• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

Which Emerson should I buy?

Just a caution, I too really love the look, utility and ergos of Emerson's, but almost everyone that I know personally that owns an emerson has had their knife develop lock rock. That really puts me off. If that wasn't n issue, I'd own one.
 
I've had dozens of Emersons and never had lock rock. I suspect of you make a 100-time-a-day wave habit, yes, the stop bar will become deformed.

First and all-purpose Emerson? A CQC-10, Journeyman or Horseman (make sure you get a recent production one) are super solid choices.
 
Officer's Match said:
I've had dozens of Emersons and never had lock rock. I suspect of you make a 100-time-a-day wave habit, yes, the stop bar will become deformed.
Click to expand...

It happened to my first Emerson but it wasn't the stop bar it was the lock face that deformed. Yes, there was an excess of waving and wrist flicking (fun but I do NOT advise) that helped accelerate the wear. Treat it with respect and it should last a long while.
 
Even if you do wave and open excessively to the point where lock rock is developed, EKI has a great warranty that will fix you up.
 
Big emerson fan here. I'd recommend the 7 or 8 if you want a wanna get a good taste for emerson knives, the 7 is excellent for hard use, so is the 8 but I believe it to be the most practical tactical knife ever designed (stole that quote from some where). The journeyman would be my 3rd recommendation if you want something not so tactical and more so practical.

Have I ever gotten an emerson before that had issues out of the box? Yes, and EKI fixed it and had it back to me in 5 days and they tossed me some extras for the hassle. I've also sent in an emerson made in 2003 and gotten more fixed on it for free than what I asked for. Emerson really does take care of his customers. The chisel grind may not be everyone's favorite (I personally wish they were all right side grind not a left side grind) but because of this I can sharpen my cqc-7 on my whetstone quicker than any knife I own.

You really should come post this over on the emerson forum, we can post tons of pics of every knife you're interested in and throw you some good advice.
 
I'd spring for the 13. I picked up an old new production (2005) 13 about two months back and it's been dominating my pocket since. And I'm not a fan of tantos but that tanto ETAK and the roadhouse has me contemplating opening my wallet...
 
ibute21 said:
I'd spring for the 13. I picked up an old new production (2005) 13 about two months back and it's been dominating my pocket since. And I'm not a fan of tantos but that tanto ETAK and the roadhouse has me contemplating opening my wallet...
Click to expand...

The Roadhouse is indeed my favorite current model. Love mine. I also am partial to my CQC-11.







 
Officer's Match said:
The Roadhouse is indeed my favorite current model. Love mine. I also am partial to my CQC-11.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pics! Is that a Gray Precision thumbdisk?

I know a lot of people who love their Roadhouse. Today was payday too. Hmmmm. Now which flavor....mini, regular or super...

You sir, are an enabler!
 
I love my 8. It's one of only a couple of the 40+ knives I have that I never worry about being kind of careful with. I just use it. Wrist flick the heck out of it, love the sound. No worries. And no blade play or rock-lock after numerous kinetic-opening cycles. Probably done it at least 200 times.

Couple of good things IMO about the 8 over the 7 are that the handle design is safer, less chance of your hand ending up on the blade piercing something because it has a much deeper choil. The 7 is pretty straight.

Also, you can have a good sharpener reprofile the back side of the blade and make it really easy to sharpen, much easier than the 7's blade shape.

Lastly, if you belt-sand the hump off near the tip you can make it look just like a "Super Journeyman," which Emerson does not make.

I bought a Horseman first, and was underwhelmed at the small size. So I immediately bought the regular 8, that day. Absolutely love it, by far my most treasured knife over my Gold Class BM and my 3 Sebbies even. Kept the Horseman, though. Carry it when I ride my motorcycle due to the smaller size.

Got a Super, a little too big. Traded it away but it rocked, really. Opened so easy kinetically.

The 8 is "just right" for me.
 
jmclfrsh said:
But don't get the Christmas Journeyman....because I'll be jealous!
Click to expand...

I think I might just have to. :-) It looks pretty bad ass. The blade shape on the journeyman is not my favorite but seems very strong and practical. I love the blade on the CQC 13. And actually the 12 a little more, it just seems like a weak tip and would break easily under hard use.
 
oH MY GOSh!

You ask a question like this and you get as many different answers as there are posts.

My two cents are get the CQC-15 because it is the best combo of all the cool things Emersons are known for.
 
colubrid said:
oH MY GOSh!

You ask a question like this and you get as many different answers as there are posts.

My two cents are get the CQC-15 because it is the best combo of all the cool things Emersons are known for.
Click to expand...

I ask questions like this because I want all the different answers and I want to hear everyone's opinions and why they like a certain blade. The more posts the better.
 
Don't believe it's been produced for a while now. It's the last two pictures, and that one has been reground by Tom Krein (also no longer available as a service).
 
Buy a ZT, Spyderco or BM instead, you'll get much more
for your money and cutting edge (no pun intended) blade
steel and locking mechanisms. Not a thin liner lock that
will wear out in a few months and 154cm.
Emerson thinks it's still 1998. ��
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top