Bushcraft Knife

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mas1388

Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
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Hey guys, Im a new member and im sure this topic has been written about in length but I would like to know which of the ESEE knives yall feel is best for bushcraft tasks? Im leaning towards a 4, 3, or an izula. (id love to have all three but im a starving student and am still saving up to buy one! lol)
 
4 is more suitable for heavy batoning, but i hear the 3 is quite capable, but excelling in slicing tasks, being somewhat thinner
its a tough choice, no question about that
probably its better to handle both, see what you feel its better.
 
The '3 and '4 are basically the same length, with the '4 being noticably thicker and heavier.

I EDC an RC-3 but have an RC-4 stuck to the side of my bugout bag, with an Izula buried inside as a backup.
 
RatDrall said:
The '3 and '4 are basically the same length, with the '4 being noticably thicker and heavier.

I EDC an RC-3 but have an RC-4 stuck to the side of my bugout bag, with an Izula buried inside as a backup.
Click to expand...

is the RC3 considerably a better slicer ? and is the RC4 so much suitable for batoning than the RC3 ?
thanks
 
mas1388 said:
but im a starving student and am still saving up to buy one! lol)
Click to expand...

If you look on the exchanges (knife and blade forums) you can find an outstanding deal on a used RC knife. There have been quite a few with in the last 6 weeks, and quite a few bargain prices were paid for the RC3&4 recently. I just bought a RC6 at a great price, but you have to keep looking.
 
To me, the RC3 is more of a "traditional" bushcraft blade length. IMHO the 3 and 4 are really not choppers, so with the 3 you get a little more blade control and IMHO a little more "feel" for fine work like notching wood or skinning.

The 4 is of course thicker and a tad heavier... some "traditionalists" may consider it overkill. Of course one option would be an RC4 and an Izula.. then you have a nice shorter blade for fine work and a more stout blade for heavier duty.
 
jacktrades_nbk said:
is the RC3 considerably a better slicer ? and is the RC4 so much suitable for batoning than the RC3 ?
thanks
Click to expand...

Both will baton. The slight length advantage on the 4 means you can have a bit more blade to work with. I think when considering batoning (which I do practice, but would be kind of a last resort) one should consider the steel type. I think the 1095 is just fine for light baton work. Better so (from what i have read) than say D2.

Again I have batoned with both. I have only skinned small game, but to me the thinner blade of the RC3 is a little more suitable.
 
after the izula, the next rat would be either a RC3 or a RC4, but after many reads on this forum, this post, and others, i think im going for the RC3
like i said, the izula will be my first, no matter what
thanks for the info, great people here
 
RC-3 works very well for most "bushcraft" activities.

If you're nervous about batonning get an axe, then you'll never worry again.
 
I use my RC3 more so outdoors b/c of the blade thickness but the RC4 is a great outdoor blade as well ,think of what your needs are and go from there . the Izula would make a great choice as well and provide a low profile if needed.
 
If you can only afford one blade right now, then I would look at the RC-3. I think it's one of their best knives. It can do just about anything you ask of it outdoors, it's short enough to EDC it, and it's think enough to allow you to do the fine carving type things. When I got my RC-3MIL I fell in love with it! I think that knife would be able to fulfill all of your tasks that you'd need it for.
 
RatDrall said:
The '3 and '4 are basically the same length, with the '4 being noticably thicker and heavier.

I EDC an RC-3 but have an RC-4 stuck to the side of my bugout bag, with an Izula buried inside as a backup.
Click to expand...

One day ill have the same! lol... thanks for all of the info and opinions guys!
 
I was looking for the same thing and I went with the 4. Great blade. Not heavy, but just a little extra blade length that is still very controllable. Extra blade thickness isn't overkill and is nice for batoning (if you plan to to much of it). The 3 is an excellent little blade as well.

I prefer the kydex sheath of the 4 over the injection molded sheath of the 3, but it's starting to grow on me.

After all that yapping, the truth is you can't go wrong either way. Just decide which one you like the looks of better and what your general use for it will be and go for it. You won't be disappointed either way.
 
I have the 3 and the 4, and for bushcraft I would go with the 4 because it is a little heavier which I feel would be better for the batoning and what not. That's not saying that the 3 isn't capable, I just think that the 4 may have a slight edge (no pun intended), when it comes to the heavier chores.
 
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