esee 3

M

murderedsongbird

Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
272
Been looking for a new 3 to 4 inch blade for Christmas. I have a bhk long trail, a bk14, and an izula. Just addicted to the size. I handled a rat 3 and liked it except for the choil. It seemed unnecessary. How does the esee 3 hold up? Is the choil an issue?
 
I really like the ESEE 3. Mine has a Godspeed kydex sheath that makes it easy to carry anywhere.

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Got an ESEE 4. Really like it. Don't find problems with the choil, gives even a bit more flexibility since I have big hands (glove size L/XL).
 
the only problem for me with the ESEE 3 and ESEE 4, are the smallish handles. Add a set of TKC replacement scales, and they are golden.
 
Have you taken a look at the Scrapyard 311, only my humble opinion but better handle and steel !
 
My only problem with the ESEE3 is the choil. Generally I really like a choil on a small knife. But the ESEE3 has this tiny worthless choil. If I were to buy another I'd have to mod it. Otherwise I really like the knife, thin blade, good steel awesome warranty, good factory sheaths and the ESEE guys are hilarious which is just a bonus.
 
I think custom scales to extend the handle up over the choil would make a great knife. But he cost of the custom scales added to the knife would not make it practical in my opinion.
If one was made with no choil, I think they would have a winner.
 
I'd buy an ESEE 3 if I hadn't gone with the Al-Mar mini sere. Fixed blades are just hard to carry.
 
ESEE 3 is a fantastic knife. I used to complain about the choil too, but thinking back it never really presented any actual usage problems. Get one, you'll love it!
 
I think the ESEE 3 makes for a very good all around knife- it's thin enough to handle more "delicate" chores, but plenty beefy to handle less delicate chores :)

I upgraded to the TKC handles which filled my hands better and haven't looked back, the choil has never been problematic, the warranty ESEE offers is tremendous

I also had a custom kydex sheath made for it as well

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I've had my old RC-3 MIL for right at 3 years now and have put it through a lot. It's not my favorite knife due to the thin steel and slight flex in a bind, I wish it were made out of the same 5/32 steel they use for the Izula rather than the 1/8, but that's just a personal thing with me. It has been through quite a bit, and it has proven itself to be a really tough knife for it's size. The few scratches you see in the handle and the sheath is from where I left it sitting on top of my truck cab and drove off. It came off the cab and hit the road at about 50mph. It still gets carried now and then. The choil, though small for my forefinger if choking up, makes a great anchor point for the tip of a forefinger or an index finger and added control in a pinch grip when cleaning fish and game.

These are some of my threads that it has featured in.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/736146-RC-3-MIL-Initial-Impressions

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/738721-One-Handed-Fire-Starting-ESEE-Style

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-Firestarting-in-the-rain-using-a-nanostriker

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/793856-A-Tinder-Discussion-(And-A-Slight-Rant-)

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/830629-A-Little-Survival-Fishing


This is what it looks like as of ten minutes ago.

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I really, really like the blade shape of the ESEE-3 and the 1/8 stock makes it a wicked cutter. Still tough enough for anything I'd use a knife that size for.

I finally decided that choils just aren't my thing, so I sold mine. Kinda regret it now.

What I'd really like is a 3 with the mods Reuben (bearthedog) had done to his - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/884320-GEEK-MODS-RC-4-amp-RAT-Pack-RC-3

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That might just be the perfect knife, as the only thing I didn't like was the choil.
 
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CCMI said:
I really, really like the blade shape of the ESEE-3 and the 1/8 stock makes it a wicked cutter. Still tough enough for anything I'd use a knife that size for.

I finally decided that choils just aren't my thing, so I sold mine. Kinda regret it now.

What I'd really like is a 3 with the mods Reuben (bearthedog) had done to his - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/884320-GEEK-MODS-RC-4-amp-RAT-Pack-RC-3

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That might just be the perfect knife, as the only thing I didn't like was the choil.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of this one with the mod:

http://www.topsknives.com/index.php
 
I'm with you guys, I have had a RC-3 for years but I HATE the choil. It is my most unused knife. I am getting to the point that any knife where the blade doesn't go all the way to the handle, is just about useless. That's one reason I really like Fiddleback Forge. Andy's knives have no wasted space and go all the way to the handle. I feel too much leverage and cutting power is lost with the choil of the ESEE 3. If I had Reuben's mod, it would probably be up there with my most used knives.....
 
I had one. The blade was thin, but it was part of what made it great...it was a excellent slicer. I used it for everything while hiking, inc. batoning and it held up just fine. The choil is unneccesary and eats up cutting edge, but i didnt bother me that much. Only time it was irritating was when wearing thick winter gloves.

I wasnt crazy with it for winter use...the edge rusted easily, albeit its a minor problem on a user. The handle was too smallish for my large gloved hands and the micarta stayed wet for ages. The coating was very coarse too and the added friction while cutting was noticable, when compared to a uncoated blade. In the end i sold it off and stuck with my Fallknivens.

Overall, its a good knife, but it just didnt suit my needs.

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Seems like a lot of folks dislike the choil....wonder if ESEE would do a special edition and bring the cutting edge all the way to the handle. I would buy one.
 
readyme said:
Seems like a lot of folks dislike the choil....wonder if ESEE would do a special edition and bring the cutting edge all the way to the handle. I would buy one.
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They have talked about it and it is a possibility. But I have not heard anything for sure yet. But I would buy one for sure!
 
Its a bit strange that the 3 has a choil but the Junglas does not . They both work fine either way tho. If I was picky I'd say the handle on the 4 needs to be longer, and some palm swells on the slabs would be nice too. They are small gripes tho when you consider the whole package design and warrenty etc.
 
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