buying a new hunting/gutting knife. bk16 or esee3?

I find the handle on the BK16 to be a LOT more comfortable than that of the ESEE3.
steel performance is just about the same between them.
 
Ok hopefully the blade won't make it to hard for me to field dress with the bk16. Only reason I choose these two is because I like the other option for chopping small wood
 
Esee 3 all day, it is my edc and has done everything from cutting threat to food prep to opening hard packing, and yes I have cleaned 2 goats and quartered countless chickens. The edge retention is good and the handles seem to give even more control grippy when wet. The sheath is better and you will just love the 3.
 
I like the esee cause the blades a little shorter then the BK but you pay more for esee products
 
you're paying for smaller production runs and upgraded handle & sheath materials.
 
if you leave either one out in the wet for a week, it'll start to rust.
if you put them in the sheath covered in blood & guts, they'll rust.
if you wipe them down so they're clean and dry when they go in the sheath, they'll be fine.
 
It depends how big your hands are as well. The BK has about a half inch more handle so for big hands it feels better. The 3 on me fits my hand with my pinky just hanging on but the tweener handles fit perfect.
 
ah yes i forgot to mention rust on the esee! I live in a fairly humid place so even walking around with it clipped tpo my belt it will begin to rust! for example I had mine clipped to my belt and it started raining, by the time i got to my car wich was about a 10 minute walk, and drove home it had already started to rust. but if you treat it with tuff-glide lubricant it helps it resist corrosion! i just treated mine recently and have noticed a big difference.
 
The other option is to not strip your knives and then the working edge will stay clean and the coating will prevent the rust.

I have both and find myself using the ESEE3 for coyote and deer far more than the 16. In fact, for me, I like an ESEE3 for the field and the BK15 for skinning and boning. I have large hands and the tweener grip is decent with liners, but thin for me otherwise. Also, the dip at the end of the tweener handle messes with the feel of the knife for me. The 15 has the choil, which eliminates that problem for me. For whatever reason, the ESEE3 handle just works for me. I know many say it's too blocky and too short, but I find it to be decently comfortable.
 
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