Kershaw Emerson CQC-7: Outstanding Budget Blade

Bushido185

Bushido185

Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
449
For a budget blade the CQC-7K is a great knife. The wave feature and thumb disk deploy the 3" tanto blade effortlessly. G10 scale is a little slick but given the handle profile it isn't an issue. I really like the grind and finish on the blade, definitely unique. The frame lock functions very well and the clip is reversible tip up carry. So far the 8cr14mov edge is holding up pretty well too. For around $35 it's a bargain. :)

 
I agree. Kershaw knows how to make a great product at a price everyone can afford.

How long have you had your 7K? And could you post a pic of yours?
 
I am forced to agree. I have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of mine!

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^^^ Just what I wanted to see! I've been trying to decide between those two, and also the 6K... Which one do you like better? How's the chisel grind on the 8K?

I'm getting my wife the 2K, just trying to decide on one for me!
 
AntDog said:
^^^ Just what I wanted to see! I've been trying to decide between those two, and also the 6K... Which one do you like better? How's the chisel grind on the 8K?

I'm getting my wife the 2K, just trying to decide on one for me!
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Hey brother, my honest answer would be that they both have their strengths, and (so far) not really any weaknesses we've found. I say "we" because I gave the 8K to my best friend who is reaaaaalllllyyy hard on his knives. He is impressed as all get out with the 8k. It's a big, chunky knife and he's sharpened that chisel grind to scary sharpness.

I kept the 7k, and it's smaller, slimmer, and actually makes a really good slacks knife. The dual finish blade is beautiful, and I really enjoy how slim it is. Plus, the Wave feature works quite well for me. Both these knives came shaving sharp, and since I'm right-handed, I don't have any issues. I know that a lot of lefties were having issues because the screws holding the clip on aren't long enough if you try to swap the clip over. So, keep that in mind if you're a southpaw. Other than that, I would say that these are great knives for the money!
 
I'd be interested in checking these out a bit. Emerson knives have never really interested me in general, but maybe handling them would change my mind. These seem like a good way to explore them a bit without committing more money to an Emerson or a ZT 0620.
 
Quiet said:
Hey brother, my honest answer would be that they both have their strengths, and (so far) not really any weaknesses we've found. I say "we" because I gave the 8K to my best friend who is reaaaaalllllyyy hard on his knives. He is impressed as all get out with the 8k. It's a big, chunky knife and he's sharpened that chisel grind to scary sharpness.

I kept the 7k, and it's smaller, slimmer, and actually makes a really good slacks knife. The dual finish blade is beautiful, and I really enjoy how slim it is. Plus, the Wave feature works quite well for me. Both these knives came shaving sharp, and since I'm right-handed, I don't have any issues. I know that a lot of lefties were having issues because the screws holding the clip on aren't long enough if you try to swap the clip over. So, keep that in mind if you're a southpaw. Other than that, I would say that these are great knives for the money!
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Excellent! Thanks very much for the info bud! Just what I needed to know.
 
I'm extremely satisfied with my 7K as well. It's 8Cr so the edge retention isn't the best, but it sharpens up in no time at all. It's comfortable in hand, opens extremely smoothly, lockup is very tight, and the blade is almost perfectly centered. Waves open 100% of the time with the proper technique too.

There are some small machining marks on the jimping, but it doesn't bother me - in fact I hadn't even noticed it until it was brought up by another forum member. The G10 picked up pocket wear faster than my other knives, but that's a purely cosmetic issue. At this price point, I have no complaints whatsoever.

I'm not carrying it any more, but that's not through any fault of the knife - I acquired an Umnumzaan last week that I can't seem to put down. Once the honeymoon period is over, I fully expect this knife to jump back into the carry rotation.
 
Never liked tantos, so i didnt end up getting the 7K, but I absolutely love my 6K. The blade shape is really great and the wave feature never ceases to impress (both me and those around me;))

Mine has perfect centering and lockup is rock solid. Its an amazing value knife that I would say rivals the Tenacious. Its cheaper too, i think. I got my blacked out tenacious for somewhere in the 45-50 dollar range, but got this one for like 32 bucks. Awesome deal:thumbup:
 
Krissig12 said:
Never liked tantos, so i didnt end up getting the 7K, but I absolutely love my 6K. The blade shape is really great and the wave feature never ceases to impress (both me and those around me;))

Mine has perfect centering and lockup is rock solid. Its an amazing value knife that I would say rivals the Tenacious. Its cheaper too, i think. I got my blacked out tenacious for somewhere in the 45-50 dollar range, but got this one for like 32 bucks. Awesome deal:thumbup:
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I'm not much on tanto knives either but the 7K caught my attention. I think mainly due to the added detail and unusual appearance. I agree the 6K is a really nice blade for the money. It was a tough choice so I got both lol. These are my first wave knives too and like you said, they are pretty amazing. Still waiting on my usual retailer to get the 4K and 5K in stock.

I forgot to mention both of the knives I picked up are centered perfectly and lockup is nice and tight with no up/down or side to side play.
 
grownstar said:
Care to elaborate?
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Too heavy for its size.
The blade shape is good for tactical, not EDC, but its too small for that role. Plus the gimping is too smooth-in a thrust cut I could see my thumb sliding forward and the wave portion tearing a hole in it.
Even after opening it over and over and liberally lubricating the pivot this knife is hard to pen manually. The wave works good, but using the thumb disc is hard- it's practically a two-handed opener. The only way to make it easy is to loosen the pivot until there is significant blade play. The nylon(?) washers don't help either.
Some phosphor bronze/Teflon washers, a 3.5-4" blade, better gimping and maybe drilled-out liners would make this a top-notch knife, IMHO. Right now I give it a C-. It did come sharp and looks pretty awesome!
 
I bought one of these as a gift for a co-worker.
Prior to this, he had EDCd a Kershaw Needs Work for years.

After a few weeks, he told me how much he loves this knife and I see him carrying it every day now :)

He insisted that I tell him how much it was so he can repay me.
I told him cash is boring, and I told him he could pay me back by buying me an Ontario Utilitac tanto :P
 
Just got my 6k yesterday. Honestly at that price point I bought it out of curiosity and some of the earlier comments.

I'm pretty impressed with the one I received. Fit and finish is excellent, sharp out of the box as with all the kershaws I've bought, it was slightly off center which I adjusted and it opens a little hard. I added some Nano oil and it's already easier, another week and it will be fine I'm sure. I would say it's a heavier knife for its size but I like that.

It will be fun to add this to my work EDC. :thumbup:


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Do all the Kershaw/Emersons have plastic/nylon washers? I'm used to Kershaws coming with bronze/phosphourus washesrs, but, for some reason, their new Kershaw Thistle has plastic/nylon washers.
 
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