Review: Emerson Super CQC-7

I love good knives. They're great things. I've had Benchmade, Kershaw, CRKT, Spyderco, Becker, Cold Steel, Ka-Bar and others, and they all have different qualities to love.

I recently got my hands on my first Emerson knife--an Emerson Super CQC-7. The tanto-bladed CQC-7 has been Emerson's flagship design for a long time and this is a jumbo sized version of that design. I'm not an especially great fan of tanto blades, but I was able to get a good deal, so what the heck.
                                                                                                                                                                  

Extra space.

This is the "Super" model, and it is a big knife, indeed. It's beefiest in the handle/grip area; the tanto blade looks a bit undersized in comparison. The Super CQC-7 is 9.15 inches opened with a 3.78 inch blade. My other "big folder," the workhorse Byrd Cara Cara, has an overall length of 8.62 inches and a blade length of 3.87 inches. Overall, the Super CQC-7 is a oversized for the length of blade you get. Taking a close look at the design, Emerson could have added a little bit on the length of the blade and kept it inside the same handle length--there's some empty space to work with.

The handles are made with nice, grippy G10, but are less than ergonomic. I've been spoiled by Spyderco designs, I guess. It's not uncomfortable, but it's not the "fits perfectly" feel of other knives.

The non-reversible pocket clip :(

My biggest complaint, though--the pocket clip is NOT reversible. You're stuck with ONE orientation for the pocket clip, which happens to be on the opposite side of the handle for how I like to carry my knife. If you carry your folders clipped to the bottom part of your right-side, front pocket, tip down (fairly common), then the Emerson clip will work for you. Sorry, but having reversible pocket clips is a basic expectation now-a-days.

Complaints, however, stop there, and despite these flaws, the Super CQC-7 is growing on me pretty quickly. It opens smoothly and the lock engages with authority. I really like the thumb disc--it's easier to use, IMO, than a stud or Spyder hole. The wave hook is relatively low profile in comparison to other knives with the feature (waved Spydercos). The 154 cm blade came wicked sharp, and the chisel grind should be easy to re-sharpen. But most of all, the knife just feels indestructible. It's big, rugged and tough--no sissy knife by any stretch of the imagination. It calls out to you, saying "I will never fail you, no matter what you throw at me." Makes you all warm and fuzzy inside.

So, I've got some mixed feelings about Super CQC 7. On one hand, the pocket clip is a big deal (for me) and the knife is oversized for the length of blade that you get. And I'm still no tanto lover. But on the other hand, the Super CQC-7 is a damn nice knife, with a rugged, bomb-proof quality that grows on you. It's no wonder that Emerson Knives has such a passionate fan-base--they make good stuff--I just wish they would make some some small updates to their knives to make 'em work for the rest of us.