Esee 5 or BK2?

J

JustinP

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Feb 11, 2015
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Hi all. Looking for some advice. I'm going to get a new knife to take camping/backpacking/hiking. I'll be using it for some bushcraft tasks and things like that. I have it narrowed down to the Esee 5 or the BK2. I like the Esee warranty and for some reason I love that orange/venom green color combo. The BK2 gets nice reviews and is slightly cheaper though. What do you guys think? I've never owned an Esee or a Becker so any info will be appreciated. Thanks.
 
I have a BK2 and I i were to do it again I'd go with ESSE. While the Becker is a great value I'm not a huge fan of the smooth scales and the sheath is not great.
 
I wouldn't get either for camping and "bushcraft" tasks. Carrying around a boat anchor gets tiresome. The novelty of the sharpened pry bar gets old rather fast...

I would get an ESEE 3 or 4 or a BK16 or 17 if you want something from one of those two brands.
 
Thought I would add that I got an ESSE laser strike for carry and now the BK2 rides in the truck
 
I have a BK2 and an Esee 4 in stainless. The Becker is a tank and the Esee is more refined with a thinner blade profile. Both are built for hard use.
 
What knives do you already have? It would be helpful to know what you want out of your new knife that your old one's couldn't do and to have a comparison point.

The Esee5 and Bk2 are really beefy blades; thicker than what most people prefer, let alone need.
3/16" is plenty strong for most applications so I'd recommend the esee4/6/LS or Bk10/16.

The Bk16 is thinner at .165" but reading around, people love it and use it for everything.
Blade length will also determine what you can do comfortably. Longer blades make wood processing easier while shorter ones offer less hassle in precision jobs.If you really want a tank of a knife than go ahead with the 5 or Bk2, they're both good knives, just overbuilt on-purpose.
I would choose the Bk2, since both won't break and have similar "plus's", might as well go with the cheaper one.

Theknifeconnection.net prices

Esee
3- $90
4- $92
LS- $100
5- $139
6- $114

Bk
2- $77
10- $79
16- $74
 
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They are both great knives but I would probably go w/ Esee because they have an outstanding warranty and you will probably get a better sheath =)
 
razor-edge-knives said:
They are both great knives but I would probably go w/ Esee because they have an outstanding warranty and you will probably get a better sheath =)
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Forgot about the sheath comparison.... but I'm not sure the price difference is worth it just for the sheath. (msrp of course, if you find a good deal, go for it)

Also most reputable dealers are pretty good with their return/exchange policy. It's just that Esee's warranty goes above that.
(I'm not trying to make Esee sound overpriced OP, I have the 4 myself, just trying to give you any info I can)
 
They are both great knives. The Becker scales and sheath are definitely inferior. A lot of people get the Becker and then end up spending the extra money on a new sheath and scales. When you add up what they spend, they should have just gotten the ESEE. Regardless both will serve you well and last you a lifetime, so you are good either way!
 
You said you were going to take it "camping/backpacking/hiking" and going to do some "bushcraft" with it.

Which is it?

If you are going backpacking or hiking, then how far are you going? Ounces count when you are going the distance. If you are set on getting a ESEE selection, then maybe the Candiru would do you better (Though that'd be the heaviest knife I would prefer).

If your "camping" consists of throwing the gear out of the truck and getting the fire going, then get the ESEE-5. A pound of steel and scale won't matter to your pack, and it'll handle all of the slicing, dicing, mayonnaise spreading, weenie stick sharpening duties you can think of.

Either manufacturer is going to treat you just fine. Refine your weight-to-task ratio... and flip a coin.
 
Velitrius said:
You said you were going to take it "camping/backpacking/hiking" and going to do some "bushcraft" with it.

Which is it?

If you are going backpacking or hiking, then how far are you going? Ounces count when you are going the distance. If you are set on getting a ESEE selection, then maybe the Candiru would do you better (Though that'd be the heaviest knife I would prefer).

If your "camping" consists of throwing the gear out of the truck and getting the fire going, then get the ESEE-5. A pound of steel and scale won't matter to your pack, and it'll handle all of the slicing, dicing, mayonnaise spreading, weenie stick sharpening duties you can think of.

Either manufacturer is going to treat you just fine. Refine your weight-to-task ratio... and flip a coin.
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You know, I get the impression that he's not exactly one of those neurotic cut-the-handle-off-your-toothbrush kind of backpackers :rolleyes:

I do agree with retzius though. If I could go back, I'd probably have gotten a BK16 or 17. I got a BK2 a while back and I've never actually taken it with me on my hiking/backpacking/camping/bushcraft (yes, I can actually do all of these with the same tools and even on the same trip) outings. It really does seem like too much or not enough. It's not long enough to be a great chopper, but it's still fat enough to feel like a large knife. You can use it for anything campy or bushcrafty (and I"ve used it a lot in the yard), but I find that a hatchet and a small knife works better, even if I'm actually increasing my overall weight (Council Tool hatchet weighs almost 2 lbs, my knife is a heavily modified BK11, never weighed it). More tools are more fun anyway, and if price is a factor, my hatchet and knife together were only about $55
 
A_T_WorkHorse said:
You know, I get the impression that he's not exactly one of those neurotic cut-the-handle-off-your-toothbrush kind of backpackers :rolleyes:

I do agree with retzius though. If I could go back, I'd probably have gotten a BK16 or 17. I got a BK2 a while back and I've never actually taken it with me on my hiking/backpacking/camping/bushcraft (yes, I can actually do all of these with the same tools and even on the same trip) outings. It really does seem like too much or not enough. It's not long enough to be a great chopper, but it's still fat enough to feel like a large knife. You can use it for anything campy or bushcrafty (and I"ve used it a lot in the yard), but I find that a hatchet and a small knife works better, even if I'm actually increasing my overall weight (Council Tool hatchet weighs almost 2 lbs, my knife is a heavily modified BK11, never weighed it). More tools are more fun anyway, and if price is a factor, my hatchet and knife together were only about $55
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Wasn't suggesting that he was an UL backpacker either, A_T, merely suggesting that the man evaluate the anticipated situation, and select the knife appropriately.

Your roll-eyes emoticon mileage may vary.
 
I find a knife the size of either the esse 5 or bk2 to be too cumbersome to use alone. If you do get one of them, I would suggest pairing it with a smaller blade such as an izula or bk11. For me, the perfect blade size is about 4.5 inches. I would second the vote for a smaller knife and a hatchet/folding saw. That said, I really like the Becker line.
 
As I understand it from the designer, the ESEE-5 was designed for military survival situations, such that the blade would be used more for opening crates than slicing tomatoes. Based on their input, I went with the ESEE-6 for general campground duties. [And then I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I had Josh at wickededge take it down to a zero and put an edge on it that will slice hydrogen molecules. ] The ESEE-5 and BK2 both just don't seem right for a campground.

That said, I do have an ESEE-5... it sits on a shelf and looks really, really cool.
 
I find the BK16 or ESEE4 more convenient for most tasks, honestly...but, if you're set on a BK2 or ESEE5, I'm certainly not going to try to change your mind (I've got all of the above). IMO - the Esee sheath is better; but the BK sheath is okay...and the BK handle is more comfortable, but the Esee is okay.
If it's between those two, get the one you like - you can't really make a bad choice. If you don't have a preference, toss a coin....or, opt to wait until you find a knife that you know you want.
 
JustinP said:
I have it narrowed down to the Esee 5 or the BK2.
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The BK-5 would be an awesome compromise! Go big or go home :)

From those two makers I only have an Esee 4, BK-15, and Izula. Came close to grabbing an Esee 6, but really the smaller ones do everything I want fine.
 
I like the Beckers myself. However neither of those is the style of knife I would prefer for what you are doing with them. They are a big, strong, heavy, overbuilt style of knife.

I would want something thinner and lighter that could be worn around my neck. A large knife on the belt is not convenient when carrying a full pack, and if its stored in your back its going to get little use.

I have a Becker, its super cool, indestructible and could demo a house if I needed it to. Problem is it most often stays home when I head out of the city.
 
I have owned both the ESEE 5 and BK2. I think that the ESEE is a much better option! It felt much better in my hand. The micarta provides a nice grip. The plastic BK2 scales were very slippery to me. I tried several "fixes" for it, but it never felt right in my hand.

With all of that said.........I have sold them both off. I found them impractical for bushcraft and general camp use. They are too thick, too stumpy, too clunky! In my opinion, there are far better options for bushcraft and camp use! If you want an ESEE, look into the ESEE Laser Strike.
 
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