CQC-7BW

31 customer reviews

The CQC-7 is the knife that started the tactical revolution in cutlery. Still, the best after all this time proves it is the ultimate tactical design, yet excellent in being able to do all the chores on the range, in the house, and on the job.  Available in Stonewash or Thunderstorm Finish

#1 Hard Use Knives in the World ®

Tactical – Everyday Use – Outdoors

The Wave Shaped Feature is a registered trademark of Ernest Emerson and Mary Emerson ® Learn more here.

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$219.95

CQC-7BW

31 customer reviews

The CQC-7 is the knife that started the tactical revolution in cutlery. Still, the best after all this time proves it is the ultimate tactical design, yet excellent in being able to do all the chores on the range, in the house, and on the job.  Available in Stonewash or Thunderstorm Finish

#1 Hard Use Knives in the World ®

Tactical – Everyday Use – Outdoors

The Wave Shaped Feature is a registered trademark of Ernest Emerson and Mary Emerson ® Learn more here.

PRODUCT OPTIONS:

Choose Your Handle Style *Required * 

Options

Earn 237 Rewards Points When You Order This Item.

$219.95

DETAILS

The Emerson CQC-7BW was directly modeled after the classic CQC-7B Tactical Folder ; we just added our signature ‘Wave Feature'.  The Emerson CQC-7 model has all of the qualities that have made it the legendary knife that it is known to be, with the added bonus of having a lightning quick opening. Featuring a straight, chisel ground belly and a prominent tanto point. Each blade is flat on one side and sharpened on the other, per Emerson Tradition. There are many iterations of this classic everyday tactical knife, but only one is the original- The Emerson CQC-7BW.

KNIFE ANATOMY

Anatomy of an Emerson Knife

HOW TO USE THE WAVE FEATURE

An important part of knowing the anatomy of an Emerson Knife is knowing how to utilize it. Using the  patented Emerson Wave Feature correctly, you can deploy the knife out of pocket rapidly. It takes some practice to master. See how it's done in the video above.

BLADE STYLE: TANTO

Emerson Knives is famous for our many Tanto style blades. One of our most popular Tanto models is the Bulldog, which is shown above. The profile is similar to that of a samurai's katana, because of its sharp angles and razor sharp edge. We refer to Tanto knives as having ‘B-Blades'.

Standoff Spacers have been standard on all Emerson Knife models since 2014. Any knife ordered from our site from that year will receive one of these models.

Anatomy of an Emerson Knife Lanyard

Lanyard Holes serve one purpose: attaching a paracord lanyard if you choose to get one. We get asked that question quite a lot!

The Thumb Button is there so that you may open the knife single handedly . Specifically with your thumb. Some people are naturals at it and some have to learn. Either way, it's very useful.

WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

Material & Grind
HandlesG-10
LockTitanium
Blade154CM
GrindChisel Grind Tanto Style
Specifications
Overall Length8.0 in.
Blade Length3.3 in.
Blade Thickness.125 in.
Hardness57-59RC
Weight4.5 oz.

31 reviews for CQC-7BW

  1. Playing with Knives (verified owner)

    My 2nd CQC-7! Wanted another one that didn’t tear up my pockets. Contoured G-10 handles are very comfortable and the Thunderstorm finish looks amazing. Normal solid lockup, no blade play, and razor sharp OTB. More expensive but highly recommended.

  2. Allen

    As a long time Emerson fan I cant believe it took me 11 emersons to finally get this. It is practical yet exotic and tactical in feel. It is a workhorse that without a doubt can handle any job that a knife and of course somethings a knife shouldn't be used for. I find myself at times finding it hard to choose which of my Emersons to pocket for the day but this just makes sense for any occasion. For example if Im out on the town Ill grab my Super Commander due to it just being enough knife for “anything” but this little but mighty tool can do some serious damage along with everything else. Also to note Ive always been a clip point or drop point kinda guy but this has completely changed the way I think with tantos. If you get it I highly doubt you will regret it.

  3. immolation1987

    got mine (gray stars and stripes scales, tf) from blade show tx and i love it!
    the blade is perfectly centered, the detent is strong and snappy, the grind is well done and clean, the g10 is rough but i like that on a hard-use knife, better be safe than slip and get a nast cut and the thunderstorm finish looks very cool!
    overall a very substantial and rugged no-nonsense knife, i'm certain it would hold up under the worst conditions.
    and personally very important for me: made in the usa by people who get fair wages!🇺🇸
    thank you mr.emerson, certainly not my last knife from you!

  4. Adrian

    Simple, classic, and SOLID! The knife is a workhorse straight and to the point! The OD flag engraved handles are amazing especially with the thunderstorm finish. Glad I was able to get one. AMAZING KNIFE!

  5. dskudney

    A true classic !
    Perfectly sized, solidly built – like all Emerson's !
    If I could have only one knife, this just might be the one especially with the serrations.
    I'm a big fan of serrations and Emerson does the best serrations.

  6. Theodore Bennett (verified owner)

    Mine is Thunderstorm finish with added serrations. I love it to pieces and it has made everyone who sees it really want one. One associate actually purchased a CQC-7 after I extolled it's virtues in detail. I first became aware of this knife in the early 1990's as it was featured in the book Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko, but I have no idea why it took so long to get my hands on one. Oh well, what's 30 years when you finally get an Emerson CQC-7BW at the end of it?

  7. Mick (verified owner)

    I'm a knife guy. Have owned many. I am a bowhunter, camper, and do a lot of DIY, so I'm mostly outdoors. This is my favorite folder, by far. It is heavy duty, durable, sharp, utilitarian. Great locking mechanism (it's not going to fail) and awesome pocket deployment. Will do whatever a knife needs to do – with the exception of maybe skinning. I've seen a few comments about the price, but I would have paid double for this knife as useful as it's been for me and for the quality. So cool to see people that are talented do what they do and offer it to the rest of us.

  8. tonymacielb18 (verified owner)

    Just purchased my 3rd cqc7 and it’s absolutely one of the best if not the best folders out there. There’s no task this knife can’t handle. This knife isn’t made for someone sitting behind a desk cutting packages open all day as those are the type of people who tend to judge these knives. If you want a hard use knife that will perform well in rain, mud & snow etc, this is the one. Thanks Mr. Emerson for a real folder who makes me feel safe at all times.

  9. Ben

    Favorite knife of all time! Own 4 Emerson’s all variants of the CQC7 won’t carry any blade besides this. My favorite configuration is the all black Tanto with partial serrations like having options. The quality control on all 4 is top notch no issues. The G10 is the highest quality I’ve had in any knife feel confident walking out the door this will handle and crush everything I throw at it. Keep up the great work Emerson you have a customer for life! Highly recommend to other coworkers as well

  10. CJ12

    This time tested design has thoroughly impressed me so far. The CQC-7 features a comfortable, neutral handle style that will accommodate any hand size and a blade that is highly versatile. Many have complained about the chisel grind being put on the wrong side, and for some tasks this will affect performance. However, I have quickly found that this orientation actually makes it the best knife for scraping that I own. Laying the front grind flat on a surface and pushing forward keeps the rest of the edge away from everything, preventing unnecessary wear during such use. Emerson's new standard for fit and finish continues to impress me as well: bigger standoffs, a strong detent, and no more grit in the pivot out of the factory.

  11. Ross Elkins

    I was at a knife combat course give by an ex cia agent, the real deal! Partway through the class he pulled out his edc in response to a student asking what he used! It was an Emerson CQC-7! How could I not immediately get one? This was a long time ago, 20-25 years perhaps. I lost that one, I think… Then I got another, made by Benchmade. When I eventually realized it lacked the common sense fasteners and more of the original. Yup, I got another original direct from Emerson. It says 7B and it actually has a date on it 2005! sn.5352 So I guess its 16 years, I have it now.
    It's one tough blade! It and the Benchmade are my tag team! I have many knives as I was a arms dealer at one time. I also love my original
    Emerson – Neely spec-war but its a bit too big for EDC in civilization and a combat talon is way too valuable for a civilian edc threat level.
    The 7B goes everywhere with me. Its light weight accompanies me on my daily runs over anything else. I can treat it harshly and it always works, stays in one piece and always comes back nicely with a sharpening. It may not have a wave for me, but it is the most satisfying gravity knife that I use everyday.

  12. Playing with knives (verified owner)

    I’m up to 3 Emersons now. (CQC 7, Super CQC 7, Overland Renegade) This is my favorite. Perfect EDC size. Absolutely love the chisel grind. Ridiculously easy to get razor sharp. “Waving” takes a little practice but is the fastest deployment there is. The G-10 handles will tear the crap out of your blue Jean pockets but you’ll appreciate them when your hands are wet or greasy. I have 200+ pocket knives and rotate what I carry a lot. This one has been in my pocket 90% of the time since I bought it 3 months ago (occasionally temporarily replaced by an Inkosi or SOCOM Elite 🙂 I definitely see more Emerson knives in my future (especially with the chisel grind)

  13. Harree Adorable

    The only knife that I love when I first saw it, loved it when I got one and to this day still love it with a passion that I had to get another and perhaps another one soon.
    The original Tactical knife in my opinion and is as classic as the 1911 pistol.

  14. Von Moore (verified owner)

    Just received my cqc-7bw I absolutely love the knive I also have the cqc-8 really hard to decide which one to carry both are excellent knives, I really like the chisel grind on the blade razor sharp,I believe next purchase will be the sheepdog with spear point blade, Thanks to emerson for such a great tactical tool

  15. Mike smith

    My best friend have me a cqc7 that he got from a guy in California he knew that worked at a knife distribution company, I had just came back from overseas maybe a year before, and he had just gotten outta prison 6 months before. (Btw, the reason he gave me this knife and a cqc12 is because we new each other feom younger days, and just so happened his mom lived down the street from me, and I never new it till I saw him skateboarding down the street one day, my family and I took him in so to speak, my buddy from the old days has had a hard life in a different way than I had. Nonetheless tho, and something that is always the same for everyone, he just needed a good friend, and someone to help him out, he got out, I gave him some of my clothes, my shoes, he hadn’t had a visitor or a present for anything in the whole 6 years he was in, so I got him a new skateboard from the local skate shop I took my son to to get his stuff for his, I helped my buddy out all that I could. We are still really good friends to this day and he is doing hell better than me now, which is awesome, sorry for the side story. He knew I loved knives. As I had given him a few when he got out. He still had that watch your back feeling from prison to put it lightly, and I have bad ptsd from Iraq, he went out to his dads in California and brought me back on his first trip back the cqc12 and the next a cqc 7 I carried the cqc 7 everywhere and put it thru everything, while in a local firearms store one day I knew the owner and he asked me to look at a AR for him while I was helping him open boxes. I set my cqc7 on the counter, 1st mistake, and turned away for a second, other mistake, and it was gone. I searched his camera footage. Saw who got it, and the car they got Into, couldn’t get a plate number just barely make it out from another state and I have missed that knife everyday since. Someone also got my bench made autostryker that I carried in Iraq, that I let him use the same day. Yes. I carry a few knives. Usually 2. Anyway. I don’t make enuff money to ever buy one again, but I will say that any knife Emerson makes, I would be proud to own it, there the best knives I have ever came across, thank all of you at Emerson that have anything to do with these knives and the company. Great people. Great knives. Thanks from a soldier. God bless

  16. Griz

    What can I say about the CQC7?
    Next to the CQC6, the most Iconic tactical folding knife ever created!
    It may not do everything for everybody, but it is a superior foundation knife!
    When I taught Martial Arts and Weapons, every single one of my Students received a CQC7!
    Yes! I love my CQC6! I love my CQC8s! And my many CQC15s!
    but, I'll never feel unprepared, or unready, as long as I've got a CQC7 in my pocket!

  17. Daniel Gillespie

    The CQC-7 was my third Emerson knife and remains my favorite. The wave feature combined with the geometry of the point and tanto grind make this a perfect choice for stabbing and slashing. For a self defense weapon that also stands up to whatever daily tasks you throw at it, it has stood the test of time as a pack leader.

  18. Scott Witner

    The CQC-7 is the knife that started my love for the Emerson brand. The CQC-7 is my daily EDC user. Its a simple and robust design that is sized perfectly for EDC. Whether you're looking for your first Emerson blade or looking to add to your collection, make sure you have a CQC-7.

  19. Greg

    I've got a few 7's including this one and the 7v. These things are nothing but 100 percent badazzness. Built like a tank. Can't go wrong with a CQC-7. IT WILL HANDLE ANYTHING YOU THROW AT IT, AND BEG FOR MORE!

  20. krrmichaels

    this was my first everyday carry Emerson and once I got my 8 I cleaned up my 7 and passed it down to my younger cousin to start him off right. awesome awesome tool.

  21. Al Domingo

    The CQC7 has been a great knife! I've gone through two Benchmade CQC7s and one MINI from Emerson. I look forward in purchasing another with the WAVE feature. Hopefully, I can get a LH one in the near future. Great product that lasted over a decade. #truth

  22. anthony clark

    My lock and blade had had somehow became loose sent in it in and turn around was 2 weeks the only thing I had to pay don't know what it was but they fixed It I don't use it it's my defense weapon. It's my favorite knife of any and all it I were left with a choice I had a plain blade one as well but was in a bad motorcycle accident 3 months ago I totaled my harley and when paramedics cut my pant off that's last I seen of it the police said he turned it in to hospital security and said that they don't have it so who knows anyway thanks for repair guys n girls at emerson knives.

  23. Greg

    Best knife ever. I think even better than my original Bob T that I had stolen from me.
    I have carried my cqc7 wave since arounnd 2006. It has been used to dig up IEDs, gut and clean countless things, and has earned the nickname ” the key” as it has opened everthing you can think of. The blade has been replaced twice. Once from using it as a step ladder to climb a wall , and once from cutting through a live power cable to kill the power.
    After all that we have been through , I finially lost it while climbing over a train. Bad day for me and everyone around me, to say I was underjoyed is an understatement.
    My buddy supprised me with a new one and all is good . Olny draw back is that it doesn't have the wave feature , something that I feel is a must. I'll be dropping emerson a note to see if they will swap the blade before I use it.

  24. starbomber01

    Just got my CQC-7W BTS. I've never held a more ergonomic knife! This thing is so solid!! It feels like an extension of my hand. This is my first Emerson and I did a lot of research before finally “pulling the trigger” on this model. I've already asked my wife for a mini-commander for our anniversary. Then if I'm lucky enough I'll get my hands on the newly found SPECWARs for sale! Thank you Mr. Emerson and crew for making such a perfect knife for all of us serious collectors and hard use patriots out there!! Keep it up!!

  25. abray1

    I'm a D.C. Police officer and have owned and used this knife now for a little over a year. I carry it every night on patrol. It is the best knife out on the street, period. I'll never use anything other than an Emerson. When I see other officer's knives and compare the quality, function, and overall toughness, I always tell them the same thing, “Do yourself a favor. Get an Emerson.”

  26. macstyle01

    dollar for dollar, ounce for ounce, possibly one of he best tactical folders ever created…

  27. Rich G

    What is not to love…..this knife is my 3rd Emerson CQC-7 series. Built like a tank, pure function, only other knife that might compare are the Grayman Folders.

  28. Dan

    I cannot put it better – the CQC7 truly is an incredible knife. Even under incredible abuse, this knife rebelliously refuses to break, bend, chip, fall-apart, or malfunction in any way. The non-spring assisted nature of the Wave deployment is amazing – it doesn't stop working – ever, and the single-hand, single-step draw/deployment has saved my ass more than a few times.

    I've been a proud owner of this knife for 4 years. It has become indispensable to me. No matter what the occasion calls for the quality of workmanship and materials has proven itself over and again.

    I recently lost my knife and I cannot begin to describe the angst it caused. I spent a week agonizing over its disappearance and the feeling of nakedness not having it on me. There's a deep sense of loss as this knife carries the scars of many memories and has been a strong leading character in my life story. I caved after a week and purchased a new one – but I still hope my original turns up.

    I will likely carry a CQC7BW to my grave – and gift many many more in my life-time. Ladies, be sure to check out the MINI CQC7BW

  29. Howard

    The CQC7 is an incredible knife, simply put. I've owned mine since 2005 and has seen two combat tours in Iraq, and spent nearly five years at sea. It's a bit weathered now, from being exposed to some of the harshest environments, but still holds a nearly razor sharp edge, unlike some of the better known brands, that break, chip, bend, and so on, under normal use. I've been meaning to send it in for some TLC, as a small kink has developed on the blade, however I cannot bring myself to part with it for any amount of time, or at least until I can find a suitable temp. All in all, Emerson Knives are the best and they live up to their claim of being the “#1 Hard Use Knife in the World”.

  30. William L. Jones

    EXCEPTIONAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  31. Docbp87

    While the ultimate classic tactical folder, the CQC-6, will never be available as a production knife, the CQC-7 provides many of the design features that make the 6 so great. The blade shape allows for slicing with the long, flat main bevel, pull cutting with the secondary point (where the long straight grind meets the tip grind), and stabbing/penetrating cuts with the thick, perfectly ground tanto tip. The swedge on top allows this tanto tip to retain its stock thickness and integrity, while penetrating easier with less resistance. The handle design may look simple and straight forward, but it actually has that ergonomic shape that has made Emerson so famous (those “Emerson ergos”), and is comfortable in any grip (forward/sabre or a reverse grip for a defensive/combat slashing cut). The CQC-7BW has the Wave feature, which allows the knife to be opened as it is drawn from the pocket, a crucial feature in an emergency situation, or when the user's other hand is occupied/in use/injured/otherwise inaccessible. Add all of this to the superior materials (titanium, G-10, heavy duty hardware), and the sum total is the ultimate tactical folder.

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