4 for the woods and 6 for duty, or vice versa

[jdk1]

As some know, I received a generously gifted Christmas ESEE-6S on Monday. I had purchased a HEST and an ESEE-4 earier in the year. My HEST is my EDC at work (public service/safety). I wanted the 4 for woods use and duty use. My agency sends people to disaster areas when things go wrong, so I wanted a strong knife to use if voluntold. Likely more passing out water bottles than fast-roping onto buildings, but I want to be ready. Those water bottle cases can be tough! I also figured the 4 would be great for general public safety activity if I'm wearing heavier gear.

Well, I now know the 6 is a great knife also. So, I'm trying to figure out which would be better suited to woods/hiking use and which is better to keep for duty/BOB type use. I might just switch between the two. The 4 is lighter and handier, but the 6 is longer and has a pretty sweet handle. This has probably been covered a million times here, but it's a new dilemma for me. It also puts me closer to a RatPack number. Thanks for your time and take care.

 

[nate1714]

I would stick with the HEST for work and the ESEE 4 for woods. The 6 can be in your camp/home for if on one day or another you prefer to carry it but the HEST is designed to handle all sorts of issues. 6 is just a bit to long and too much weight to carry around daily.

 

[jumpmonkey]

jdk1,

I've been having a great time doing stuff in the woods with my ESEE-4. I've also taken to carrying a small hatchet for easy chopping though. The 4 can definitely baton for splitting or even taking down small trees. It's just the perfect size IMHO. I have no experience in public service/safety and will let those qualified speak. But, as long as the 6 wouldn't get you in trouble on the job I might recommend some experimentation. see what works best for you. I definitely recommend it in the woods (provided your local govt. is ok with that.)

God bless,
Adam

 

[tinwiskers]

I feel like the 4 is great every day use or slightly heavier-duty EDC (than the HEST) and I use my 6 for camping/hiking

 

[ajbuckelew]

Definately HEST for EDC, lighter weight and very useful for EDC tasks. I would go with 4 for the woods because IMO the handle to blade length ratio makes it stronger than the 6. Don't get me wrong though, the 6 is very strong but I think it is better suited at a campsite

 

[TattooBlade]

Carry a 4 or a HEST pretty much every day. But lately I've been carrying my 5! As I always say, if any knife is too heave to EDC, then you need to get to the gym!

 

[jdk1]

The HEST is perfect for EDC. Carrying a 6 would be like carrying a bowie! When I said duty carry for the 6, I meant when wearing heavy gear/armor. Thanks for the replies guys. I totally love my three ESEEs. This 6 will always be special due to the way I received it. Take care and God bless.