Just a shout out to Nutnfancy enjoy your videos,very informative and entertaining.I just bought this knife in a satin finish.I can't stop buying knives and your not helping! Keep posting reviews,(a fan)
Man, he reminds me of the guys from the knife show on the home shopping channel. Just straight to the point, great explanation and detail. Very good review.
I asked around on another forum, and apparently this isn't unheard of with Emersons, so what I've done is tighten the blade tension just enough to eliminate the blade play, and just work on breaking the knife in and practicing drawing it out. Thanks for the input.
Good review. Thanks for your honesty and detail. You address some aspects of the knife that I had concerns about but no longer do. Emerson knives are beautiful and practical knives. I EDC a "7" with the "wave feature". I'll be purchasing this one soon.
Ernest Emerson build great blades. I have lusted after his CQC-13 for a while now. Roughly 150 bucks, while very fair/reasonable, is hard to come up with when money is tight. Awesome vid man!!!
The CQC-8 still comes how you got yours... They call it a standard V-Grind, but they're referring to the blade grind, not the edge grind. The edge grind is a chisel grind - ground on one side, then the other side just has the burr knocked off basically. The Emerson CQC-7 is a true Chisel Grind where only one side of the blade is ground and the other side is completely flat, so it lays flat against a table. Still a great knife and easily fixed. Love your reviews! Jonathan
Dude, this Knife is my dream knife. It's not just a sturdy, monstrously built tank that's sharp as a razor. It's oozing 2KOC (2nd kind of cool) oozing from it. Look at that blade shape! Look at it! I am turned on, completely. COMPLETELY!
I see alot of people whining about the 154cm instead of s30v or d2. Why? 154cm has worked and proven itself in there aplications time and time again, it sharpens well and holds a good edge, why change what already works. new fancy blade steels come and go.
i love all knives and most of them are made by SOG ive had a Mini X-ray Vision for a few months now and its amazing you should review one!! lately ive been gettin in to Emerson knives and im planning to get the Mini CQC-7B another reviewable suggestion! keep up the good work!
Damn, I'm and Emerson addict. Just dropped $487 on two Combat Karambits. I sold my old one just to buy two more. WTF. Also upgraded all my 2012 models with 2013 models with Stand-Offs. The 2013 models have stepped things up. Really impressive.
Nice review. I encourage you to look into the CQC10, especially since it peaked your interest while you were skimming through the Emerson site. I find the 10 to wave the easiest of the EKI lineup. I don't want my comments to detract from your thorough and excellent review. Enjoy in good health.
@ihaterobbie123 See his knife storage video for clarification. Nutn has literally hundreds of knives, and some are in the safe, some are in storage in rubbermade containers and some are hither and yon in the house. The closest blade he has access to is the one he carries..and he almost always has one on him. As far as your comment goes, Nutn would agree..you can't access it if its locked in a safe. -- Veri (forgot to sign the last one, I'm his sister)
This knife looks like a scimitar! From the geometry I see I can see that it would be excellent for stabbing and cutting! You should review some Karambits Nutn!
Got my CQC 8 in the mail today. I am very impressed with the quality of my first and definitely not last Emerson. For some reason I still think I prefer to carry the Spyderco Military as my self defense blade though.
You're right. My coworkers call my Emerson Karambit the "bear claw." Wicked fast and compact. You can also throw punches while holding the thing. great for self defense.
I noticed that your CQC-8 has an additional screw on the handle compared to mine. On the non-pocket-clip side. I have a 2008 model, so that might be why. His newer blades also have just two screws and the pivot screw holding the G10 scales. You may have a collectable! Your G10 scales also looked courser than mine. Very interesting. Awesome knife though! Thanks for all the reviews. Keep up the great work!
Good video, thanks. Good luck using a file to grind that 154CM steel bro, I tried that on a Horseman (mini CQC8) and had to use a Dremel tool, yeah I know, you were just making a point, a good one by the way: the jimping sucks (on both). The spacer in the back is made of G10. The liners are Titanium. The pivot screw is easily adjusted in the field without wrenches, I use the rim on a 5.56 case, or any other, it works; just saying. Thanks for reviewing this Nutnfancy, I love Emerson knives.
While the Emerson knives are expensive, they will last forever. So instead of buying a $10, $15 or even $20 knife every year or two, you can purchase one Emerson and be done with it. I've EDC'd my CQC7 for 13 years, and it still works perfectly.
@Falsitive Hello, I am Kraid on USN, JD, EDCF, CPF, and BF. I've owned 3 dozen Emersons (approx). Now that I have established that I have a degree of knowledge, let me say that the pivot is intended to be "thumbnail tight" (stop before you hurt yourself). If you tighten it beyond that, the knife will have a hard time opening. Less than that and you'll have blade play. It was designed this way so that military members (such as myself) can adjust it in the field with no need for tools.
Hey Nutn - love your videos. Keep making them. But you have to mention the titainium liner! There's your strength on your liner lock! Otherwise, nice job.
Oh man. You sharpened the clip side of the knife...yes it's a conventional V grind but it's still a chisel edge. When you sharpen the clip side it voids the warranty(so I've heard). The knife is chisel edge so that it's easier to field sharpen (on a rock if need be) in less time. The brute history with "the father of tactical knives" Emerson is crazy. These knives are made to hunt the top of the food chain. True warriors knives as proven by special forces units all over the world. British SAS still carries this knife. Emerson was approached in the 1980s by Seal Team 6 with a request for a knife(CQC-6). The seals are the ones that asked for the wave feature that was originally designed as a "blade catch" for knife fighting to protect the top of the hand and only later did they find out the wave made it deployable from the pocket. The seals requested the chisel grind and the flat head pivot so it can be taken apart with almost anything, coin, flat piece of metal, another knife...
nice knife. emerson knives are great, im a big fan of the cqc7. got a question tho. iv noticed that u dont have many serrated knives, so why is that? do u not like them? just trying to learn because almost every knife i have carried was partially serrated. so what are your opinions about serrations?
@aznpos531 a torx or hex/double box screw gives the driver more contact points so you can apply more force effectively. do you need 100+ pounds of torque on a knife pivot? i sure as hell don't.
I finally got a reply from him. He apologized and fixed my problem. It's really annoying having to wait so long, but I don't think he was trying to cheat me. Just don't expect quick service when you order.
sixteen34 & Bohica173 The stiffness and lockup is exactly how you want them to come. All of my Emersons and Striders are/have been like this. Don't do anything to it until you've opened and closed it a few hundred times or more to break it in.....kind of like a nice 1911. Don't lube or do anything until it's completely broken in, then correct if there's still a problem. Check the forums about this and Strider (I know we're talking Emerson) has info on this in their FAQ. Jonathan
I think Emerson should upgrade the blade steel for their asking prices. 154cm is great, but most other companies offer D2 or S30v when you're paying over $100.
do i understand why some ppl hate liner locks....but a properly made liner lock will never fail u lol....unless u are fighting ironman or soemthing....otherwise i don't see why u can't stab through stuff with it =P
@nutnfancy thanks anyway veri but nutn should think about it pros.small light easy to carry good sheath 440c blade tactical finish cons.doesn't have allot of reach
Hey man love ur vids. Ur a great resource for knife users. I was wondering if you've ever had the Teflon on any of your Emersons rub or flake off. I'm sure they will if you use them for real work, but I was wondering how well it holds up as opposed to your standard "baked on" finish. Thanks, C
Interesting how the CQC-8 employs philips and flathead screws. Which raises the question...why do most blades use torx/hex screws when philips and and flathead screwdrivers are so much more common?
@albi131 I've heard people worry about the liner lock, but I've never heard of one failing. I trust mine 100% and it's never given me any reason to think it would fail. I've some really bad things to my knife and it just works. I've seen Kershaw blades bend really badly and not go back to normal, but my Emerson just is solid.
Hey Nutn you said in this review that this knife couldn't be considered high value because of the price (although there's more considerations than price when it comes to "value") but what do you think about hooking into one of these nowadays at around $260, should I even consider it?
@simplyslender11 If you take a frame lock and put a G10 scale on the outside it IS a linerlock. Shouldn't the thickness of the lock be the important part?
I'm looking into this being my first $100+ knife, but I'm curious, How's the factory edge on an Emerson? Cause if I'm going to pay more then $100 for a knife, i want it to be beyond razor sharp lol
Would any custom knife maker be able to correct the grind on this knife. BTW the Chisel grind is what keeps me from buying Microtech.Right now I am considering this knife or a Microtech SOCOM Elite. The thing that also kills the SOCOM for me is the darn tip down only clip.
Hey Nutnfancy, Does this Emerson CQC-8 have any under pocket clip issues, you know, like Cold Steel, with their aggressive texturing under the pocket clip?
I've had a few issues with this knife straight out of the box. The blade is pretty difficult to flick out, and when flicked out firmly, the liner lock locks up very tightly and is very difficult to disengage. I was wondering if some lubrication is required. Has anyone else experienced these problems?
i just bought this knife for my first emerson and the loner lock is rediculously stiff to the poin where i can barely diengage the lock my thumb is raw i was just wondering if anyone else hashad this problem and if so how did they fix it... should i send it in to see of they can do anything or is it just a break in period?
If you go to some shady looking sites like yourcornerstore they have it for like $150. I suggest you stay away from those and buy it from a reputable site like gpknives/newgraham/knifeworks. They have it for $170
It's hard to imagine actually having to stab another human being for "tactical" reasons. But I guess a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do when put in such circumstances.
Just a shout out to Nutnfancy enjoy your videos,very informative and entertaining.I just bought this knife in a satin finish.I can't stop buying knives and your not helping! Keep posting reviews,(a fan)
Man, he reminds me of the guys from the knife show on the home shopping channel. Just straight to the point, great explanation and detail. Very good review.
I asked around on another forum, and apparently this isn't unheard of with Emersons, so what I've done is tighten the blade tension just enough to eliminate the blade play, and just work on breaking the knife in and practicing drawing it out. Thanks for the input.
just bought this knife from notjustknives can't wait 4 my first emerson , been wanting this knife since this review came out . thks nutnfancy
Good review. Thanks for your honesty and detail. You address some aspects of the knife that I had concerns about but no longer do. Emerson knives are beautiful and practical knives. I EDC a "7" with the "wave feature". I'll be purchasing this one soon.
Ernest Emerson build great blades. I have lusted after his CQC-13 for a while now. Roughly 150 bucks, while very fair/reasonable, is hard to come up with when money is tight. Awesome vid man!!!
got one, carry it everyday, wouldnt go anywhere without it. awesome knife
Thanks nut'n! adding it to the shopping cart. As always, great video and keep up the good work.
The CQC-8 still comes how you got yours... They call it a standard V-Grind, but they're referring to the blade grind, not the edge grind.
The edge grind is a chisel grind - ground on one side, then the other side just has the burr knocked off basically.
The Emerson CQC-7 is a true Chisel Grind where only one side of the blade is ground and the other side is completely flat, so it lays flat against a table.
Still a great knife and easily fixed. Love your reviews!
Jonathan
SICK knife. got this in stonewash and the new ETAK. insane.
I purchased this knife because of you:)) thanks Nutn!!
Dude, this Knife is my dream knife.
It's not just a sturdy, monstrously built tank that's sharp as a razor.
It's oozing 2KOC (2nd kind of cool) oozing from it. Look at that blade shape! Look at it! I am turned on, completely. COMPLETELY!
I never leave home without it.
I see alot of people whining about the 154cm instead of s30v or d2. Why? 154cm has worked and proven itself in there aplications time and time again, it sharpens well and holds a good edge, why change what already works. new fancy blade steels come and go.
i love all knives and most of them are made by SOG ive had a Mini X-ray Vision for a few months now and its amazing you should review one!! lately ive been gettin in to Emerson knives and im planning to get the Mini CQC-7B another reviewable suggestion! keep up the good work!
Damn, I'm and Emerson addict. Just dropped $487 on two Combat Karambits. I sold my old one just to buy two more. WTF. Also upgraded all my 2012 models with 2013 models with Stand-Offs. The 2013 models have stepped things up. Really impressive.
Nice review. I encourage you to look into the CQC10, especially since it peaked your interest while you were skimming through the Emerson site. I find the 10 to wave the easiest of the EKI lineup. I don't want my comments to detract from your thorough and excellent review. Enjoy in good health.
I ordered two knives from yourcornerstore I got them a month later, and I even upgraded shiping
@ihaterobbie123 See his knife storage video for clarification. Nutn has literally hundreds of knives, and some are in the safe, some are in storage in rubbermade containers and some are hither and yon in the house. The closest blade he has access to is the one he carries..and he almost always has one on him. As far as your comment goes, Nutn would agree..you can't access it if its locked in a safe. -- Veri (forgot to sign the last one, I'm his sister)
I am getting a Super CQC 8, oh yes!
Take care and have a nice day man!
This knife looks like a scimitar! From the geometry I see I can see that it would be excellent for stabbing and cutting! You should review some Karambits Nutn!
Sweet I've been waiting for this one.
What a great blade! If there was a model with half titanium handle,like the cqc-12-csfs, that would make it a near perfect knife.
Great vid sweet knife
Got my CQC 8 in the mail today. I am very impressed with the quality of my first and definitely not last Emerson. For some reason I still think I prefer to carry the Spyderco Military as my self defense blade though.
You're right. My coworkers call my Emerson Karambit the "bear claw." Wicked fast and compact. You can also throw punches while holding the thing. great for self defense.
I noticed that your CQC-8 has an additional screw on the handle compared to mine. On the non-pocket-clip side. I have a 2008 model, so that might be why. His newer blades also have just two screws and the pivot screw holding the G10 scales. You may have a collectable! Your G10 scales also looked courser than mine. Very interesting. Awesome knife though! Thanks for all the reviews. Keep up the great work!
Also, if you practice w/ that wave feature, it's way faster than any auto could ever hope to be, plus, it's easier to close one handed!
Good video, thanks. Good luck using a file to grind that 154CM steel bro, I tried that on a Horseman (mini CQC8) and had to use a Dremel tool, yeah I know, you were just making a point, a good one by the way: the jimping sucks (on both). The spacer in the back is made of G10. The liners are Titanium. The pivot screw is easily adjusted in the field without wrenches, I use the rim on a 5.56 case, or any other, it works; just saying. Thanks for reviewing this Nutnfancy, I love Emerson knives.
I'll tell him, ken, thanks!! -- Veri
I just ordered the newer Horseman with the standoffs, really looking forward to it!
While the Emerson knives are expensive, they will last forever. So instead of buying a $10, $15 or even $20 knife every year or two, you can purchase one Emerson and be done with it. I've EDC'd my CQC7 for 13 years, and it still works perfectly.
@Falsitive
Hello, I am Kraid on USN, JD, EDCF, CPF, and BF. I've owned 3 dozen Emersons (approx). Now that I have established that I have a degree of knowledge, let me say that the pivot is intended to be "thumbnail tight" (stop before you hurt yourself). If you tighten it beyond that, the knife will have a hard time opening. Less than that and you'll have blade play. It was designed this way so that military members (such as myself) can adjust it in the field with no need for tools.
I really like the choil.
One great Blade, I am up in the air on this knife or the CQC-13 for my favorite Emerson
Hey Nutn - love your videos. Keep making them. But you have to mention the titainium liner! There's your strength on your liner lock! Otherwise, nice job.
Interesting thing about that CQC pivot is that you can use a credit card to tighten the pivot in a pinch.
Nutn, you really should update this video with any new views you have after talking to Mr. Emerson at SHOT show. This knife is on my wish list.
MORE EMERSONS PLEASE
Number One Video on my TNP Trail Blazing Video Adventure!
Please review the a-100s!
Oh man. You sharpened the clip side of the knife...yes it's a conventional V grind but it's still a chisel edge. When you sharpen the clip side it voids the warranty(so I've heard). The knife is chisel edge so that it's easier to field sharpen (on a rock if need be) in less time. The brute history with "the father of tactical knives" Emerson is crazy. These knives are made to hunt the top of the food chain. True warriors knives as proven by special forces units all over the world. British SAS still carries this knife. Emerson was approached in the 1980s by Seal Team 6 with a request for a knife(CQC-6). The seals are the ones that asked for the wave feature that was originally designed as a "blade catch" for knife fighting to protect the top of the hand and only later did they find out the wave made it deployable from the pocket. The seals requested the chisel grind and the flat head pivot so it can be taken apart with almost anything, coin, flat piece of metal, another knife...
Thanks bro!
The CQC-8 should go on the nutnfancy specials page Bladehq.
Looking to get a Mini CQC-7. Would make a heck of a pocket knife.
nice knife. emerson knives are great, im a big fan of the cqc7.
got a question tho. iv noticed that u dont have many serrated knives, so why is that? do u not like them? just trying to learn because almost every knife i have carried was partially serrated. so what are your opinions about serrations?
@aznpos531 a torx or hex/double box screw gives the driver more contact points so you can apply more force effectively. do you need 100+ pounds of torque on a knife pivot? i sure as hell don't.
I finally got a reply from him. He apologized and fixed my problem. It's really annoying having to wait so long, but I don't think he was trying to cheat me. Just don't expect quick service when you order.
sixteen34 & Bohica173
The stiffness and lockup is exactly how you want them to come. All of my Emersons and Striders are/have been like this. Don't do anything to it until you've opened and closed it a few hundred times or more to break it in.....kind of like a nice 1911.
Don't lube or do anything until it's completely broken in, then correct if there's still a problem.
Check the forums about this and Strider (I know we're talking Emerson) has info on this in their FAQ.
Jonathan
I think Emerson should upgrade the blade steel for their asking prices. 154cm is great, but most other companies offer D2 or S30v when you're paying over $100.
do i understand why some ppl hate liner locks....but a properly made liner lock will never fail u lol....unless u are fighting ironman or soemthing....otherwise i don't see why u can't stab through stuff with it =P
MAC FTW!!!
@nutnfancy thanks anyway veri but nutn should think about it
pros.small light easy to carry good sheath 440c blade tactical finish
cons.doesn't have allot of reach
How about the Emerson Horse man?
@nutnfancy Hey I would just like to ask why you dislike the karambit style knives?i got sad when you said that lol
Hey man love ur vids. Ur a great resource for knife users. I was wondering if you've ever had the Teflon on any of your Emersons rub or flake off. I'm sure they will if you use them for real work, but I was wondering how well it holds up as opposed to your standard "baked on" finish.
Thanks,
C
Mr. Nutnfancy, you could get a job with the home shopping network.
Try out the horseman mini cqc 8
@mongomondomongo I forgot to tell him! LOL I'll try to remember... - Veri
Great review as always. But how can you tell the difference between 4 to 5 ounces in your pocket?
The pivot screw is designed so that you can tighten it with your thumbnail. Or a coin. You do not need a special screw driver.
Interesting how the CQC-8 employs philips and flathead screws. Which raises the question...why do most blades use torx/hex screws when philips and and flathead screwdrivers are so much more common?
@albi131 I've heard people worry about the liner lock, but I've never heard of one failing. I trust mine 100% and it's never given me any reason to think it would fail. I've some really bad things to my knife and it just works. I've seen Kershaw blades bend really badly and not go back to normal, but my Emerson just is solid.
Hey Nutn you said in this review that this knife couldn't be considered high value because of the price (although there's more considerations than price when it comes to "value") but what do you think about hooking into one of these nowadays at around $260, should I even consider it?
If I buy an emerson it'll be a cqc-7. Not sure if waved or not.
Maybe a waved cqc-7 and a non waved mini
Have you ever compared it to the Mini (Horseman)? It seems to be that it may be more useful than the big CQC-8.
@simplyslender11
If you take a frame lock and put a G10 scale on the outside it IS a linerlock. Shouldn't the thickness of the lock be the important part?
I like my CQC-7, and want to regrind the edge. Got info on how to do that?
@vrsca89 I am debating a CQC 8 or CQC 15 for my first emerson too.
@Verilioness thank yah for asking
I'm looking into this being my first $100+ knife, but I'm curious, How's the factory edge on an Emerson? Cause if I'm going to pay more then $100 for a knife, i want it to be beyond razor sharp lol
for the price I would go for CS Large Espada ! and will get duracoated by up armoured knives ! ;)
Would any custom knife maker be able to correct the grind on this knife. BTW the Chisel grind is what keeps me from buying Microtech.Right now I am considering this knife or a Microtech SOCOM Elite. The thing that also kills the SOCOM for me is the darn tip down only clip.
You didn't mention the tight pivot it just comes out the factory.
@robinsonelizabeth I think just the question peaked his interest. You know Nutn..he'll probably check it out now. =)
Hey Nutnfancy,
Does this Emerson CQC-8 have any under pocket clip issues, you know, like Cold Steel, with their aggressive texturing under the pocket clip?
I really want some Emerson knives but i just don't have that much money to spend on that kind of stuff.
i have the mini and its alright but to my liking doesnt cut as well as the large and more structured version
hey veri could you ask nutn what he thinks about the boker ma2
@applevalleyjoe
You should check out the SUPER CQC-8. Opposite direction, but you just might like it!
@nutnfancy
He's still using "show stopper" as if it has a negative connotation in his newer videos :(
I know you have mentioned this in other videos but I forgot. Can you send a knife to Razors Edge for sharpening and if so how do you contact them?
DO some more Emersons sometime.
Yeah I wana see him review a karambit
Do the SOG seal Knife! I love mine.
you should review a Strider knife. maybe the PT, PT CC, SNG, or SNG CC
im torn between this and Eikhorn POHL ONE with wood inserts.
I've had a few issues with this knife straight out of the box. The blade is pretty difficult to flick out, and when flicked out firmly, the liner lock locks up very tightly and is very difficult to disengage. I was wondering if some lubrication is required. Has anyone else experienced these problems?
@barehandedbearhunter he likes the concept, im sure he wishes it was FFG, but even with no ffg its still great.
Why didn't you mention the Emerson wave feature?
Do you have a review of a CQC 7?
@aznpos531 Torx and hex screws discourage disassembly and look cool.
i just bought this knife for my first emerson and the loner lock is rediculously stiff to the poin where i can barely diengage the lock my thumb is raw i was just wondering if anyone else hashad this problem and if so how did they fix it... should i send it in to see of they can do anything or is it just a break in period?
which emerson should i get first the CQC 8, CQC 15 or a commander?
@robinsonelizabeth Sorry, I asked but Nutn says he is unfamiliar with that blade. -- Veri
@Qh3 While that COULD happen, nutn prefers a peaceful resolution, and I DOUBT that he would go that far.
Any thoughts on the spyderco endura emerson?
If you go to some shady looking sites like yourcornerstore they have it for like $150. I suggest you stay away from those and buy it from a reputable site like gpknives/newgraham/knifeworks. They have it for $170
@aznpos531 My guess is that they are more secure and strong in the tiny sized screws used in the knives.
It's hard to imagine actually having to stab another human being for "tactical" reasons. But I guess a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do when put in such circumstances.