Esee 6 vs. BOB tops knife

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Nathan Akins

Joined
Jan 31, 2015
Messages
91
Edge retention, carving ability, batoning, or anything else.. Does anyone know about these knives? I'm trying to decide between the two
 
The ESEE-6 is big... MUCH bigger than the BOB. Here is a pick of the ESEE-6 next to some other knives, the BOB would fit between the two on the far right, ESEE-6 is on the left:

P1040587.JPG


Both are 1095 steel, I'm not sure if Rowen makes the BOB, they might... But the ESEE-6 is big and comes with a very thick edge, it needs some edge-modification to make it a decent carver. I've read good things about the BOB but don't own one as I have too many knives in that size already ;) One more thing - I personally find the ESEE-6 handle very uncomfortable.
 
I don't believe that rowen does TOPS HT. I think they either do their own, or they farm it out to a different company (saw a video about it recently, but can't remember the name of the HT company).

But yes, the ESEE 6 is a much larger knife. The only thing they share is the blade thickness (3/16in).

"Most" people will tell you that if you want a single knife to carry, they want it to be in the 4-6in range. So these knives kind of represent what you can expect out of blades at either end of that spectrum (to an extent). The ESEE 6 will do the larger tasks better, but will be not as nimble as the BOB, and vice versa.

Personally, I've found that I don't like smaller than 4in for my main blade, but I don't really need over about 5in either. No knife in the 4-7inch blade length size range is going to chop well at all. And really, even if you're into batoning, you likely will never "need" to baton anything more than 2-5in in width. And of those, you don't even have to baton down the center. So I guess what I'm saying is that the ESEE 6 may be better at chopping, but I wouldn't chop with either of these, so thats a "win" in something that doesn't matter to me for a knife in this size range. And while it will be better at batoning (just because of more blade length), for most wood you'll probably do, it will be of marginal use as well.

With that in mind, I guess of the two, I'd recommend the BOB.

Perhaps look at the ESEE 4, Becker BK16, Becker BK12, and ESEE Laserstrike. They are other good options in the same size range, with a few being a fair bit cheaper.
 
The nice thing about esee if you break it, no questions asked they will replace it. I do have both and neither have a sharp spine to strike a firesteel. I personal like the feel of the b.o.b. in the hand better. But have not used it much just got it last weekend.
 
I'm just lookin for a REALLY GOOD bush crafting. Had a few moras but want something more. Something with good carving abilities, batonong, so forth
 
Nathan Akins said:
I'm just lookin for a REALLY GOOD bush crafting. Had a few moras but want something morA. Something with good carving abilities, batonong, so forth
Click to expand...

Fixed it for you lol

I would check out Esee 4 and 5 they compare closer to the bob then the 6
Also bk2 and really the whole line up of beckers they are all (except 4 maybe) great bushcrafters
 
I would not consider either the ESEE 5 or the BK-2. Both are 1/4" steel and are pretty much what people look at for an indestructible knife. The whittling/wood carving aspect is probably more suited to the BOB or one of the more traditionally shaped bushcraft knives with a thinner steel. You can still baton with one of these. The ESEE 4 is not a bad choice as are the Kabar Becker BK-16 and BK-17. I would probably choose the Tops. Some of the GSO knives are well thought of as well.

My thought is that if you are thinking of going "big" go with something along the lines of a Becker BK-9 or perhaps the BK-7. It is just my opinion, but I really love big knives. I just bought a Condor Moonshiner (9") to play with and recently bought the Condor Kumunga (10"). But, as much as I like big knives, I seldom choose to carry them in the woods hiking. So, I am suggesting something along the lines of the ESEE 4 or BK-16 or the Tops that you will actually use.
 
Last edited:
22-rimfire said:
I would not consider either the ESEE 5 or the BK-2. Both are 1/4" steel and are pretty much what people look at for an indestructible knife. The whittling/wood carving aspect is probably more suited to the BOB or one of the more traditionally shaped bushcraft knives with a thinner steel. You can still baton with one of these. The ESEE 4 is not a bad choice as are the Kabar Becker BK-16 and BK-17. I would probably choose the Tops. Some of the GSO knives are well thought of as well.

My thought is that if you are thinking of going "big" go with something along the lines of a Becker BK-9 or perhaps the BK-7. It is just my opinion, but I really love big knives. I just bought a Condor Moonshiner (9") to play with and recently bought the Condor Kumunga (10"). But, as much as I like big knives, I seldom choose to carry them in the woods hiking. So, I am suggesting something along the lines of the ESEE 4 or BK-16 or the Tops that you will actually use.
Click to expand...

Well said.

I also don't really see the esee 5 or bk2 as bushcraft knives. I'd actually say the esee 6 is "closer", whatever that means.

For my money, id be getting a bk16. To me its about the closest mix between "heavy duty" and "bushcraft", in one package. The BOB is a good knife, but imo a touch thick, especially with the low saber grind it has.

The survive gso 4.1 is a good option at a higher price point, as are most bark river knives.

But really, bushcraft is a subjective term. If what you're really wanting is to chop and baton, then the larger thicker knives may be what you should be looking at. I'd hate for you to get something you aren't happy with, so really understanding what it is that you really want should be the first priority.
 
I just sharpened up my Moonshiner..... what a freakin beast! :D That's what I'm doing... Bladeforums, watching the stupid debate, and sharpening knives....

I might add that the Condor Bushlore is not a bad bushcraft knife at a low price point. But it is probably not the best.
 
Last edited:
I'd go with a B.O.B. every time. One of the most well-reviewed bush knives. Probably THE best reviewed by those who actually own/use them.
 
Nathan Akins said:
I'm just lookin for a REALLY GOOD bush crafting. Had a few moras but want something more. Something with good carving abilities, batonong, so forth
Click to expand...
Get the bob, it's an excellent knife...I've had mine for awhile and it's a very reliable knife...just a heads up the handle materials are different thicknesses...The micarta handles are allot fuller than the g10 models and the black g10 models lacks the contouring and feels blocky compared to the green/black g10.
 
I have tried the BOB as well the ESEE 6 (excellent knives). I prefer definitely the BOB. It is more versatile than the ESEE 6, if we are considering the concept "one knife for outdoors". The ESEE 6 has to be accompanied with another, smaller, blade. The BOB can stand alone undertaking all the duties....
 
Bobby3326 said:
Get the bob, it's an excellent knife...I've had mine for awhile and it's a very reliable knife...just a heads up the handle materials are different thicknesses...The micarta handles are allot fuller than the g10 models and the black g10 models lacks the contouring and feels blocky compared to the green/black g10.
Click to expand...

Thank you for this warning about the G10 scales :thumbup: I'd been thinking of getting the BOB for a comparison review of the new GSO-4.1 coming out, the GSO-4.7, the BK-16, Gerber Strongarm, and maybe another knife. Of those I just listed, I own only an older GSO-4.1 whose handle isn't my favorite, the Gerber Strongarm has a great handle but the blade-grind is a bit thick for my purposes, and the BK-16 with plastic scales - the BK16 combines fairly good cutting geometry with a comfortable handle, just needs the micarta upgrade :thumbup:


To the OP, I'd recommend checking the BOB against the BK16 or the Gerber Strongarm instead of the ESEE-6 or even the ESEE-4. If you want something more refined or of higher quality materials, you should look at getting a GSO (Survive! Knives). At that price level, there are actually a LOT more options, depending on what precisely you want out of the design...
 
Edge retention is pretty much going to be the same among the 1095 blades mentioned (tops, esee, becker) while the survive! Might be a bit better with the 3V steel. I have a 4.1 and a Bk16 and I really haven't noticed a tremendous difference in edge retention.
As for batoning, I'm personally not a huge fan. I usually carry a hatchet or folding saw. Any of the knives mentioned are well built and can certainly handle a good pounding. Just be smart about it. Don't try to drive any of them through a 12 inch thick log. But batoning reasonable sized pieces of wood to make kindling shouldn't be a problem for any of the esee, tops or beckers.
As for wood carving, take one of your moras. There are not many blades that can match a mora for carving and finer wood tasks. My Bk16 is probably my favorite knife, but my moras will whittle circles around it. The blade geometry of a mora blade is just perfect for fine woodwork. They weight l very little, so I would just take one along as reasonable back up and pull it out if you want to do something requiring more precision.
 
chiral.grolim said:
The ESEE-6 is big... MUCH bigger than the BOB. Here is a pick of the ESEE-6 next to some other knives, the BOB would fit between the two on the far right, ESEE-6 is on the left:

P1040587.JPG


Both are 1095 steel, I'm not sure if Rowen makes the BOB, they might... But the ESEE-6 is big and comes with a very thick edge, it needs some edge-modification to make it a decent carver. I've read good things about the BOB but don't own one as I have too many knives in that size already ;) One more thing - I personally find the ESEE-6 handle very uncomfortable.
Click to expand...

What knife is the second from the left, please?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top