TORN BETWEEN 2 HOGUE AND an EMERSON

J

JJaggar

Joined
Jan 15, 2015
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Good day good fellow knife knuts! I need some serious help here tofay from y'all in making a decision between 2 Hogue models, the EX 01 4 inch Tanto G10 handles, the EX 02 Flipper Tanto with G Mascus handles....OR just going Emerson. .I'm looking at the CQC7 Tanto Stonewash blade.

I'm really torn here the Hogue knives just look friggin beast, but the Emerson has the wave feature which is very fun deploying from a pocket...I have a crappy CRKT M16 with Carson double flippers and it acts just as a Wave would and it's just fun deploying from a pocket draw.

Does anyone here own both Hogue and Emerson knives? I'm basically looking to hear what is the better overall quality knife, i really love both so this is a very hard decision which I really need to hear from you good folks here who I always appreciate helping me with both knowledge and in my decision making...so with that, FIRE AWAY!!!
 
I would get the Emerson/Kershaw CQC-7K. It has better fit and finish than the equivalent Emerson model and is 1/4 the price. You would probably have enough left over to get a Hogue too...
 
I've owned both, and the whole fit and finish thing is beat to death about emersons, the fit on these knives is good. The only "problem" is the scales and liners don't always match up 100%. It really doesn't effect anything unless your staring at your knife all day.
The hogues are extremely well built knives, but I personally don't like the designs that much, the ergos are not very good when compared to Emerson. If you get an Emerson knife you know for sure, it will be designed perfectly.
All that being said, I'd pick the Emerson if your gonna spend that kind of money. Once you get one in hand, you'll fall in love.
 
retzius said:
I would get the Emerson/Kershaw CQC-7K. It has better fit and finish than the equivalent Emerson model and is 1/4 the price. You would probably have enough left over to get a Hogue too...
Click to expand...

That's actually a pretty good suggestion to get a feel for Emerson and also get a Hogue. I had an EX 02 with the spear point and it is a great knife. The fit and finish are incredible for the price and it is a great flipper. The detent is very strong so keep that in mind. Great knife. The skull crusher is a nice touch too. The only real drawback is that it is pretty heavy/bulky so be aware of that.
 
Lets see the only problem is the scales don't fit that good on the Emersons. I've owned both and Hogue has'em beat hands down. I personally think the EKI heat treatment leaves a bit to be desired, they have loose stop pins, they squeak and they rattle on occasion. Ergo's are great though. I've owned several Gmascus Hogues in the drop point design and they were pretty much flawless out of the box and SUPER smooth and SCREAMING sharp. So there ya go with my experience. keepem sharp
 
Just so it's clear, "loose" stop pin is by design. A floating stop pin for longer wear time.
 
I have the EX03. it was a trade.

Love the blade.
4inches.. Takes a shaving edge
I can flick it fairly easy.
Built like a medium tank. Not a Tank like the ZT550 which is like a BRICK.

Tan FRN like material. I did grind off the stupid Pommel to round it out.

My only complaint
YOU CANNOT DISMANTLE IT if the need arises..sand,grit,,crud

So buy their Gmascus verision and be happy

It is SMOOTH.. No rattling..
 
I have several Emersons, including cqc-7 models. I had a Hougue EX01 3.5" aluminum handle, and I ended up giving it away.

The quality of the Hogue was not the best. It had blade play, which I could only get out if I tightened it down so that the action was too stiff. Also the button lock was very sticky, and it never broke in. This may have just been my particular knife.

I have never held the 4" houge, but for my hand, the economics on the 3.5 sucked. So much so, that I would not carry it. The ergos on any of my Emersons are far superior IMO.

Also, I agree with the f&f issues on the Emersons being a dead horse. They are not the prettiest girls at the dance, but that is not their intended design function.
 
Emerson hands down! I've never had a Hogue but I own many knives from several different manufacturers such as CRK, Microtech, Al Mar, Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw, etc. And Emerson is my favorite!:thumbup:
 
I'd go with the EX-01. I've personally owned the EX-01, 02 and 04 and they are all great knives, My 01 is the drop point but I've wanted to pick up the tanto for the longest time.
 
I've handled the Hogues and own several Emersons. I dislike the biutton lock of the Hogue, or really any lock that is more complicated than a liner or frame or compression lock.

As far as cheaping out with the Kershaw "Emersons", the only thing they have in common with a real Emerson knife is the designer - they feel like most other cheap imported folders The ZT made Emerson knives are a lot better, made from excellent materials with great fit and finish, but they are unnecessarily heavy.

Real Emerson knives are light, strong, and effective and must be used to be understood. The CQC-7, and the 3" bladed mini version, is a great knife. The handle is versatile, being kind of rectangular, but offers a very secure grip. The blade also fits neatly into the handle so it is easy to carry. I don't like the wave on a CQC-7, it sticks out funny on an otherwise clean-lined knife. Another good one is the CQC-8, the handle is very comfortable and the blade fits neatly inside of it (like the '7) so it carries very easily for such a big folder. It seems like the '7 and '8 work for most people, while Emersons other designs can vary greatly (because they have more complicated handle designs that either fit a hand or don't depending on the user).

CarterR said:
I've owned both, and the whole fit and finish thing is beat to death about emersons, the fit on these knives is good. The only "problem" is the scales and liners don't always match up 100%. It really doesn't effect anything unless your staring at your knife all day.
Click to expand...

Every 2014 and newer Emerson I've bought has had G10 scales that overlap the liner all the way around, at first I thought it was weird but it is consistent and offers great grip with a concave feel. The overlap is way better than being even in some places and overhanging in others.
 
I'm all about Hogue - I'm even currently in the market for a 4" tanto, much like the OP. I've had two EX-01s (both 3.5" drop points), three EX-02s (3.35" tanto flipper, 3.75" tanto flipper, and a blue limited edition satin drop point 3.75" flipper), and two EX-04s (Both 3.5" wharncliffe, one blue, one red).

EVERY SINGLE ONE WAS PERFECT. Lockup, centering, pivot action, everything.

Emersons? I handled just as many, and only ONE was dead-nuts perfect. Aside from the singular CQC-13 I handled that was perfect, every other Emerson I have handled has had either blade play, poor pivot action, bad centering, or, most often, two or more of those. Seriously. Just about every one I handled was off-center and had poor pivot action. Blade play was an issue about 50% of the time.

They're both in the same price point and use similar materials, so Hogue is certainly the wiser choice in my eyes.
 
^Where have you been handling these Emersons? At a junk yard? Over the years I've probably bought 30+ Emerson knives. And they have come a long way in terms of fit and finish but I have NEVER had any issues with blade play, pivot action or blade centering with any of my Emersons past or present! I think what people have to realize is that Emerson knives are built to last and there is a break-in period when new. Yeah they might seem a little gritty or rough at first but after a couple days/weeks of handling, opening/closing and using they eventually smooth out. And once they do you can really appreciate their perfectly simplistic design. Everything you need, nothing you don't:thumbup:
 
Deffinetly go with Hogue.

I've only bought one Hogue and it came with a mirror polished edge, a great design, and I could not find a single flaw.

The two Emerson's I bought have terrible action, feel ridiculously gritty, blade centering was so far off on one it was rubbing the liner, a lock that hardly even functioned despite two months of 'breaking in', and not to mention the whole left hand chisel grind on a right hand knife thing.
 
To me, it's almost like comparing apples to oranges. Both are great, very dependable knives, but have very a different feel and look. If that matters at all to you.

I've handled a number of Hogue models, but thought most were a bit too bulky for my particular tastes. Then I found and purchased the Wilson Combat model EX-04. It is pretty much perfect for me. The contoured, sculpted handle (if I may), doesn't feel bulky at all and fits my hand perfectly. It rides in my pocket comfortably also. Fit and finish are excellent and the action is very smooth. Good quality steel also - handles all the cutting tasks I ask of it.

I also own and use a number of Emerson's - so I obviously like them. My take is that they are a basic, well thought out and designed, no frills, dependable, hard working tool. All of mine have basic, flat, black colored scales. The fit and finish are good, but maybe not as smooth and refined as the Hogue models. I have had one come to me with some centering issues. Otherwise, I'm happy with them all. I find the Emersons a bit more "pocket bulky", maybe because of the more rectangular shape many have. The somewhat rough scales tend to tear my pants pockets up a bit faster. Sounds like a few negative points coming from me but they are minor and pale compared to the solid dependability one gets from them. I might be more inclined to take the Emerson if I were going to beat the crap out of my knife, which I never do. So maybe I'm too much of a lightweight to give a definitive answer.

I really think it comes down to your preferences for what you want in your pocket every day. They're both good knives utilizing good steels - just really different designs. Since I enjoy picking the knife of the day, or hour, depending on what my plans are, I enjoy using them all (I have a Spyderco Military in my pocket right now). Hope this babbling helps a bit. Mike.
 
I too have owned a couple of Hogues and presently own 8 Emersons. For what it's worth I gave both Hogues to great friends. The EX01 was nice but I there were a couple of things that I didn't love - the swedge abruptly tapers/widens not a deal breaker but not my preference, the button lock was great but the lock-out tab wasn't for me and the spoon style clip got ground down thinner as I just thought it was plain ugly (that said, it works just fine) but the absolute deal-breaker for me was no tip up carry option.

Similar issues for my EX04 but it is a terrific knife and still has a place in my 'knives I no longer own but really like' list. Same lock-out tab, spoon style clip and no tip up carry option issues BUT my 4 inch drop point version felt great in hand and was an absolute work of art.

For both my Hogues the workmanship was outstanding - the edges were polished and screamin' sharp. Definitely worth a look.

HOWEVER, for practical uses my plan-jane black G10 (I have one CQQ-7 in tan) get the job done. They aren't sexy, they often don't hugely appeal in a classic knife aesthetic to me but I haven't been without one in my pocket since I bought my first one. Pluses for Emerson for me have to be; #1 the Wave feature. Hands down the fastest deployment. (And for all those who say that doesn't count - it does for me. I know all about how a knife is a crappy option for self defense but it is my only option where I live and I consciously carry them for that reason.) #2 154CM is easy to get back to shaving sharp (Hogue also uses 154CM steel but many others are 'supersteels', etc.) #3 they cope with crappy conditions and hard work. (That said, I think the Hogues would too)

Not sure if my long-winded reply adds much to what has already been expressed but as the OP asked for opinions from anyone who has owned both I thought I'd try to add my $0.02c to share the good stuff re. both brands... Hope it helps. ;)

Ben
 
Unless you've handled an Emerson and are prepared to deal with the comprises that seem inherent to their construction, get a Hogue. Emerson has cleaned up their F&F, but Hogue is lightyears ahead of them on that, more on par with Taichung Spydies or some of ZTs latest offerings. There are reasons behind the things I don't like on Emerson knives, but the reasons don't apply to me in the least, so I have no desire to put up with them. Unless you have the needs that Emersons are made to cater to, the Hogue will be a better built, smoother and stronger knife.
 
I got an Ex-01 aluminum today and its great. Going to be staying with me for a long while if not forever.I had a g10 ex 1 before and got rid of it within a week but this aluminum one has chaned my mind about hogue.

I dont hate emersons but 3 oout the 6 I had have had issues. Are they descent knives? I think so but also think they are over priced for what they are. I had cqc13 and was the one I keep the longest but there is just other stuff out there I would rather have.

I'd say get a hogue first or get an emerson used. My bet is you will end up trying both anyways. Only real way to find out what you like best.
 
I have nothing to say about Emerson. I don't own any and have zero experience with them.

I have a few Hogue EX01s. The fit and finish are amazing, and they are built like tanks. My EX01 3.5" auto is among my favorite knives of all time. I have handled the 4" aluminum version, and it is an amazing beast of a knife. I started a thread about Hogue, and I stated that I am amazed that more people are not nuts about these knives. They are as well made any production knife on the market and better than most.

Good luck with whatever you buy!
 
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