My First Emerson - Mini CQC 15

Moxy

Moxy

Joined
Oct 30, 2011
Messages
1,648
I'll admit I was avoiding buying an Emerson for a while. It was all the talk about poor FnF and value for money... drama bs.

Anyway, I finally succumbed to my curiosity and just bought one. I got a Mini CQC-15. I have to say I'm really diggin this blade! I love the grind lines and stonewashing. It's a good looking blade. I like the wave, and the thumb disk is an interesting change. Overall I knew the FnF would be what it would be, but the design as a whole along with the very nice blade makes me forgive the rough edges and loose tolerances.

I've been playing with the knife all day; trying to break it in. I would really have liked to see PB washers, but I read the nylatron washers can get quite smooth once broken in. I don't expect the knife to flick open with ease. If that was the case I'd tighten the pivot down to get it that much more solid. But I'd like to have that hydrolic smoothness that CRKs are known to have. I like to draw the blade out rather than flick it. Sure enough, the first thing I did was take the knife apart and clean off any gunk or grit. There was some Loctite that worked its way into the pivot area, making it very gritty out of box. It's getting smoother now.

The only thing that concerns me now is the lockbar wear. I've probably exercised the lock 500 times by now. The lockbar has moved about 1.5mm since then. I fondle my knives like I have ODC. It's also pretty sticky. I'm trying the graphite trick and it's working ok for a few doezen openings but eventually it comes back. How much life can I expect out of the lock? I'm avoiding having it lock now while trying to break it in. Should the lock excessively wear is that something Emerson Co. with take care of? How is there CS?
Cheers!

-Tony
 
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Smoothness will come with use. It has for ALL of my Emerson I've owned (I'm somewhere in the mid-20's right now with what I've owned). Same with any lock stickyness. I remember I rubbed my thumb raw playing with my first CQC-7 and disengaging the lock bar. But now - zero stickyness.

My workhorse knives are smooth as butter. Just takes time to play with them and work them in. Smoothness will come.

As for the lock bar moving - that happens a little. I actually notice it most after I disassemble and clean the knives it'll find a new "spot" to rest and stay there for a long while (sometimes it'll actually back up and have an earlier lockup, too). Could've been what happened to yours. I've used a couple of my emersons a LOT for a couple years and they still have plenty of life left in 'em as for the lockup %'age. Personally - i think people get WAY too bent out of shape over "early lockup" vs. "late lockup". If the knife is solid - roll with it and use it and enjoy it.

I picked up a beat-up Emerson Raven some time ago for dirt cheap and the lock bar would rest all the way on the opposite scale, all the way across (let's call it 110% lockup). The blade still had ZERO play in it when opened. And I used it as a beater knife for a while, too! Never was an issue.

But - if it were to not work anymore - I've personally had excellent experience with their customer service too. Give 'em a call - someone answers and is there to talk to you.

Enjoy your new knife!
 
Like you, I read all negative hype for years until I recently bought a 2013 mini CQC7, it came flawless and was already smooth out of the box.
 
Above advise (bewall85 & akula83) is what I would say.
Breaking in an Emerson makes it yours.
And if you do contact them, you may even get to talk to Ernie.
Cheers
 
macknife12 said:
Above advise (bewall85 & akula83) is what I would say.
Breaking in an Emerson makes it yours.
And if you do contact them, you may even get to talk to Ernie.
Cheers
Click to expand...

For me, it was learning to sharpen that grind and the light blade scratches from really using it. This knife goes everywhere with me. The blade cuts a little different and pulls to the side, it's not a "slicer" but I have cut myself with it numerous times already. I get the "Emerson" thing now.
 
I figured I'd end up getting called out on this. Haha.
In truth it wasn't easy to let go. I really do like the knife, but I just had other purchases that I needed to fund.

I have a great appreciation for build quality. I'm certainly not saying the constriction was poor, but it was, for lack of a better term, rough. I totally understand Emerson's point of view towards his products. I like how he stays true to his line and doesn't "jump on the bandwagon" like other makers do. I like 154cm and I like how he has a conservative heat treat so the knife can take a beating and never break or chip. I love the wave and the thumb disk. The knife is built to perform very well in dirty hard used environments. "Who cares if the scales are a little miss matched since the thing is covered in mud anyway, right?!" But that's just it, I don't have a need for a rough hard use work knife, nor do I hold tacticality (new word I just made up) in high esteem when I consider buying a knife. I buy knives for general purpose EDC. My good ol Benchmade 707 is literally perfect, so is my Kershaw Leek, and CRK small Sebenza, for what I need them for.

I'm not adverse to the idea of buying another one. I buy and sell knives all the time and it wouldn't be the first time I sold off a model and missed it, and ended up buying another one.
Good knife, just not for me at the moment. I probably will buy another Emerson in the future.
 
was just curious, I started looking at Emersons again and the 15 was near the top of the list. thanks for the reply
 
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