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

[ocnLogan]

Sorry you didn't have a good experience with your Becker. Did you try contacting them about if the warranty covers it? Its always possible for any company to have a knife miss their heat treat, but its how they deal with those that slip through that's important imo.

The other thing is the bk16 is a ffg 5/32in thick knife. It's not really billed as a "survival" knife as much as it is a bushcraft knife. Its not near as tough as either of the blades mentioned here, so depending on how it broke it could be just that it was being used too heavily.

I own three beckers that I use, and all have been used pretty hard, outside of a garage, and they're all still just fine .

OP, there are aftermarket scales available for the esee knives that do help out a lot with how it feels. Just know that adds another ~$50 onto the price of the knife, which puts most esee knives into a price bracket filled with many other good options.

 

[craytab]

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.

The 4 now more commonly comes with the molded plastic. You can still get a 4 with kydex but the vast majority of the options are with the plastic. I like the 4 plastic over the 6 plastic.

 

[Kwon Kwang]

If it's 1095, ESEE is the first company on my mind. Their heat treatment is goddamn phenomenal (I've hard used and abused my Izula and it still has the factory edge! Never needed to sharpen it yet, though I have honed it w/ a steel), and their warranty is second to none as far as production blades go.

They seem expensive for what they are, but remember that much of that price is the excellent sheath and warranty.

I can't really say much about Becker as I've never owned one.

 

[upnorth]

I almost ordered, and still might, an ESEE 5 blade with chosen TKC handles. But weight is at times a factor for me. I don't like a ton of junk trying to yank my pants down. I traded off an old Becker Brute for another BK-5 and couldn't be happier. So consider weight. If I went over the side of a boat with a full canteen and that old Brute leaf spring, they'd be dragging for a body.

 

[hunter55]

I have both of them.
I have tried them.
I prefer the BK-10 due to its versatility.

And, furthermore, as far as the ESEE RC-5 is concerned I have I have to remind the Jeff Randall’s opinion about the RC-5.
In his opinion about the knife industry (http://indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com/usmc-mark-2-combat-knife-i-received-my-first-ka-bar-w-1582803008) on May 2014 he is characterizing the RC-5 as “Even though it is my least favorite knife we make….” and “…..something that wouldn't break in the worst wilderness survival scenario and also survive being beaten through a helicopter fuselage if needed.”

Furthermore, Jeff Randall is more precise (and realistic...) as far as the RC-5 is concerned saying on September 2009 [http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/675985-Help-needed-with-HEST-sheath (09-16-2009, 04:35 PM #16 R.A.T. Randall's Adventure & Training)] the following:”I personally HATE our RC-5 knife. I think it's nothing more than a oversized prybar and I'd much rather have a 5 dollar tramontina machete than that thing. But there are a lot of folks that like the RC-5”.