Newbie hoping for help with blade fold up - Mini CQC-15

[Cornbread Hell]

Hey Fellas—I’m a newbie a bit overwhelmed getting up to speed on the tons of facts/figures that go into being blade smart, but I’m working at it. Please bear with me, I hope someone can help me out.

This June, I purchased a Mini CQC-15 direct from Emerson (to ease my concern of buying a counterfeit) and have carried it expressly for the purpose of self defense. Its only use has been me practicing deploying from person and opening/closing—the blade has never been used beyond cutting air (I’m sure some will cry foul on me for that).

Here’s my issue I need help with. A couple days ago, with the blade deployed, I was giving the knife a max grip with my thumb strongly riding the jimping that ramps up to the wave cut of blade. The pad of my forefinger just below middle knuckle was gripping flat and hard against the underside of the handle where the liner lock meets the blade (I hope this all makes sense?).

When gripping the knife this forcefully, my forefinger seems to apply enough pressure/movement to dislodge the liner lock off the blade---and when coupled with the downward force of my thumb up top riding up on the natural comfort position of handle going up on to wave – well, the blade complete disengages and begins fold down. By gripping the knife in this way, the knife will fold up on me ~1 out of every 3 times.

User error is certainly not out of the question, but I’m gripping the knife at its natural, most comfortable hold points. I’ve compared this experience against the only other knife I have, a Spyderco Atlantic Salt, and there is no way I can replicate the blade collapse with the locking system of the Spyderco.

As much as I love my Emerson, I lack confidence in its ability to stay locked up under max grip. Is there anything I can do to force the liner to move farther right? Anyway to assess if the liner is coming over far enough with enough pressure to keep engaged under load?

Confused and any advice is appreciated. Thx!

 

[dalefuller]

I have a mini 15 as well. If I understand how you're gripping it, it's entirely possible that your forefinger is actually unlocking the knife enough to cause it to close partially. To test the reliability of your lockbar, open the knife normally, turn it over so you can see the lockbar, and apply a steady pressure to the end of the blade (don't whack it on anything) while holding the knife by the handle. See if the lockbar moves or bends. If not, then your lockup will be reliable under normal use and should be fine if you don't inadvertantly unlock it with your grip. If it does move toward unlocking the knife, then you may want to have Emerson's W&R department look at it

 

[Cornbread Hell]

Dale—thanks for the response and suggestions. If I may, I’d like to share my results and seek your advice on next steps.

With the knife on spine and pressure applied to blade – lock holds no problem. That said, here’s the rub. The top of the liner sits at ~50% of its width to the bottom of the blade. The bottom of the blade is not cut level, rather, it has a very slight angle of grind leaving a small wedge angle of openness where the liner engages the blade. Somewhere in my reading, this appears to be by design, yes?

The problem here is that, while the lock holds perfectly when sitting and just applying pressure to the blade, when held, because the liner is only sitting 50% of its small width on this angled blade bottom, when the knife is held in hand, the ever so slightest grip on the knife is enough to push the liner to ~25% of its width on the blade, and I’ve discovered, that with such a small % of the liner now engaged on a blade that is ground away at a slight angle, the lock at this point can’t maintain its hold and it is a low pressure slide off of the lock to disengagement.

When I look at some youtube vids with other liner lock blades, many of the blades appear to be perfectly flat/level on the bottom and the entire width, full 100%, of the liner sits against the bottom of the blade T-bone fashion. I don’t know if that is desirable, but it certainly looks like it would prevent what is happening on my Emerson.

It seems to me my liner should be sitting on the blade bottom at greater than 50% of the liner’s width? I’m wondering if I took the knife apart and did a little grind off of the bottom of the blade on the right side to kind of even out the angel to flat, it would allow the liner to come over beyond 50% and not push off when gripped?

Thoughts?

As of now, this knife is not usable to me if I can’t hold it without fail on the lock up—with the problem stated, I’d be looking to sell to someone who maybe has a better way of fixing?

 

[cevtv]

I’m wondering if I took the knife apart and did a little grind off of the bottom of the blade on the right side to kind of even out the angel to flat, it would allow the liner to come over beyond 50% and not push off when gripped?

Don't grind anything!!! It's NOT supposed to be flat......... Grinding will void the warranty.

 

[RevDevil]

If you grind your knife, you will ruin it. As a new guy, you can't yet understand the mechanics of the lock bar and blade. I recommend you disasseble the knife, clean it up, remove excess oil, wipe away any grime, and reassemble carefully. There are some videos on YouTube on how.

 

[weinerd]

So clarify this for us- does the liner lock reach across 50% the width of the blade (50% lockup) or does only 50% of the LINER engage the blade when fully opened? If it's the latter, then there is clearly too little lockup and should go back to Emerson IMO.

 

[Cornbread Hell]

Given the horrific/terrible events today in CT, I feel like a POS focusing on this insignificant and meaningless issue, but I need an emotional break---

Thanks for the advice NOT to modify the blade.

I wish I had a good camera to take a photo and post, but yes, the liner, when engaged, has 50% of its right side beneath the blade bottom. The left half of the liner is sitting free. That is strong enough to hold the blade when pressure is applied as Dale suggested I do. But just giving the lightest of squeeze with all 4 fingers is enough to nudge the liner’s 50% hold down to what I estimate is 25% of the liner’s right side. At this point, with the bottom of the blade being ground away at a left facing angle, the small area of hold and angle combine for – almost a facilitated – slow pressured disengagement of the liner.

So, fellas, in your experience, how much of my liner should be under the blade? All 100% and if so, how much to the right should the liner be pushing? Dead center like a T bone?

…thanks for the advice and suggestions.

 

[Lycosa]

Dude- If that blade locks up tight, you're GTG! If not, send 'er to EKI.

 

[dalefuller]

I'm looking at my mini-15 now. I have about 90% of the liner engaged on the blade tang. Emersons are designed to contact the blade tang just near the top of the liner. There is an explanation of this style of liner lock on the Emerson web site. Other companies do their liner locks a bit differently, but your mini-15 is designed to be tha way.

If you're concerned about inadvertant lock movement or disengagement, I'd do like Lycosa said and send the knife in to EKI. They can check it, fix it, and get it back to you in good, safe working order. I'd stay away from any "home remedies" here.

 

[Cornbread Hell]

Thanks fellas -- the info and advice is much appreciated (and the help with some terminology I didn't know). I'm taking your advice and will contact EKI for a send back for their review.

Best--

 

[weinerd]

Make sure to put a note in there explaining the issue so they know what to look for...