I expected a better fit & finish from an Emerson.

T

The Dogman

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May 29, 2006
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I recently checked out a Commander at a local gun store. I expected a better fit & finish from an Emerson. There was some blade play. The blade was dragging a little from not being centered in the handle. The liner lock was barely engaging. I've heard comments from others previously about quality control concerns. For the $ that knife was a far cry from Benchmades I have owned. I would like to hear if others have observed similar quality issues.
 
Iv had one or two spotty ones but generally i find the quality to be pretty good.

I find the scales quite often dont fit the liners too well but that is nothing to shout about.

Off center blades and play are pretty much always due to the pivot needing tightned.
 
Yes ..

Most of my folders have better F&F then any Emerson I have ever owned or still use.
Emerson's have all kinds of little 'bugs'. Pivotscrews that are loosening after time, blade not centered, gritty action or loose pivots when NIB.
Never saw a perfect Emerson.
Yet they are perfect tools for the job!
I love my Emersons.
 
My first Emerson (Commander) had an off-centre blade. I eventually sorted it out by dismantling the whole knife and reassembling it. I also had to tighten the pivot screw a notch.

I have not had a problem with the four I have owned since then.

I will say though that I think they could upgrade to a better coating on the blades or do a factory satin finish like Spyderco et al.

Although it doesn't affect the performance of the piece, the coating scuffs up very easily, particularly the 'satin finish' silvery one.
 
as far as the liner "barely engaging" you do understand they arent supposed to go very far over, anything MORE than 1/3 of the way across is getting to be a bit much, so the liner shouldnt go very far over and to some might look as if its not engaging right when it is.

the question should be does it lock up right.

of course with no pics who knows.

some of my EKI's (I&I tanto, CQC12, CQC13) exhibit F&F as good as any production,

i dont know that i've ever seen a knife from anyone without any small flaws if ya look hard enough.
 
SIFU1A said:
i dont know that i've ever seen a knife from anyone without any small flaws if ya look hard enough.
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Thats it, It depends on how hard you look as well as personal standards.
Im sure you can find flaws on any knife, some will just be more obvious than others.
 
Seek, and ye shall find.
But some times, you get a Ringer. I have been so lucky.
 
My CQC-15 has its flaws, but it has never failed me. The pivot does loosen a little over time, but all I need is a flat head screw driver and it is as good as new. I have been pleased so far.
 
I've played with many Benchmades & Emersons and I've noticed no significant difference in quality. I wouldn't be surprised that there are some that didn't come out too well, they're still production knives. FWIW I personally prefer liner locks and frame locks to be engaged at a minimum to allow room for the lock bar to work its way across over time.
 
either a pennies worth of teflon tape or a nickles worth of loctite will solve the problem with the pivot loosening.
 
All my relatively few Emersons have been as close to perfect .. as necessary. The ONLY problem I had was with my last Commander. It locked up too tight. :)

Whatever long-ago QC problems Ernie's knives may have had, I don't think they are relevent today.

It's true he does leave them user-adjustable, which means the user will have to adjust them from time to time. I'm finicky that way -- I play with all my knives, touching them up, tightening them up, even slipjoints, tapping the bolsters to tighten the blade.

The Dogman said:
I expected a better fit & finish from an Emerson. There was some blade play. The blade was dragging a little from not being centered in the handle. The liner lock was barely engaging.
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I don't consider any of those problem to be fit & finish. Blade play and centering may only need the pivot tightened. Where the lock engaged may not be as off as you think, especially if the blade was loose.

One posible problem with a knife at a shop is that others have played with it before you, and it could have needed a few minutes adjustment.

I will say you did your homework in one sense, though. It's always good to be able to play with them before buying, and if the owner could have presented the knife in a better light, in better condition, he would have deserved the sale.
 
Recent addition to my EDC selection a Persian folder; one wicked knife! some side to side play on the blade when blade open. This very minor problem solved by one 1/2 turn on the pivot screw. I like the fact that I can tweak these knives; makes them feel more personal.:thumbup: I also own an Emerson folding Karambit another great knife. Soon I hope to own more Emerson knives!!:D
 
I have had my CQC-14 Snubby for two weeks. The fit and finish is a bit lacking but what really concerns me is the lack of solid lock-up. I can apply enough pressure by hand to cause the lock to fail. It is going back to EKI for repair. I am sure that this type of failure is uncommon for Emerson.
 
HCSchluge said:
Unfortunately, it's not. I have a feeling the titanium liner cant hold up to a steel blade.
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Titanium has a low wear resistance causing it to wear faster than a steel liner. I love my emersons but the locks just don't hold up like they should.
 
HCSchluge & knifenut1013,

I have not read any reviews about titanium liners or Emerson liners not being up to par compared to comparable quality knives with liner locks. You guys may be right, but I haven't read anything indicating that Emerson or titanium liners are inferior.

I have read that ti liner lock bars will wear faster than steel lock bars, but that would mean that the liner would make its way across the tang faster than a steel lock bar and not necessarily mean that it won't hold up in regards to loc security and safety. In fact, it's arguable that liner locks become more secure when they work their way further over to the opposite end of the tang, assuming that it's not a low quality liner lock where the liner may slip in between the side of the blade tang and the scales (like in most cheapo china-made liner lock knives).

I am not able to cause my CQC-14 to fail from gripping the knife very hard in the way glend65 has described. I've played with many different Emersons and have not noticed them to have weak locks.
 
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