Is there a lack of interest in Emerson Knives?

R

rogue_spear

Joined
Oct 17, 2000
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There seems to be less threads about Emersons on this board. Is there a lack of interest in Emerson Knives? Lack of good new designs? Prices too high? Has the easily scratchable new ceramic satin finish scared off buyers?
 
It's been said before but I just don't like the offside grinds. I carried my HD-7 yesterday and love the wave but not that goofy lefty grind.

As to why no one talks about them, the impression I got when holding other models is they feel cheap. I know they aren't but they do feel that way. To me at least. Even my HD-7 doesn't feel as sturdy as it should be.

.02

oil

ps. edit. I've definately not held every model though so my opinion is limited to the couple of models my local shop has.
 
Their designs, while practical in their own right as weapons, just don't function as well for daily chores. And even though they do come out with new designs now and then, they are all pretty much the same. Same materials. Tiny differences in handles.
To me, it feels like they quit trying.
-KC
 
I think there are a few reasons, and that basically the others have nailed it pretty well. Usually the most talked about knives are the latest and greatest from any given company. Especially if the incorporate some new feature such as a different lock or opening mechanism, etc. Emerson doesn't really come out with new models very often, and when they do they are basically the same as other knives they already make. As already stated they just change blade shape, and handle shape. All of the knives they make are titanium liner locks, with G-10 sclaes, and 154-CM chisel ground or chisel edge blades. You either like them or you don't.

The quality is also a big(hot) issue. Emerson has some very loyal fans, who will easily forgive any problems people have with the QC of the knives because they have such good customer service. While Emerson does have excellent customer service, and they want to do everything possible to help make a happy customer, they do also seem to have (or at least had) some QC issues.
 
I'm a huge fan of Emerson's designs, as far as overall design for defensive knives. For me, building on ErikD's QC comments, the biggest problem is the liner locks. I personally don't feel liner locks have a place on knives meant for hard use. And Emerson's liner locks in particular definitely get the most complaints, as far as higher-end production knives go. I've seen more complaints of Emerson liner locks slipping than any other high-end production brand.

Joe
 
Another vote for the type and thickness of the liner lock. I managed to disengage the mechanism while cutting through a thick rubber radiator hose and fortunately I was wearing gloves at the time. The model was a right-hand setup and I was using it left-handed at the time. I like the design BUT for the asking price (I paid 108.00), I truly think there are suitable alternatives that incorporate equal features while costing somewhat less. Also, due to the single-sided grind, mine was not shaving sharp out of the box. All-in-all, a bit disappointed as the knife magazine hype was quite the rage at the time. If I had handled it before buying, I would have passed. No slur against their company was intended, just my observation as I've owned scores of quality folders/fixed-blades in the last 20+ years and USE all my blades hard.
 
Is there a lack of interest in Emerson Knives?

There certainly is on my part. I stopped having an interest in tactical knives a few years ago and that is pretty well all Emerson makes.
 
I love the designs but for the price I can get frame locks like the BM 630 and Emerson still uses thoes dam thin liners! :barf: :mad:
 
Both of my distributors are sold out of pretty much every model all the time. Someone is buying them.
 
GarageBoy said:
They're still popular, just not on this board.
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Ya, that's a huge part of it. The various boards have personalities of sorts, and on this one, there's not a huge Emerson presence. There are boards that I am on where Emersons are held in much higher esteem, and where I would get drawn and quartered just for pointing out that the locks blow. Emersons company seems to be going gangbusters, so there are obviously loads of people out there who love them.

Joe
 
I think part of the reason Emersons are so popular elsewhere is an image thing. There is a certain percentage of guys, even real time operators who buy gear just for the Cool guy factor. I have carried and used a few Emersons and found that the Lefty grind just doesn't work well for anything. The blade shapes aren't very practical in and of themselves. I'm not a big liner lock fan anymore. I will say the the handle ergo's on his knives are very good. That being said I think that the company will continue to thrive just based on their "high-speed" reputation and there tenous connections to various SOF units. See also "marketing genius".
 
I was blown awat by my CQC 7 when I first got it and went out and got a Specwar. One problem, it didn't cut stuff very well. Still have the CQC 7 cool knife. :D ;)
 
They have the cool factor, if you're into that, but many of the designs aren't practical, and the quality control is variable.
 
Like others have said, the presence just isn't here. I carry EKI knives, but that's just because I like them. I use them to cut up cardboard and they work well for that. That said, I don't understand the complaining about the liner thickness because the liner of my EKI knives (without the benefit of a micrometer I'll admit) seemed just about as thick as the liner on the Strider/Buck that I had. I've never worried about the lock slipping, mostly because if you have to worry about the lock I think you're either doing something wrong or using the wrong tool (i.e. get a fixed blade). That's just my .02 and worth exactly what you paid for it!

Sincerely,
Anthony
 
SpyderJon said:
Like others have said, the presence just isn't here. I carry EKI knives, but that's just because I like them. I use them to cut up cardboard and they work well for that. That said, I don't understand the complaining about the liner thickness because the liner of my EKI knives (without the benefit of a micrometer I'll admit) seemed just about as thick as the liner on the Strider/Buck that I had. I've never worried about the lock slipping, mostly because if you have to worry about the lock I think you're either doing something wrong or using the wrong tool (i.e. get a fixed blade). That's just my .02 and worth exactly what you paid for it!

Sincerely,
Anthony
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. I have had and still have a lot of tactical knives, from Spyderco, BM, Emerson, etc.... and Emerson's are by far my favorite. While Benchmades used to be my favorite, I do not care for their new models at all... I am not a fan of the axis lock, and find it "awkward" to unlock one-handed. I have had several axis locks and have gotten rid of them all. IMO the AFCK WAS the best Benchmade design, but now with the axis lock, I don't like it at all. Just not my taste I guess. I am not argueing the lock isn't good, I just don't like it. As far as frame locks go, I've never used one, so I have no experience with them. However, I don't see the advantage.... While it is thicker, there is no scales or handles to protect them from being unlocked. Say your knife is stuck in whatever while cutting and the knife twists to the right.... Your palm can unlock the lock, I realize this happens with liner locks to, I just don't see the advantage of the framelock... Everyone was comparing the price of Emerson's and "better" knives with framelocks.. Well the well known framelock knife is the Strider and they START at $400.... I have NEVER paid ANYTHING close to that for a "production" Emerson.

Would SOMEONE please explain the advantage of the framelock to me? I understand it is thicker, but if you need the lock to be that strong.... Use a fixed blade..... I can't understand how a linerlock fails if it is lined up where it should be on the blade.... It is titanium and is easily thick enough to hold the blade in any cutting chore I can think of.... I'm not trying to argue here, I seriously would like to know what makes the linerlock so poor and the framelock so superior.....

I carry nothing but Emerson now, and that is only based on what I have owned and narrowed it down to what I like... While I am not a fan at all of the Tanto style Emerson's(ie: CQC-7B, SpecWar) I do carry a Raven-B for hard cutting tasks at work. My EDC rotates between a "waved" CQC8, CQC11 and a Commander. IMO the wave is a HUGE selling point... Noone has ANYTHING faster. It is twice as fast as my BM auto's. Since my EDC is for chores and Self defense.. SPeed is a GOOD thing. The CQC8 is a VERY versatile blade and cuts well. While the Chisel grind tanto is HORRIBLE if you want a clean straight cut, the CQC8, 11, and Commander do great, and they are "intimidating" blades... They handle and blade shape of the CQC8 and Commander are PERFECT for ME. They feel great in forward and reverse grip.

A knife is a personal choice and is all a matter of opinion. All I have stated above is my opinion and is based only on what I have experienced.... I in no way claim to have any special knowledge of knives, and special knowledge of metals and material that the knives are made of... I am in no way ripping on Strider, Benchmade, Spyderco, or other well known manufactures... They all have AWESOME knives and designs, and I have some from them all(except Strider).. Emerson's just seem to work well for ME...

Sorry to keep blabbering on.... Hope I didn't bore ya all.... :p
 
I have a problem with the new easy to scratch ceramic finish on the emersons. I had to return a brand new emerson because there were black marks on the new ceramic finish right out of the box.

The Camillus Dominator offers so much more than Emersons for a similar price. The Camillus Dominator gives you S30V and a frame lock for $130-$150.

I own several of the older emersons but I have not purchased another in a long time. If emerson brings back the hard chrome finish I would buy their knives again.
 
mkent20 said:
I agree 100%. I have had and still have a lot of tactical knives, from Spyderco, BM, Emerson, etc.... and Emerson's are by far my favorite. While Benchmades used to be my favorite, I do not care for their new models at all... I am not a fan of the axis lock, and find it "awkward" to unlock one-handed. I have had several axis locks and have gotten rid of them all. IMO the AFCK WAS the best Benchmade design, but now with the axis lock, I don't like it at all. Just not my taste I guess. I am not argueing the lock isn't good, I just don't like it. As far as frame locks go, I've never used one, so I have no experience with them. However, I don't see the advantage.... While it is thicker, there is no scales or handles to protect them from being unlocked. Say your knife is stuck in whatever while cutting and the knife twists to the right.... Your palm can unlock the lock, I realize this happens with liner locks to, I just don't see the advantage of the framelock... Everyone was comparing the price of Emerson's and "better" knives with framelocks.. Well the well known framelock knife is the Strider and they START at $400.... I have NEVER paid ANYTHING close to that for a "production" Emerson.

Would SOMEONE please explain the advantage of the framelock to me? I understand it is thicker, but if you need the lock to be that strong.... Use a fixed blade..... I can't understand how a linerlock fails if it is lined up where it should be on the blade.... It is titanium and is easily thick enough to hold the blade in any cutting chore I can think of.... I'm not trying to argue here, I seriously would like to know what makes the linerlock so poor and the framelock so superior.....

I carry nothing but Emerson now, and that is only based on what I have owned and narrowed it down to what I like... While I am not a fan at all of the Tanto style Emerson's(ie: CQC-7B, SpecWar) I do carry a Raven-B for hard cutting tasks at work. My EDC rotates between a "waved" CQC8, CQC11 and a Commander. IMO the wave is a HUGE selling point... Noone has ANYTHING faster. It is twice as fast as my BM auto's. Since my EDC is for chores and Self defense.. SPeed is a GOOD thing. The CQC8 is a VERY versatile blade and cuts well. While the Chisel grind tanto is HORRIBLE if you want a clean straight cut, the CQC8, 11, and Commander do great, and they are "intimidating" blades... They handle and blade shape of the CQC8 and Commander are PERFECT for ME. They feel great in forward and reverse grip.

A knife is a personal choice and is all a matter of opinion. All I have stated above is my opinion and is based only on what I have experienced.... I in no way claim to have any special knowledge of knives, and special knowledge of metals and material that the knives are made of... I am in no way ripping on Strider, Benchmade, Spyderco, or other well known manufactures... They all have AWESOME knives and designs, and I have some from them all(except Strider).. Emerson's just seem to work well for ME...

Sorry to keep blabbering on.... Hope I didn't bore ya all.... :p
Click to expand...


Well, you covered a lot of ground with this. Some of your points are quite valid, esp. those on the frame locks.
But about the linerlock's flaw: There are two primary problems with the concept of linerlocks. You are right that they are very strong locks. The problem is not so much that they fail, but that they can, and do, dissengage on accident. Your example of twisting a knife is perfect. Though yes, there is more "grab" for a frame lock to dissengage in such a twist, a linerlock will take much less force to dissengage.
The second problem with *most* linerlocks is that after years of hard use, it's not uncommon for the locks to not engage fully. You may have a folder that locks up solid now that will not several years down the road. This, I believe, would be less of a problem with Emersons because they use ti liners. I've heard that these have a much longer lifespan, although I have not seen it for myself.
It's late, and I've likely done a poor job explaining this.
-KC
 
Spyderjon, what EKI model do you have with a liner lock as thick as that of a Buck/Strider? (Or, perhaps I should ask, what Buck/Strider model do you have?). I've read that the later models of the Buck/Strider have a thinner liner than the original (with which I am familiar). Ac ouple of my observations:

1) The ONLY liner lock I've seen with a thickness that rivals the original Buck/Strider is the Benchmade Gravitator.

2) My Emersons (admittedly, only 2, a Commander and a PSARK, with hands-on examination of another Commander) exhibit flimsier locking liners than other makers' liner locks in the same (or lower!) price range (Benchmade, notably). All three of these Emersond fail a light "bump" test! A light, sharp strike of the back of the blade on the palm of my hand causes the liner lock to snap out of the way, and the blade slams shut. I have no such experience with a number of Benchmades (including an old M975, Emerson-licensed model).

3) The primary advantage of a frame lock over a liner lock, in my experience, is that a firm grip strenthens a framelock's security, by using the strength of the grip to maintain the locking bar in position. The handle scale of a liner lock does not offer this.

Again, not a slam on EKI, and based only on the 3 specimens I noted above. On the other hand, a 100% failure rate means I never carry an Emerson (despite my genuine appreciation of the "Wave" feature).
 
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