Recommendation? Knives similar to Emerson Gypsy Jack?

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Not necessarily gas station level but I simply can't do ColdSteel anymore especially after the brand was sold and the customer service has apparently gone to sh*t.
I still own some of them but they are comically oversized and I rarely carry them at all. To be honest I don't have first hand experience with Emerson Knives but I heard more positive than negative things. I really dig the look of the gypsy jack, yeah maybe the steel is a bit outdated but 154cm is still pretty solid in my book.
I own plenty of fancy "super steel" knives and even those tend to have their flaws ( for example Spyderco's maxamet blades are notorious to break when dropped)
Wasn't looking to cause a discussion about Emerson vs. ColdSteel but I appreciate your input none the less
 
soundless said:
Not necessarily gas station level but I simply can't do ColdSteel anymore especially after the brand was sold and the customer service has apparently gone to sh*t.
I still own some of them but they are comically oversized and I rarely carry them at all. To be honest I don't have first hand experience with Emerson Knives but I heard more positive than negative things. I really dig the look of the gypsy jack, yeah maybe the steel is a bit outdated but 154cm is still pretty solid in my book.
I own plenty of fancy "super steel" knives and even those tend to have their flaws ( for example Spyderco's maxamet blades are notorious to break when dropped)
Wasn't looking to cause a discussion about Emerson vs. ColdSteel but I appreciate your input none the less
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Anytime Emerson is discussed it brings out the haters. People complain about the steel he uses and fit n finish. They completely disregard the fact the Ernie makes it very clear his knives are not collector pieces and meant to be users. He also makes it clear his designs are geared to functionality over form (aesthetics). He continues to use 154 because as you said it’s still a great steel and easily sharpened in the field. His handles are the best in the business imo and all of them really lock into the hand. Sure, his knives are rough around the edges compared to crk, Hinderer etc but that’s not his goal or who he’s competing with. Also his customer service is excellent. I have 8 of em and haven’t had a single problem with any of them. I don’t think you will be disappointed with your first one.
 
mitchnola said:
Anytime Emerson is discussed it brings out the haters. People complain about the steel he uses and fit n finish. They completely disregard the fact the Ernie makes it very clear his knives are not collector pieces and meant to be users. He also makes it clear his designs are geared to functionality over form (aesthetics). He continues to use 154 because as you said it’s still a great steel and easily sharpened in the field. His handles are the best in the business imo and all of them really lock into the hand. Sure, his knives are rough around the edges compared to crk, Hinderer etc but that’s not his goal or who he’s competing with. Also his customer service is excellent. I have 8 of em and haven’t had a single problem with any of them. I don’t think you will be disappointed with your first one.
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When people use the terms "haters" in an attempt to dismiss very real, objective criticisms, you usually know they don't have a real argument.

Secondly, some of us "haters" were fans of the brand for years before we saw some things that made us realize what a questionable house of cards it all is. You have 8? I have had like 40 Emersons over the years, to include multiple customs. A small collection by some standards. All but three or four of them are gone now, and those I've kept is because they were gifts. I was an active member of both FB pages for years and saw the shenanigans that went on over there, as well as on USN. I've meet Ernbag multiple times, and attended some of his lotteries at BLADE. Gotta love how "One ticket per person!" doesn't mean anything if you're in his inner circle.

Oh, speaking of lotteries, quick show of hands for those of you who are good at statistics. If you have, let's say, multiple lotteries in a row where you're (allegedly) pulling numbers completely at random from a spin barrel with thousands of numbers in it, what do you calculate the odds are that a couple of the same people just (golly gee) always seem to have their numbers drawn? I knooooowwwww....crazy, right? It's definitely not rigged or anything, and there definitely aren't people over on the USN and on the FB pages who have shown off vast collections of Customs, many of which were gotten directly at lotteries. No, that's crazy talk.
 
Quiet said:
Probably for the same reason you're here trying to convince others of the opposite, man. :)
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The difference is I’m responding to the haters that hate on Emerson and then recommend cold steel instead. I don’t go into a thread that’s looking for information on cold steel to espouse my opinion of how horribly ugly they are and try to convince them to buy an Emerson. I don’t even open the thread cause I have no interest in cold steel. So there’s a big difference here man. I don’t go out of my way to discuss cold steel at all, ever.
 
Quiet said:
When people use the terms "haters" in an attempt to dismiss very real, objective criticisms, you usually know they don't have a real argument.

Secondly, some of us "haters" were fans of the brand for years before we saw some things that made us realize what a questionable house of cards it all is. You have 8? I have had like 40 Emersons over the years, to include multiple customs. A small collection by some standards. All but three or four of them are gone now, and those I've kept is because they were gifts. I was an active member of both FB pages for years and saw the shenanigans that went on over there, as well as on USN. I've meet Ernbag multiple times, and attended some of his lotteries at BLADE. Gotta love how "One ticket per person!" doesn't mean anything if you're in his inner circle.

Oh, speaking of lotteries, quick show of hands for those of you who are good at statistics. If you have, let's say, multiple lotteries in a row where you're (allegedly) pulling numbers completely at random from a spin barrel with thousands of numbers in it, what do you calculate the odds are that a couple of the same people just (golly gee) always seem to have their numbers drawn? I knooooowwwww....crazy, right? It's definitely not rigged or anything, and there definitely aren't people over on the USN and on the FB pages who have shown off vast collections of Customs, many of which were gotten directly at lotteries. No, that's crazy talk.
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If you read my response I absolutely did address what all the haters complain about.

So you obviously were a fan. You had no problems with the first 10 you bought so you bought 30 more. Your actually making a case for the knives themselves. Sounds like you have personal beef with Ernie regarding his lottery. Otherwise it doesn’t really make sense that you would buy 40 pieces of junk does it?
 
mitchnola said:
The difference is I’m responding to the haters that hate on Emerson and then recommend cold steel instead. I don’t go into a thread that’s looking for information on cold steel to espouse my opinion of how horribly ugly they are and try to convince them to buy an Emerson. I don’t even open the thread cause I have no interest in cold steel. So there’s a big difference here man. I don’t go out of my way to discuss cold steel at all, ever.
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What you choose to do or not do with your time is entirely your affair. I will continue to post where I wish as I wish. I do not have anything against people who are fans of Emerson Knives or "Sir"* Ernballs, but the knives themselves aren't great, and there ARE better options out there especially when we're discussing older discontinued models that are impossible to get now. So, my initial comments in this thread were entirely on point.




* I've always loved the idea of a guy who espouses himself as this super American Patriot, then awards himself (or allows to have awarded) titles as part of the Black Shamrock Order, styling himself after a member of medieval British Aristocracy. But that's none of my business anymore. LOL
 
mitchnola said:
If you read my response I absolutely did address what all the haters complain about.

So you obviously were a fan. You had no problems with the first 10 you bought so you bought 30 more. Your actually making a case for the knives themselves. Sounds like you have personal beef with Ernie regarding his lottery. Otherwise it doesn’t really make sense that you would buy 40 pieces of junk does it?
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I drank the KoolAid, and I've admitted it several times. I bought the entirely hilarious (let's be honest) complete BS that you just spouted above about the knives, until I started buying knives of actual quality and realized what a rook the whole thing was. Seriously, literally nothing about Emerson knives or these defenses by their fans for the poor standard of materials and designs stands up to any scrutiny. One thing Emerson has always been great at has been ergonomics, that's about all I'll say in their defense. Hell, I would buy another Super Commander if it was made by literally anyone else, of materials from this century, with a proper grind, and of a high standard of fit and finish (none of which you'll find from Emerson). Oh wait, there was a guy doing that (Nath) and he got kicked out of all the groups for doing it. LOL

Oh man, such great memories.
 
Quiet said:
What you choose to do or not do with your time is entirely your affair. I will continue to post where I wish as I wish. I do not have anything against people who are fans of Emerson Knives or "Sir"* Ernballs, but the knives themselves aren't great, and there ARE better options out there especially when we're discussing older discontinued models that are impossible to get now. So, my initial comments in this thread were entirely on point.




* I've always loved the idea of a guy who espouses himself as this super American Patriot, then awards himself (or allows to have awarded) titles as part of the Black Shamrock Order, styling himself after a member of medieval British Aristocracy. But that's none of my business anymore. LOL
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Absolutely, no one’s telling you not to post at all. Just pointing out the difference from a hater and me.

So many options, not great ? Then why did you have 40 of them? It took 40 of them for you to figure out his knives suck? Again, it’s clear your problem is with Ernie and not his knives. And that’s all good.
 
mitchnola said:
Cmon now, you just don’t want to admit that atrocious cold steel belongs in a gas station! 😂
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Some of Cold Steel's designs certainly do, sure.

However, then they also have designs like the AD10 and AD15, which are literally better than anything Emerson has ever made. Superior fit and finish, superior materials, a much better grind*, a lock that's simply in another plane of existence, I mean, yeah. Are we really going to act like Emerson hasn't made hilarious nonsense gas station knives? Should I go dig through my box and find my UBR Commander, or nah? 🤣 🤣 🤣



* GOTTA BE ABUL TUH SHARPEN IN THA FEELD! GOBLESS!
 
mitchnola said:
Absolutely, no one’s telling you not to post at all. Just pointing out the difference from a hater and me.

So many options, not great ? Then why did you have 40 of them? It took 40 of them for you to figure out his knives suck? Again, it’s clear your problem is with Ernie and not his knives. And that’s all good.
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No, it's that I was a fanboy of Ernie and so accepted the cheapness and mid-tier quality of his knives. These were "real tools! For warriors!" :rolleyes: and it was after I came to see how much more you get for your dollar with other brands, that after I started seeing all these other shenanigans going on, I had the cult-of-personality spell broken, liquidated 90% of my collection and moved on. I am not making any excuses, so it is what it is. Now, I enjoy sharing these observations because frankly, they should be common knowledge, so folks can make their own decisions.

Remember, this isn't the USN. This is not a Sir Lord King Ernie echo chamber, here we are free to criticize him as we wish.

ETA: One thing I want to make clear is that I do not have any issue with you, Officer's Match Officer's Match (a standup guy) or any other fans of Emerson Knives, Ernest Emerson, or the knives themselves. My comments of derision are only for those things, not you guys or any other fans.
 
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mitchnola said:
I don’t even open the thread cause I have no interest in cold steel. I don’t go out of my way to discuss cold steel at all, ever.
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Um, yeah you actually do pop into threads to just to call CS knives ugly/gas station knives. Seen it a few times.
 
jux t said:
Um, yeah you actually do pop into threads to just to call CS knives ugly/gas station knives. Seen it a few times.
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Yep, not the first time I’ve made it known that I think cold steel knives are ugly as sin. The difference is that was in discussions where they just came up. Not in a cold steel specific thread. And it was most likely in response to a similar situation here. The op posted this thread specifically looking for an Emerson and here comes the haters to tell him they suck and he should buy a cold steel. That is something I’ve never done bud.
 
Quiet said:
No, it's that I was a fanboy of Ernie and so accepted the cheapness and mid-tier quality of his knives. These were "real tools! For warriors!" :rolleyes: and it was after I came to see how much more you get for your dollar with other brands, that after I started seeing all these other shenanigans going on, I had the cult-of-personality spell broken, liquidated 90% of my collection and moved on. I am not making any excuses, so it is what it is. Now, I enjoy sharing these observations because frankly, they should be common knowledge, so folks can make their own decisions.

Remember, this isn't the USN. This is not a Sir Lord King Ernie echo chamber, here we are free to criticize him as we wish.

ETA: One thing I want to make clear is that I do not have any issue with you, Officer's Match Officer's Match (a standup guy) or any other fans of Emerson Knives, Ernest Emerson, or the knives themselves. My comments of derision are only for those things, not you guys or any other fans.
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Same here bro, nothing personal at all. Your entitled to your opinion of course and I respect it but also as the Emerson hate comes out, I’m gonna defend. I’ve been drawn to Emersons because of his blade and handle designs. I started buying from a local retailer, not because of any of the cheesy self defense, etc advertising techniques. I bought because they’re appealing knives to me not because they’re tacticool. Even what I know now, I still love his blade shapes and his ergos.

As I said I don’t make attempts to get others to dislike what I dislike. But I am guilty of the opposite of sharing the things I love with others. Have you ever heard of Les George? 😂
 
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