ESEE 5 v. BK10 Which one should I keep???

R

rnapoli

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Dec 15, 2015
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I just got the BK10 and the ESEE 5 is in the mail. I'm looking for the ONE survival knife to last the test of time. One will stay, one will be returned.

Uses: Batoning, woodcraft, camp knife, survival, ect.

Opinions please!
 
ESEE 5.
No one does 1095 like ESEE, and not to mention their warranty!

I also agree with Larcivs but my own opinion would be the 5...
 
I'm definitely leaning towards the ESEE... I wish I could use both, but I don't think I can use it, leave use marks on the blade and then return it?
 
Hope you are paying the return shipping. I would keep the one that seems to fit your hand, balance, and your sense of what tasks you are likely to put it through the best. I would keep the BK-10 myself, but I prefer the Beckers generally over ESEE products. Both are good knives.
 
rnapoli said:
I'm definitely leaning towards the ESEE... I wish I could use both, but I don't think I can use it, leave use marks on the blade and then return it?
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No, you can't do that.

Both are very good. I lean Esee because of the Sheath, handles, and warranty. Neither will be great cutters at their thickness, the Esee being worse. Neither are particularly long for Battoning.
 
22-rimfire said:
Hope you are paying the return shipping. I would keep the one that seems to fit your hand, balance, and your sense of what tasks you are likely to put it through the best. I would keep the BK-10 myself, but I prefer the Beckers generally over ESEE products. Both are good knives.
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What do you prefer about Becker over ESEE?
 
BK10. Handles fit me better. It was one of the sharpest factory knives I've gotten in a while. Good luck with your choice.
 
I would have chosen neither in that price range, but, seeing as how you did, it would be a tough choice, but I would probably keep the bk10.

Both will be tanks, but the 10 is a wee bit thinner (0.052") and thus likely a wee bit better at cutting things (when not batoning), and is also 0.25 lbs lighter, which can ultimately make a difference in a long haul.
Also, the butt of the ESEE has the glass breaker, which is a "cool" feature, but in a knife of that particular "genre", I would take the flat end butt of the 10 to better hammer with if needed, seems more practical to me, and if you think you'll "really need" to possibly break out a window of a car, get a smaller pocket folder with that option (like a glass breaker Blur), since it would behoove you anyhow to have a better "cutting" knife along to pair with the thick hand tank... Or, break the glass with the bk10, and while it might not shatter, it'll surely still break, and you can surely dig in and pry it out with that thick clip point blade.
(If you try hammering with the esse butt, you ruin the tip).

The one thing I would give the edge to the ESEE is the kydex sheath over the polyester KaBar, though the front pouch on the KaBar polyester one has its advantages also, so idk... That is a push I guess?

Esee does have the "better" warranty, but that's not to say KaBar has a bad warranty by any stretch, I've never had to return one, but read enough and heard enough reports that they are reasonably good about it.

I also prefer kabar's 1095cro-van over standard 1095, especially in smaller (<8") knives... Both are tough enough and take a razor fine edge well enough, but the added benefits of the extra carbides and higher carbon content, (and some stain resistance, as minimal as it is), are worth it.

Both equally quality knives though, preferences will be person to person, but neither is necessarily a "better" or a "worse" knife, just who likes which one better...
 
My reasons for why I like each brand are as follows.

Becker: ergos, 1095cv, and Ethan Beckers' presence on here if you ever need something. I have witnessed him (on multiple occasions) freely hand out his number to someone who had an issue with a Becker and told them to call him personally. If that isn't a stand up guy, I have yet to meet one.

The grivory works fine for me, I have used a stripped Becker BK15 as a boning knife in a food production plant for 3 months+ and the whole time while on shift, the knife and handle had blood, water, fat and meat on it and I have yetto have any slips that I wouldn't have had with any other set of scales!

ESEE: Warranty, sheath.
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My choice is Becker. Right now I own 6 Becker and zero Esse.
 
Between those two the bk10 is the easy choice for me.

It weighs less, is thinner and has a higher grind making it "slicier", with better (to me) ergonomics, and its usually a fair bit cheaper.
 
The Esee handles need work, and the 5 is overly thick.
The BK10 - for me - is the answer to a question that was never asked...one of the few Beckers I simply don't care for.

For a use it as it is knife, spring for the Bark River Bravo 1-LT.
If that is too much money, and you don't mind doing a little simple reprofiling, the SwampRat Ratmandu is one of my favorite knives in that size range...the edge angle tends to be obtuse from the shop, but that is a relatively simple fix.
Or, and this is a very serious recommendation - opt for either an Esee 6 or BK12 (formally named the Ritter MK2 Perseverance)


All that said, the time to have asked that question was BEFORE your purchases. Buying and returning simply because you don't know what the heck you want is a lousy approach.
You bought them both - deal with it. Use them, figure out which one you like best, and sell the other one
 
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rnapoli said:
What would you recommend at the $150ish price range?
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Esee 6.

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rnapoli said:
What would you recommend at the $150ish price range?
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Bk5 or Bk7 - more versatility

I like my bk5, it's 8", slicier, and great for brush clearing while still pretty capale of slicing well; but I also prefer not to baton with my knives whenever possible (though I do at times, and it is capable)

I'd recommend for you, seeing as how it reads like you are specifically looking to baton with it, (among other camp chores), a bk7... Still great for batoning, thicker then the 5, closer to the 10 in profile and thickness , with an extra inch and a half in length to work with, makes it a better and more versatile for everything else knife, (chopping, slicing, clearing brush, etc), and in seeing how neither is "the best" option for finer type work due to chunky blades, i'd throw in a cheap lightweight Mora companion HD to excel specifically where the 7 (and 10) will most lack.

Rather then have the one short chunky blade to do it all, which isn't the best slicer, but also lacks in the chop and clearing dept. as well, due to it's shorter design, I would've opted for the longer chunky blade, still not the best slicer, but better for chopping and clearing, and then added a dedicated slicer to the mix on order to better cover all avenues.

And, with that "camp combo", sure the 7 is a few ounces heavier then the 10, but the Mora is significantly lighter, so I would wear the Mora (on the hip) while long trekking, with the 7 strapped atop my pack, still accessible if needed, while distributing the weight evenly on my shoulders, legs, and core, making those ounces much less of a factor, (and the lightweight Mora hardly noticeable). Rather then look to carry the chunky and weighty bk10 on my belt while hiking, causing an unbalanced distribution of weight in the hips, which over a long haul could start causing premature fatigue.

FWIW, despite 2.5" extra inches in length, the bk5 is listed as the same thickness and weight as the 10... It's certainly not as "robust", different grind and profile however make it better suited for every other camp related chore except batoning, but it is still well capable of batoning, provided you keep it back away from the finer tip.
 
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The ESEE 6 and BK12 are much better choices in this size range IMO, although they are a fair bit more than the BK10, which usually runs around $70. But if you're looking to spend up to $150, then those are two that I'd look long and hard at.
 
I just bought an esee 6 for $113. Becker and ESEE are about the only two in the game at that price range if you want a known quality knife with a good sheath. I'm not a fan of the molded plastic sheath for the 6. The Kydex they use for the 4 is much better.
 
I will always choose ESEE over any Ka-bar product. The stock slabs on the ESEE are not the best but there aftermarket scales to fix that. I have never damaged an ESEE knife but I do have a BK16 with about an inch broke off the tip in my garage. If you are choosing a "survival" knife you need absolute confidence in that knife and that is something I won't ever have in a Ka-bar made product.

However for "one knife" I would not go with either the 5 or BK10. I would sell them both and try to fund a Ratmandu.
 
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