- Joined
- Jun 23, 2012
- Messages
- 2,846
As you may or may not know, the Sheepdog is Emerson's first flipper; and in my opinion it is very well executed, with quality and action that rivals anything in its price point.
When I first saw the Sheepdog, I was concerned that the TI liner lock might not be robust enough to hold up to excessive flipping, and might wear too fast. I'm happy to report that my initial concerns seem to be unfounded. After owning the Sheepdog for over a month, and carying, and using it extensively (let me just say I have flipped this thing a lot) it has broken in and the lock bar has settled at about 50%, and has no more stick, and has not moved since. Just about the same experience I've had with all of my Emersons.
Here is the lockup after break in.
The Sheepdog's ball bearing pivot is exceptionally smooth, rivaling, or actually out performing anything I have seen at this price point. No hint of grittiness, catching, hitching, bumpiness, sticking etc. and like the Iron Dragon (see my review here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1298734-The-Story-of-The-Dragon) is smoother than all of the ZT's I've owned. Just an ultra smooth travel throughout its entire range, and the blade easily falls closed under its own weight; even under tension from the lock bar. This is not however a safety concern for me, as the flipper completely protects my thumb from the falling blade. The Sheepdog is fun to play with while sitting on the couch watching a movie (come on, you know we all do it).
The Sheepdog's blade can be deployed easily via the wave, the thumb disk, or, of course, the flipper. The flipper deployment is fast, smooth, and reliable, even though the detent is not as strong as many flippers. At first this concerned me, however it has not turned out to be a problem. The detent is what I would call normal for any non flipper knife, and is nowhere near dangerous, and due to the ultra smooth pivot action, the Sheepdog's blade flips like a champ. It seems to work best with the "push button" method, although the "light switch" technique also works.
As far as F&F issues with the Sheepdog, there are none. The lock up is solid with no bade play at all, and with the pivot properly tightened the blade is dead nuts centered. The blade grinds are perfectly executed, and the edge came shaving sharp out of the box. The G10 scales are the normal Emerson rough texture, and the 3 pillar type stand offs are evenly spaced, straight and solid.
Check out the Sheepdog's blade centering
Note the Sheepdog's pillar construction.
Ergonomics on the Sheepdog are typical excellent Emerson. The handle shape is similar to the CQC-7, but the Sheepdog has a more pronounced hump on the belly of the handle. It fills the hand nicely, and has no hotspots, and is comfortable in both forward and reverse grips.
I find the clip point blade shape on the Sheepdog both aesthetically pleasing, useful, and practical. Also the 3.5" blade length fits right in to my preferred range of 3.25" to 4". The blade has performed well for all of my life threatening EDC tasks, such as cutting string, opening packages, slicing salami, and cutting up cardboard boxes. The Sheepdog is IMO an outstanding EDC blade.
Note the attractive blade grinds, and the nicely done two tone satin/stone wash blade finish on the Sheepdog.
In conclusion: I find the Sheepdog to be a well constructed quality product, with great ergonomics, a very practical, versatile blade shape, and a convenient size which lends itself well to comfortable, practical, every day carry.
The Sheepdog is a well thought out and executed design from Emerson, and if you've been on the fence, I would highly recommend picking one up and giving it a try.
When I first saw the Sheepdog, I was concerned that the TI liner lock might not be robust enough to hold up to excessive flipping, and might wear too fast. I'm happy to report that my initial concerns seem to be unfounded. After owning the Sheepdog for over a month, and carying, and using it extensively (let me just say I have flipped this thing a lot) it has broken in and the lock bar has settled at about 50%, and has no more stick, and has not moved since. Just about the same experience I've had with all of my Emersons.
Here is the lockup after break in.
The Sheepdog's ball bearing pivot is exceptionally smooth, rivaling, or actually out performing anything I have seen at this price point. No hint of grittiness, catching, hitching, bumpiness, sticking etc. and like the Iron Dragon (see my review here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1298734-The-Story-of-The-Dragon) is smoother than all of the ZT's I've owned. Just an ultra smooth travel throughout its entire range, and the blade easily falls closed under its own weight; even under tension from the lock bar. This is not however a safety concern for me, as the flipper completely protects my thumb from the falling blade. The Sheepdog is fun to play with while sitting on the couch watching a movie (come on, you know we all do it).
The Sheepdog's blade can be deployed easily via the wave, the thumb disk, or, of course, the flipper. The flipper deployment is fast, smooth, and reliable, even though the detent is not as strong as many flippers. At first this concerned me, however it has not turned out to be a problem. The detent is what I would call normal for any non flipper knife, and is nowhere near dangerous, and due to the ultra smooth pivot action, the Sheepdog's blade flips like a champ. It seems to work best with the "push button" method, although the "light switch" technique also works.
As far as F&F issues with the Sheepdog, there are none. The lock up is solid with no bade play at all, and with the pivot properly tightened the blade is dead nuts centered. The blade grinds are perfectly executed, and the edge came shaving sharp out of the box. The G10 scales are the normal Emerson rough texture, and the 3 pillar type stand offs are evenly spaced, straight and solid.
Check out the Sheepdog's blade centering
Note the Sheepdog's pillar construction.
Ergonomics on the Sheepdog are typical excellent Emerson. The handle shape is similar to the CQC-7, but the Sheepdog has a more pronounced hump on the belly of the handle. It fills the hand nicely, and has no hotspots, and is comfortable in both forward and reverse grips.
I find the clip point blade shape on the Sheepdog both aesthetically pleasing, useful, and practical. Also the 3.5" blade length fits right in to my preferred range of 3.25" to 4". The blade has performed well for all of my life threatening EDC tasks, such as cutting string, opening packages, slicing salami, and cutting up cardboard boxes. The Sheepdog is IMO an outstanding EDC blade.
Note the attractive blade grinds, and the nicely done two tone satin/stone wash blade finish on the Sheepdog.
In conclusion: I find the Sheepdog to be a well constructed quality product, with great ergonomics, a very practical, versatile blade shape, and a convenient size which lends itself well to comfortable, practical, every day carry.
The Sheepdog is a well thought out and executed design from Emerson, and if you've been on the fence, I would highly recommend picking one up and giving it a try.
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