Recommendation? ESSE or Survive! or ...?

I owned a Becker "Magnum Camp" a long time ago. While I loved the blade shape itself, the handle scales and I were not a good match. Becker plus new handle scales puts the price up beyond an ESSE which is a good knife in its own right as delivered from the factory.

Cold Steel makes a good knife, however the ones I owned in the past seemed a bit 'clubby' to me. The short blade height and sabre grind gave them a thick edge which I did not like. I see they use 3V these days but, it looks like they are still pretty darn thick.

Carothers seems like a really good option with limited sporadic production but, they are IN PRODUCTION, unlike my original premium priced option. It's looking like ESSE might be a better option today with a Carothers maybe sometime in the future.
 
Nothing wrong with an esse 4, 1095 sounds a little blah but it is easy to sharpen to a very nice edge and holds a working edge decently.
I have a couple of survive (3.5/4.1/4.7) the fit and finish is above an esee and the steels are higher end. The 4.7 is one of my fav backpacking blades. For me thats about the max usable blade size, for bigger tasks I prefer a hatchet.

Carothers also makes a great knife, but on the secondary market a hdfk or a field knife is going around 400-500, that buys a collection of esee. I have a edc2, its an awesome little knife, if that blade size worked for you that woud be my #1 pick.
 
Secondary market 'scalping' isn't my thing. I would buy a gently used Carothers or Survive! at close to MSRP pricing. After all, I'm looking for a user, not a showpiece.

I'm looking at some of the other options listed in this thread but, right now I'm leaning towards the ESSE options.
 
Like it's already been said, you can't go wrong with ESEE, Becker, K-Bar and even Ontario. And there are other good ones as well, all at a good price point. You can pay more, but for what you want and need, you're not really going to get more. Spend your money wisely, Grasshopper!
 
The ESEE has a thin flat handle,I had a 3 and didn't like it, the HM looks much better and if I was to buy another Esee it would be the HM.

I have an Enzo Trapper 115 full flat grind, nice knife, available in a few different steels, I chose the 12c27, they're very reasonably priced.
 
Take a look at the White River Backpacker Pro (S35VN) instead of the Izula. What you will likely discover is that this knife is most of what you need in the woods.

If you are looking for a general all arounder, it's hard to beat ESEE or Kabar Becker for value. I just got a new all arounder woods knife and it's the Bark River Wilderness Explorer (WE) model with a 5.7" blade. I also prefer about a 5-5.5" blade for general woods use and the Barker River WE really did it for me and it feels very functional in the hand versus a "really big knife". Prior to the WE, I used a Dozier Pro Guides knife in D2 or a Becker BK-15. I still like these two blades quite a bit.
 
I have been looking at the LT Wright Outback saber grind in 3V. It’s a Dlt Trading exclusive. Busse, Carothers, Bradford and Adventure Sworn are other fine brands. Becker, Esse, Fallkniven are other options.

I do have a Survive knives Gso 5 and a 5.1 that have never seen use, they are keepers for now. I have another old spec 5.1 that’s a user. They seem to make a good knife but I’ve never been a huge fan of the ergonomics on a number of their models.
 
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Sid Post said:
Secondary market 'scalping' isn't my thing. I would buy a gently used Carothers or Survive! at close to MSRP pricing. After all, I'm looking for a user, not a showpiece.

I'm looking at some of the other options listed in this thread but, right now I'm leaning towards the ESSE options.
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The original Carothers FK (Field Knife) which is no longer in production now has sort of a cult following so it tends to go for 100% or more as compared to its original pricing (225-250) on the secondary, although their sales have stagnated recently at the inflated prices.

Nathan has announced that the replacement to the original FK, aka FK-2 will make its debut at some point in 2019. Right off the bat, the newer version will not have a protruding pummel / pry bar that the older version had. Also Nathan and Team are continuously experimenting with and implementing handle scales improvements, so I can almost guarantee that the new version will have more of a palm swell which may work for some yet may not please the original FK purists. In any case, when the FK-2 becomes available Nathan will most likely open his books for a preorder for those who can not score one on his very frantic Friday sales. Lastly, since CPK had announced price increases across the board on their knives, expect the newer FK-2 to be priced in the $275-$325 range depending on the handle scales options plus $12 in shipping.

There’s also a new pattern that Carothers is working on called DEK1. This pattern’s BL is also in the 4.5” range and it is meant to be an every day knife with a thinner stock as compared to the FK-2 pattern. You may want to stop by at the Carothers subforum at sole future point if you should really desire one of these for next year, after you decide on whatever suits your needs for now.
 
Cpk will be out of your price range at the moment. In the future, new from the maker, maybe not. I love my cpks. They are just about perfect for actual use. Absolutely keep an eye out for one from cpk, the secondary market prices are ridiculous right now.

Survive is a garbage company that likely won't be around for the long haul. I wouldn't own one if it was free.

If I were the op I'd look seriously at the esee 4 or the bk16, both with upgraded tkc scales. Bk16 for me would need an upgraded sheath but both are excellent. There are some other good options mentioned too like the CS or LT Wright or Bradford.
 
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Another vote for Bradford! I have a Rat RC6 and like it, but it just isn’t on the same level as my Bradford’s.
 
sharp_edge said:
always like this knife except the handle material, which some people said will deteriorate poorly within five years. Is that true?
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I've never had a problem with the rubbery handles breaking down , but some people have reported it . Maybe from solvent exposure ?

Above is my old Carbon V SRK from the 80's . Handle a little beat up but no gumminess as yet . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
I'm a big fan of Busse knives and use them frequently and somewhat harshly, but I will say that Carothers knives are some of the finest fixed blades I've held. The handle ergos on the HDFK are perfect for me and everything on it seems so precise.
 
You might take a look at the esee 4hm. I have the 3hm as my elk/deer blade and find it very comfortable with the traditional profile scales. A buddy made a Kydex sheath for mine. Retention isn’t great due to the handle shape, but it stays in my pack anyway.
 
SharpieB said:
What the hell does that response even mean? Based on what -a few old threads?

Some actual info would be super.
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Why the hell can't you look up their debunked subforum!

I'm joking a bit.

They did get the boot from here for their antics. 3 plus years for a knife. I could go on, but I'd suggest you do the research if you care to know.
 
+1 on the cold steel master hunter in 3V. The handle material is even better than it used to be and will not deteriorate. The 3V model has a flat ground distal taper and is not too thick like some of the previous models.

My ONLY gripe is the sheath, so I use mine in an older cordura sheath. Could also get a custom leather sheath which are readily available.
 
I love all my Survive! knives, as well as my Carothers knives. Both are top notch in every way! For Survive! knives, the LONG wait is awful, so buying from the secondary market is best. You pay more, but at least you get to use the knife.
Also, if you look around enough, there are custom makers that are around the same price point and great quality as well. I have some customs that are even cheaper and are great quality!
 
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