ESEE-6 or Ratmandu (It's ESEE!)

Halberdier said:
Really? The RMD SR-101 is similar to 5160? I have a 5160 knife. It's about as good as a well treated 1095, but not superior to it in any way that I can see.
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You can't compare the two-I have 4 blades in 5160 and this SR101 acts entirely different.
 
FWIW, the prices really aren't similar. ESEE-6 is ~$120 with a sheath, while the RatMandu is $140 without one so add another $20 to $60 dollars to the price, giving $160 (33% more than the ESEE-6) to $200 (66% more).

Both are plenty tough, but the ESEE is going to chop through things better, being FFG. On the other hand, the SR101 is going to hold an edge better. Tough choice on that front.
 
I´ve got both - The Esee 6 and the Ratmandu. My personal Opinion: Both are on the same high Level and your final Decision will be not based on what´s the better Knive - It´s more what you need and request from a knive: Good value for Money and easy to sharpen: Esee 6 More compact Feeling (pure non fact based personal impression), less Batoning + will to pay extra for it: Ratmandu
 
This is sort of an aside, but does anyone else think that, at 4-7" blade / 9-12" overall lengths, a knife should be looked at less for chopping-capability, more for batonning-capability, for the same use?
Of the two methods, the latter seems far more efficient for knives of this size (although one-handed batonning may require more care and skill).
If this is the case, how much does it influence one's decision regarding these 2 knives, if one must choose?
Or is $$/package the primary factor: blade-quality and design is similar enough for the proposed tasks that the ESEE, with lower price including sheath-system, wins out?
 
I bought several "camp knives" sequentially... (esee4, hrlm, rmd, bravo1,sts3) intending to keep just one... that was my RMD. It was the most comfortable TO ME and I really liked the blade size w/ choil for finer work.

Knowing once the production stops my used RMD will still PROBABLY be worth more... AND it has a busse warranty... well.. thats just a plus... I went by "feel" and as I held each one and used each one... I kept going back to the RMD.
 
Some awesome replies here folks! I'll add a few thoughts.

Price: I guess it's not really the same. The ESEE is a relative bargain. But really, so is the RMD. The savings is nice, but not large enough to base the decision on.

Sheaths: Very important to me. I would get a pancake style kydex sheath for the RMD, same as comes with the ESEE. Either would get a bolted-on leather loop to make it more of a drop-leg sheath. Except for cost, this one is even.

In Hand: The RMD looks superior and the feedback here confirms that. But the ESEE also looks plenty good. I can live with either.

Chopping: An 8" or larger blade would be better for chopping of course, but very limited for general use. The ESEE is as large as I feel a knife can be while maintaining its usefulness as a general use knife. The RMD is a better general use knife, as is the Bravo 1.

The Steel: I'm lost here. Averaging the feedback here and info from other sources, my feeling is that the difference is not major. But the RMD coating is apparently superior.

Field Sharpening: That's a major issue for me. What if I'm stuck somewhere for a month? Below is a pic of my portable sharpening kit: a soft Arkansas stone and a small ceramic rod. I can sharpen any knife I have with it, from 1095 to 154CM. I can sharpen my axe with it. Can I sharpen the RMD with it? I actually think I can, but if not, that makes it less of a survival knife. Stones are reliable. Sandpaper can easily get wet and become useless.

Vibes: I can sense the love folks have for their RMDs and it's very compelling.


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I found the Swamp Rat equivalent to the ESEE-6. It's called the Mini Uncle Mojo. A perfect looking knife, but the price is in a different range from these. You can see one right next to the RMD here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=778510

As for me, a $109.95/shipped ESEE-6 with my choice of (not brown) sheath color did me in. I'm looking forward to beating that purdy finish off of it as soon as I can put it to good use. ;)

Any thoughts about my epoxy/loctite plan?
 
It sounds like you got a great deal! The knife is sure to serve you well. You may think about ordering the ESEE molle-back and pouch for your #6, great accessories, but an extra $60...

Unlike the Beckers, ESEE/Rat-knives are not known for scales coming loose - less ergonomic, yes; loosening, no. If it makes you feel better, you can use the loctite, but you probably wouldn't ever actually need it.
 
I'm thinking now to leave the scales be for a few months, see how they hold up. I might also want to remove them for reshaping. Eventually, I'll probably go the epoxy route. I was hoping someone who's done that would chime in. It can be a different knife.

I'm planning to get the MOLLE back, but holding off until I see the sheath. I might just make a wide leather loop for it. Either way it's going low.
 
The ESEE came yesterday and I wanted to share my initial impression.

Right away, I can tell the handle is going to be a problem. The scales are flat and have a bit of a ridge at the transition to the rounded part. I sanded the ridge off, which helped a little, but they're not a fully comfortable fit like other knives I have. If anyone comes out with aftermarket scales for this one, I'll be a buyer. Otherwise, I can live with these.

The sheath is a useless piece of hard plastic that looks like it'll break if dropped on a hard surface. The in/out is fiddly, not smooth and natural. It'll be replaced with a leather sheath as soon as I find one. I'm glad I didn't buy the MOLLE back.

The blade was razor sharp out of the box. No touch up needed.

Even when fully choked down, the knife felt clumsy and not very controllable. This is to be expected with a larger blade.

Balance is on the first finger.

I took her out this morning to chop the lower limbs off a yaupon tree in my yard and this knife is all the chopper I was hoping it'd be. I don't even have a lanyard attached yet, so this was full-fisted chopping. The blade landed solid and heavy with little shock to the hand. 1/2" limbs came off with one strike, 3/4" limbs took 2-3. With a lanyard and a half grip, I should be able to take the 3/4" limbs with one strike, too. These are fresh limbs btw, not deadwood.

Overall, she's a keeper. A good compromise between size and performance.
 
Congrats and enjoy the mod process!!! Think of it as making it your very own, unique blade. If it were me, i'd source some Micarta and cut/grind/sand some scales just for me.
 
fmajor007 said:
Congrats and enjoy the mod process!!! Think of it as making it your very own, unique blade. If it were me, i'd source some Micarta and cut/grind/sand some scales just for me.
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Thanks. I'm thinking about exactly that. I forgot to mention that the scales came with unexpected bright turquoise liners -- another reason to upgrade.
 
I just got my RMD today, im about to go to bed but I will post some pictures for you tomorrow...wait till you see what I did with the edge. It fits my hand perfectly and is blazing sharp. The finger choil is perfect and the knife is balanced right at the top of the scales. I am madly in love with this blade, going to try my hand at making my own sheath for it too. Something you may want to take into consideration is that the RMD does not come with a sheath. Either way I know you will be happy, but I think you would be slightly happier with a RMD.


Edit: Guess I shoulda read the whole post before I posted lol. I still say get the RMD!
 
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Just an observation.

Brand new ESEE 6 with sheath can be easily found right now for $110 including shipping.
Ratmandu with sheath and shipping is $202, ordered directly from Swamprat.

So RMD is almost twice the price of ESEE 6. Not exactly fair comparison, if price is not taken into equation.

Never had ESEE 6, but I had Ratmandu (sold it). I liked the handle a lot. Edge was quite thick and angle was about 45 degrees (new knife). Thick tip too. Hard use knife it is.
 
bpiatt, maybe.. It was far from clear cut for me even though the ESEE had the larger size I was looking for. The RMD's handle is what the ESEE is missing.

effer, the ESEE-6 really is a bargain if you think about it.
 
Halberdier said:
The sheath is a useless piece of hard plastic that looks like it'll break if dropped on a hard surface. The in/out is fiddly, not smooth and natural. It'll be replaced with a leather sheath as soon as I find one. I'm glad I didn't buy the MOLLE back.
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I am sure you are already aware of some great makers of leather sheaths for this model (many of whom frequent this forum) if you don't decide to try and make one yourself; but in case you DO decide to go with kydex, azwelke offers an ESEE-6 sheath that is compatible with the molle-attachments: http://s477.photobucket.com/albums/rr140/azwelke/?action=view&current=DSCF3475.jpg

(~$70 for the attachments + $40 for the sheath... Leather would probably be better buy, but for those who already have the attachments, it's good to know that there is a replacement sheath out there)

As a temporary solution to the handle-issues, you might wrap it in cloth or cord...?

Thank you for the honest review.
Please let us know what you end up doing with the handles (they were the main reason I opted for the RMD over ESEE). Again, thank you.
 
I already ordered and received a leather sheath, very inexpensively. It's a little tacky looking, but a good fit and well made. You can see it here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=783156

I like the kydex sheath in your link. One improvement I see right away is that the mouth is tapered for easy entry. The ESEE's sheath is stepped there, so you have to look and carefully line the blade up with the slot before inserting. That's just too fussy for me.
 
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