Esee knives vs gso survive?

I've had one ESEE and four Survive knives. The ESEE is fine for an economical fixed blade. Nothing wrong with it.
My Survives have been in 20CV, M390, and two in 3V. I've given the others to kids, but kept my latest 3.5 in 3V; not apt to sell it.
I LIKE the folks at Survive and have dealt with them from their beginnings in Pennsylvania. Guy does a great job; his major secretary is a fine lady (sorry I forgot her name).
There is NO contest at all, IMO...Survive.
 
I've owned a lot of ESEE knives (3, 4, 5, 6, LS, Junglas, Izula) and have a recent GSO 5.1. I no longer own ESEE knives, and intend to buy several Survive! GSO knives as new models come out this year.

ESEE knives have good designs with a great warranty and great fit and finish. I used my RC-3 and RC6 for a very long time. What caused me to look elsewhere is the steel used, lack of contouring of the handle scales, and the thick coating on the blades. Don't get me wrong, they're priced right for what they are and a good value at around $100, just not ideal for my preferences.

My Survive GSO 5.1 has similar dimensions to my beloved RC-6, but it's made from 3V with a top shelf heat treat by Peters'. It's my dream come true, a 6" bladed field knife with a choil and a comfortable handle, made from my dream steel with edge geometry optimized for cutting while still being plenty strong enough. The fit and finish must be seen to be believed.

Buying an ESEE-6 for $130, then a proper sheath for $50 and a set of contoured handles for $50 puts you at the price of a Survive! GSO 5.1, which comes with perfect handles and a proper sheath and is made from far superior, and uncoated, 20CV or 3V steel. Comparing apples to apples, I believe the Survive! GSO is a far better value. The only bad thing about Survive! knives is how difficult it is to get one at the moment, but that is supposed to get better this year as they release future production batches. It doesn't seem that bad to me, waiting a few months for a top shelf quality knife that costs $200. My GSO 5.1 is as good, if not better, than many knives costing several times as much, some of which have wait times measured in years.
 
MatthewSB said:
I've owned a lot of ESEE knives (3, 4, 5, 6, LS, Junglas, Izula) and have a recent GSO 5.1. I no longer own ESEE knives, and intend to buy several Survive! GSO knives as new models come out this year.

ESEE knives have good designs with a great warranty and great fit and finish. I used my RC-3 and RC6 for a very long time. What caused me to look elsewhere is the steel used, lack of contouring of the handle scales, and the thick coating on the blades. Don't get me wrong, they're priced right for what they are and a good value at around $100, just not ideal for my preferences.

My Survive GSO 5.1 has similar dimensions to my beloved RC-6, but it's made from 3V with a top shelf heat treat by Peters'. It's my dream come true, a 6" bladed field knife with a choil and a comfortable handle, made from my dream steel with edge geometry optimized for cutting while still being plenty strong enough. The fit and finish must be seen to be believed.

Buying an ESEE-6 for $130, then a proper sheath for $50 and a set of contoured handles for $50 puts you at the price of a Survive! GSO 5.1, which comes with perfect handles and a proper sheath and is made from far superior, and uncoated, 20CV or 3V steel. Comparing apples to apples, I believe the Survive! GSO is a far better value. The only bad thing about Survive! knives is how difficult it is to get one at the moment, but that is supposed to get better this year as they release future production batches. It doesn't seem that bad to me, waiting a few months for a top shelf quality knife that costs $200. My GSO 5.1 is as good, if not better, than many knives costing several times as much, some of which have wait times measured in years.
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Very fair assessment.
 
The sheaths of both are suitable and functional. I'm not sure I would consider either anything to write home about. My gso needed an extension for the knife to ride where I prefer it. This is just my preferance, but I would have paid more up front for more sheath options with survive knives. I just don't think the sheath is on par with the knife. Not difficult to remedy, and there is the option to not purchase a sheath at all. Its a minor gripe, but I just wanted to point it out. I love both manufacturers blades.
 
If I have to stand in line, I'm not buying it.

Survive might make great knives, but I don't give a hoot about how good they are if they don't ship with 2 days of purchase. I refuse to play that game.

And a lot of that is the whole "you gotta buy NOW or you might miss out" high pressure sales tactic that may be unintentionally induced....but either way, I don't want to always be buying a knife just because I might want it later. I buy what I have a need for in the immediate future.
 
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ESEE if you want a good USA made budget knife, Survive if you want, IMO, some of the best fixed blades made (and also IMO, reasonably priced). Either way, get a custom sheath maker to fix you up with some decent pants for it!
 
The only ESEE knives I've owned that I didn't click with were the 3 and 4, I don't like the choils. There is a modified version of both that are supposed to be released soon that look to be choilless and with more contoured handles, should be excellent. I hope the handles are similar to the RB3, they're very comfortable for my hands.

I've sold a couple GSO's but put all the money towards preorders and a 5.1 2nd. As much as I'd like to have the knives in hand quicker I have a lot of respect for Survive! working as hard as they do to keep the quality high and prices low. They could have easily raised the prices to ease demand, I'm pretty happy that hasn't happened.
 
archieblue said:
ESEE if you want a good USA made budget knife, Survive if you want, IMO, some of the best fixed blades made (and also IMO, reasonably priced). Either way, get a custom sheath maker to fix you up with some decent pants for it!
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Did someone say get some custom pants for it? I love my ESEE's and my S!K's. Both have a place.
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Insipid Moniker said:
ESEE also just introduced the choilless 3 and 4 with ergos that look a lot better. Not a big ESEE fan, but I might pick one of those up when the price is right.
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Are those for sale yet anywhere? Will they have the same Kydex sheaths?

Also, there will always be something better in one area or another, but what would a common person be doing with an ESEE where it wouldn't be good enough?
 
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Fuori said:
Are those for sale yet anywhere? Will they have the same Kydex sheaths?

Also, there will always be something better in one area or another, but what would a common person be doing with an ESEE where it wouldn't be good enough?
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Haven't seen them up for sale yet, not totally sure when they will be. I think they said they're going with leather sheaths for those instead of kydex.

As for the next question, abrasive cutting. 1095 is great stuff for outdoor use, but cardboard and rope will kill the edge pretty quick. If I was inclined towards EDC fixed blades I would happily pay more for 3V or 20CV that Survive! uses over 1095. That said, both are aimed much more as outdoors blades, and I don't need tons of edge retention for that stuff.
 
Fuori said:
Are those for sale yet anywhere? Will they have the same Kydex sheaths?

Also, there will always be something better in one area or another, but what would a common person be doing with an ESEE where it wouldn't be good enough?
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I don't think they're for sale yet but I could be wrong, I think I read they were coming out this year.

As far as ESEE being "good enough", I think that is very subjective. Of course we're talking about them on one of the largest knife forums in the world too.
The biggest complaint about the ESEE line is the lack of contouring on the handles. The flat slabs are just shaped to fit the tang and then rounded over all the way around. I'll assume they just use a rounding bit on a router table (I have the same set up in my shop for rounding edges on scales for medium to large knives). They do create hot spots for most people and the ESEE sheaths are just "functional". After market, contoured scales are available but start at around $50.00 (same for custom sheaths) which drives the price up toward the knives you can buy that already have better handles and better quality sheaths.

I've beat on my ESEE's to no end and used them HARD. My Junglas processes firewood at deer camp year after year and one time I found myself stranded at night in the woods with a very long wait for someone to come get me and darkness approaching. A small ESEE 3 and a fire steel allowed me to process some wood, start a fire, and made the wait much more comfortable. The ESEE's I own have never failed me.
But many people want better steels and the ESEE line is just plain old boring 1095 (although ESEE's heat treat is arguably the best out there for 1095). The Survive line uses premium steels, very well built kydex sheaths by Khia that offer multiple mounting options, and very comfortable contoured handles. And add to that, Guy is always listening to his customers and tweaking designs as evidenced by the new models coming out this year.

For many of us who actually use knives, the ESEE line at their price point is hard to beat. For those that want to step up to something that is just "finished" at a higher level, and uses premium materials, the Survive line is a great choice.

So, good enough is really just a matter of personal taste and preference.

Many times the best knife, one that is "good enough", is the one you have on you when you need it.
 
I totally understand the desire for better steel, sheaths and handle comfort. When I said good enough I meant functionality beyond taste and preference as an outdoor blade. Something that will just work in most situations and and won't cost you your life.

If the new ESEE models have leather sheaths I'm not sure I'm as interested. Leather is alright, but I prefer Kydex.
 
Fuori said:
I totally understand the desire for better steel, sheaths and handle comfort. When I said good enough I meant functionality beyond taste and preference as an outdoor blade. Something that will just work in most situations and and won't cost you your life.

If the new ESEE models have leather sheaths I'm not sure I'm as interested. Leather is alright, but I prefer Kydex.
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I agree to an extent. I'm a kydex bender so I'm biased. But, out in the woods, harsh conditions, hard use, real world situations in the wilderness, I'll take the kydex. On my vintage axes and some nice traditional folders, I have some nice leather for them.

And yes, I agree with your description of what will work in most situations. You can't go wrong with ESEE in that regard.
 
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