Emerson CQC 7

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barkgar

Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Messages
6
Hey Folks, newbe here to your cool site. I am a minor collector of nasty sharp things, currently I have my eye on an Emerson CQC 7. Is the cost worth the hype? The one I am looking at online seems to have a flat side on the right side, how would this hold up for durability? Thanks.
 
Emersons are chisel-ground at the blade, and some blades like the CQC-7 are only beveled on one side, too. There are various explanations for this, but it comes down mostly to laziness IMO. The knives are good quality, but the fit and finish isn't that great (they're not intended to be pretty). Steel is good, and customer service is great from what I hear. It kind of depends on what you want in a knife. They're durable and have great ergos, but they're also a smaller production company with smaller economies of scale, so you won't get the same materials larger companies can offer. There are threads going more into detail about whether Emerson knives are worth it; check their forum.
 
I dont think its worth anything close to the $130+ it costs. That being said I think its a great knife if you dont mind chisel grinds. Its also one of the more classic Emerson designs and looks sexy. I'm ashamed to admit that I bought it purely based on aesthetics/coolness factor and dont regret it.
 
I had a CQC7 (made by Benchmade) from the 1st production run when I went through my not-brief-enough "tactical" knife phase many years ago. The ergos were crude, boxy and uncomfortable; the blade became wobbly unless the pivot was over-tightened; it had a very late lockup (the locking liner ended up pegged against the opposite liner in short order); two of the three clip screws fell out and the gimmicky and relatively useless blade profile was chisel-ground on the wrong side for a right-handed user (visually indexing a cut with anything approaching precision was out of the question). It was very cheaply finished, prone to edge chipping and just dog ugly. Most disappointing hype-driven knife I've ever purchased.


Tsujigiri said:
...the fit and finish isn't that great (they're not intended to be pretty)
Click to expand...

If they're not intended to be pretty, why did they put the blade grind on the obverse (i.e., wrong for the majority of users) side of the knife, if not for a more photogenic look in advertisements and cameos? :confused:
 
Personally I like the CQC-7. I carried a Benchmade CQC-7 while in the Army & replaced it with the production Emerson CQC-7B. Ergonomics were good in my hand & the fit & finish were good. Size was about perfect as I could carry it easily, yet it was big enough for any task I had at hand. Had to send it back to Emerson several years later when I goofed up the profile sharpening it. Got it back & it could still serve great for most of my knife needs, especially being a civilian now.
 
Thanks for the posts. The one thing that caught my eye and it maybe just me, but the main screw holding the blade is a regular flat head. Also the liner lock looks fairly slim. I may let this one go.
 
It doesn't bother me about the non torx fasteners. It's not like a torx screw holds anything together any better. It's the threads and the hardness that will stand the test of time. Good thing there are lots of other folders out there, the fun is finding the one that you can't put down long after you buy it.
 
Welcome to the forum Barkgar.:) If you like the drop point version of the CQC-7 ( The CQC-7A), it will be available in about 6-10 weeks. I have a couple of older versions like these and I find them to be more useful than the tanto blade version.
 
I like my cqc7. I think it's pretty as well, the two-tone stonewashed blade looks amazing. It also has a really nice looking grind. It's perfectly centered with no bladeplay whatsoever. It's very sharp but the tanto/chisel thing makes it a little awkward to use for everyday utility stuff. The liner lock on mine is thick, much thicker than knives I've seen from Spyderco or Benchmade.
 
what i understand from using flathead screws for pivot is you can easily adjust or take apart if you want in the field.if your a soldier or someone who carries gear its not gonna be hard to find sth to put that flathead and adjust it.but carriying these little tiny torxbits is not that practical thought.and some zt models have nuts at the pivot which is also easily adjusted with a mt.
 
Tsujigiri said:
Emersons are chisel-ground at the blade, and some blades like the CQC-7 are only beveled on one side, too. There are various explanations for this, but it comes down mostly to laziness IMO. The knives are good quality, but the fit and finish isn't that great (they're not intended to be pretty). Steel is good, and customer service is great from what I hear. It kind of depends on what you want in a knife. They're durable and have great ergos, but they're also a smaller production company with smaller economies of scale, so you won't get the same materials larger companies can offer. There are threads going more into detail about whether Emerson knives are worth it; check their forum.
Click to expand...

I agree with everything except this last part. If you want to get honest opinions about the company the last place you want to go is the Emerson forum itself. Even moreso than with other knife brands, that particular forum is mostly populated by hardcore fans, and the place quickly becomes an echo chamber.

You're better off out here in general discussion.

Now, to address the OP's main question: the suitability of the CQC-7 depends on largely on what you want it to do. Personally, I don't think the CQC-7 is particularly good for either combat or utility applications, mostly because of its design.

The CQC-7 is chisel ground (flat on one side, beveled on the other). If you're trying to cut in a straight line, the asymmetrical grind will cause drag, making the knife veer off to the side as you try to cut straight down. You have to turn your wrist as you cut to keep the stroke straight, and any amount of overcompensation on your part will produce drift in the other direction.

As a combat knife, the CQC-7 is about as effective as you might expect a knife of 3.36" inches in length to be. A larger knife would be more ideal if you planned on using it for self-defense - the Super CQC-7 for instance, if you are partial to tantos and want to stick with Emersons. Otherwise, go with a company that doesn't charge quite as much.
 
been one of the main edc since about 1998, never had a problem with it. dropped it onto the tonto edge once but have since sharpened it out. still the best fit in uniform pants (inside the wasteband carry). small sebenza clips on the pocket but restricts use of the pocket. yeah, the CQC7 will probably be one of the main edc's
 
I've had several Emersons over the years. At first I found them to be decent knives. Then as I got more knives I started to find more flaws with the Emersons. As mentioned, they began to seem crude and less refined than other blades with similar materials yet half the price. Problems I had was as follows:
1. Pivot loosens all the time, so it was either super loose or too tight to open smooth.
2. Above causes blade rub and off-centerness
3. Detnent was non-existant when closed. Stabbed my hand several times (not bad) when going in my pocket.
4. Chisel grind sucks IMO for general use
5. Ergos were good..... for the 80's
6. Heavy for smallish knife

Pros:
1. Was super sharp from the factory
2. Relativity thin in the pocket

Today I find that Spyderco is twice the knife for half the price. Look at the Para2, you won't be disappointed. YMMV
 
Why is the pivot loosening still even a complaint in the knife community? It's not exclusive to one brand and it's widely known to use a bit of loc-tite if it bothers you. The Emerson pivot screw is excellent, you don't need to carry a T8, T10, or some funky tool to adjust it. I've used everything from a ruler to my thumbnail.

Emersons look like they have double detents, but actually only one retains the blade(the one on the non-locking liner). The one on the lock is just for smoothness against the blade.

Personally I've never had the 7, never been a big fan of tanto blades.....although I do have a Hogue EX01 tanto incoming. I do agree the lefty chisel grind is a bad choice.
 
Rick said:
I had a CQC7 (made by Benchmade) from the 1st production run when I went through my not-brief-enough "tactical" knife phase many years ago. The ergos were crude, boxy and uncomfortable; the blade became wobbly unless the pivot was over-tightened; it had a very late lockup (the locking liner ended up pegged against the opposite liner in short order); two of the three clip screws fell out and the gimmicky and relatively useless blade profile was chisel-ground on the wrong side for a right-handed user (visually indexing a cut with anything approaching precision was out of the question). It was very cheaply finished, prone to edge chipping and just dog ugly. Most disappointing hype-driven knife I've ever purchased.




If they're not intended to be pretty, why did they put the blade grind on the obverse (i.e., wrong for the majority of users) side of the knife, if not for a more photogenic look in advertisements and cameos? :confused:
Click to expand...

Interesting. I have several BM 970 models and have found them to be superior to the CQC7B knives I've purchased from EK. Agree about the ergs but all the rest not true for me; lockup and pivot
tension perfect with virtually no lock deterioration after several years of EDC. Still carry my HK special version from time to time.
 
IMHO, its not worth the money. IMHO there are better knives at that price point. Thats all I have to say about that.
 
I would suggest a CQC-7A with the spearpoint grind and no chisel grind. The handles feel great and while the liners have been questionable for me, it admittedly hasn't failed yet. I'd be betting Emerson would get real upset if I returned the knife to him telling him that it closed on my hand. The pivot does seem to loosen up easily, but unless you're still wet behind the ears, any good knife nut should have some blue loctite on hand. The only real thing is that there are better performing steels on the market than 154CM at Rc 57-59. I'm still a bit perplexed as to why Emerson would have contributed to the development of S30V and not use the steel himself.

I would not recommend the chisel ground blades. While they're exceptionally good in the kitchen for cutting soft and thick material(the chisel grind "peels" the cut material away from whatever you're cutting), it's placed on the wrong side of the knife for right-handed individuals and I find it to be an obstruction even when trying to make a clean cut through copy paper.
 
100eyes said:
Why is the pivot loosening still even a complaint in the knife community? It's not exclusive to one brand and it's widely known to use a bit of loc-tite if it bothers you.
Click to expand...

I own and use many folders (Kershaw,ZT,Spyderco,Buck,CRKT,Emerson,Benchmade,etc) over the years and the Emerson is the only brand I've had this issue with.. and it seems to be pretty widely know issue for them. Yeah, I can put some blue loctite on it, but for $150 it's not something I should have to do, and it was an issue on all 3 of the models I had. So to me this is a design issue and not something consumers should perpetuate by saying we shouldn't "complain" about it. I don't think anyone is complaining about it, but pointing out a flaw in the design that the OP should probably know about before plunking down a decent amount of money. Many people buy them.. all three of mine sold fast... so YMMV
 
Ive never had a loose pivot screw on a BM, and never on a Spyderco. For a supposed and advertised "hard use knife" that is "built to work", it doesnt work without breaking it in for months and adding loctite, then maybe reprofiling the blade. As I said IMHO, there are far better choices for your money.

Emerson himself said that "fit and finish" are not important to him. Well, "fit" should be extremely important, but in his knives IMHO it is apparent that its not. Uncentered blades, blade play, loose pivot screws, uncomfortable and sticky liner locks, etc. If it works for you, awesome! Dont attack my post as this is all my opinion, albeit an opinion based on my use of three EKI knives.
 
I've got a mini cqc-7 and I love it. it is made to be used, mainly by military, so the finish is pretty basic. The liner lock seems to work well and locks up early on my model with plenty of room for wear. The tanto blade is about as stout as you can find, but I find other blade shapes with finer points work better for some of the things i use a knife for. Overall a great , sturdy knife.
 
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