My Collection and Why I Collect

FEDKNIFELOVER

FEDKNIFELOVER

Joined
Oct 10, 2004
Messages
867
Ok, so, I get a LOT of emails asking me about my collection. So I figure I will try to answer everybody who is curious. First off, I am not RICH! So, all you guys out there who are starting your collections and want to get into Custom Emerson's, it can be done. So here is how I do it. First off, I don't waist money on a lot of stuff most people spend money on. This includes beer, liquor, smoking, cars, golf (although I play some times), and other stuff that generally erodes funds. I do spend money on the wife and kids and they seem somewhat happy. I try to save a percentage of my paycheck each payday. I travel a lot also, and I save my extra per diem money. Over time, it adds up quickly. I like the axiom: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

So, I started this about 15 years ago. It started with the Benchmade/Emerson 970. I still have this knife and it is my EDC for now. Why do I carry a Benchmade when I could be carrying an Emerson? Well, first off, that knife is rock solid and well built. Seeings how I have had it for almost 15 years and it has never failed me, I will not give up on it. Next, why don't I just carry a custom Emerson? ARE YOU NUTS! Remember the third sentence, I am not rich. Imagine if you were to carry your $1,100 custom Emerson and you lost it. Yeah, I thought so. So why do I collect them? Well, I like the design and engineering that goes into each Custom Emerson. Ernie started the titanium usage in his knives (I think this is the case just based off all the reading I have done). The guy is a freakin engineer also. That alone gives him street cred with me. His earlier pre-tac knives are some of the most beautiful folders ever made. I also collect them because I plan on retiring some day. I think of these as an investment. Buy low and sell high. Now, there are a few knives that I will never sell. The Super CQC6, Super CQC7, CQC9, and the Rhino.

Now, why do I hang around Bladeforums when I also belong to the USN and British Blade Forums? Well, this forum started it all for me. I tend to try and give back as much as I have received from this forum. I have learned a lot here and plan on being here a while longer. Besides, when I first joined Bladeforums, they had an awesome Emerson knife catalog of pictures. But since a lot of the guys who set those pictures up went to the USN, no one, until recently, started updating the pics. So I figure at the least, I could host some pics.

However, I DO NOT AGREE with Ernie politically. I am not a bleeding heart liberal, but I am in law enforcement, so I do not think EVERYBODY should carry a knife or a gun (I don't know if Ernie believes this, but his opinions tend to be on the far right), even if you believe the Constitution gives you the right to bear arms (I personally think it allows only a militia the right to bear arms, but there ain't nobody around from then to clarify). There are too many nut jobs out there who have done some wicked stuff to people, just because they had access to a weapon. So there you have it on that. I also don't support a specific political party. Both sides are crazy, so I tend to be independent. But, I still like the guy. What do they say about opinions? We all have them........... You get the jist

Now, lastly, who is my favorite maker. Well if you think that is obvious, then you are wrong. I love Emersons', but he is not my favorite maker. My favorite maker always changes with the new designs that come out. I will say this, I like makers who are available to the average collector and who still take orders from the average collector. I am not knocking Ernie, he is just so damn popular, I doubt he will ever start taking orders for his customs from his fans again, but I can dream. Again, not a criticism, just an observation.

So there it is. My thinkin on the subject in a nutshell. I will not post pics here. If you want to see what I got, just do a search. I will say this last thing. I do not have a great collection of Emersons. There are some guys who have been collecting Emersons for over 25 years, and their collections make mine look like a beginners. Ernie makes fixed blade knives, of which I no longer have any.

Good luck and God Bless!
Sean
 
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interesting history, I started out with a cqc-10 by accident, I didn't really want a emerson but I loved H&K and when I heard they were going to promote that knife i had to see what emerson's were all about and the rest is history. I have yet to own a true emerson custom but rely on knife pimpers to get my fix untill i get lucky on the real thing. I was also very much into waved emersons but as of late Ive been into emersons which don't have any because it is more aesthtically pleasing to the eyes and flows better
jeff
 
I saw an ad in Blade magazine for a CQC6 back in the mid 90's and knew I had to have one. I got the itch immediately. Bought the Benchmade since I could not afford a custom at the time.
 
It's hard to find a collector with such a passion for EKI. You are da man!
 
While I understand and can respect why people collect knives I decided some time ago that I wouldn't own knives just for the sake of owning them. If I am too scared to put it in my pocket because of its price tag, then its not for me.

That said I would LOVE to own an Emerson custom one day. I think the CQC-8 as that is my favourite Emerson design.

But I would carry it, you bet. I look after my gear and have never lost a knife so I think it would be OK.

Its a shame that customs get so expensive. So many people who love knives will never be able to afford one, and even if they could they would be too nervous to carry the thing.

I am grateful that there are so many excellent productions to choose from and I am very excited that these now have a decent finish that at least is a step closer to the finish of the customs.

Can't wait for the stonewashed CQC-8 to be available. I am prepared to sell two knives to buy that one!
 
Buffalohump said:
While I understand and can respect why people collect knives I decided some time ago that I wouldn't own knives just for the sake of owning them. If I am too scared to put it in my pocket because of its price tag, then its not for me.

That said I would LOVE to own an Emerson custom one day. I think the CQC-8 as that is my favourite Emerson design.

But I would carry it, you bet. I look after my gear and have never lost a knife so I think it would be OK.

Its a shame that customs get so expensive. So many people who love knives will never be able to afford one, and even if they could they would be too nervous to carry the thing.

I am grateful that there are so many excellent productions to choose from and I am very excited that these now have a decent finish that at least is a step closer to the finish of the customs.

Can't wait for the stonewashed CQC-8 to be available. I am prepared to sell two knives to buy that one!
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I understand the reasoning for wanting to carry the knives you own. And I have carried some, maybe once or twice. But, the Emerson customs I have are strictly for admiring and for investment purposes. Ernie is like a machine. He just keeps turning out new designs. I like the challenge of finding them and getting a good price when I do. I've got a buddy with a Picasso (his is a drawing worth in the $50,000 neighborhood). He bought it when it was worth about $20,000. He displays it. I think of my Emersons as art pieces and hope to one day get a case that I can hang on the wall that is large enough to display them.

Sean
 
The 2nd Amendment has been clarified finally,and i dont think Ernie is far right he's just expressing common sense.That's an odd thing to add when discussing your knife collection.
 
sigsaur said:
The 2nd Amendment has been clarified finally,and i dont think Ernie is far right he's just expressing common sense.That's an odd thing to add when discussing your knife collection.
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An opinion is an opinion. I have mine, he has his. I don't always agree with his. The 2nd amendment has not been clarified. The Supreme Court only ruled on Washington D.C.'s city ordinance restricting who can have a gun in their home and whether or not you had to have a gun lock on your gun in your home, not on whether the 2nd amendment gave everyone the right to bear arms. People are interpreting the ruling as affirming the 2nd amendment right to bear arms and their ruling did not do that (as a law enforcement officer I have to be familiar with rulings like these).

Now, back to Ernie. I have friends who do not agree with everything I do, but that does not make me any less a friend to them. I always make it clear that even though I may support a particluar person or product, I don't always agree with that person's political beliefs. Unlike some, I don't blindly follow others just because they are popular. I have met Ernie and made my beliefs known to him and others. I have also posted how I feel about Ernie's beliefs on the USN. But that does not diminish how I feel about his knives or his design genious.

Since this is the Emerson Knives section of the forums, I wanted all to know how I feel about his knives and about how I feel about what he believes, as two distinct things. Not everyone who collects knives and guns believes that ANYONE should be allowed to possess them.

Thanks for the response,

Sean
 
I also collect Emerson knives but why post a caveat about Ernie's politics or the 2nd ammendment?
 
I just went to his website and read his opinions on the way i see it area of his site,good stuff.His politics don't bother me.
 
i agree wholeheartedly with his political opnions FWIW, whatever that has to do with collecting EKI's.

thats my opnion.
 
sigsaur said:
I just went to his website and read his opinions on the way i see it area of his site,good stuff.His politics don't bother me.
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I have read stuff on the "the way I see it" page over the years that was nothing short of silly but on the whole I tend to agree.
 
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