So is the Emerson CQC-7 All Hype?

I can't really speak for the CQC-7 made by Emerson himself but I have Benchmade version that Emerson designed and it is a great knife. Carried it for 3 years while working as an EMT and it did everything I needed of it. Sort of my lucky knife as I lost it a time or two and got it back.
 
I have a Benchmade 975ti, an Emerson SOCFK (7b blade on Specwar handle), A 7a from 2000 and a 2001 production mini-7a. For me the spear-point wins the race in the utility department but for brute toughness you can't beat the tanto. I have actually stabbed the tanto through a Weber grill with absolutely no damage to the knife. To be honest most days I just don't need that much knife but, when the chips are down, I sure hope I find a CQC-7 in my pocket.
 
crossada said:
i remember reading in a magazine (tactical knives i think) on the first waved Emerson and how it came about. i'm sure i read it wrong but according to the article the wave feature was requested by SEAL teams for a blade catcher. later it said they found out it would snag on your pocket and open the folder.

now if i did read it correctly i would call the blade catcher hype. you would have to be greatly skilled to catch someone's blade in a wave opener on a 3" pocket knife. absurd sounding to me anyway.

like i said i'm probably way off on that. i will try and find the article in question and reread it.
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I've always doubted this story. Fact is the concept of opening the blade by catching the pocket has been around since at least the first thumb studs on blades started showing up. Its easy to imagine someone seated in their car pulling out their folder with an early 'longer' thumb stud or ambi stud that snags on the pocket forcing the blade opened as they extract their folder. I also saw an ER tech at Scott AFB in the 80s using something tied through the opening hole of his Spyderco Worker folder to allow it to basically Wave the folder blade open and remember thinking that was a really cool idea. Since then I've read at least once that Sal knows that people have been tying things through the opening hole of his knives for this purpose for many years. Its more logical to come to the conclusion that Ernie, like many knife users caught a thumb disc on his pocket while seated trying to get his own knife out and had a flash like a light bulb going off and put two and two together. But we'll probably never know. All we do know is that its a lot of fun and drives the wives crazy. :D

STR
 
Well, I just bought a CQC-7 Tanto off the forum after reading through this post, I know it probably isn't the greatest utility blade around, but I have other knives for that. I just love the look of the CQC-7 and always wanted one, particularly the Benchmade version, which is what I bought. Since a version of it is still in production today after all these years, I would say it must not be too bad a blade, one might even call it a classic design. Some designs are so innovative for their time, and remain so useful, despite being somewhat outdated, they just won't go away, like the 1911, or incandescent Surefire lights or some might say the CQC-7. But so what, people still love them, that's why you can buy a new 1911, CQC-7, or Surefire E1e incan light, they might not be cutting edge design, but they still work just fine.
 
STR said:
All we do know is that its a lot of fun and drives the wives crazy. :D

STR
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My wife hates it when I am using my Endura wave and it is laundry time!

The Emerson CQC-7B was the first quality knife I ever owned. It performed great for me until it was stolen. Since I owned that knife I have come to like more utility oriented knives with thinner blades, but the CQC-7 locked up extremely reliably and was very tough. For it's intended purpose it is definately well designed and executed. If you want the toughness of the Emerson with added cutting ability you can send it in to Tom Krein and he can regrind it to cut much better. He has done some great work on Emersons to make them cut way better without sacraficing too much toughness, and they look great.

Mike
 
STR said:
I've always doubted this story. Fact is the concept of opening the blade by catching the pocket has been around since at least the first thumb studs on blades started showing up. Its easy to imagine someone seated in their car pulling out their folder with an early 'longer' thumb stud or ambi stud that snags on the pocket forcing the blade opened as they extract their folder. I also saw an ER tech at Scott AFB in the 80s using something tied through the opening hole of his Spyderco Worker folder to allow it to basically Wave the folder blade open and remember thinking that was a really cool idea. Since then I've read at least once that Sal knows that people have been tying things through the opening hole of his knives for this purpose for many years. Its more logical to come to the conclusion that Ernie, like many knife users caught a thumb disc on his pocket while seated trying to get his own knife out and had a flash like a light bulb going off and put two and two together. But we'll probably never know. All we do know is that its a lot of fun and drives the wives crazy. :D

STR
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i dont know if i buy the story either but it was written up like that in tac knives magazine, FWIW, i remember reading the article and thinking "WTF"?
 
gunmike1 said:
My wife hates it when I am using my Endura wave and it is laundry time!

The Emerson CQC-7B was the first quality knife I ever owned. It performed great for me until it was stolen. Since I owned that knife I have come to like more utility oriented knives with thinner blades, but the CQC-7 locked up extremely reliably and was very tough. For it's intended purpose it is definately well designed and executed. If you want the toughness of the Emerson with added cutting ability you can send it in to Tom Krein and he can regrind it to cut much better. He has done some great work on Emersons to make them cut way better without sacraficing too much toughness, and they look great.

Mike
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I told my wife the other day that I am ready to go to the thrift store again to pick up some new $3 and $6 'pockets' meaning I'm ready for some new jeans with great pocket rims and corners so I can just tear them up like the ones I have on. Other than my pockets on both sides I have what appears to be great condition jeans. I may as well start shooting them full of buck shot and selling them on ebay when I'm done fraying the pockets to at least make something off them. :D

I have a friend here in town that runs a gun and ammo store and he does that including the empty twelve gauge shot shell in the pockets when he ships the jeans. He actually had one lady write him and ask him what he'd charge to shoot up jeans she mailed him! He did it and got paid. Now thats the life! :thumbup:

STR
 
Steve,

That's so funny about the jeans and shooting them up. :D

I have never owned an Emerson but I don't think it's hype. I'm going to buy my first one here tonight. Just need to decide on one. Probably the CQC-10. :)
 
I worked in downtown Oakland, Ca for many years, commuting back and forth to Castro valley on public transportation(BART). It is a VERY scary place and the train is full of little gangbangers who pack every sort of weapon imaginable.

I alternated my EDC between a CQC7B and an AFCK. Both were carried in a Benchmade belt pouch that looks like some of cell phone. I never had occaision to use either in a SD situation but I sure felt one hell of alot better knowing they were there. I think there is a huge difference between a
"knife fight" and responding to a possible attack with a concealed blade.
I found the CQC7B an ideal choice for this role.
 
the '7 is a classic design, and while it may not be the do all/end all folder i have never ever found a do all/end all folder and doubt one exists, if ya like the '7 it will do most anything ya need it to and will do it well.

it excels as a SD knife thougha knife isnt the best choice for that, but some folks for one reason or another might not have anything but a knife for SD and if thats the case i can think of a lot of choices which would be worse than a '7.
 
I find Emersons to be hype. They (current production lines excluding frame locks) all have a very thin liner. For "number 1 hard use knife in the world", I expect the liners to be a bit thicker. Even my ZT0200 (not too much price difference) has a thicker liner. I also have the CQC12 (the best of their current production lines), and I'm so disappointed when I found out it had plastic washers. It's not a cheap knife, I'd expect bronze washers for smoother action.

My deepest apologies for my honesty, just the way I feel.
 
It hasn't existed for this long from hype. Hype doesn't really last that long. Things get hyped up and then fade away forever. I own one and it is a strong durable knife. I set out to test some of the claims I had heard about it.

I don't recommend trying it because I believe it to be dangerous. I took my mini cqc 7 and stabbed it through a steel wall stud (you know the wood 2 by 4 alternative). I swung my arm carefully so that I would be putting as little pressure on the lock as possible. I had to try 3 times before I put enough power behind it to go through.
I wasn't surprised that it went through. I was surprised that the very sharp tip was undamaged. I chipped a 1/32 of an inch out of the middle of the blade, but I am sure that was when I was rocking the blade to pull it out.

Two minutes on a sharper and it was good as new. I know I will likely never "need" to do anything like that in my life. But it sure was fun :D
 
To the original poster. If you want the pocket knife. Buy it. If you do not like it after you bought it either sell it in the knives for sale section (have to be a paying member) or just use it and make it your own. Never put off something you want. You will always wonder about that knife.
 
Thicker liners are an obsession with a lot of people but what additional benefit are they going to offer in the real world? Not much I suspect. More of a pissing contest than anything else.

As for plastic washers. I doubt its the type of plastic used to make cheap toys from China. If anything it is probably nylon and plenty tough enough for the task.

Buy an Emerson and use it hard. See how you feel then. They are tough enough believe me - for the price - which is of course the key thing here.

As for "no. 1 hard use knife in the world" that's all marketing noise and means exactly nothing IMO.

beluga said:
I find Emersons to be hype. They (current production lines excluding frame locks) all have a very thin liner. For "number 1 hard use knife in the world", I expect the liners to be a bit thicker. Even my ZT0200 (not too much price difference) has a thicker liner. I also have the CQC12 (the best of their current production lines), and I'm so disappointed when I found out it had plastic washers. It's not a cheap knife, I'd expect bronze washers for smoother action.

My deepest apologies for my honesty, just the way I feel.
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Some considerations are due here.

FACT
First, the so called "Tanto" point has nothing to do with "tantos" which had usually a hira-zukuri or shobu-zukuri type of point, that is a "knife" point.

FACT
The supposed superiority of a "tanto" point in piercing is pure fiction.
The "tanto" point, or shinogi-zukuri (or certain forms of kiriha-zukuri) was never intended for stabbing by those who invented it, but was used only on blades made primarily for CUTTING.
On blades made primarily for thrusting/stabbing the japanese used... guess what? Yep! Spear point or laurel leaf point.
The same used through six thousand years of metal working history to pierce armor and their occupants.
Sure, a tanto point is sturdier. A hammer is even sturdier, got the point? ;)

The chisel grind has always been used on blades meant to cut thin slices of soft material, such as meat or evgetables.
"Thin" being the keyword. you may well get a thinner edge without compromising blade thicknes using a traditional grind by simply varying the grind angle.
Moreover, a properly sharpened traditional ground blade can cut through meat in a ghastly way.
So: does a chisel grind cut better? Undoubtedly does, compared with a traditional edge ground to the same angle.
Does it make a difference? Historical evidence seems to say "no".
Moreover, a chisel grind will compromise a knife for generic use.
My informed opinion, based on the study of blades through thousands of years of history, in different cultures throughout the world, is that the best shape for a combat knife whose purpose is defense or offense, is that of a laurel leaf or spear point shaped knife with a properly sharpened, plain, double ground edge.
That adopted (brought to the extreme and in a very specialized way) by the Fairbairn Sykes dagger, considered by most the ultimate fighting blade.
The same blade shape will be useful also in everyday chores.

As for fancy tests like stabbing sheet steel or cutting nails, if they succeed they just prove that a tempered high carbon steel blade can cut soft steel (what a surprise :rolleyes:) and, if they fail, just prove that a knife is not made to stab sheet steel or cut nails (what a surprise again :rolleyes:)
This said, even if a knife adopts some features that are not all they say to be, it doesn't mean it's all hype. For what I know Emerson knives are very well built, with top notch materials and heat treatment, and will last a LOT of time.
Balance, how the knife feels in your hand and overall quality are far more important than bullshit like "tanto" point or "chisel grind".
I don't like tanto points, I don't like serrated edges, I don't like chisel grind but, guess what, one of my most faithful heavy duty knives is an Extrema Ratio Fulcrum which has a tanto point, half serrated edge and partially chisel ground edge, the fact being, quite simply, that it's one of the sturdiest, more practical knives I ever owned, which balances marvellously and whose grip perfectly fits my hand.
 
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I had a Benchmade CQC-7b (whichever the Benchmade # that is this), and beat the absolute snot out of that knife. Lost it a couple of times (outside!). Found it after a couple of months in my yard, steel wooled the surface rust off, put back in pocket. I worked in a warehouse at the time and used the heck out of it. A coworker liked it, even after it was beat to death, and I sold it to him for $40.

It's a classic design, kinda like the Buck 110 of it's time. No fancy assist stuff to break. Just a good solid folder.

People are comparing this to a utility knife, like a Delica. This was not designed for utility. This knife was designed for one thing... to stab. Of course it has more utility than a straight up stabbing implement like a ice pick by having a useable edge. It's the original production tactial folder.
 
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