ESEE-6 Clip-point for backwoods hunting workhorse?

R

Ravenbeak

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Aug 7, 2018
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Hi All,

I just joined the forums and I've already learned a ton from you all - what a great community!

I'm a bowhunter who is planning on working towards longer and longer backwoods backpack hunts lasting 2-12 days. I currently have a knife for skinning/slicing food (Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner) but I need a workhorse bushcraft/camp/survival knife for my planned excursions. My needs for this will chiefly be:
- Wood processing (chopping/batoning)
- Fire starting
- Cutting rope/cord, etc.
- Defense (in that "whatever that is, it's moving closer" kinda way)

After reading several threads, and watching countless reviews, I'm close to pulling the trigger on a customized ESEE-6, clip-point version, from TKC. I am almost on the fence about the clip-point, especially as some think that it may be a negative for batoning, but I do like the benefit of using the blade as a striker, a back-up blade, and for the extra penetration should a quiet moment become a "holy-crap" moment.

Thoughts on this choice? (price isn't a huge factor - just wondering about suitability of knife for this scenario)

Many thanks in advance,
- Raven
 
Seems to me like you WANT another knife more than you NEED another knife.

There seem to be two main takes on this all wood processing, fire crafting thing... One relies on specific tools for wood and reserves the knives for cutting chores. In this case your current knife should be ok if paired with a hatchet or a folding saw.

The other one relies on the, one tool, "bigger is better and chopping is a must" and less than 10" of 1/4th blade is going to get you killed. How are you going to skin game with a machete is a tricky question.

The ESSE 6 somehow falls in the middle term, which means that it is not small/thin enough as a knife for skinning or general cutting, while it is not big/heavy enough for choppping.

All in all, it is a good looking knife but a bad choice. In my opinion.

i googled your current knife. Not that it has an scalpel looking blade by any means. I suggest you keep this knife and buy a folding saw. Usually there is no need to batton big pieces of wood. If you want to split wrist sized branches, your Benchmade will suffice.

I don't do much wood processing but when I feel the need, I grab a Falkniven F1 or S1 and a wood saw.

Mikel
 
The Esee 6 will serve you well as a general do it all camp/ bush knife. If you want to see it perform even better I would recommend taking off the blade coating. All my Esse knives came with a strong coating that definitely preserves the knife but does not slice all that great. Their warranty is excellent and the quality of materials for the price is well worth it.

If you are interested I’d also check out the KaBar Turok. It’s awesome and has a awesome sheath!
 
I guess the big question I have is; are these future woods excursions (hunts) going to be a backpacking kind of thing or essentially drive to your camp site by 4x4/RV if necessary and have a base camp? You can carry a lot of stuff with a vehicle and less if it's on your back.

I think if you are getting a big blade for wood processing (and fun of course) you should go larger than the ESEE 6. I'd look at something with a 9" blade or longer. The longer blade will likely be a much more effective chopper.
 
I don't know why you would want a knife for your horse. They don't even have thumbs!

Kidding aside, the ESEE 6 is an awesome blade, but I prefer the standard to the clip.
 
I often carry the BM Skinner Mtn on hunting trips too. Love it. The ESEE 6 is a great blade. If you're thinking about wood-processing as a primary use, I'd think that the clip point would get a little annoying after awhile. It'll work, but it will beat up your baton and maybe ding up the clip point (potentially negating its value as a backup blade). I have a standard 6, and it's a very solid camp knife/survival knife. Not "the best" at anything, but a pretty amazing compromise across a bunch of categories. You will love it. There's a reason they come so highly recommended.

If you carry a saw, the 6 would probably pair with your Skinner Mtn quite well. If you don't, you might even consider going to something with more length and thickness. The 6 is totally competent for batoning, but something bigger would make wood processing easier--but that comes at a weight penalty too.
 
If you think ESEE 6 is your thang then by all means go for it. I think most of the suggestion threads like these are more full of opinions and preferences than full facts.

Now my opinion :D is that I would rather have a hatchet instead of chopping knife. I think batoning is mostly for the cool kids. It puts toi much unnecessary risk on your blade.
I would rather have small knife for good cuttin’ and axe for choppin’.

As for the boogeymans, most knives with tip will do. If you are afraid of the owl man then get something very long.
 
Thanks, guys! Really helpful insights. Last night, I was about 10 minutes away from the purchase button and now I'm given pause. Not that I doubt the blade and its capabilities, but rather that I should give it a few more days and consider what I'll need. This would not be for car camping, but for days abroad, out in the mountains. Weight management will be an issue, which is why I am looking for a "pretty good jack of all trades, bring one knife as a workhorse as I don't want to carry too much" kind of solution. I will have the BM Skinner, but if possible, I want to keep it sharp for skinning/food work. I'll do some research on folding saws and hatchets.

Thanks again, guys!
 
What about stainless knives? Here are a couple I like for the purposes you describe:

Fallkniven A1
Fiddleback forge Duke
 
I guess it depends on the kind of camp you set up. I think pausing to consider things a bit is a good idea. You have to carry this thing and no point in buying it (unless you want to of course) if you just leave it at home. You can do most camping stuff (big cutting) with a saw. I seldom use a hatchet, but some do. The little Fiskars hatchet might suit for around $30 or so. It would certainly provide a backup for the saw and can be used for pounding things like tent stakes and so forth. I would assume you probably have a folding knife with you too and that is a backup for the skinning blade.
 
A folding saw, a big knife and a small knife are what I prefer when backpacking deep into the wilderness. There will be many suggestions, but there is really no wrong answer here. Take what you are most comfortable with and most proficient with. A Becker BK9 is a great one knife option. So is the CPK HDFK.
 
Bahco and Silky folding saws are well made and worth a look. Throw in a Bk7 and you should be able to handle just about anything.
 
I think you will do well with just a good folder and your BM as it is. But if you want a dedicated chopper/camp tool to supplement your hunting knife I suggest you look into buying a tomahawk with a hardened poll. I have, and will recommend, the 2Hawks Longhunter but any similar, good quality hawk will do. For what it's worth, the head on the Longhunter weighs 0.7 oz. less than the ESEE 6.

If you definitively want a large knife that can handle chopping, slicing, and has a serious point then you might like a Cold Steel Trail master. Just note the Trail master is roughly 5 oz. heavier than the ESEE 6.

As said above, since weight is a concern, you may be better off with a folding saw instead of a chopping tool.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. A few knives mentioned here that I haven't yet researched and I hadn't really looked at saws yet, so it's good to see a few that are bubbling to the top based on real-world usage. I'll check those out as well.
 
Esee is a good bet, very reliable and tough Knives, their 1095 steel heat treatment is spot on.
 
This is what I do currently..... I purchased a Bark River Wilderness Explorer knife (5.7" blade) a few months ago. It feels like a middle sized knife and I would not be afraid to do some light limbing with it. It is nimble enough to use for game processing although perhaps a tad big. I could struggle through that aspect. If you have a saw, you really don't need to chop much camping at all and it's questionable if you need to chop at all as you can break many things or drag and feed stuff into the fire that isn't chopped up. Not pretty, but it works. It is a question of what kinds of tools you're willing to carry.

I find that I tend to leave 7" or longer blades at home. I love them; I just don't want to carry them. When I run into other hikers, sometimes I feel foolish with a large knife that isn't a machete. It sort of depends on the kind of timber you'd be in.
 
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