Possibly just getting rid of older new stock. I personally prefer the backspacers on Emerson knives. I like standoffs but the ones Emerson uses just don't
seem high quality to me. And on a knife like the CQC-7 it has 4 standoffs. Seems a little excessive for a medium sized knife.
If they were nice looking, made of titanium/ Steel, and had only two standoffs (one for middle and one in the back) than I would probably prefer them for the
open construction, ease of maintenance and overall looks.