Who else has a kershaw/emerson and what do you think of it so far?

TheChunk91

TheChunk91

Joined
Aug 15, 2013
Messages
4,897
I have had a kershaw cqc-6k for the past few days and have been putting it through the usual deal, I have to say its really impressed me so far. The f&f is great, no complaints or issues at all, theres some nitpicks like rough finishing on the inside of the lockbar and whatnot but at this price I dont care and it doesnt matter. Its also extremely smooth, surprisingly so but with a very solid lockup, the blade is well centered as well. I dont have a real emerson to compare it to (yet) but I dont see a reason why anyone shouldnt try one of these kershaw/emersons. I got a benchmade 710 a few days before this cqc-6k but the benchmade has kinda been just along for the ride now, I dont remember the last time I was this impressed with such an inexpensive knife. I think its one of the ultimate beater knives along with cold steels. Now im really wanting to try an emerson:thumbup:
 
Aside from not being able to switch the pocket clip to left hand carry it's a decently built $40 Chinese knife. The blade on my 7 is beautiful but the lock is starting to move a little and I am sure will rock soon.
 
I think mine is ok. Forgot how much I dislike the wave feature. It's going to be my truck knife anyway. I think grinds are well done and it locks up tight. For $37 shipped, I think it's a good deal. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1403969752.941563.jpg
 
I handled all of the Kershaw/Emersons at the store recently and I was very impressed by them. They are a much better value than real Emersons and if I were you I would save you're money and stick with the Kershaws.
 
I just picked up a 6K from another member here, I've got to be honest, I love it. I just finished tweaking a Benchmade 940-1 a.d. it hasn't spent a day in my pocket because of the 6K. I really like the wave feature, it locks up solidly, and it has a great feel to it. There's also a touch more weight than you'd expect, which I actually like a lot, it feels really solid. It may just be my new favorite folder in the $35 range.
 
Mine is very nicely built and a solid value. Good fit and finish. Its a tad heavy feeling for the size, but not in a bad way, has a nice heft to it. I am a little put out about the pocket clip hardware too, as I bought this for left hand carry, but I have plenty of knives and can wait till they figure out the problem.
 
Absolutely destroys the Spyderco Tenacious in terms of value and cool factor IMO. Overall just amazing and feels rock solid.
 
I have a CQC-5K and CQC-6K. Great designs, ergonomics (especially on the 6K), and build quality. I agree that the CQC-6K makes for a fantastic beater knife. It has a good heft to it and feels extremely rugged. It also maintains the full blade stock thickness for a good portion of the width, so it should be very strong as well. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the thumb disc (vs. a thumb stud). But, with the wave opener, it doesn't even matter.
 
I have the 8K, for $35 I'm satisfied. The QC is decent, not great but decent at the price. Mine was not ground the best, the edge on the bevel side was not completely straight. I was able to fix that after about a half hour of the course stones on the Sharpmaker. I wish they had used the phosphor bronze bushings instead of plastic, I think it would definitely help it open smoother. I put some CLP into the pivot and that helped with the opening and eliminating the squeaking. The blade centering, no matter how much adjusting I do to it, sucks. I can only get it to center by loosening it so much that it has a ridiculous amount of play, tightening it eliminates the play but then rubs against the liners.

One thing I learned for sure is that I never want an Emerson or a chisel grind blade again, it is a pain to sharpen and the wave feature is a joke, it works maybe 2/3 the time and about 1/10 times when in a reverse mounting. The Spyderco wave it tremendously more effective. The chisel grind definitely makes for a strong blade, but mine had about the sharpness of a pate spreader. It is better now, but still not what I want.

I don't regret buying it, but I wouldn't buy another either. For now, I just carry it when I go to the pool or out on the boat, the DLC should prevent rust and I can pretend that I'm a SEAL (since they all carry Emersons obviously! :rolleyes:)
 
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I just received a CQC-3K from Kershawguy yesterday. Just want to mention that shipping was VERY fast!

I have to say that I'm a little disappointed with it, especially in comparison to the Kershaw Cryo. The transition of the belly to tanto is rounded, rather than sharp. The knife itself has a lot of rough edges and the blade grind was very uneven. The ergonomics are great and it's a great size for a sub-3" blade. I'm also a big fan of the G10 used for the scale.

I'm sure that some of the other models will make people happy, but I was hoping that the CQC-3K would be a step up from the Cryo, which it doesn't seem to be. I am looking forward to the ZT collaboration as I'm sure the ZT0620 will be a huge step up from the China made Kershaw modes.
 
My 6k hasn't left the house, due to the fact that I can't swap the clip for LH carry because the screws are too short. 6 days and I'm still waiting on a reply from Kershaw. I wouldn't have bought it if I knew. So as of now my grade would be an "F"/"inc."
 
Smokinape said:
Aside from not being able to switch the pocket clip to left hand carry it's a decently built $40 Chinese knife. The blade on my 7 is beautiful but the lock is starting to move a little and I am sure will rock soon.
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The lock on my 6k has moved over quite a bit as well. I've been carrying it as a beater work knife so I could retire my worn old Zing. I like the 6k, the ergos are great, but I just don't think it will last long term as a work knife. I mean, it's not like I use my work knife hard. I open plastic bags and cut paper straps. I haven't waved it a single time and don't flick it open hard. We'll see how long it lasts.
 
John_0917 said:
One thing I learned for sure is that I never want an Emerson or a chisel grind blade again, it is a pain to sharpen and the wave feature is a joke, it works maybe 2/3 the time and about 1/10 times when in a reverse mounting. The Spyderco wave it tremendously more effective.
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I would try the 8k but I really dont like the aesthetics, it just looks kinda clunky. With the wave I found that it takes practice, I have to focus on what im doing for it to work 100% but I really like it. Since I got my 6k I have decided for certain I will try an emerson, the price and apparent lack of f&f has made me hold off on one but the designs are so great and once I get a knife and start using it then I dont care how much it was because it doesnt matter since i'll have a knife to enjoy and use for the majority of or my entire life. The 7k is pretty cool too so I plan on trying one, even though I like the rest of the models they are just too small, the zt 0620 will probably be better than any real emerson as far as f&f and materials though.
 
I bought the CQC-6K and like it so far.

It has the stiffness in the opening action like others have posted about here.

I haven't tried the "Wave" opener yet, but I like it on other knives I have.

I do plan on getting the CQC-4K later on.

Edited to add:

I find thumb-disc openers to be tricky to open right consistently . Hitting the "sweet spot" to open it just right is easy to miss.
 
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I bought the 6k from Mr. Anderson. None of the qc issues some have reported. Nice knife for the price, decently sharp out of the box, the 8cr deforms as you would expect and is a breeze to sharpen. I find the wave to be very consistent from my back right pocket. No such luck in FRP with shorts. I got the spear point in anticipation of the 0620 but will probably hold off until I can see some reviews from actual users here on the forums.
 
So far very happy with my CQC-6K but I definitely do not want a waved folder for my EDC. Otherwise it is near perfect.
 
Hi guys! I have a 7k - but am a lefty and haven't managed to swap the clip. Today Kershaw replied one week after I sent a contact us email. They acknowledge the problem, and are waiting on a batch of screws from their Chinese manufacturer.

As for the 7k - it's stiff to open, but for the price point I'm absolutely loving the two tone finish. Blade steel doesn't seem to be very hardy though, and though more testing is needed, it seems to dull faster than my brawler.
 
I have been carrying the 4K for 2 weeks now and I like it a lot.
I too am a lefty and waiting on screws but that is no big deal as I clip it in the left pocket and just twist it and it opens fine with the wave.
Sure I would rather have the blade facing the seam but the detent is good so no fear of it opening in my pocket.
For a thirty and change knife I thing this is quite the bargain.
 
Have a 5 and 6 and a 1 and 2 on the way. Great knives for the price. Just gotta give them a good deep cleaning when you get them. Packed with oil and gunk from the factory and that makes them quite stiff, but after cleaning they're great.
 
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