esse 5 or 6

M

mr dylan

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Mar 27, 2010
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i am trying to decide between a esee 5 and 6. what i want is a knife that can hack and chop as well as baton really well. just a good all around wilderness knife. which knife would you guys suggest?

also can you guys post some comparison pictures of the two?
 
I'd say the 6 as well... (from the ESEE site):

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mr dylan said:
i am trying to decide between a esee 5 and 6. what i want is a knife that can hack and chop as well as baton really well. just a good all around wilderness knife. which knife would you guys suggest?

also can you guys post some comparison pictures of the two?
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both suck at choping. period. the junglas is ten inches long and it's only a marginal chopper. you want to chop....get a machete or an axe.

Now batoning.... the five and six EXCELL at this task. I love them both for it. good woods knife, neither will let you down. personally, my six sees more hip time. I'm making an effort to try the junglas, 4, and 5 more... but that six is just so right. and did someone ask for photos?

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thanks for the pics i was the one who requested them. once i do decide i will probably go with the six
 
That stoutness and "sharpened pommel" of the 5 aren't as useful in a camp knife scenario. Or at least not as necessary.

Now, if you had asked which is better for a bail out bag... :)
 
the 5 is sexy,
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But the six gets stuff done:
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Busted all this wood apart with the six. It was about 15 degrees out, frozen maple and various hardwoods. Came out fine, and cut some curlies.
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Awww, he's cute....and I ain't talking about Diz!

I think the 5 is the sexiest blade in the lineup but as Diz said, the 5 or 6 aren't much of a chopper. Not enough blade heft in my opinion. If you like larger blades, I'd probably lean toward the 6, but I'm not giving up my 4. :D
 
To me, personally, the RC5 isn't a knife to be "carried" as in out on a hike or exploring wilderness...it's more of a backup you'd have in a car/truck/house/shack...or what it was designed for in a cockpit.

The RC6 I think is carried easier and is more useful for things like cutting food, wood, rope etc. The thinner blade should be easier to sharpen also.
 
DH1 said:
To me, personally, the RC5 isn't a knife to be "carried" as in out on a hike or exploring wilderness...it's more of a backup you'd have in a car/truck/house/shack...or what it was designed for in a cockpit.

The RC6 I think is carried easier and is more useful for things like cutting food, wood, rope etc. The thinner blade should be easier to sharpen also.
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You're right about the 5 being built for a different purpose than the 6, but honestly buddy i would put my 5 up against a 6 for any task. If you keep your knife sharp and know HOW to use a knife, there is no reason at all that the RC5 wouldnt cut rope, or make feathersticks or chop as well as the 6... ESEE made the 5 with saving pilots/soldiers lives in mind..be it in combat or an ejection...military survival..and i am pretty damn sure that includes starting a fire, cutting rope or worse and prying things open. Also the 5 comes with a bowdrill divot..definetly would save a little work when starting a fire in that way..

I agree that the 5 and the 6 are not great choppers..they were never meant to be..thats where the junglas and lite machete come in...

If you like the 5, like the 5 and enjoy it, if you like the 6, do the same, buy it, enjoy it, love it...you would never regret buying either one..i have the 5 and really enjoy it, i have held my friends RC6 and really love that blade, but being that i have a junglas paid for and being shipped to me, that eliminated me wanting a blade like the 6.

A downside for bush use on the 5 is the sharpened pommel..but is it really a downside? you could crack open coconuts with that thing if you were in that situation...

you cant lose either way..and we all know you are going to own the whole ESEE line one day anyway..you never can just own 1...:D
 
I dont agree at all, but its all personal opinion and preference anyway right? why wouldnt the 5 be a good knife to carry? its to heavy? if anyone is to the point of whining how heavy a knife is to carry in the bush with the rest pf your gear..well...thats a lame excuse.. carry what knife you want to carry because you want to carry it, your reasons are your own..same as everyone, but i would rather pack the extra wieght of a good knife and ditch the mickey of whisky in my pack if its that big of an issue ( lol ).

About sharpening, if both of those knives were sharpened at a 40 degree angle from Rowen, how would one be harder to sharpen than the other?;)

Dont get me wrong, I would buy a 6 in a heartbeat and carryit everywhere and love it, but i would not try to convince myself or anyone from buying a 5 just because i have a 6 and comfort myself every day because i dont have a 5. buy what you want, but either way, the 5 and the 6 are awesome, they have thier differences, but you cant go wrong with either one.
 
I dunno but if they are pretty much on par. I would get a 6 because the price difference. The price of the 5 makes me want to step up to the Junglas. I like the stout looks of the 5. But I don't have either. Pretty much only Izula,Hest Rc3 & Rc4.I 'm looking for new new one also so JMO
 
Holy, i've never seen a shot comparing the spines of the range, didn't realize how much of a beast the 5 is. As a for a wilderness knife, i would lean towards the 6 as its plenty tough enough for anything you would need it for. The 5 is a survival knife, designed by air force survival instructors, so its tough enough for anything anyone could throw at it.
 
While I love the six, I can't knock the five. If it's too heavy for you, you're a Sally. It rides on the hip just fine. I'm taking mine hiking tomorrow, and I'm considering this a speed trip. Just loading up a maxped jumbo and hitting the dirt :p
 
mr dylan said:
what i want is a knife that can hack and chop as well as baton really well. just a good all around wilderness knife. which knife would you guys suggest?
Click to expand...

I think the Lite Machete would be the way to go for your stated purpose. I would carry a smaller knife as well though - maybe an ESEE 4 or 6? Another option is a Lite Machete + Mora - pretty much enough for any task. I think my next knife purchase will be an ESEE Lite Machete - even Jeff Randall & Mike Perrin say the Machete is the best bushcraft and survival knife to carry into the wilderness.
 
I would say that the 6 is more of a wilderness/camping knife. It is versatile and does pretty much everything well and is something like 4 ounces lighter than the 5. I think the 5 is very cool, but if I had to have one, it would be the 6.
 
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