Tell me about Emersons

Well speaking of the tan, I might do something silly and try to buy one of the CQC-7V's with the tan scales. I just signed up for an email from BladeHQ when they get some in. I have never owned a tanto blade since my early days of cheap chinese $15 dollar knives. So this is out of character! :D
 
ZippoThisKnifeThat said:
... I've come to terms that if I'm buying an Emerson, it's for a folder I'm not afraid to beat on. They are built rough and therefore I'm not afraid to be rough with them.
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My feelings exactly. After nearly a month with my mini-15, nothing has changed on the knife and I find that I'm reaching for a "beater' less and less. I'm just using the Emerson that I'm carrying no matter what the chore. That's exactly what I've been wanting in a folder... something that will go anywhere and do anything that I want to do.

It's only been a month so far, so I have no vast range of experiences with this one, but so far, so good.I've even figured out how to maintain the edge with a Sharpmaker.
 
I read through all of the posts regarding the Emerson Line of Knives, with many statements made by people that are giving their opinions with no factual backing. The first thing that stood out to me was people saying that they are over priced. What do they base that on? Probably that it is over priced to them and not to others based on the quality of the blade. Something that wasn't mentioned, is the exceptional customer service you get with that so called "over price". I am a Law Enforcement Officer and have used my Emerson CQC-7 beyond what a folder was meant to be used for and when I contacted Emerson Knives they told me send it in and they would let me know what the cost would be to repair it and guess what the repair cost was $0 even though the damage was in no way a result of poor quality workmanship.

I own many different knives with many Emersons in the mix and I put them right up there at the top ( I have a CRK Ummnazan in my pocket right now and many would say that it is over priced, again who is to say). I carried a CQC-13 for 3 years and it is still in my roatation today the black finish may be a little worn but the knife is still strong as a tank. I was astonished by the folks that made commnets about price and functionality that have never owned one, that is a little convoluted and can't figure out whaty they based their opinion on.

My opnion is, Emerson knives are top quality hard use tools, reasonably priced, with an excellent reputation in the Military and Law Enforcement communities and ran by two stand behind their product people (Ernie and Mary) with an impeccable reputation. F.Y.I., Ernie's custom knives are some of the most sought after collectable knives on the market.
 
deltaunit said:
The first thing that stood out to me was people saying that they are over priced. What do they base that on?
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I base it on comparing my Emerson knives to my other knives with a similar level of warranty.
Then I compare the edge retention, fit and finish, as well as the ergonomics. With that data, I then look at how much each knife cost me.
The end result=Emersons are slightly overpriced.

It ain't rocket science people. It really ain't.
No arcane formulas, and I didn't have to scry for omens in goat entrails either.
 
One more point: those who wax eloquent about the supposed mystical toughness of the knives can cram it.
The blades are of 1/8" thick steel heat treated to a relatively normal hardness, with 1/4" pivots.
MANY knives fulfil those same criteria, and many others surpass it...for about the same price.

Buy them because you like the design, not because of being used by "super secret commandos of death" or overblown reports of toughness levels seldom seem even in works of fiction. Buy the knife, not the hype.:cool:
 
the beauty of emersons are their simplicity. the designs are so simple that nothing will fail on you. easy to take apart and maintain also.
 
This is all starting to sound and feel too much like MOJO to me. Why can't someone take a knife from another MFG with similar attiributes that might cost less and beat the hell out of those if they are all (assuming the other knives are good knives) made out if steel, PB and G10?

And why don't the other good knives with similar attributes get the same hall pass on F&F, action, etc, that Emerson does?

Where does the notion come from that says you can pay $175 to $200 for a 154CM Emerson that has gritty action until you break it in for a year , machining marks galor and beat the hell out of it because it's an Emerson? Can't you do the same thing to an S30V Military for about $140? Or any other well regarded knife for about $25% less than the Emerson.

Just being the devil's advocate here.
 
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Reeek said:
This is all starting to sound and feel too much like MOJO to me. Why can't someone take a knife from another MFG with similar attiributes that might cost less and beat the hell out of those if they are all (assuming the other knives are good knives) made out if steel, PB and G10?

And why don't the other good knives with similar atrributes get the same hall pass on F&F, action, etc, that Emerson does?

Where does the notion come from that says you can pay $175 to $200 for a 154CM Emerson that has gritty action until you break it in for a year , machining marks galor and beat the hell out of it because it's an Emerson? Can't you do the same thing to an S30V Military for about $140? Or any other well regarded knife for about $25% less than the Emerson.

Just being the devil's advocate here.
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I don't know what you are referring to. My Emerson was had no gritty action, no fit and finish issues, no machining marks I am aware of, etc.

The Military? I got the Emerson instead of the Millie, at the time, because it had the wave opening, tip up carry and a seemingly more robust blade/blade design.

Of course, a Military is on my Christmas list. My mistake was selecting a ZT0200 instead of a Millie 2-3 years ago.
 
Emerson knives don't have anything special going for them other than their designs, and perhaps the Wave. Beyond that, I feel there are better knives for less all over the place. But several EKI designs are tough to beat and/or find from other companies.
 
deltaunit said:
The first thing that stood out to me was people saying that they are over priced. What do they base that on? Probably that it is over priced to them and not to others based on the quality of the blade. ( I have a CRK Ummnazan in my pocket right now and many would say that it is over priced, again who is to say). I was astonished by the folks that made commnets about price and functionality that have never owned one, that is a little convoluted and can't figure out whaty they based their opinion on.
My opnion is, Emerson knives are top quality hard use tools, reasonably priced, with an excellent reputation in the Military and Law Enforcement communities and ran by two stand behind their product people (Ernie and Mary) with an impeccable reputation. F.Y.I., Ernie's custom knives are some of the most sought after collectable knives on the market.
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I agree with a lot you have to say, but I can answer some of your questions.

Spyderco, imo, has the best bang for your buck. Gayle Bradley: M4 steel, Milled SS Liners, Carbon Fiber, 4 way pocket clip, outstanding fit and finish $130. Sage 2: Ti RIL, s30v, tip up left/right pocket clip, outstanding fit and finish $140. Sage 1: CF, Milled SS liners, s30v, tip up left/right pocket clip outstanding fit and finish $100. Manix 2: G10, Milled SS liners, BBL, CPM154, L/R tip up pocket clip, outstanding fit and finish $70.

Those are just a few to name and all cheaper than most Emersons.
This isn't to say that the nature of the knives aren't different. You can argue that Emerson's are "tougher" than these knives, but that doesn't change the cost of materials.
I have heard that the F&F is getting noticeably better on Emersons, but I have owned a couple Emersons and can say that the locks were sticky, 1 of 2 was had gritty opening, the liners aren't matched to the g10 as clean as a Spyderco, it's cheaper to [from what I've read] to produce chisel grinds, almost all of their knives use identical materials [Ti liner lock, SS liner, black g10, and 154cm steel] , which saves money on production.

I mentioned earlier that the same argument of "over priced" can be applied to any brand. Especially CRK. When I buy a CRK that is produced of Ti/s30v, which I could get from spyderco ie. sage 2 for a 1/3 of the price, I am obviously paying a premium to have the design, tolerances, customer service, and of course the Brand Name. As you mentioned you're willing to pay [a bit extra to some ppl], because the service is above par from your experience. I don't agree with those who talk without experience. Obviously Emerson wouldn't be in business if everyone thought poorly of them.

Emerson customs are indeed sought after because they are exclusive, handmade by the man himself, AND the FIT and FINISH is amazing on them!
Anyone who doesn't understand Fit and Finish will know in a heart beat when they handle a Custom Emerson vs. a Production Emerson.
There is THAT much of a difference and I know first hand from personally handling Customs and Production versions.

This threads kind of beating the dead horse, yet again.
People will continue to share their bias in which others will not agree.

The beauty of opinions and the reason Emersons aren't the only knives on the market!

I am enjoying my A100 as well as my Sebenza. :)
 
But the fit and finish on an Emerson Custom still isn't all that amazing compared to other customs in the same ball park price wise. Even the man himself will openly admit to that.

*Coming from a big Emerson fan here.

That said I don't think there are quite so many competitors to EKI knives as some would allude. Few production folders use as thick a blade stock as Emerson, and those that do rarely have the ergonomics as down as Emerson, not to mention stop pins, basic tool bit construction, etc... This isn't even getting into the whole made in the USA of USA components thing that Emerson has going for it.
 
deltaunit said:
I read through all of the posts regarding the Emerson Line of Knives, with many statements made by people that are giving their opinions with no factual backing. The first thing that stood out to me was people saying that they are over priced. What do they base that on? Probably that it is over priced to them and not to others based on the quality of the blade. Something that wasn't mentioned, is the exceptional customer service you get with that so called "over price". I am a Law Enforcement Officer and have used my Emerson CQC-7 beyond what a folder was meant to be used for and when I contacted Emerson Knives they told me send it in and they would let me know what the cost would be to repair it and guess what the repair cost was $0 even though the damage was in no way a result of poor quality workmanship.

I own many different knives with many Emersons in the mix and I put them right up there at the top ( I have a CRK Ummnazan in my pocket right now and many would say that it is over priced, again who is to say). I carried a CQC-13 for 3 years and it is still in my roatation today the black finish may be a little worn but the knife is still strong as a tank. I was astonished by the folks that made commnets about price and functionality that have never owned one, that is a little convoluted and can't figure out whaty they based their opinion on.

My opnion is, Emerson knives are top quality hard use tools, reasonably priced, with an excellent reputation in the Military and Law Enforcement communities and ran by two stand behind their product people (Ernie and Mary) with an impeccable reputation. F.Y.I., Ernie's custom knives are some of the most sought after collectable knives on the market.
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Spyderco Superleaf vs. Emerson CQC-10 Both very tough knives, comparable steels in both blades, both with G10 scales and beefy pivot and stop pins, both with very good ergonomics from the same website there is a $70 price difference favoring the Superleaf.
Benchmade Onslaught vs. Emerson Super CQC-8 same blade steel, similar size, Emerson has better ergos for me, Benchmade has the better lock in my eyes and the Emerson is over $100 more expensive when prices are compared on the same website.
Benchmade and Spyderco both have excellent warranties and customer service, Emerson's may be slightly better, but I don't think it's $70-$100 dollars better. I understand that if you pick any solid, reliable company some of what you're paying for is the name behind the design, but I don't value Mr. Emerson's name more highly than I do Mr. Glesser's or Mr. Lum's. If an Emerson fits the bill for exactly what you want I would encourage you to spend the extra money and get the exact knife that you're after. If you're just looking for a good, tough work knife there are many options that I feel are just as tough and they don't come with quite such a high price tag.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Spyderco Superleaf vs. Emerson CQC-10 Both very tough knives, comparable steels in both blades, both with G10 scales and beefy pivot and stop pins, both with very good ergonomics from the same website there is a $70 price difference favoring the Superleaf.
Benchmade Onslaught vs. Emerson Super CQC-8 same blade steel, similar size, Emerson has better ergos for me, Benchmade has the better lock in my eyes and the Emerson is over $100 more expensive when prices are compared on the same website.
Benchmade and Spyderco both have excellent warranties and customer service, Emerson's may be slightly better, but I don't think it's $70-$100 dollars better. I understand that if you pick any solid, reliable company some of what you're paying for is the name behind the design, but I don't value Mr. Emerson's name more highly than I do Mr. Glesser's or Mr. Lum's. If an Emerson fits the bill for exactly what you want I would encourage you to spend the extra money and get the exact knife that you're after. If you're just looking for a good, tough work knife there are many options that I feel are just as tough and they don't come with quite such a high price tag.
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Yet neither the Onslaught or the Superleaf have as stout a blade grind as the Emerson's you're comparing them to. So quite frankly, no they're not as tough. A CS American Lawman would be a better comparison, but is not made in the US. Thats certainly not to say that the Onslaught or the Superleaf are bad knives, indeed they are likely better slicers, but they are not a fair comparison.

I'm done now.
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I love my Emerson traveler. It's my work knife easy to maintain simple desighn and as stated earlier some of the best ergos. I found my Emerson kicking my paramilitary out of my pocket never thought that would happen. Handlesare a little thick but I line that fit a man hands real nice. And really easy to sharpen!
 
Reeek said:
This is all starting to sound and feel too much like MOJO to me. Why can't someone take a knife from another MFG with similar attiributes that might cost less and beat the hell out of those if they are all (assuming the other knives are good knives) made out if steel, PB and G10?

And why don't the other good knives with similar attributes get the same hall pass on F&F, action, etc, that Emerson does?

Where does the notion come from that says you can pay $175 to $200 for a 154CM Emerson that has gritty action until you break it in for a year , machining marks galor and beat the hell out of it because it's an Emerson? Can't you do the same thing to an S30V Military for about $140? Or any other well regarded knife for about $25% less than the Emerson.

Just being the devil's advocate here.
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The price difference is because Spyderco will make WAY more knives than EKI and their price can be lower. On the other hand, don't compare Spyderco warranty with EKI warranty. If you break the blade of your millie you are fucked. If you manage to break your Emerson blade, it can be replaced at least.
Both knives cut, not both will pry and not both will survive a hard surface encounter in a stab
Don't know about the gritty action, mine have been awesome and smooth FWIW
 
BBW said:
The price difference is because Spyderco will make WAY more knives than EKI and their price can be lower. On the other hand, don't compare Spyderco warranty with EKI warranty. If you break the blade of your millie you are fucked. If you manage to break your Emerson blade, it can be replaced at least.
Both knives cut, not both will pry and not both will survive a hard surface encounter in a stab
Don't know about the gritty action, mine have been awesome and smooth FWIW
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Knives aren't really meant to pry and I'm sure an Emerson will break if you really try to PRY with it.
 
Emerson fanboys are simply the worst. Emerson folders do not pry any better than other folders of the same price point. The reason being is that folders dont pry. If you need to pry, buy a mini prybar. The fact of the matter is that for the price point, there are far better knives. Emerson doesnt do anything special to make his knives "elite", he makes a 1/8" thicvk 57-59 RC 154Cm blade with G10 scales and a liner lock. (A liner lock that is generally uncomfortable to use, sticks, and sometimes even transfers to the other side)

But, but, they arent meant to be pretty, they are meant to be used. Cool, a mini prybar costs $20, and a box cutter costs $1.50. Those do the same things you claim that your Emerson does and doesnt cost you $200. It shocks me that people dont demand to get what they pay for, instead they make excuses for his poor QC by saying its a tool. My HK45 is a tool too, but HK doesnt let it leave the factory until theyve given you your moneys worth.

Beyond all that is the man behind the knife, who in his own words claims that the only knife used in Special Operation is his, and that if you arent military, then your comments about his knives dont matter. In the same thread he insults a member of this forum for not having served in the military, while he himslef has never served a day in his life. As an active duty serviceman who has had the pleasure of working alongside NSW and MSOB, I can tell you that Ive never seen an Emerson being carried, NEVER. Ive seen a handful of Benchmades and Striders, but a whole hell of a lot of multitools. He lies, flat out lies, to sell his products, But, like he said, buying one if his knives puts you in an elite club. An elite club of the dooped and gullible.
 
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