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Esee 5
- Thread starter NJWHN95
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2008
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- 5,548
yeah i've used one alot. depends on what you want to do with it. its tough as hell, has a good comfortable grip for me, the sheath is well made and with the molle back and pouch very useful. holds a good edge. Its not the knife i take into the woods general and its not a great slicer, for a beat the hell out of it shtf tool its great. the esee6 works much better as a general camp and woods knife.
take it easy
cricket
take it easy
cricket
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
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- 32,609
Love mine, but not so much as a user. Too heavy for my tastes. I prefer the esee6, like others have said.......if I want a bigger blade, my esee 4 if I want a smaller one........ for using\carrying, in the swamps where I spend time. That aside still a great knife.
BryFry
Gold Member
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- Jul 29, 2009
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I just recently customized one a bit. I would say it is one of those knives that qualifies as "sharpened pry-bar" 
And I mean that in a good way.
That thing is one thick chunk of steel. I think it makes a great urban SHTF knife, what with the glass breaker, and pry-bar like capabilities. It cuts plenty well too, but a delicate slicer it is not!
And I mean that in a good way.That thing is one thick chunk of steel. I think it makes a great urban SHTF knife, what with the glass breaker, and pry-bar like capabilities. It cuts plenty well too, but a delicate slicer it is not!
Thanks guys. Ya I looked at the ESEE 6 too. I was torn, but it sounds like the 6 is gonna be the better way to go. I think the only difference is the glass breaker thing that is on the five and that the six is longer, but just to make sure the 6 still holds up as good as the 5 right?
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- Jun 9, 2011
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All things relative......sure. the 5 is thicker and shorter than the 6 so it will handle extreme punishment better. The 6 is no slouch though and it can handle batoning, chopping, and all other normal bushcraft and swamp tasks. At least mine has.
If you want a 5 get it. Its a great knife as well. You just have to decide if you want or need the extra thickness and the cool esee skull logo and will use it so it makes more sense for you than the 6.
If you want a 5 get it. Its a great knife as well. You just have to decide if you want or need the extra thickness and the cool esee skull logo
and will use it so it makes more sense for you than the 6.- Joined
- Oct 28, 2009
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- 2,420
what are you planning on doing with the knife?
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2010
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- 3,196
No, the glass breaker and length are NOT the only differences.
The 5 is 1/4 inch thick. The 6 is thinner. The thickness has a lot to do with it.
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2010
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- 3,955
Ive had both and I like the 6 better. with its thinner stock and grind its a better slicer and still plenty tough. Its also less expensive.
nikoknife48
Gold Member
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- Mar 10, 2007
- Messages
- 2,920
I'm the proud owner of the one pictured above. Before Bryan got hold of it I wasn't too keen on it. It felt clubby to me in hand. When I had originally acquired it it came with the belt carry pouch and fire starter which has since been discontinued. I did like the whole set up though. Now that Bryan did the customizing she now feels more balanced and it's hair popping sharp. You guys are sparking my interest on the 6 especially knowing that it has a thinner blade design. Makes me think what Bryan can do with that one. I know my 5 is a production blade but now it is more like a custom.
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I'm gonna pile on here, and say that as sweet as the ESEE 5 is, I can't think of anything I'd need a knife for that the 6 wouldn't do better. The 6 will be more effective at most tasks you would need a knife for, and its still stout enough to take a fair amount of abuse. Its not like 6 inches of 3/16" steel is something to be worried about
I actually have to make the same decision (between the 5 and the 6) myself! I planed to pair the 5 or the 6 with a smaller slicer anyway so the thickness is not really an issue for me I guess. The price neither because you can find very good deals on the 5 if you look around and then the difference is not that big. I was thinking that the cutting edge is not that much bigger on the 6 because of the choil and I am not a big fan of the choil to be honest. For finer work I have the small blade anyway and I have to admitt that I like that the 5 is overbuilt. I really KNOW that the 6 is strong enough, believe me, but it's just that extra bit that I like about the 5
I'm thinking about the Becker Necker as a companion and to put the 2 sheaths together, kangaroo style. What do you think of the serrations of the 6? Still ok to batton etc.? Do you guys prefer a 6 with serrations or a 5 without them? Aaaargh, so many decisions and variables
....
I'm thinking about the Becker Necker as a companion and to put the 2 sheaths together, kangaroo style. What do you think of the serrations of the 6? Still ok to batton etc.? Do you guys prefer a 6 with serrations or a 5 without them? Aaaargh, so many decisions and variables
....
To show you how dense I can be, I had owned my RC-5 for a couple of years (note the early sheath) when I recently bought a BK2 locally - on sale - $90 with the aftermarket grips in the box, too. I haven't exactly worn the RC-5 out, that's for sure. Oddly, the powder coat hasn't even marred - much - from some chopping and splitting. In brief tests, the BK2 is at least as good at splitting - possibly better, due to it's slicker finish coat. It's original plastic-like grip is functional as-is - and I have seen it as low as $65 shipped - a bargain. The RC-5 has a better grip finish than the aftermarket units on the BK2.
Think about the eventual use... an RC-4 may be 'enough'. The RC-5/BK2 are great - but rather massive.
Stainz
Think about the eventual use... an RC-4 may be 'enough'. The RC-5/BK2 are great - but rather massive.
Stainz
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2010
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- 2,691
Just remember that the ESEE 5 is for downed aircraft pilots. The knife must survive the escape, prying, and cutting yourself out of the crash. Then the knife can be used for "survival" or bushcraft. If you break the knife during the escape, then you don't have a knife.
It is made well, and can be used for general camp chores, but it's like driving a tank to the grocery store for most of us.
A BK-2, Ontario Afghan, or Bravo-1 would make a better camp knife, due to geometry. The BK-2 has slightly less mass, and the grind allows for a thinner taper. I own both, all that I have mentioned, and the BK-2 would be my choice. The ESEE-6 is their flagship knife and probably the better choice. If you had both, you could decide, then sell one. Or send the 5 to BryFry to customize that sucker into a great looking user!
It is made well, and can be used for general camp chores, but it's like driving a tank to the grocery store for most of us.
A BK-2, Ontario Afghan, or Bravo-1 would make a better camp knife, due to geometry. The BK-2 has slightly less mass, and the grind allows for a thinner taper. I own both, all that I have mentioned, and the BK-2 would be my choice. The ESEE-6 is their flagship knife and probably the better choice. If you had both, you could decide, then sell one. Or send the 5 to BryFry to customize that sucker into a great looking user!
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2010
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- 1,090
I think one of the things that confuses people about knives, is the descritpion. Its like the label on food, we just brush by it.
ESEE-5 - The New Standard For Aircraft Survival, Escape and Evasion
(Designed By Air Force SERE Instructors) SERE = Survival Evasion Resistance Escape
The knife was designed so that a pilot that just crashed can literally cut his way out of his gear, chop his way out of his cockpit, fashion tools and shelter for survival, kill an emeny, kill food, crack skulls and whatever else is required in that hostile environment, Oh yeah, one last thing, there can't be any ut-oh moments so it "must" be overbuilt. You can't say time-out and go to the PX and get another one. It has to last no matter what. In that situation no one cares if the carrots are sliced like Emeril, its about living or dying.
But then the interesting thing happens, people see the knife and want it because its tough! Then when they get it they say its too heavy or it doesn't do food prep well. Then the knife kind-of gets bad reviews and is ultimately compared with knives that fit the category you originally needed, in this case a camp knife. No surprise, the camp knife is lighter, easier to carry, it slices and dices like a chefs knife [comparitively speaking] and it makes the ESEE-5 or BK-2 look bad.
In the end we want to have fun with our knives and just about everyone that signs up for a knife forum understands that sometimes we just want something cool, even if it isn't practical. Thats what the ESEE-5 is to most, its just cool to own one. Its so cool that if you read the posts prior to mine and wish to "hear" they say; the knife is too heavy to carry, too thick, too big for me to use like a regular knife, the handle is not comfortable and I NEVER REALLY USE IT. But, its one of my favorite knives and I love it....
Interestingly on the ESEE site, the ESEE-4 is simply described as a bigger ESEE-3 (people bought that tactical knife and wanted a bigger blade for wilderness use)
"This is the longer, thicker "wilderness" model of the popular ESEE-3 tactical knife. With its 3/16" thickness, full flat grind, rounded pommel, Micarta handles and light weight, it can serve as a primary backpacking and wilderness survival knife, or fitted to your modular system for duty carry in a tactical environment."
The ESEE-6 has no description at all under its name or anywhere on it's page but it does have some pics of jungle use at the bottom of the page. I take it we should infer that it is a woods/jungle blade. http://www.eseeknives.com/rc-6.htm
Good luck on your search. Like many of the other suggestions I would get an ESEE-6, BK-7, Recon Scout, Trailmaster, Buck 119, Falkniven A1, F1, S1, Junglas or similar model.
ESEE-5 - The New Standard For Aircraft Survival, Escape and Evasion
(Designed By Air Force SERE Instructors) SERE = Survival Evasion Resistance Escape
The knife was designed so that a pilot that just crashed can literally cut his way out of his gear, chop his way out of his cockpit, fashion tools and shelter for survival, kill an emeny, kill food, crack skulls and whatever else is required in that hostile environment, Oh yeah, one last thing, there can't be any ut-oh moments so it "must" be overbuilt. You can't say time-out and go to the PX and get another one. It has to last no matter what. In that situation no one cares if the carrots are sliced like Emeril, its about living or dying.
But then the interesting thing happens, people see the knife and want it because its tough! Then when they get it they say its too heavy or it doesn't do food prep well. Then the knife kind-of gets bad reviews and is ultimately compared with knives that fit the category you originally needed, in this case a camp knife. No surprise, the camp knife is lighter, easier to carry, it slices and dices like a chefs knife [comparitively speaking] and it makes the ESEE-5 or BK-2 look bad.
In the end we want to have fun with our knives and just about everyone that signs up for a knife forum understands that sometimes we just want something cool, even if it isn't practical. Thats what the ESEE-5 is to most, its just cool to own one. Its so cool that if you read the posts prior to mine and wish to "hear" they say; the knife is too heavy to carry, too thick, too big for me to use like a regular knife, the handle is not comfortable and I NEVER REALLY USE IT. But, its one of my favorite knives and I love it....
Interestingly on the ESEE site, the ESEE-4 is simply described as a bigger ESEE-3 (people bought that tactical knife and wanted a bigger blade for wilderness use)
"This is the longer, thicker "wilderness" model of the popular ESEE-3 tactical knife. With its 3/16" thickness, full flat grind, rounded pommel, Micarta handles and light weight, it can serve as a primary backpacking and wilderness survival knife, or fitted to your modular system for duty carry in a tactical environment."
The ESEE-6 has no description at all under its name or anywhere on it's page but it does have some pics of jungle use at the bottom of the page. I take it we should infer that it is a woods/jungle blade. http://www.eseeknives.com/rc-6.htm
Good luck on your search. Like many of the other suggestions I would get an ESEE-6, BK-7, Recon Scout, Trailmaster, Buck 119, Falkniven A1, F1, S1, Junglas or similar model.
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- Joined
- Apr 7, 2010
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- 1,090
thank you a lot for your usefull comments! I don't know about you NJWHN95, but I did NOT listen to the voices of reasons in this threat and pulled the trigger on a 5
Oh, I didn't know we were supposed to actually listen to the advice! I picked the BK-2 and BK-7 instead of the ESEE's but I have no doubt the ESEE-4/5/6 are all fantastic too!
Okay now I'm back to thinking I want the ESEE 5 because it might not be an ideal chopper and slicer, but it would do those jobs if need be. I'm all about durability. I like a knife to do it's job well, but I'll make do with just about anything if I have to. So if it's a little shorter than the 6 so be it. I like the thickness, and the weight isn't a big deal to me.
So if you didn't have an ax you could use the ESEE 5 to chop small logs (and baton them). The 5 have more uses than the 6, but it dosen't do certain jobs as well (like it can't chop and slice as well, but it could be used to pry something open if it had to). Is this sounding about right or am I still mistaken?
So if you didn't have an ax you could use the ESEE 5 to chop small logs (and baton them). The 5 have more uses than the 6, but it dosen't do certain jobs as well (like it can't chop and slice as well, but it could be used to pry something open if it had to). Is this sounding about right or am I still mistaken?