Reasons to prefer Emerson Knives

E

EDCanAdamas

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I was reading a thread about the ZT 0999 and how people actually paid $750 or more for it. This reminded me why I prefer Emerson knives.

(1) Simple designs. No crazy "alien" looking stuff, carbon fiber inserts in blades, and/or bizarre new attempts at reinventing the basic shape of a knife blade. This also should include the use of Phillips screws, which I find have been easier to service than the Trox screws used by most other brands.

(2) Consistent Designs. Emerson adds new knives to the lineup, but none of the new offerings appear to be so ridiculously different from the others. I like this aspect of Emerson Knives because it shows the company knows what it's market is, and is not trying to suit the knife-worlds equivalent of "fashion trends".

(3) Excellent Steel choice. Before I purchased my Sheepdog, I used to knock the choice of 154CM. I was wrong then to do so as 154CM has not even stained after being used in humid and wet weather. (I would love to try an Emerson in CPM154 though.)

(4) The best pocket Clip in the industry. Most other brands use slim clips, or even paper clip-like wires, which are flimsy compared to the solid steel leaf-spring clip Emerson uses.

(5) Commitment to making knives in the USA. While Emerson has often and licensed overseas-made options, there main products line is made here.

(6) Truthful marketing claims. Emerson Knives marketed towards emergency and working professionals will actually work when called upon. The company is not stamping "Firefighter" or "USMC" on some cheap Chinese folder and trying to fool good people into thinking that a $5 sweatshop knife is going to be good enough in repeated stressful situations.

(7) Fair prices. You get what you pay for here. These knives cost more than a few of the other brands, but they are not trying to get $450+ out of their name. Emerson's prices also allow him to fairly pay his workers for there labor, and other Americans for there work in making USA sourced steel, titanium, and G10.

Feel free to add to this list with why you prefer Emerson Knives.
 
This is why I like Emerson. Among other tactical knives, he makes a small, beautifully-designed, and hair=splitting sharp knife. Mini-CQC-7. Smoothest opening knife I have ever owned and I own many small high end knives. I love this knife:

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I love Emerson. As I live in Canada and always carry a knife for SD purposes the wave has been a life changer. Infact I am ambidexterous and decided to carry all my Emersons (which are all right handed) in my left pocket up against the seam closest to the zipper. This is so I can draw them into reverse grip and either hold it reverse edge in or flip it quickly to forward edge down.

The cqc-7 was the first knife I truely fell in love with and I find its grip ideal as it doesn't dictate that there is one position which is ideal to hold it. My love for Emersons and the wave eventually brought me to the p'kal by spyderco which is today what I consider to be the superlative self defense blade for urban encounters and one of the only folders able to compete with Emerson in this regard. Infact I find it faster to draw a waved knife than even a fixed blade as I dont have to lift any T-shirts and tug against kydex.

Emerson even makes a version of La Griffe which is one of the best fixed blades for urban close encounters where space becomes limited very quickly.
 
I am not really a fan of liner or framelocks, otherwise I would own an Emerson. I have owned a few in the past, and I appreciated their simplicity and functionality. They do 154cm very well, and I cannot fathom while more makers do not use flathead screws on their knives. Torx take a special tool, and strip too easily. Emersons can be adjusted in the filed with a coin or various others common items.
 
I love Emerson knives. They are great knives, that are reasonably priced, and are made in the good ole USA. I also have the utmost respect for Mr. Emerson as well. And everything that the OP said.
 
Ernie is a fantastic guy, and he knows his priorities. Those priorities ultimately register in the knives EKI makes.

More specifically, real world working class blades and steel, assembled (and the reverse) with fasteners of universal appeal/avail, and grips that define ergonomics - a corrosion resistant trustworthy sharp edged companion.

In the niche that Emerson exists, they are the consummate working knife. The industry itself should be thankful to Ernie, as he is to it.
 
Emerson Knives.
They work.
They look good.
They feel great in the hand.
I was sold with my first one.
rolf
 
Good tools. Great design, simple, practical, ergonomic. I don't suppose Ernie will ever abandon the chisel edge, but I wish he would offer it as an option. I would like to see other steels available, too. CTS-XHP would be an upgrade from 154CM, and just as easy to sharpen.
 
For $200+ on a production knife, the consumer should be getting more than 154cm. Crucible makes plenty of other steels in the USA. That's my main gripe....Emerson is enjoying some fat margins.
 
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When done correctly, 154CM is a fantastic steel... just like A2 and D2 and believe it or not, 440-C.
rolf
 
gglotz83 said:
For $200+ on a production knife, the consumer should be getting more than 154cm. Crucible makes plenty of other steels in the USA. That's my main gripe....Emerson is enjoying some fat margins.
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The steel, the grind/blade design, and the HT make a winning recipe for Emerson. If uber hard/wear resistance is what you want, you aren't the target customer. There are plenty of other brands that try to be all things - I'm fond of EKI's focus on their segment.
 
$750 for extreme materials/design or $200-$300 for a basic sandwich liner lock folder? I enjoy both ZT and Emerson knives but let's not kid ourselves here, Emersons are not a good value. For the price of my CQC7 flipped, I could have gotten a ZT0562

Half of your points apply to many knife companies on here such as ZT, and a few others are purely subjective. "Best pocket clip" is opinion
 
I've tried ZT's several times, but could never really become attached to one. Just sort of soul-less IMHO. Emerson's OTOH, big difference and a great value in my mind. Guess that's why I enjoy this subforum for Emerson knives.
 
Officer's Match said:
I've tried ZT's several times, but could never really become attached to one. Just sort of soul-less IMHO. Emerson's OTOH, big difference and a great value in my mind. Guess that's why I enjoy this subforum for Emerson knives.
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I know that feeling and I've sold many ZTs before because of it, but to claim Emersons are a great value is ridiculous.
 
I prefer Emersons because of the wave, simplicity of construction/maintenance, ergonomics, and availability of their classic models in case I need to replace one. I used to be very particular on blade steels, but over the years I've realized it doesn't make a large difference on my users since everything will get dull eventually. Plus, spending time sharpening, profiling, polishing, or honing an edge is fun for me.

Are there other knives out there that offer more for the money? Absolutely! But there's something about each of the Emerson's that I own that makes me want to carry them more than the pricier or better value brands that I own.
 
In my opinion their design is just by far the best among tactical world. No one beat Emerson when it come to aesthetic, ergonomic and functionality.

But there are still some downsides which are

-less than standard fit and finished.
-arguably outdated blade steel for $200 folder, which also not hold very good edge from many people experience
-liner lock wear too fast
 
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