I've used various Emerson knives since 98 and here's my take:
Yes, EKI QC haven't at all times been consistent, i believe that that has really changed in the last 18 months as those knives i have checked out personally (15-20) since has seemed much more consistent in their fit/finish.
Let's see the major complaints concerning EKI knives:
1:st, chisel grinds, i don't get the thing about right hand vs. left hand chisel grind? yes, it makes sense if you cut from 12 to 6 at all times (facing a watchface) as you probably would using various chef knives, knives geared for utility use and/or selfdefense it just doesn't make sense, you might be cutting from 9 to 3, 7 to 1, 5 to 11 etc. etc. depending on the type of cut the edge would be in different relation to the material being cut thus making that argument somewhat weak? I don't like chisel edges as i'm very bad at sharpening them, but i've noticed that they don't feel as sharp as a regular grind, but they do cut like mad.
2:d, thin liners, i much prefer the thicker liners that, for example, was on the early Commanders, to me they just feels better.
I just measured the liners of some of my EKI knives (Karambit, both live and drone, SOCFK, 99 Commander) and compared them to a few Benchmade (AFCK M2, BM 970S, BM 975S) and they have the same thickness (about 1.3 mm) these aren't representing the newest of BM's knives but as they were brought up earlier and were the only i had at my reach i used them. I've used my Commander trainer to "spar" against tyre stacks, it is quite demanding for the knife as i was going full force, never did the linerlock fail me om my 2 trainers. The whole knife did flex when i got it "stuck" between 2 tyres, but it didn't fail. Comparing a linerlock to a framelock is, in my opinion, not fair, they are not the same lock. I like frame locks, but they generally tend to make a knife somewhat more bulkier then a knife of the same thickness and length.
On my Strider GB the liner will sit differently depending on how i open it, if i open it slow or flick it, it is a difference. My Ryan M1 had a thick liner lock, it too sat different depending on how i opened it, sometimes it stuck.
I think that i've had around 60 EKI knives passed through my hands, so far i've had problems with the locks on 3 of them. EKI will make it right if you send them in.
3:d, liner rub, the 2 BM AFCK i owns has liner rub, as had an 710 axis-lock i owned. I owned a Microtech SOCOM (manual) that had linerrub[framerub?]. On the 4 Spyderco Police model knives i've owned i had liner/frame rub on all of them. On my EKI knives i can disassemble them and tinker to get them xactly as i want them to be, with BM i void the warranty if i take'em apart... one of my AFCK's had
all of the screws that holds the body of the knife together strip and the knife basically fell apart (this was before they used inserts) the weak plastic backspacer broke/snapped when i was fumbling with it. I did the same (stripped screws) on one of my 970's while trying to tighten the loose screws, they were only screwed into the g-10, not the ti liners.
4:th, blade steel, new "super" steels come every now and then, right now S30V is one of them, it doesn't make earlier "super" steel obselete, which steel is best is somewhat a subjective question, right? On one of my BM 970's i snapped the tip while cutting plastic, i was somewhat surprised as i didn't put very much into it.
It has yet to happen with my EKI's and they have been used a lot.
I have both an SOCFK and a P-SARK that has been used very much, they have almost lost all of it's bladecoatings, but they work perfectly, i take'em apart every now and then and clean/lube/re-assembly - as good as new. (xcept for the coating)
Any bladeplay is easily adjusted thanks to the slotted pivotscrew, not torx, allen, or other strange or odd screw, and thankfully, no Loc-Tite..
I think the main resaon for the low activity on the Emerson forum here is that most of the loyal (i consider myself amongst them) EKI "fans" has migrated.
5:th, price, I agree that EKI knives might seem (too) expensive when comparing to other, similar knives, but, i find that everytime i disassemble one i find that they usually put more into building their knives then competitors do, yes, they are usually not as refined and "pretty" as competetive designs, they are somewhat roughly finished, but for users i don't care.
Considering the price on custom Emerson knives, they are a prime example of supply and demand, i don't feel that a CQC-6 is worth around 12-1400 USD, but, the market dictates the price, not Mr. Emerson! I'm not too experienced in custom folders, but of those i have examined and handled my opinion is that the original price asked for a CQC-6 or a CQC-9 is about right compared to similarly priced custom knives (around 550 USD)
I find the prices asked for various Loveless knives ridiculos, but, to each his own
To me, some of the major, and not so major "problems" on EKI knives are more subjective matters like blade steels, HRC, lock type then concerns about [liner]locks failing and knives breaking in various ways, hey, everyone has different opinions on how knives should be made, but saying that they (EKI) are faulty for making knives the way
THEY believe knives should be made is somewhat out of this world...
[irony]Hey Sal, (Glesser @ Spyderco) stop making those humpbacked folders, they are fugly, Hey Les (deAsis @ BM) stop making those funky bali-songs, make frame-locks instead![/irony]
i guess that each knifemaking company makes knives the way they want and feel that knives should be made, as it should be! that what makes having a knifeinterest
so fun, the variation...
Some might have the opinion that EKI knives are just for chairborne commandos, well, so be it then, each to his own
Opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one but it doesn't mean that it is valid to me, neither opinion nor a-hole..
Of course there's marketing hype attached to EKI knives, as it is with about every knifemaking company out there, Cold Steel for example aren't very humble either!
Trying to close this;
I've had problems with about every knifefactory delivering knives that weren't as they should be, not excluding EKI, IF something you bought is not the way it should be, send it in. IF the company doesn't fix it to your expectations... that's bad of course...
But as long as they don't know there's a problem they cannot possibly fix it, simple as 1-2-3...
I go to BM for my bali-song needs, regular folders are pretty much EKI, and Strider, FB are Cold Steel and Strider... they are all great companies, as are Spyderco, Mr. Glesser seems a really nice guy, i talked briefly to his son at Blade 2003, nice and friendly guy, as i picture the whole Spyderco gang...
Sorry for being longwinded... hope that i got my points through
[edited for spelling]
i'm not a stag guy, but i wouldn't mind to carry a six with stag.. oh yeah...
