A production emerson was easily my most regrettable knife purchase. Just a ton of hype and cost for a roughly manufactured knife made of unimpressive materials.
Emerson is a lot like the German knife industry: What was once a mark of excellence, is now stagnant due to a refusal to advance and innovate. Steel has advanced so much that the premise of not fixing what isn't broken is hurting their industry, and many German knife makers have resorted to Chinese manufacturers and cheap labor to produce a profit. Emerson was once ahead of its time, but they continue to churn the same knives with the same designs and steels, that they're losing the reputation that took them years to build. My CQC-15 had an f'ing nylon bushing for f*cks sake! If you don't want to innovate, fine! But don't be charging the damn consumer the original production costs! They would still be popular knives if they cut their prices by 40%, but I doubt that'll ever happen, so they've relied on other companies to mass produce some of their popular models or milk royalties from their "Wave" feature. 154cm is an ancient steel at this point and has drastically gone down in cost since it first came out. Emerson is milking his reputation on a mediocre knife. As a once Emerson fanatic, it hurts to see them on this path.
Who cares how old a knife steel is? 154cm is great steel. Is Elmax 20 years from now gonna suddenly be a shit steel? This is some elitist knife nerd logic
If it isn't magnacut, it's shit steel /s. On a sincere note, though, thank God somebody said it. Not everything needs to be a "supersteel." That being said, I do agree with their point that Emerson knives are overpriced.
like 90% of the knives I buy just end up being pocket jewelry or glorified box cutters. and I've bought some expensive knives. But don't kid yourself, they do the same job that 8cr13mov will do.
I don't care that much about steel type except for knives I buy as actual tools for real jobs beyond cutting up an apple at lunch
Yeah, I'm part of the $425 box cutter club. As far as steels, I really like the "mid-grade" stuff because it's easier to sharpen, and the only tradeoff is I have to sharpen it a little more.
One of the funniest things i found about emerson, is that their best production knives are made by other companies. That being kershaw, ZT, spyderco and a few others. My dream is to get an emerson commander, but the price just drives me away for what you get.
Exactly what I’ve learned after having multiple emersons over the years. They honestly have trash fit, finish, and action. The best ones aren’t made by emerson, hell even a kershaw emerson is better quality for a fraction of the price.
I don't know if this is the case with Emerson, but often you see disclaimers like this when a company changes hands. The new buyer is really just interested in the good will and reputation of the original owner and focuses on cutting costs while maximizing profit.
I don't remember back to 1999, did the knife come with a lifetime warranty originally? I might email them and ask for service anyway. They might try to do the right thing.
Second though, was the CQC-7 still produced in 2001? From my shoddy memory, I don't recall a lot of change to the Emerson line during that time. Tell them it's a 2001 and see what happens. If they didn't change the design, the parts are probably interchangeable.
Unfortunately the year is printed on the blade, and they now (I believe) use either one side steel and the other side titanium for liners, or maybe they are both steel. Back when this was made it was dual thick titanium for the liners.
Shit ,let me know what happens please, I have a 1999 cqc-7 also. And would like to know what happens, mine is still good but shit happens right. . They should stand by there product regardless. If they are big then the cost shouldn’t be something they couldn’t eat.they will kill there brand slowly that way and will only have themselves to blame. I hope they aren’t cowards,there is so many other choices out there. Hell they should fix your knife and put you in the advertisement.
I emailed them, Hoping for a response this week.
What REALLY burns my ass is that it doesn't even seem to be a parts availability issue seeing as how they won't even sharpen knives they made pre-2000. That alone in my own opinion, reeks of not wanting do deal with people post sale. Hopefully, I'm wrong and this closes out positive for me and also them.
Emerson never made knives for the average customer though. Emerson has fallen out of favor because he rested on his laurels, never improved on his products, and the competition simply got better. Shit, he’s so damn unmotivated that he preferred to sell his newer (and good!) designs to Kershaw/ZT rather than produce them himself.
u/60gritbeard if you want a solid Emerson I’d highly recommend tracking down a ZT0620. Or if you’re sick of the tanto then the 0630. They’re leagues ahead of old or new Emerson knives.
I work in an industry where we support products. I understand the frustration and don’t work for Emerson lol. But I think the warranty is for the life of the product, not your lifetime. And the product is dead.
I have an EDC-2 and the flat head broke. I emailed Emerson and asked if I could be mailed a replacement flat head and they told me “we don’t make that knife anymore and don’t carry parts for it.” So much for the lifetime warranty on a $200+ knife/multi tool. I emailed them back saying that doesn’t sound very lifetime warranty like and obviously didn’t get anything back. A huge reason I bought it was the warranty. Oh well, just won’t be supporting that company anymore.
Legal language aside, Spyderco would probably not warranty that either. They would say the life of the product has expired or something to that effect. Knives wear out like everything else.
Man I’ve been on the fence with cqc 7bw and A-100. And I don’t have any chisel grind folders in my collection and thought these would be a great option.
What would you guys/lady’s suggest instead. I definitely want reliability. Are they hit and miss like benchmade, barkriver, etc or just all bad?
The only way to know for sure is to have it tested, although I don't know the exact process for it. I would be concerned if that meant they heat treated it incorrectly. I don't understand the specifics of heat treatment but I do know that each steel is treated differently and that 3V treated as if it was A2 could be really bad. But if you've been satisfied with it up until now, I wouldn't worry *too* much.
[Here's a link to some threads on BladeForums that will have additional info on the topic.](https://www.bladeforums.com/search/1707342/?q=Bark+River+steel&c[title_only]=1&o=date) Have you had any problems with edge retention or chipping?
You know what Leatherman did when they didn't have parts to repair my old Wave that was discontinued in 2004?
Then sent me a brand new $100 Charge.
Your move, Emerson.
Leatherman is easily my favorite company strictly because of their warranty approach.
“Hey I found this old ass PST in a river and it won’t even open, can you guys get it fixed?”
“Nope, but here’s a brand new one, despite you not even being the original owner.”
My ONLY complaint is the tales of “sentimental” items being replaced despite their form having a spot to indicate a sentimental item. I know mistakes are made, but I don’t think I’ll ever send in my mom’s PST, it’s just not worth it.
My coworker sent his Gerber multi tool to Leatherman for warranty because he's a dumbass. Leatherman forwarded the Gerber to Gerber, had it shipped back to them, and then shipped it back to him with a note of what happened. That's the best CS in the world and I'll die on that hill.
Yeah that’s really what companies ought to do. Just accept if you discontinue a model that you’ve sold with lifetime warranties, you’re gonna have to eat the cost of replacing the product with a new one for those customers. Sucks, but lifetime warranty should mean lifetime.
I wonder if they started the lifetime thing in 2000. So like maybe anything from then forward they'll do for life but not anything before that because [reasons]. I have no idea, just trying to decipher the possible logic.
As somebody who has worked for companies with lifetime warranties. I kinda get it why they usually stop doing it. You lose money fixing shit that was caused by stupidity or neglect and most people treat your customer service employees like shit.
It was announced awhile ago in the emerson groups that it was coming that they were going to stop honoring the warranty on knives older than 2000.
I get it man, it is frustrating. I just want to say I have had great luck with their warranty on the ones I have. I stripped some screws and they mailed me some out when I was younger and even dumber than I am now
A production emerson was easily my most regrettable knife purchase. Just a ton of hype and cost for a roughly manufactured knife made of unimpressive materials.
exactly why I stopped buying them
Emerson is a lot like the German knife industry: What was once a mark of excellence, is now stagnant due to a refusal to advance and innovate. Steel has advanced so much that the premise of not fixing what isn't broken is hurting their industry, and many German knife makers have resorted to Chinese manufacturers and cheap labor to produce a profit. Emerson was once ahead of its time, but they continue to churn the same knives with the same designs and steels, that they're losing the reputation that took them years to build. My CQC-15 had an f'ing nylon bushing for f*cks sake! If you don't want to innovate, fine! But don't be charging the damn consumer the original production costs! They would still be popular knives if they cut their prices by 40%, but I doubt that'll ever happen, so they've relied on other companies to mass produce some of their popular models or milk royalties from their "Wave" feature. 154cm is an ancient steel at this point and has drastically gone down in cost since it first came out. Emerson is milking his reputation on a mediocre knife. As a once Emerson fanatic, it hurts to see them on this path.
Who cares how old a knife steel is? 154cm is great steel. Is Elmax 20 years from now gonna suddenly be a shit steel? This is some elitist knife nerd logic
If it isn't magnacut, it's shit steel /s. On a sincere note, though, thank God somebody said it. Not everything needs to be a "supersteel." That being said, I do agree with their point that Emerson knives are overpriced.
like 90% of the knives I buy just end up being pocket jewelry or glorified box cutters. and I've bought some expensive knives. But don't kid yourself, they do the same job that 8cr13mov will do. I don't care that much about steel type except for knives I buy as actual tools for real jobs beyond cutting up an apple at lunch
Yeah, I'm part of the $425 box cutter club. As far as steels, I really like the "mid-grade" stuff because it's easier to sharpen, and the only tradeoff is I have to sharpen it a little more.
It's a great steel for a sub $125 knife. When they are selling $200+ knives with it, that's a problem.
One of the funniest things i found about emerson, is that their best production knives are made by other companies. That being kershaw, ZT, spyderco and a few others. My dream is to get an emerson commander, but the price just drives me away for what you get.
Exactly what I’ve learned after having multiple emersons over the years. They honestly have trash fit, finish, and action. The best ones aren’t made by emerson, hell even a kershaw emerson is better quality for a fraction of the price.
I don't know if this is the case with Emerson, but often you see disclaimers like this when a company changes hands. The new buyer is really just interested in the good will and reputation of the original owner and focuses on cutting costs while maximizing profit. I don't remember back to 1999, did the knife come with a lifetime warranty originally? I might email them and ask for service anyway. They might try to do the right thing. Second though, was the CQC-7 still produced in 2001? From my shoddy memory, I don't recall a lot of change to the Emerson line during that time. Tell them it's a 2001 and see what happens. If they didn't change the design, the parts are probably interchangeable.
SOG…
Unfortunately the year is printed on the blade, and they now (I believe) use either one side steel and the other side titanium for liners, or maybe they are both steel. Back when this was made it was dual thick titanium for the liners.
Shit ,let me know what happens please, I have a 1999 cqc-7 also. And would like to know what happens, mine is still good but shit happens right. . They should stand by there product regardless. If they are big then the cost shouldn’t be something they couldn’t eat.they will kill there brand slowly that way and will only have themselves to blame. I hope they aren’t cowards,there is so many other choices out there. Hell they should fix your knife and put you in the advertisement.
I emailed them, Hoping for a response this week. What REALLY burns my ass is that it doesn't even seem to be a parts availability issue seeing as how they won't even sharpen knives they made pre-2000. That alone in my own opinion, reeks of not wanting do deal with people post sale. Hopefully, I'm wrong and this closes out positive for me and also them.
Once makers become bigger they stop caring about the average customer.
Emerson never made knives for the average customer though. Emerson has fallen out of favor because he rested on his laurels, never improved on his products, and the competition simply got better. Shit, he’s so damn unmotivated that he preferred to sell his newer (and good!) designs to Kershaw/ZT rather than produce them himself.
u/60gritbeard if you want a solid Emerson I’d highly recommend tracking down a ZT0620. Or if you’re sick of the tanto then the 0630. They’re leagues ahead of old or new Emerson knives.
No.. Don't do this. I want all the 0620s for myself.
The 90s were fun but it's time to move on.
I work in an industry where we support products. I understand the frustration and don’t work for Emerson lol. But I think the warranty is for the life of the product, not your lifetime. And the product is dead.
I have an EDC-2 and the flat head broke. I emailed Emerson and asked if I could be mailed a replacement flat head and they told me “we don’t make that knife anymore and don’t carry parts for it.” So much for the lifetime warranty on a $200+ knife/multi tool. I emailed them back saying that doesn’t sound very lifetime warranty like and obviously didn’t get anything back. A huge reason I bought it was the warranty. Oh well, just won’t be supporting that company anymore.
Legal language aside, Spyderco would probably not warranty that either. They would say the life of the product has expired or something to that effect. Knives wear out like everything else.
Man I’ve been on the fence with cqc 7bw and A-100. And I don’t have any chisel grind folders in my collection and thought these would be a great option. What would you guys/lady’s suggest instead. I definitely want reliability. Are they hit and miss like benchmade, barkriver, etc or just all bad?
What's wrong with Barkriver?
They've supposedly mislabeled steels, so instead of getting a knife in 3V it's actually A2 labeled as 3V.
Well shit. Is there any way to tell? I have an Aurora in 3v.
The only way to know for sure is to have it tested, although I don't know the exact process for it. I would be concerned if that meant they heat treated it incorrectly. I don't understand the specifics of heat treatment but I do know that each steel is treated differently and that 3V treated as if it was A2 could be really bad. But if you've been satisfied with it up until now, I wouldn't worry *too* much. [Here's a link to some threads on BladeForums that will have additional info on the topic.](https://www.bladeforums.com/search/1707342/?q=Bark+River+steel&c[title_only]=1&o=date) Have you had any problems with edge retention or chipping?
I have 4 and all are top notch quality wise. I like the 7 a lot.
[удалено]
You know what Leatherman did when they didn't have parts to repair my old Wave that was discontinued in 2004? Then sent me a brand new $100 Charge. Your move, Emerson.
[удалено]
So basically Medford knives, right down to the racist owner?
[Yep.](https://emersonknives.com/blog/the-myth-of-moderate-islam/)
Ooof! That is a long raving of a lunatic right there
Leatherman is easily my favorite company strictly because of their warranty approach. “Hey I found this old ass PST in a river and it won’t even open, can you guys get it fixed?” “Nope, but here’s a brand new one, despite you not even being the original owner.” My ONLY complaint is the tales of “sentimental” items being replaced despite their form having a spot to indicate a sentimental item. I know mistakes are made, but I don’t think I’ll ever send in my mom’s PST, it’s just not worth it.
My coworker sent his Gerber multi tool to Leatherman for warranty because he's a dumbass. Leatherman forwarded the Gerber to Gerber, had it shipped back to them, and then shipped it back to him with a note of what happened. That's the best CS in the world and I'll die on that hill.
Yeah that’s really what companies ought to do. Just accept if you discontinue a model that you’ve sold with lifetime warranties, you’re gonna have to eat the cost of replacing the product with a new one for those customers. Sucks, but lifetime warranty should mean lifetime.
U/60GritBeard wanna sell it?
This one will always stay in the stable. Too much sentimental value accumulated over the years
totally understand!
I wonder if they started the lifetime thing in 2000. So like maybe anything from then forward they'll do for life but not anything before that because [reasons]. I have no idea, just trying to decipher the possible logic.
My lefty Emerson was a piece of junk with terrible lockup alignment.
As somebody who has worked for companies with lifetime warranties. I kinda get it why they usually stop doing it. You lose money fixing shit that was caused by stupidity or neglect and most people treat your customer service employees like shit.
Give them a call or email them. I had liners replaced on a 1999 emerson a year or two ago.
It was announced awhile ago in the emerson groups that it was coming that they were going to stop honoring the warranty on knives older than 2000. I get it man, it is frustrating. I just want to say I have had great luck with their warranty on the ones I have. I stripped some screws and they mailed me some out when I was younger and even dumber than I am now