Tell me about Emersons

I still dont own one,but really like the ones ive handled.I like the heft and strength.I missed out on the loose blade and machine defects i guess.
 
With Emerson knives, it is all about the designs and the little differences that sets them apart from everything else. Forget about comparing knives based on their monetary values, because there is not much to discuss there. Emerson knives are expensive. Consider an Emerson knife to be a one-time purchase that therefore does not need monetary value. These are not knives that you buy to resell, trade, or to save in a vault. They are made for using for the rest of your life. Period.

There will come a point in many knife-nuts lives where money does not matter to get that perfect knife that meets all your preferences for what you need. That is why people buy custom knives and other expensive knives. It is not about getting a good deal anymore; it becomes more about the perfect tool for you and your jobs.

They always seemed overpriced to me as well so I never paid any attention to them, and I slowly grew out of that opinion after honing in on my true personal preferences. I learned that they may be expensive, but you can only say for yourself if they are overpriced. Once I began to look at every aspect of a knife, I began to really care about the small things. If a blade does not meet all of my requirements now, then I wont be even slightly interested in it, even if it were free and made with super materials. I have owned, sold, and traded enough knives to know not to mess around by buying a knife because it was a "better deal" comparably to something else I actually wanted more.

My favorite Emerson is the CQC-7A model. It has a traditional drop point blade and does not have a wave. It is a perfect design for me, based on everything I can judge it on.

You may not be ready for an Emerson yet, it might take some time figuring out which model suits you best or if your preferences are really geared towards his designs in the first place. If a knife has the specs that you think make a perfect knife, then forget about the money, do yourself a favor, buy it, and never turn back.

Good luck on the search!
 
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i have 1 emerson, and plan to buy more. im actually not even looking at most production folders anymore besides emersons, striders, and hinderers. the latter two are out of my price range. but if i could find a hinderer at cost, i would pick it up.

i like emersons because of the thicker blade tips, big pivots, simple construction, ease of maintenance, ergonomics.
i do think they look kind of boring, but the designs are very purposeful.

yes, i had some liner slip problem, but it was easily fixed by bending the liner lockbar a little more. so far, im able to overlooking the not so perfect finish, and liner lock design, and still plan on getting more emersons.

so in the end, i think if its designs are what youve been looking for, such as me, try one out. better yet, try and find 1 for a good deal, and if it doesnt suit you, put it back on the market.
 
I just like this pic! ( : A knife i cleaned for a customer.And the model i want to own.
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colubrid said:
I gotta be honest. The emerson seems like a cheap heavy duty $15. knife. I was hoping to understand the pricepoint and why people buy them. but now this just confirms what i have read thus far.

Wiggley loose blades.
Unadjustable
lockbar slipping.
marred machining
ect

How much worse can it get? If I want to throw money away i can just feed the homeless.
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It can sometimes be incredibly difficult to find an Emerson model you're looking for. Aside from their production schedule that makes differen models in batches, a lot of them commonly sell out as soon as they arrive in stock.

I assure you they don't sell like that while suffering from the type of problems you mentioned.
 
Lots of controversy and opinions about both Emerson and his knives, i bought one out of curiosity, i wanted to learn about Emerson Knives for myself. I really like mine, i have the pivot screw at just the right spot, it loosens up every now and then but i like tinkering with my knives and since i can thumb nail tighten the pivot screw to get the perfect combo of speed, perfect lineup and zero blade play, I havent bothered to lock-tite or teflon tape it (this combo was only acheived after it had some time to break-in).
IMO Emerson's are best for those that like disassembling and tinkering with there knives, i enjoy field stripping and cleaning my knives and guns and my Emerson fits right into that profile (of course i am not saying that they cant be safe queens, just look at the awesome pics on this forum).
The CQC-15 & 10 are both in the top 5 of the folding knives i want to aquire.
Regarding the man, i think he's a Patriot and a good American, i had the opportunity to meet him and he was a really nice guy.
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An Emerson CQC-8 has been part of my EDC for well over a year. It is a fine knife that does everything I need it to (which honestly isn't much, but still). I think I paid $135 for it NIB. This past Feb I added an Emerson La Griffe. If I leave the house (for anywhere but the gym) it is around my neck. That's ~9 months so far. It is still in great shape.


I am a bit put off by Emerson and his marketing. Given the pricing, his statements/marketing, and their availability I probably won't buy another one anytime soon. Then again I don't buy very many knives.


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RevDevil said:
No matter where you post, it's still the same site. The same people that post there can find this thread. The brand has its fans and its detractors. The easiest way to get to the bottom of it is pick one up off the exchange and see for yourself (if you don't wnt to pay full price). There are also a bunch of threads on this very topic, one in particular you might find helpful is this one.
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These two threads are probably among the better examples.........

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...Fit-and-Finish-Addendum?p=9793702#post9793702

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/781272-Emerson-Calls-Bullsh*t

Regardless of how one feels about Emerson the man or his marketing, the knives themselves are not bad but they are not exactly great either. I have owned and used many Emersons and they have all had one issue or another, even the custom knives. Those largly cosmetic issues were rarely going to have the knife totally fail at performng as a knife, but some of those problems did. The prices one can get the production knives for, if you look hard enough, keep them just in the relm of "OK for the price". Paying full retail or "prestige" prices takes that into or even beyond the ridiculous, IMO.
 
I'd say the customs are a tad overpriced. Spotted an Ernie Emerson Commander for about $1,300. 154CM steel, Rc 57-59. Titanium bolsters and liners with brown linen micarta handles.

Considering I got a custom Nirk Tighe in M390 at Rc 62 with stonewashed titanium handles for a total cost of $750 after shipping, I'd say I got a lot more bang for my buck there, especially since a chunk of it was from paying for the sheet of steel, blanchard grinding, and heat treatment.

At the very least, I just hope the fit and finish is better on the customs than the production models. I know the steel is substandard for a hard use knife, especially if they both undergo the same heat treatment. My brother is not a knife person, but I spotted half moon-shaped chips in the blade and were it S30V instead I suspect I'd be looking at rolls rather than chips. And that's really the thing about a tough steel, it should roll rather than chip unless one deliberately tries to cut glass or concrete with it, and even then I fully expect it to roll.
 
is the "Prestige" series a better fit and finish than the regular CQC-7's?
 
I would love to own a Emerson Custom Cqc6 and wanted to cure that by picking up a cqc7, however, for the price you can get a good folder by members here for the same price, difference being it was made by hand. I am a sucker for that and then just can't justify the price.

However, it is best for you to decide so try to handle one and decide for yourself, that's really the best advice.
 
I have a CQC7B and several Benchmade 970s. The ergs are better on the Emerson but the overall quality of the
Benchmades is significantly higher; no loose screws, travelling liners or blade play. You might be happier with
a 970 or 975 if you can find one...
 
Emerson, eh?
Well, here's the deal.
They are hard working tools that are well-built and strong. An Emerson will handle whatever you throw at it.
They are not as polished as some other brands, in terms of appearance.
If you express an affinity for them, at least three people are bound to jump down your throat with accusations that you must be a "fanboy" or that you must have "drunk the Kool-Aid." This is because they had an experience somewhere along the line that soured them on the brand, and for some reason must resort to infantile name-calling. Don't let it bother you, just get the tools you like, and use & enjoy them.
A single Emerson knife will outlast most of us, save those whose line of work wears out their tools really fast (or something of that nature).
Personally, I like their "rough" finish, since it makes me less afraid to apply them to real work.
 
Noctis3880 said:
I'd say the customs are a tad overpriced. Spotted an Ernie Emerson Commander for about $1,300. 154CM steel, Rc 57-59. Titanium bolsters and liners with brown linen micarta handles.

Considering I got a custom Nirk Tighe in M390 at Rc 62 with stonewashed titanium handles for a total cost of $750 after shipping, I'd say I got a lot more bang for my buck there, especially since a chunk of it was from paying for the sheet of steel, blanchard grinding, and heat treatment.
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That being said I think we need to give the man credit that he still prices all of his custom knives at $650 knowing full well he could easily get twice that.
 
puukkoman said:
Emerson, eh?
Well, here's the deal.
They are hard working tools that are well-built and strong. An Emerson will handle whatever you throw at it.
They are not as polished as some other brands, in terms of appearance.
If you express an affinity for them, at least three people are bound to jump down your throat with accusations that you must be a "fanboy" or that you must have "drunk the Kool-Aid." This is because they had an experience somewhere along the line that soured them on the brand, and for some reason must resort to infantile name-calling. Don't let it bother you, just get the tools you like, and use & enjoy them.
A single Emerson knife will outlast most of us, save those whose line of work wears out their tools really fast (or something of that nature).
Personally, I like their "rough" finish, since it makes me less afraid to apply them to real work.
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+1
Best post so far
 
Hammer27 said:
That being said I think we need to give the man credit that he still prices all of his custom knives at $650 knowing full well he could easily get twice that.
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Is that the same deal with Rick Hinderer customs? Only military, LEO, or EMS can order directly from the guy? Because I'm not sure that would really count in my book. People say things about $400 Rick Hinderer XM-18's, but having never seen one personally I'd say the statement is just a myth to me and something I would never see.
 
puukkoman said:
Emerson, eh?
Well, here's the deal.
They are hard working tools that are well-built and strong. An Emerson will handle whatever you throw at it.
They are not as polished as some other brands, in terms of appearance.
If you express an affinity for them, at least three people are bound to jump down your throat with accusations that you must be a "fanboy" or that you must have "drunk the Kool-Aid." This is because they had an experience somewhere along the line that soured them on the brand, and for some reason must resort to infantile name-calling. Don't let it bother you, just get the tools you like, and use & enjoy them.
A single Emerson knife will outlast most of us, save those whose line of work wears out their tools really fast (or something of that nature).
Personally, I like their "rough" finish, since it makes me less afraid to apply them to real work.
Click to expand...

This!
 
puukkoman said:
Personally, I like their "rough" finish, since it makes me less afraid to apply them to real work.
Click to expand...
I don't buy that one. I can understand if we're talking about a $500-ish Sebenza with the inlays and graphics, but would anyone really be twitchy about using a $250 knife? And what exactly is "real work"? We talking prying or batoning? Because I think most knife manufacturers would consider that abuse.

And really, is it the finish of a knife or the size and shape of it that's more important? My ZT 0301 has superb fit and finish with no leftover machining marks. And yet that finish doesn't give me cause to hesitate before repeatedly slamming the blade into a tree for giggles. I think Rick Hinderer knives also fall into the same category.
 
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