An Ode to my Emerson

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Sep 13, 2016
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So, I'm posting this in General in order to reach anyone who may be on the fence about the brand. So I have had my Emerson Horseman for 2 years now, and it's been my favorite knife for awhile. This last week however, I truly put the blade to the test and was reminded why I love this knife. I spent my whole week at a large, national equine competition. All week, as "the guy with the knife," I was called upon to help with the dreaded stall setups and takedowns. Countless bags of shavings and pieces of twine were taken down. However, the biggest challenge was the endles stream of zip ties! I hate cutting zip ties with knives, and most of the cutting on these were big pull cuts around metal bars, with the blade often skipping off and hitting metal stall walls. After dozens of zip ties, pieces of plastic, twine, and everything else, the Horseman was left with a loose pocket clip due to the torque from the pull cuts, and a dull but not at all chipped or rolled blade. The edge wasn't up to my standards anymore, but never failed to cut. This is where the softer HT comes in handy, in my opinion. The blade is the perfect size, the wave is time saving, and the ergonomics are incredible for many different trips. The thing is so tough, and even though many of my blades are capable of this work, I don't have any that I am comfortable beating on this much, and knowing I can bring it right back to peak performance. Sorry for the ramble, but this just furthers my views on Emerson knives. I don't like them for everything, and they are not a blade for everyone or every need. They are not a go-to-meeting knife, or a gentleman's folder. But when I need to get down and dirty, and get some real work done, I'm glad to grab my Emerson.
 
The horseman is a great knife, I've had a couple. My all time favorite is the headless horseman!
 
Another example of why those that love Emerson keep their Emerson.
 
D
Another example of why those that love Emerson keep their Emerson.
Definitely not for everyone, but they're kind of like a big diesel pickup in my opinion. Not the best for driving everyday, not the cheapest, prettiest, fanciest or easiest to maintain, and impractical for most "regular" use. However, when you have some big work to get done, sometimes they'll be your best bet.
 
I use and carry one everyday. I own and operate a landscaping and gardening business. Doing this kind of work reveals why these knives are so good.
 
D

Definitely not for everyone, but they're kind of like a big diesel pickup in my opinion. Not the best for driving everyday, not the cheapest, prettiest, fanciest or easiest to maintain, and impractical for most "regular" use. However, when you have some big work to get done, sometimes they'll be your best bet.

I'd say the Adamas folder I had would outperform any Emerson in the toughness department while also being cheaper and having a better steel and fit/finish. Made in the USA too, and has the better and tougher AXIS lock.

I'd say the Emerson is more like an El Camino: easy to justify owning one but hard to come up with anything it's really good at, it's always got a better competitor in whatever you're comparing.
 
I've got three Emersons (a Vindicator, a Persian and a Combat Karambit). I like them, the design and ergonomics are spot on, however I've got to agree with KingMC a bit.
For the price, Emersons should have better materials and fit and finish. I'm very happy with mine, but that's mostly because of subjective reasons.

Just to name a couple of options, Cold Steel offers tougher knives at a much lower price, and ZT has a two Emerson design with better blade steel (and finish).
 
I'd say the Adamas folder I had would outperform any Emerson in the toughness department while also being cheaper and having a better steel and fit/finish. Made in the USA too, and has the better and tougher AXIS lock.

I'd say the Emerson is more like an El Camino: easy to justify owning one but hard to come up with anything it's really good at, it's always got a better competitor in whatever you're comparing.
Haha I cannot argue with this opinion! I see what you're saying, and I love my Benchmades. I haven't owned lots of knives, but I will admit that objectively, in my opinion, there are many knives that are "better" than Emersons. But, in keeping with the analogy, there are many cars that are more available, cost effective, have better gas mileage, and are faster and more controllable than classic cars like the El Camino. But people still love them and drive them, and I feel the same way about Emersons. For me, I feel like every aspect of my Horseman is designed for a specific use. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than using it for that specific use. That all being said, many other companies build knives with the same specific purposes in mind, so I think most of it does come down to personal preference! Your post reminded me how much I want to pick up an Adamas to play with for awhile lol.
 
I'd say the Adamas folder I had would outperform any Emerson in the toughness department while also being cheaper and having a better steel and fit/finish. Made in the USA too, and has the better and tougher AXIS lock.

I'd say the Emerson is more like an El Camino: easy to justify owning one but hard to come up with anything it's really good at, it's always got a better competitor in whatever you're comparing.
Better blade steel? D2 is not as tough as emerson 154cm or as stainless. The omega spring is real reliable too:eek:
 
I've got three Emersons (a Vindicator, a Persian and a Combat Karambit). I like them, the design and ergonomics are spot on, however I've got to agree with KingMC a bit.
For the price, Emersons should have better materials and fit and finish. I'm very happy with mine, but that's mostly because of subjective reasons.

Just to name a couple of options, Cold Steel offers tougher knives at a much lower price, and ZT has a two Emerson design with better blade steel (and finish).
I feel that. I wish Emersons were cheaper, but I will say that I have gotten way closer to $200 of use out of my Horseman than I have out of any of my other blades. I feel like, at least for me, and as much as I hate to admit it, i could get by with just an SAK, and definitely could get by with just a Rat 1. When I let myself admit how crazy knife buying is for me, I don't feel so bad about subjective tastes dictating my purchases and wants. So, if I like them and I like how they work, that's good enough for me.
 
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Better blade steel? D2 is not as tough as emerson 154cm or as stainless. The omega spring is real reliable too:eek:

Sure, ok, whatever you gotta tell yourself to sleep at night. :p

My Adamas was a tank that not only sharpened just as easily as my BM Rift in 154cm but also held a usable edge longer through more strenuous work. The lock was rock-solid and the spring can easily be replaced if it breaks (never had an omega spring break before, and I've carried multiple BMs for multiple years of EDC at a time.
 
I feel like, at least for me, and as much as I hate to admit it, i could get by with just an SAK, and definitely could get by with just a Rat 1. When I let myself admit how crazy knife buying is for me, I don't feel so bad about subjective tastes dictating my purchases and wants. So, if I like them and I like how they work, that's good enough for me.

That's quite probably the case with most of us here. I used a SAK as my main EDC for years before I knew what "EDC" was, and added a simple fixed blade to it when I had to work at my family's ranch.

Liking a piece of kit is a perfectly fine reason to own and carry it. Especially if it also performs well. My Emerson Vindicator is certainly not the absolute best pocket knife one could get for the money, but I enjoy it (and I'm willing to invest money on enjoyment) and in my use I don't really notice a huge difference in performance between good quality knives.

Hell, I own knives just as expensive (or more expensive) that are borderline useless. For instance, yesterday I felt like carrying a Protech Godfather.

I think it's safe to assume that almost 100% of the folks here own more knives than they need, and not every single one of them has to be a perfect equation balancing cost, materials, design and workmanship.
 
That's quite probably the case with most of us here. I used a SAK as my main EDC for years before I knew what "EDC" was, and added a simple fixed blade to it when I had to work at my family's ranch.

Liking a piece of kit is a perfectly fine reason to own and carry it. Especially if it also performs well. My Emerson Vindicator is certainly not the absolute best pocket knife one could get for the money, but I enjoy it (and I'm willing to invest money on enjoyment) and in my use I don't really notice a huge difference in performance between good quality knives.

Hell, I own knives just as expensive (or more expensive) that are borderline useless. For instance, yesterday I felt like carrying a Protech Godfather.

I think it's safe to assume that almost 100% of the folks here own more knives than they need, and not every single one of them has to be a perfect equation balancing cost, materials, design and workmanship.
Perfectly said! I do feel like my Emerson performs just as well or better within its purpose than any other blade, and even if it didn't, I just like it and feel good using it!
 
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