Recommendation? Spyderco Tenacious or Kershaw Emerson CQC-9k

D

DingoDog

Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
3
Good afternoon,

I tried searching to no avail. I am debating between the Spyderco Tenacious and the Kershaw Emerson CQC-9k. Both have similar steel types and similar blade lengths. I am going to use this for everyday carry.
 
Dadpool said:
Excellent US-based warranty support either way. :)

For me this would come down to wave and thumb disk vs. Spydie hole.
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Or down frame lock vs liner lock.

I personally like the aesthetics of the Kershaw more and really dig how the wave is hidden while open.
 
I’ve never used a wave knife. I’ve had my Benchmade for 8 years and lost it so now I’m looking on. Is the wave worth it over a Spyderco and ziptie?
 
DingoDog said:
I’ve never used a wave knife. I’ve had my Benchmade for 8 years and lost it so now I’m looking on. Is the wave worth it over a Spyderco and ziptie?
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If you want a wave, I would say yes. They'll both work fine, but the ziptie doesn't look as good and the sharp parts of the ziptie might eat up your pocket at a faster rate
 
I vote tenacious. Theyre both good, and I have had and used both. The kershaw developed lock play (though I liked it more by a hair)and wasnt safe. The tenacious was fine. Just my experience.
 
DingoDog said:
I’ve never used a wave knife. I’ve had my Benchmade for 8 years and lost it so now I’m looking on. Is the wave worth it over a Spyderco and ziptie?
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No. In fact, having gone through an eight year learning curve from the beginning of my collecting to now, I would say that waving a knife at all is not worth it over using the Spydie hole with your thumb or finger. And believe me I have tried many deployment methods.

benchwarmer380 said:
If you want a wave, I would say yes. They'll both work fine, but the ziptie doesn't look as good and the sharp parts of the ziptie might eat up your pocket at a faster rate
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True, but if it absolutely must be waved, then you can do it with a zip tie in a manner that will never ever ever tear up your pants. Actually, two zip ties, and it will deploy every dingo time without fail. What you do is you attach your first zip tie, but you don't cinch it down all the way, until you attach a second zip to to the first zip tie. What this does is it allows you to have a second zip tie act as the wave feature, and you can point it in the same direction as the tip of the knife. So now you cinch down the first zip tie to hold the second in place, and cinch that one down too, once it is positioned just right. Now snip off the excess, and use a lighter to melt all the sharp and jagged parts. Boom, you have a zip tie wave that is shaped exactly how it needs to be to grab decisively onto your pocket every time, and it is smooth and will not rip anything.

Here is what it looks like, and believe you me, it is a force to be reckoned with. You will have to be very deliberate if you want to not deploy the blade!

Cold Steel Voyager Tanto XL, peaceant plus zip tie mod.JPG

Dogdrawz said:
My first Spydie was a Tenacious & now that I've found this thread, I want another one. Oh that Spydie finger flick...so good.
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I had one Tenacious a while back, and gave it away. My first Spydie was actually a Manix 2 XL, but my second one was a Resilience, which is essentially a Tenacious XL. It is my favourite knife of all time - after I made my own modifications to it. I have purchased six Resiliences to date, two of which I have modded and sold, and two of which I still own. The other two are in the mail, as I just ordered them last night, and I have big plans for them, in terms of design changes.

Long story longer, despite having owned many lock types and many steel types, I am finding that lower alloy stainless, particularly Spydercos 8Cr13MoV, is great for me because it is tough enough to work hard without damage, even after my regrinding it down to under ten thousandths of an inch. Once reground to this level, my Resilience cuts better than any high carbide steel knife I own, because they simply cannot get that thin and hold up to the same use. My 204P Military is ground that thin, and it rolled doing turning cuts in thick cardboard; not so my Resilience!

I just traded my modded S30V Shaman to another member for three Tenaciouses, which I am excitedly awaiting in the mail.

CVamberbonehead said:
I vote tenacious. Theyre both good, and I have had and used both. The kershaw developed lock play (though I liked it more by a hair)and wasnt safe. The tenacious was fine. Just my experience.
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I didn't own this Kershaw, but a CQC-4K. It was nice, but so small. I gave it away. Also, something about Kershaw emersons having that skull logo on them kind of seems creepy. I would hate to find myself in an awkward situation where such imagery lends to a negative impression. A Spyderco Tenacious is unambiguously a cutting tool, designed for work. It's not a mall ninja knife.

DingoDog said:
Thanks guys. Tenacious it is
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Great choice!

Boxer .45 said:
Tenacious is a great knife.

Wave is silly imo. So is the "ziptie". You lose .005 seconds deploying it yourself.
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Frankly, I don't even think you lose that any more. Sure the knife is actually open faster with a wave deployment, but it's also behind your rear. Then you have to bring it forward. Or you could simply practice drawing and opening the knife with your thumb or finger and though it might be open a split second later, once it is open it is already in front.

DocJD said:
;) If you can live with the shame ! :p

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Nice knife. I invite you to try my method above, and see how incredibly much better you'll like it.

Alberta Ed said:
No.
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Exactly. Just say no to knives that dictate how they are to be deployed. Spydies give you freedom to deploy however you want. You want a super fast deploy? Spydie hole. You want a controlled draw with the option to deploy or not deploy? Spydie hole. You want draw and slowly and quietly open it so you don't freak out old ladies, babies and kittens? Spydie hole. You want it to open its own way every single time, or force you to have to deliberately hold the blade closed in order to be able to safely take it out of your pocket when you don't want the blade to deploy? Then that is when you want the Emerson accidentally discovered feature that made him rich.

Just my own take on the question at issue. No pockets were frayed in the expressing of this opinion (though many dozens were in the forming of it!)
 
My vote would be for the Tenacious. I’m not a big fan of recurves like 9k has. Especially when it comes time to sharpen it.
 
Of the two listed, I'd go Spyderco too.

Hate to throw a wrench in the conversation but have you looked at an Ontario Rat 1 in D2 steel? At the price range you are looking at, that is my go to recommendation. You lose G10 scales but upgrade to D2 steel.
https://www.bladehq.com/?search=ontario+rat+model+1+d2

Kershaw also has some Emerson collaborations in D2 steel for another $10 or so.
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-Emerson-CQC-4KXL-D2-Frame--101841
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-Emerson-CQC-6K-Frame-Lock--102483
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-CQC-11K-D2-Frame-Lock-Knife--101840
 
I have the Tenacious and the CQC-6K.

I much prefer the Tenacious for all the reasons listed above and foremost for it's utilitarian blade shape. My EDC locking folder is a tool first, a weapon only as a last resort. So I have no need for rapid deployment but if I did, the capability is there.
 
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