What budget knives need a premium version?

Rasco said:
Kershaw Strobe.

Would love to see Diskin do some designs for ZT. ;)
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I second the idea of a premium Strobe...picture S35VN steel with G10 or CF grip inserts, Ti slabs, steel lock insert...Take my money!
 
tcd511 said:
Wouldn't the Spyderco Manix be the better or closest version to the Tenacious?
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If you are looking for a "more premium" version of the Tenacious, yeah, there are actually a lot of other Spydercos that come reasonably close.
I'd also say an upgraded version of the Cryo would be the ZT 550, yeah?
 
I wish Benchmade would do a HK 14205 with a CPM M4 blade or some other "super" steel.
 
The Tenacious is a great knife. Ergonomics are the best of any Spyderco I have handled. A premium sprint run would be sweet.
 
Kershaw CQC-4kXL.
Needs a better steel and G10 color options. Keep it a frame lock and keep that spear point blade. And keep it at a ~$100 price.
But even in 8CR, I love mine long time.
 
Gollum said:
I knew someone was going to bring that up.
The Emerson is a liner lock.
The steel on the Emerson is not much better if at all.
G10 too course on the Emerson, the Kershaw needs more just not as much as the Emerson.
The Emerson has that cartoonish blade to handle ratio.
The Kershaw has a V-grind.
The Kershaw has better F & F.
The Emerson is made in the US, I will give it that.
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Don't bring up the emerson debate, its bad taste at this point. If you like em you like em if you don't you don't. Get over it.

The HD-7 is a framelock cqc-7. Don't like it?
Cool, the ZT 0620 fits your bill...oh it doesn't? okay, find another tanto that you like.
154CM is a great steel, you don't like it, great. Find another knife.
G10 too course? Sand it, get custom scales made, make your own.
V-grind isn't always better, also there's a Cqc-7v
Kershaw has great Fit and finish so does Emerson, All my emersons function fantastically, gonna be picky? Find a dealer and hand pick or find another brand.

don't like the handle to blade ratio? Get a Super 7 like I did, gonna keep nit picking? There's these things called other models....



Gollum said:
I guess most people who buy knives don't use theirs either because most knives don't have that crazy ratio.

Not too many brands have a 300+ reply thread debating the poor F & F of their brand.

More importantly you seem to contradict yourself:

"The premium version is an Emerson CQC-7"
"The ZT's and Kershaws are not Emerson knives."

I'm out, I gotta go not use my Kershaw CQC-7 and ZT 0630
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Lots of people have complained and there have been some inconsistencies but theres also plenty of threads regarding their stellar customer service. Also, the statement Echoil makes, makes sense. A ZT made collab that takes influence from Emerson is NOT an emerson knife, Emerson didn't make it and doesn't warranty it, therefore not an emerson knife. Plain and Simple.


Dean Crail said:
And the premium version of the Emerson is the ZT / Emerson collaboration, or what I prefer to call it "the Emerson finally brought into the 21st century"
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It's a collab, being snide doesn't earn you any points. Emerson makes designs that work, why fix what isn't broken? He holds true to 154CM because he feels it works as do many people, and IIRC he uses it because he originally bought it from the same company he uses today and they've maintained a good relationship...sounds respectable to me. All of these complaints that people constantly whine about are all preferences and if you don't like it then buy something else and chalk it up to the fact that it isn't for you



To keep things on track for the OP.
A non assisted or at least ti handled blur or skyline would be cool to see from kershaw.

Same thing with an Ontario rat (1 or 2) maybe in vg10, or cpm154 with ti or even anodized aluminum handles.

All great budget knives that would have some cool upgraded sprints.
 
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Id love to see a real nice crkt m-16 like the og originals from like 04-05. I know its a kit carson and the real ones make me drool and he is no longer with us and are very expensive and impossible to find, and pieces of history so to me not an option to use. But the design is amazing and extremely useful. Would just like to see bronze bushings and a nice steel and a functional flipping action.
 
mrnotsam123 said:
It's a collab, being snide doesn't earn you any points. Emerson makes designs that work, why fix what isn't broken? He holds true to 154CM because he feels it works as do many people, and IIRC he uses it because he originally bought it from the same company he uses today and they've maintained a good relationship...sounds respectable to me. All of these complaints that people constantly whine about are all preferences and if you don't like it then buy something else and chalk it up to the fact that it isn't for you
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I didn't say anything about the designs, Ernie is hands down one of the best designers in the world when it comes to knives, He gets his steel from Crucible and last I checked they make S35VN. I have owned several Emerson's and beaten the snot out of each one, and with the exception of the custom each of my Emerson's has several things in common, the liner lock isn't sturdy enough to hold up to being waved open thus causing the lock to walk. The lock on each has failed me at least twice and that was under normal usage, the heat treat is so soft that the 154 does not hold an edge very well, and last but not least the chisel grind is on the wrong side.

I own the knives and when reviewing the faults/strengths of the knife I am 100% honest. Heck my Emerson collection is not cheap either I have allot of money invested in those knives. But I would also venture to say if Emerson were to start totally fresh with no reputation at all with their current line up and prices they would be out of business in about a year.
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Another vote for an upgraded Rat 1. It's such a great folder already, would be something to see with improved materials.
 
I would whole heartedly agree.

Mike

"But I would also venture to say if Emerson were to start totally fresh with no reputation at all with their current line up and prices they would be out of business in about a year."
 
Kershaw 1745 Ener-G2. I would love to see a version with Blue G10 scales, a ZDP-189 blade, and a two tone stonewashed/belt satin finish.
 
I wouldn't mind seeing the Kershaw Injection 3820/3830 (Rexford design) with S30V, S35VN, or Elmax in stonewash finish instead of bead blast too. :)
 
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Would like to see the whole Boker Plus line upgraded to no less than VG-10. Where's D-2, 154CM, S 30v at least. If Kizer can offer S 35v in sub $150 knives why can't Boker? They have a lot of nice designs but their steels are mediocre. My Stingray is great except for 440C- now it's offered in VG-10 for about $165. Come on Boker- get in the game!
 
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