So is the Emerson CQC-7 All Hype?

i prefer the cqc-8, satin bade. no emerson is hype, but they are just slightly overpriced imo. if you asked me what 4in tactical production folder i prefer over all others, id have a hard time choosing between a military, a cqc-8, and a 0300. all very different knives but all worth taking a look at
 
Chisel grind's tendency to turn or twist when cutting deep through meat (read: flesh) is an advantage in combat: a deeper, nastier wound. I believe some custom sword makers also put a chisel edge on their blades for that reason.
 
Alberta Ed said:
Chisel grind's tendency to turn or twist when cutting deep through meat (read: flesh) is an advantage in combat: a deeper, nastier wound. I believe some custom sword makers also put a chisel edge on their blades for that reason.
Click to expand...

Good point, I actually never thought of it like that.

However in the past swordmakers adopt symmetrical grinds cause the chisel grinds tendency to twist the handle of the sword made it a risk in warfare.

You see the same twisting effect it (sword with chisel grind) exerts on the victim/opponent is also going to affect the user's hands which is holding it. That is why axes rarely adopt chisel grind.

However I can see your point (gettit :)) if it is not on long but short swords. It'll make for a nastier wound I expect.
 
I like the CQC7 a lot...it's not really my thing, but I definitely wouldn't mind adding one to my collection.

Americanized tantos also aren't my thing, but are quite useful. I like the intermediate point of the blade, which is useful for nice clean cuts in paper, etc.

Recurves are still my choice for EDCs though.
 
i never really carried a CQC7 much, some, but not much, i have carried a tanto SOCFK a lot though and it worked fine for me, wasnt the best utility knife in the world but it was perfectly functional in that regard, worked just fine for me for about a year,

FWIW i like the SOCFK better than the '7 then because at that time the '7 was not waved & the SOCFK was, only difference in the 2 is the handles a little different and it was waved, blade was almost if not exactly the same thing.
 
When Ernest Emerson designed the CQC-7, he designed one of the Best Folding Knives ---EVER.
I have been through some nice folders in my time but I only kept two; a Warren Thomas M2 and the CQC-7B.
If you want a utility blade, get the 7A.
Get One!!
 
maybe it is hype but i love mine, ironically, its in my pocket now
not a great cutter but that wasnt the point in the design
IMG_0939.jpg
 
I'd like to hear your opinions of the CQC-7 from a functional standpoint (useability, durability, etc.). Preferably from people who have used it on a daily basis for general utility purposes.

It seems like a lot (or at least some) people on here think that the chisel ground tanto blade is relatively useless.

Asked and answered by yourself.

Is the CQC7 a great knife? Not really. The construction, fit, and finish, even of the Benchmade version I have is superb. That model did suffer from sharp corners on the grip, and it was not user friendly if you needed something else out of the pocket it was clipped in. Still, it was in the day the most rugged and durable blade out there for duty use.

It is a chisel ground tanto. They don't have the optimum configuration for all the daily tasks asked of a knife. The chisel edge does not "steer" straight until you learn to use it that way. A chisel grind is a saber grind, less than half way up the blade, and the swedge creates friction in the cut. It is only marginally stronger, but it is a lot cheaper to create. The tanto point may be resistant to tip breakage, but that's an abusive use of the tool - especially when trying to puncture something. Knives are for cutting, not opening drums of oil.

Don't even go into combatives, it doesn't happen.

The G10 scales, linerlock, and high grade blade are what made the knife a trendsetter in the public's eye as it was the one which really came into general consciousness. If that leaves out it's predecessors, like Terzuola, it's really a matter of marketing, not history.

But in daily use, not so much. I understand that Emerson has improved it markedly, but it's still a chisel grind tanto blade, with the same limitations.

I moved on to a drop point SnG. In comparison, the CQC7 is a butter knife.
 
I carried a cqc-7 for a long time and was able to use it for every thing I could use any other knife for.
I used it in the kitchen, for bushcraft, MA training, etc. etc. all with no problems at all.

:thumbup:
 
It's not that it's a tanto (which I'm not sure it truly is), it's the asymetrical chisel profile I don't like. Sure it's well made, but it was designed more than 15 years ago and better knives have been designed since. If utility is your goal explore more options. There are many who've had many knives and many end up with a simple Swiss army knife.
There are much better knives to spend your money on, stick around.
Then again, like many of us, you may just have to buy it , try it and decide. I used to have one, but I've had dozens of other knives since.
 
How can a Classic knife become Outdated?? Is the Sebenza Outdated? That folder has been around for awhile.
 
I carried a Benchmade CQC-7, then an EKI CQC-7B while in the Army. Sure I've had knives that were sharper, or cut better, but it always did what I asked of it. At that time (95-99), it was the toughest knife I owned.

I own some knives now that would be considered better than my CQC-7, but I have confidence it.

Of course, I did replace it with my Emerson HD-7.;)
 
Many would say the slip joint is outdated but its still rocking and rolling in the eyes and hands of many users out there. Its subjective opinion, not that I read where anyone said it was outdated. I don't recall seeing it.

As for the tanto. I have zero use for it or a chisel grind. While the one side grind makes the edge thinner so it slices better its not a controlled slice but one designed just to cut fast which it does. Unfortunately it weakens the edge by a large margin and on a steel that can fracture due to the larger carbide size if pushed to its limits. So care must be taken to watch what the edge hits. I can't tell you how many chisel grinds I see with big chunks out of the blade edge around the tanto tip third usually. On the other hand the chisel grind makes the blade thicker in the middle because if you were to take a cut and separate the blade in two to get a view of the cross sectional mass of the way its made its thicker in the middle than V grind. So in that respect the blade could probably take a little more pry type action when ground this way than a V grind in a side by side test to breakage. Personally I hate the chisel edge. Others don't seem to mind and thats great. I'll probably take my 7 A and zero grind it to a new 'scandi' type edge making it a heavier duty utility frame lock by the time I'm done with it. ;)

STR
 
tirod3 said:
I'd like to hear your opinions of the CQC-7 from a functional standpoint (useability, durability, etc.). Preferably from people who have used it on a daily basis for general utility purposes.

It seems like a lot (or at least some) people on here think that the chisel ground tanto blade is relatively useless.

Asked and answered by yourself.

Is the CQC7 a great knife? Not really. The construction, fit, and finish, even of the Benchmade version I have is superb. That model did suffer from sharp corners on the grip, and it was not user friendly if you needed something else out of the pocket it was clipped in. Still, it was in the day the most rugged and durable blade out there for duty use.

It is a chisel ground tanto. They don't have the optimum configuration for all the daily tasks asked of a knife. The chisel edge does not "steer" straight until you learn to use it that way. A chisel grind is a saber grind, less than half way up the blade, and the swedge creates friction in the cut. It is only marginally stronger, but it is a lot cheaper to create. The tanto point may be resistant to tip breakage, but that's an abusive use of the tool - especially when trying to puncture something. Knives are for cutting, not opening drums of oil.

Don't even go into combatives, it doesn't happen.

The G10 scales, linerlock, and high grade blade are what made the knife a trendsetter in the public's eye as it was the one which really came into general consciousness. If that leaves out it's predecessors, like Terzuola, it's really a matter of marketing, not history.

But in daily use, not so much. I understand that Emerson has improved it markedly, but it's still a chisel grind tanto blade, with the same limitations.

I moved on to a drop point SnG. In comparison, the CQC7 is a butter knife.
Click to expand...

knife fights never happen? wow thats a revelation,

also i promise ya i have several EKI tantos which are just a tad sharper than a butter knife lol, of course you do need to know how to sharpen the things,
 
This Thread, as usual, has turned into the lack of understanding a True chisel grind and, which knife is liked and disliked, by individuals.
 
said many times over the emerson design cqc7 was THE tactical knife that defined the genre.
that's probably why benchmade knives quickly jumped into the tactical knife game and collaborated with ernie for a production model.
for a period of time nobody questioned if the US Navy SEALs had any other use for the Close Quaters Combat (hence CQC) model other than combative applications... duh!
and exactly why benchmade (just as quickly) said sayonara to emerson, leaves little to wonder.
the point is, the cqc7 made Ermerson Knives and Benchmade household names.
and to own one now is strictly out of deep respect for the man and his pioneering of mass producing a raw style of knife design.
 
Alberta Ed said:
Chisel grind's tendency to turn or twist when cutting deep through meat (read: flesh) is an advantage in combat: a deeper, nastier wound. I believe some custom sword makers also put a chisel edge on their blades for that reason.
Click to expand...

As a question, what makers are those? Historically speaking there isn't a single sword that I'm aware of that has a chisel grind, and I have yet to see a modern maker producing one either. I can't see any advantage in it for a long blade.
 
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