Make: Emerson
Model: CQC-7A-SF
It's hard to talk about this knife without talking about the progression of EDC knives I've been through of late.
For the gun folks, the analogy goes as follows...
The Benchmade Griptilian was my Garand: it served me well for years and was a real workhorse.
The Griptilian was eventually replaced by the Kershaw Shallot (see post) the same way the M14 replaced the Garand. The Shallot was a decent knife, and seemed to address a few things I didn't particularly like about the Griptilian (namely its bulk and handle material), but its service was as short-lived as the M14's.
Then the Emerson arrives on the scene like the M16. There is some initial doubt and hesitation, but it is nonetheless adopted, and now I can't imagine carrying anything else.
vs the Black Shallot
I still prescribe to the theory that the "right" knife for you is whatever feels best in your hand at that particular phase of your life.
I really did like the Black Shallot, but somewhere in the back of my mind it bothered me that the SpeedSafe action, while very smooth and reliable, required that you hold the knife in a particular way and used a particular finger in a particular motion to activate it. So sure, in a no-stress situation with nothing to lose and time to spare, opening it was a breeze (and just plain cool, to be honest). But could you do it with gloves on? Left-handed? With greasy hands? With the knife upside-down?
I would just hate to need the knife for that once-in-a-lifetime moment where I needed to cut a seat belt with bloody, injured hands and not be able to get the thing open.
Kershaw actually makes a knife called the Avalanche that's pretty similar to the Shallot except that it has a thumb stud on the blade to assist with opening. I had actually planned on trying that out instead when the Emerson landed in my lap...
Enter the Emerson
I lucked out in that my shooting buddy had also been on the hunt for a new EDC to replace his own Griptilian. He tried the Emerson but it didn't quite fit his liking. So money traded hands at the range one Sunday morning and I became the proud new owner of an Emerson folder.
So this knife is actually one of the Prestige Line collaborations with Action Concepts. It's a CQC-7 except with a spear point, which I definitely preferred over the standard tanto (mainly for aesthetic reasons, I think).
I loved the knife, but like the army and their M16, I did have some initial reservations about adopting it as my standard EDC. I had just gotten used to the slimness and disappears-in-your-pocket feeling of the Shallot, and this was a return to a bulkier knife. And I have to admit, I still thought the SpeedSafe opening was just plain nifty, not to mention I'd only just bought the knife a few weeks back!
But I ended up carrying the Emerson for a few days just to feel it out, and just like Stoner's rifle, it slowly grew on me. First off, the thing just feels rock solid. It feels more like a tool than a knife, if that makes any sense. There's plenty of G-10 real estate to give you all-condition grip, and the blockish handle is pure utility.
I'd never had a knife with a thumb stud before, but I now believe it gives you the most purchase in different situations than either thumb-hole or thumb-stud. I actually used the knife during a full day at my storage unit cutting up boxes, constantly opening and closing it, the whole time wearing heavy work gloves. I feel pretty confident I can get this knife open under almost any circumstance.
It's definitely a bit thicker than the Shallot, but nowhere near as bulky as the Griptilian was. For EDC, that comfort factor is always something to consider.
The Gist
A no-frills, hard-use, more-tool-than-knife knife.
In Comparison
From left to right: Benchmade Griptilian, Kershaw Black Shallot, Emerson CQC-7A
