The Gentleman Jim... My First Emerson (lots of pics!!!)

Johnny Numbers

Johnny Numbers

Joined
Jan 23, 2010
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298
Went knife shopping yesterday, and after I get home with my bag of goodies :D ... what did I find in the mailbox??

This...

The Emerson Gentleman Jim.

The first pic shows the GJ along with yesterdays other purchases...we'll call this introduction shot before the close-ups.

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First impressions...

It was a little stiff in the pivot at first, but being a new knife...that was to be somewhat expected. I dropped a couple drops of gun oil in the pivot and waved it a dozen times and then sat and flipped it open countless times while I was watching a movie and it has smoothed out rather nicely. I didn't loosen the pivot at all...just what was described. I will also say that the lockup was about 30-40% when I got it out of the box, now as you can see in the picture, it's right at about 50% now.

Tool marks...yes, there are tool marks. Should they be smoothed out on a knife at this price point? I think so... but I'm not going to whine about it. This is a stout knife and made to be used...not put up on a shelf and worshipped.

In a nutshell...I LIKE IT!!! This knife and the Endura in the first picture are the first knives I have ever owned that are waved. I must say...I like this feature. Actually, I like it a lot!
 
I really like that design myself. Strange that you oiled the pivot, Nylatron (the material the washers is made from) does not require lubrication, it does this on it's own.
 
RevDevil said:
I really like that design myself. Strange that you oiled the pivot, Nylatron (the material the washers is made from) does not require lubrication, it does this on it's own.
Click to expand...

Out of all the Emerson designs, that's the one I liked the most. Now that isn't saying that I wouldn't purchase another model (which I may do at another time) ...but for now, the GJ was the pick of the litter, so to speak.

I didn't have any idea what the washers were made of. All I know is it was pretty stiff and a couple drops of oil and working the pivot seems to have worked. It isn't buttery smooth, but it's a LOT better than it was.
 
Oil is an immediate solution to a stiff pivot but with nylatron washers the oil will hold the dirt to the washers and cause them to wear a bit faster and generally get gunked up. Soapy water or some graphite aka pencil lead scrapings help just as much and won't gunk up the pivot.

Congrats on the GJ, heck of a first Emerson! That knife is the best mix of classy looks and edgy blade shape I've ever seen!
 
EricV said:
Oil is an immediate solution to a stiff pivot but with nylatron washers the oil will hold the dirt to the washers and cause them to wear a bit faster and generally get gunked up. Soapy water or some graphite aka pencil lead scrapings help just as much and won't gunk up the pivot.

Congrats on the GJ, heck of a first Emerson! That knife is the best mix of classy looks and edgy blade shape I've ever seen!
Click to expand...

I'm a little late to this party, but the above is some good information - Thanks. :)
 
the oil just washed out and loosened some of the grit. The OP should diisamble and clean that factory grit and wipe everything off and reassemble.

Once you do that the knife is super buttery smooth.
 
Have man look at that awful fit and finish and that poor lock up! Wait no... Excellent choice, this will be my next Emerson, your pics sold me.

Whenever I get a new emerson I clean underneath the pocket clip, disassemble it clean out the junk, apply TW-25B to everything metal then hit it with a hair dryer, and then I apply a little bit of Wahl oil to the pivot and reassemble it.
 
Early lockup? Blade perfectly centered?
It must be a fake!
Everyone knows all Emersons have horrible lockup and off center blades....

Unlike many, I really do appreciate that EKI holds a lower rockwell for 154 cm.
The very first day I had my GJ, I dropped it from about 4 feet and it landed tip first on the concrete. Rather than break, the tip just smashed a bit. As bummed out as I was it only took a few minutes to repair it.


 
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Great shots of a great specimen! As for tool marks, they add grip and character, imo.
 
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