Bleg: Knife
I’ve liked my Spyderco knives with the Emerson Wave. But I’ve had not one but two shit the bed. I replaced one with the titanium clip and it’s held up, but the clip is getting wobbly and the screws are stripped. So, I want a new knife with the following criteria:
Sturdy clip
Has an Emerson wave
And is not ridiculously long
I’ve been looking into Emerson’s for a bit and am leaning toward this one. Anyone recommend or know of something else?
October 9th, 2018 at 3:01 pm
I’d like to help, but I’ve been carrying the same Kershaw cryo for the last five plus years with no problems. It has a tiny deep carry clip on it.
I think the main problem is that the pocket clip is too big and a bit less durable then it should be.
October 9th, 2018 at 3:55 pm
The one in the pic at the link has the Wave, a thumb stud, and a flipper tab.
All Emersons are a chisel grind, you may or may not like that feature. I have a bunch of Emerson models and my favorite is the Mini-Commander. It has the Wave, a great droppoint blade profile, it is not ridiculously large (but neither is the Commander), and has been bulletproof. I have seen the Speer point models and the Roadhouse model, specifically, slice some pants pockets on the draw just because of where the point of the knife ends up during it’s opening. YMMV.
Not sure about TN knife laws, but if autos are an option, you can’t go wrong with a Microtech, either the Ultratech or a standard Troodon for OTF or the Socom Elite or LUDT for side opening.
October 9th, 2018 at 4:01 pm
I sent an email with a pic to Spyderco and they sent me a pkg of screws, free.
Good to go.
October 9th, 2018 at 4:03 pm
Have you looked at the Kershaw made Emersons?
October 9th, 2018 at 8:42 pm
Folders are for opening the mail, boxes from Amazon, or cutting salami.
Fixed blades are for self defense.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:12 pm
I have carried a Kershaw Scallion since 2009. Great knife. Thousands of hiking miles. Used as my primary/only tool when backpacking.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:25 pm
Kershaw Ken Onion Leek is my EDC. I bought a Kershaw Emerson to try the Wave, but keep coming back to the Leek.
October 9th, 2018 at 9:37 pm
The Kershaw-Emersons are all a bit heavy for my liking and have that odd side of the knife is the liner lock thing.
I have the Gentleman Jim, which I absolutely love. Only negatives- I did manage to break the very-very thin tip and had to reprofile it, so maybe worth sticking to one of the wider/chunkier tipped ones. The screw setting the tension also tends to come lose, but not annoying enough for me to have bothered to lock it in place.
October 9th, 2018 at 10:37 pm
A $200+ pocket knife. I don’t think I can hang with you, Uncle.
October 9th, 2018 at 11:16 pm
Tim – I can’t tell you how many friends of mine called me crazy for carrying a $200+ dollar blade while showing me their $40-$60 Spydercos, Kershaws, and CRKTs. 5 years later they’re on their 4th and 5th knives – broken/bent clips, screws falling out, pivot bearing failures and I’m still carrying the same Emerson.
Almost all of them have come around. Most are carrying see model Emerson or a decent ZT.
October 9th, 2018 at 11:30 pm
I have an Emerson wave around here somewhere if I can find it you can have it. I went back to Kershaw’s speed-safe opener. (Ken Onion’s Blur design) Definitely NOT 200 dollars.
October 9th, 2018 at 11:55 pm
I’m still carrying a Gerber Applegate-Fairbarn Covert single edge knife that I picked up at the RAF Lakenheath BXtra in 1999.
I figure it earned the spot in my pocket when I closed it one-handed on my right middle finger when I was not entirely sober and cut half-way through my finger. I was also TDY in Italy at the time and didn’t want to risk an Italian hospital, so I patched myself up with what was on hand. Duct tape was involved. Took months for the cut-through fingernail to grow out to where I could finally clip it off.
So I’ve been carrying it since to prove that I can overcome that moment of dumb-assed-ness.
October 10th, 2018 at 8:01 am
I like my Emerson a lot but much prefer those with the spydie hole to those with the button.