiny at all. The wave is very reliable and I love it. I have no idea why anyone would want to remove it. Fit is excellent and so is finish for what it is.

It fits well in my hands and offers a secure grip. The design of this one whether you use right or left hand leaves the fingers over the frame lock pressing in the locking direction. This is very good. For something as flat it feels quite good to grip which is a pleasant surprise. It is lightweight and opens smoothly.

The finish throughout is dull and subdued I do not find it to be the flashiest or prettiest knife around and I am not scared to carry it with other items that may scratch it since it doesn't make much difference in it's appearance to me anyway (it may actually make looking at it more interesting.)

This is one of the most useful, carry friendly knives I have seen and felt. All business would be another way to describe it.

Like every other factory made frame lock I handled, with the exception of the AG Russell folding sting type knives, I would like a stiffer lock with less removed at the flex point of the lock (the ZT0300s are no exception to this lack of stiffness either).

However if they made them stiffer (note it cost more to grind out more lock bar to make a less rigid lock) they would probably lose the business of our weaker butter fingered counterparts who want way too easy unlocking and one hand closing. Come on exercise those fingers put a little more muscle on them, no offense to people with arthritis who have an excuse.

I am very impressed with this not too pretty knife after handling it kind of grows on you.

I've always believed that anyone buying a tactical 'hard use' folder should be more than capable of handling a 'man's lock' with no more metal/titanium taken out to spring the lock than is needed to make it easy enough to use and no more. I've done a lot of experimentation with that and all thinning them down too much does in my opinion is make the locks that much easier to hyper extend out the wrong way and cause them to lose proper contact tension. Good thing that clip is needed on some of them because it doubles as a stop to keep that from happening on a lot of models. Unfortunately on others the clips are so big and gaudy that they actually block out your hand from securing the lock and make them no better for reliability than a liner lock.

I have always liked the SnG for the choil feature and the flipper models for the flipper because both add an additional safety feature that can keep the blade from closing on your hand if the lock did defeat but if you have access to block the lock movement toward it's release its most always about as good a any lock gets for safety. I mean with the fingers firmly wrapped around the handle and physically contacting the lock it is pretty hard to defeat it anyway since most often, in fact more often than not the force from the lock side is going to push the lock toward a better contact not the opposite way. Its a very unnatural movement in the hand to think the whole body would twist or your fingers would physically lift up to move in a grip and pull the lock back to release it with the folder in use. Those forces to direct it to release come from the other side. Its the deep recesses cut out for the thumb access on the non lock sides to release the lock that these forces to release it can be coming from but I will say that the thinned down frame locks that are much thinner than even a thin liner lock at the lock cuts move so much easier that if one is going to defeat by this method thats going to make it easier than it would if the lock was stiffer and resisted that movement more.

I always wanted another Custom 12 but have never taken the plunge. Generally speaking the 12 was EKI's best model all around for reliability and hard use. Its a shame its been discontinued.

STR

 

[mongomondo]

I've since purchased the CQC12 from 1sks.com My previous order from yourcornerstore ended up being a bust. Some distributor is claiming it will come but Emerson tells me it has been discontinued and not been manufactured in a while.

 

[coop1957]

I have a CQC-12 and it is really a well built knife. The frame lock is equal to if not better than Strider and CRK Sebenza.
I really love to read posts by STR. Steve is an unbiased encyclopedia of knife information.