I've been lusting after Emerson knives!

Smokinape said:
What should it be hardened too?
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If I were Emerson, for the price I would be charging I wouldn't even use 154cm. Maybe CPM-154 hardened to at least 60 HRC. But I'm not Emerson. So again I'll say that to me, getting soft 154cm for the money he charges is unacceptable. It may be acceptable to you, that's great.

Also, why is "I don't own one because for that price, I could own quite a few Tenaciouses with arguably better F&F and a better blade (FFG properly hardened 8cr instead of chisel ground soft 154cm)." one of the silliest comments you've ever heard? I'lll argue it right now. From what I've seen, the F&F is better on the Spyderco. Materials used seem to be the same (besides the chinese G10), and of course myself and I'm sure many others would prefer a properly hardened FFG 8cr blade to a soft chisel ground 154cm blade.
 
Strong-Dog said:
If I were Emerson, for the price I would be charging I wouldn't even use 154cm. Maybe CPM-154 hardened to at least 60 HRC. But I'm not Emerson. So again I'll say that to me, getting soft 154cm for the money he charges is unacceptable. It may be acceptable to you, that's great.

Also, why is "I don't own one because for that price, I could own quite a few Tenaciouses with arguably better F&F and a better blade (FFG properly hardened 8cr instead of chisel ground soft 154cm)." one of the silliest comments you've ever heard? I'lll argue it right now. From what I've seen, the F&F is better on the Spyderco. Materials used seem to be the same (besides the chinese G10), and of course myself and I'm sure many others would prefer a properly hardened FFG 8cr blade to a soft chisel ground 154cm blade.
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You said that is was a joke to harden 154cm to 57-59. I asked what it should be hardened to and you mention a different steel. Odd...

I am not an expert, so please explain to me what is proper about the Spyderco 8cr heat treat and why its better than the Emerson 154cm joke treat that you have no experience with... Thanks in advance...
 
I've owned Emersons for a few years. Really, the only absolute advantage they have over other knives is the wave feature, if you are even a fan of it. Ergonomics are good, but plenty of knives have decent ergos, not to mention coming predrilled for L/R or 4 position carry.

People have also brought up the issue of price - nowadays I can get a Ti framelock with a blade more advanced than 154CM for the same price as an Emerson. I used to carry a CQC-10 and 11 at some point in time, but right now it'll be tough for me to consider replacing my EDC ZT 0560 with an Emerson - though I may consider the new ZT Emerson collabs.

Then again, Emersons are made in California - one of the worst states to do business (especially manufacturing). So I can see how that raises their costs of doing business, and thus the price of their product.
 
Strong-Dog said:
If I were Emerson, for the price I would be charging I wouldn't even use 154cm. Maybe CPM-154 hardened to at least 60 HRC. But I'm not Emerson. So again I'll say that to me, getting soft 154cm for the money he charges is unacceptable. It may be acceptable to you, that's great.

Also, why is "I don't own one because for that price, I could own quite a few Tenaciouses with arguably better F&F and a better blade (FFG properly hardened 8cr instead of chisel ground soft 154cm)." one of the silliest comments you've ever heard? I'lll argue it right now. From what I've seen, the F&F is better on the Spyderco. Materials used seem to be the same (besides the chinese G10), and of course myself and I'm sure many others would prefer a properly hardened FFG 8cr blade to a soft chisel ground 154cm blade.
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You aren't Ernest Emerson who is a highly respected knife maker. Just another guy with an opinion that can't even back it up with fact or experience .
 
Smokinape said:
You said that is was a joke to harden 154cm to 57-59. I asked what it should be hardened to and you mention a different steel. Odd...

I am not an expert, so please explain to me what is proper about the Spyderco 8cr heat treat and why its better than the Emerson 154cm joke treat that you have no experience with... Thanks in advance...
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For the price, soft 154cm is a joke. Also if we're being technical, CPM-154 is exactly the same steel as 154cm, just made with a different process. But I'll play along. I would harden 154cm to anything over 59 HRC, is that good for you?

What is proper about the Spyderco's heat treat is that they make their knives optimized for cutting, and therefor even a lowly steel like 8cr is hardened to the proper point of being optimized for cutting ability. Also, I never said Spyderco's heat treat for 8cr was better than Emerson's heat treat for 154cm, as that would be ludicrous to compare two different company's heat treats on different steels. What I said was that the Tenacious's blade is arguably better because it is a FFG V ground edge made of properly hardened 8cr. I'm sure Emerson properly hardens his blades too, just not up to the HRC that is (and I think I can say this comfortably) widely considered optimal for many of our uses.
 
mmarkh said:
You aren't Ernest Emerson who is a highly respected knife maker. Just another guy with an opinion that can't even back it up with fact or experience .
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That's funny, because I don't remember saying I was Ernest Emerson or a highly respected knife maker. In fact, I clearly remember saying I wasn't. And guess what, on a forum, that's what most people do, share their opinions. Good thing my opinion isn't a fact, and therefor I have no need to back it up with anything. If I say that my opinion is that the Tenacious is the best knife ever made, is that wrong? Of course not, because that's my opinion and our opinions differ.
 
No, you said "if" you were Emerson you wouldn't you 154cm.:rolleyes: I never said you couldn't share your opinion. You are being argumentative about knives you don't have any experience with. You think they are too expensive. If a Tenacious makes you happy that is great.
Strong-Dog said:
That's funny, because I don't remember saying I was Ernest Emerson or a highly respected knife maker. In fact, I clearly remember saying I wasn't. And guess what, on a forum, that's what most people do, share their opinions. Good thing my opinion isn't a fact, and therefor I have no need to back it up with anything. If I say that my opinion is that the Tenacious is the best knife ever made, is that wrong? Of course not, because that's my opinion and our opinions differ.
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mmarkh said:
No, you said "if" you were Emerson you wouldn't you 154cm.:rolleyes: I never said you couldn't share your opinion. You are being argumentative about knives you don't have any experience with. You think they are too expensive. If a Tenacious makes you happy that is great.
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"If I were Emerson, for the price I would be charging I wouldn't even use 154cm. Maybe CPM-154 hardened to at least 60 HRC. But I'm not Emerson."

Yeah, ok^. I only played along with that baiting because he asked me a direct question, I never said I was Ernest Emerson (obviously) and I in fact said I wasn't.

I think Emersons are too expensive for what you're getting. I have plenty of knives more expensive than Emersons. Of course I don't have experience with Emersons, I value value in knives, and Emersons have zero value for what you're getting. IMO, the Tenacious is the much better knife even if they were the same price, and in that regard, then yes the Tenacious makes me happy.

You were acting like since I'm not Ernest Emerson my opinion is invalid, I don't think an opinion can be invalid. Of course there's not gonna be fact to back up that I think Emerson's steel is shit, knives are crap, and are way overpriced: those are all subjective. I would just hope that all the Emerson fanboys out there could objectively compare their Emersons relative to what else is on the market, and realize they got ripped off based on the materials, quality, and craftmanship. Now if the knife makes you happy, I can't argue with that. But based on actual material features, it's easy to see that Emerson is severely lacking for their price range.
 
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OP, try one for yourself and see how you like it. Before I ever bought one I was apprehensive because of all the negative info about fit and finish, the materials used, and the wave. I thought to myself, g10 and 154cm? What makes that so special? But eventually, after getting into the sub 500 dollar range knives I figured, "what the hell," why not try one. I have owned over 20 Emerson's to date, no issues with any except for a roadhouse that the lock slipped, but a trip to Torrance fixed that right up. They are made to be used, plain and simple. I have no qualms about pulling my knife out and using it for anything and everything, and having complete faith in it. They are built like freaking tanks, their warranties are amazing, as is their customer service, and they are easy to maintain. I don't have to worry about voiding my warranty when I take my knife apart (with most knife manufacturers you do) and honestly, I prefer the chisel edge. It's so much easier to sharpen and keep a razor edge. And the ergos....simply amazing. For me, the 8 and the commander just do it.

Everyone is going to have an opinion on why Ernie runs his company the way he does, and why he charges what he does for his knives. I remember reading somewhere when Ernie first started his company, making sure everything was USA made was very important to him. IIRC, crucible steel gave him a deal on 154cm when he first started doing business waaayyy back in the day, and he continues to honor the deal they gave him back then.

Bottom line, Ernie is doing something right. His knives sell, period. If you don't like them, don't buy them.
 
People either hate emerson knives or love them. Typically there is no middle ground. If you like the knives and are set on an emerson, dont go to general discussion to ask about them. Go to emerson friendly subforums on this website and other websites. They will tell you the positives and negatives of each model without making the company as a whole sound like an abomination. The same thing happens on strider threads.
 
Obviously some fanboys of other knife companies just want to hate on a company like Emerson.
 
Strong-Dog, you are IMHO putting too much argument into the topic of EKI knives when you have no experience by your own admission. Often things are different in reality than they are on paper/pixels. You can look at or read about a Harley-Davidson, but it takes an actual experience with an H-D to know what they are really about. I don't doubt you believe your Tenacious to be superior to an Emerson, but that opinion - formed admittedly without EKI experience - does impact your credibility to some (with all due respect sincerely intended).
 
mmarkh said:
Obviously some fanboys of other knife companies just want to hate on a company like Emerson.
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I'm sure that's true of every brand, that there are bandwagon haters or whatever, but it's also true that some of us have just bought one or more Emersons and been unimpressed. Mine looked to have been assembled in the dark by someone lacking attention to detail in their work. Bad lockup, scales that don't line up properly with the liners, etc. Combine that experience with a relatively poor value proposition, materials versus price wise, and IMO there are just a lot of better options out there from companies like ZT and Spyderco.

I don't have any ill will towards the company, I just think people who are interested in them should try one out before buying.
 
I personally dont care for emersons. I like alot of the designs but the fit and finish wasnt great(on the 2013 one I had it was much better than the older models). The whole v grind with the chisel edge is just goofy to me. But thats a personal thing. And I am not big fan of there g10. At the price range I expected more. But I agree that you should try one out first. I know plenty of guys who love them and a bunch that hate them. Its just one of those things where there is no clear cut answer. Alot of people one way or another not many inbetween.
 
mmarkh said:
Obviously some fanboys of other knife companies just want to hate on a company like Emerson.
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As long as his company is making money, I'm a huge fan of it. He's offering Americans jobs, and for that I applaud him.

I'm saying that his knives aren't worth what he charges, and if that makes me a fanboy of some other undisclosed company than so be it.
 
Officer's Match said:
Strong-Dog, you are IMHO putting too much argument into the topic of EKI knives when you have no experience by your own admission. Often things are different in reality than they are on paper/pixels. You can look at or read about a Harley-Davidson, but it takes an actual experience with an H-D to know what they are really about. I don't doubt you believe your Tenacious to be superior to an Emerson, but that opinion - formed admittedly without EKI experience - does impact your credibility to some (with all due respect sincerely intended).
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You're right. I would get one to see for myself, but I just can't bring myself to do it from everything that I've heard. It just kind of dumbfounds me that they have such a following.
 
I bought an Emerson from a knife-shop...two yrs ago. Black with black blade...MicroCommander with 3" blade...which makes it very legal in Michigan...for a grandson. Finally sold it here and tried other more expensive folders. Still have not gifted him, but have been thinking about buying another MicroCommander for him. It was/is a very sweet knife.
 
Strong-Dog said:
You're right. I would get one to see for myself, but I just can't bring myself to do it from everything that I've heard. It just kind of dumbfounds me that they have such a following.
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Much like a Harley. ;)

I can tell you that sometimes comments and observations about Emersons get me to thinking I shouldn't like them as much as I do, but then I'll put my CQC-10 to some use and for some irrational reason I find myself "attached" to it. It isn't a "brand" think or Mr. Emerson himself, or marketing - it is just a knife that begs for work. I really dunno... I have much higher end knives, and some really practical lesser one's too, but for me, there is something about certain EKI's that move me, much like my '03 Softail standard.

Time for pic's, no?







 
Strong-Dog said:
Don't forget the shit steel for the price (IMO of course)
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I do have to agree with his choice of steel. He started out with it; got a bunch of it for a very good price, and decided to stay with it. Doesn't compare to most recent steels, but I guess you can always find a rock to sharpen it, if in survival mode.
He could do a lot better for the folks. His knives should either upgrade the steel, or sell for $145 NIB.
Without the "wave" feature, he would be toast and deservedly so. IMO
 
I used to be a huge fan, now just a fan.

I like the Emerson company, but have grown a little cool to the knives themselves. I guess I am just not a huge liner-lock fan, and they are not very lefty friendly. Sure, they sometimes need some work to get them operating smooth, but they are made in America from good materials and I like the styling. The "wave feature" is pretty cool, but in operation its not something that I can rely on due to sometimes missing the opening. I have no problems with the blade steel, and I like the chisel grind. As others have said the stonewashed finish is a beauty, but you pay top dollar for an Emerson so it should be. I guess its a mixed bag for me.

I still love them, but currently don't own any folders (just a Le Griffe). Again, you really wont know till you try one for yourself. I wouldn't sweat it too much though. If you don't like it they usually have pretty good resale value or at least trade value.

Go for it and then let us know what you think.
 
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