Laser Strike opinions

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Fuori

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Oct 13, 2014
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I want another really good camp knife and can't decide between a Laser Strike or looking for something else. My ESEE 4 is nice, but the grip is a tad bit small, while I don't enjoy using my ESEE 6 for smaller tasks. Would the Laser Strike be "just right"? What are some negatives? Has anyone regretted buying one?

I've thought about the BK16, but I'd have to change the handle and end up spending as much as the Laser Strike. The F1 was also on my list, but I like being rough on things and have heard it can chip.
 
If the 4 is good except the handles have you thought about the custom scales from TKC? They make the handle a little bigger.
 
No, I never heard of those before. That would interest me, but they would be half of a new knife. I'd have to think about which would be better.
 
The LS is a very good all around, size wise. I myself ended up going for the 4 and made my own wood scales for better comfort.
Although I love my 4 enough to not have to buy the LS, I can tell that the 4's blade and handle length are a bit small to be a true all rounder. If you can deal with the 4's blade length I suggest you replace the scales for something better. The LS is 10" overall compared to the 4's 9", so you get 1/2" more for both blade and handle length.
The LS's choil is much more usable than the 4's rather small one. The LS is 9.8oz compared to the 4's 8oz.

All in all, very close dimensions, same steel, same micarta, very similar purposes. I always describe my 4 as on the verge of being too small, but still holds up to any task. The LS is the answer to that. Although personally I would end up replacing the scales on the LS also; my problem with esee micarta is that they're too flat and thin for heavy use.
 
Outside of possibly the scales are there any downsides to the Laser Strike? Spear point instead of a drop point?
 
Well the scales are the same thickness as the 4 (i think) but since the handle itself is 1/2" longer it is more comfy.
As far as blade shape goes you're not going to see an obvious downside; this is where preference comes in.
Spear points generally make nice divots because of the symmetry, but it's not like drop points can't do the same job.

A pro for the LS is that the handle has a little space for a firesteel, the firebow divot in the scales, and the fact that the scales are using flathead screws for easy access. Again, nothing groundbreaking when comparing to the 4, just little details that make it a nicer all around knife.
ESEE_Laser_Strike-13.jpg


Edit: After seeing some comparisons, I see that the LS's scales are actually thicker normally. So if you get the LS you may not need to mess with the scales at all.

Laser strike and Esee4 comparison at 20 minutes into the video
[video=youtube_share;2o9WlbHER5c]http://youtu.be/2o9WlbHER5c?t=20m31s[/video]
 
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That video was very informative, thank you. I'm almost positive I'll like it more than my 4.
 
While researching the 6 vs the Laser Strike I stumbled upon a video of someone talking about water getting into their handle. Is that a problem with the Laser Strike?
 
I haven't heard of that before, but it does make sense if their micarta was deformed and had a gap in the center. Since the LS has just two screws, maybe the middle was bulging upwards.

That being said I don't think micarta would deform except under high heat. Now, this is just speculation on my part because micarta is a polymer of sorts and has plastic properties.

It would probably be good to get the more experienced BF members to chime in about how micarta really works.

In any case, I don't care for the spare firesteel feature just because I want a solid handle that's never supposed to come off. My esee4's wood scales are epoxied on and I don't plan to replace it until something cracks the wood.
 
Fuori said:
Would the Laser Strike be "just right"?
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Yes, the LS is perfect. I retired my well worn RC-6 when the LS came out. It is every bit as capable, but smaller and more comfortable to use.

The LS also comes with one of the best designed and formed kydex sheaths in the industry.

It's the most knife you can get for around $100.

n7titan said:
That being said I don't think micarta would deform except under high heat. Now, this is just speculation on my part because micarta is a polymer of sorts and has plastic properties.

It would probably be good to get the more experienced BF members to chime in about how micarta really works.
Click to expand...

Micarta is layers of material (cloth, denim, burlap, canvas, linen, paper) compressed and epoxied together. It isn't any sort of polymer and it doesn't have "plastic properties".

Micarta is extremely stable and it would take a lot to deform the handles. I've gone from -40 to 140 and have never had an issue.
 
The E3 and E4 handles have a design flaw wrt grip length on the underside, IMO. The LS looks like a good evolution. You could modify the E4 handle with some careful grinding. I've seen pictures of some nice examples.

The BK16 is a fabulous all-arounder, and a decent companion to your E6. The handle is slim, but this gives excellent grip flexibility. After carving with one for a couple hours I decided to leave it unmodified. Its easy and inexpensive to make scale liners out of household materials if you prefer a thicker grip. heck, you might even be able to order some with the knife from Dex.



-E
 
Micarta is tough and resistant to almost everything to the extreme. I don't believe it warps. It is a resin impregnated laminate. The layers, be they fabric or paper, can absorb liquid, but only the exposed bits. It will stop at the resin saturated point. This is my experience and what I have read many times over. If someone has better info, I'd appreciate the education. One nice thing is that you can get it filthy with oil and grime, scrub it with dish soap, and get it looking new again.

As for which knife, they're both great knives. The 4 is smaller and the handle isn't very comfortable. The LS, IMHO, is a good size for a hard use woods blade. Not too big or small. It's bullet-proof, but not over-built like the 5. The saber grind will be a little tougher than the 4's FFG. The handle offers a lot of options, including grabbing the very end for light chopping or choking up on the grip choil. I liked my 4, but downsized my collection. The 4 was too small for my end of the world blade:). For general use I'll use my Hultafors GK. The 6 is a great knife, but is really big. I found I had a hard time making fizz sticks and such with it, though it could be me. The LS seems to strike the perfect balance, so that's what's left. With the Molle backer and survival tin, it's the perfect grab-n-go blade for me. I highly suggest watching the exchange and grabbing a lightly used one. Good luck.
 
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a video, but if someone searches "Laser Strike convex edge mod, wetness in scales issue" it will come up at 4 minutes 19 seconds. Water leaked through and he said it could be a problem if it's not taken apart anytime it's around water and oiled.

I'm not overly concerned with it, but if someone sells replacement handles that could be fixed. I'm not really interested in rod in the middle either, so maybe I could even seal it somehow.
 
A certain company offers excellent G10 replacement scales. They look great and very ergonomic. Look around and you should be able to figure out who it is. I'm not sure if they're a BF vendor.

ETA: I like the idea of a back-up fire starter. I'm glad the LS has that set-up myself.
 
MatthewSB said:
Micarta is layers of material (cloth, denim, burlap, canvas, linen, paper) compressed and epoxied together. It isn't any sort of polymer and it doesn't have "plastic properties".

Micarta is extremely stable and it would take a lot to deform the handles. I've gone from -40 to 140 and have never had an issue.
Click to expand...

Good to know, I only used polymer because some resins are plastic based.

"Certain "casting resins" and synthetic resins (such as epoxy resin) have also been given the name "resin" because they solidify in the same way as some plant resins, but synthetic resins are liquid monomers of thermosetting plastics, and do not derive from plants."
 
I found the G10 handles thanks to the post above about the 4 handles. Will that seal things off better against water getting inside?
 
Fuori said:
I found the G10 handles thanks to the post above about the 4 handles. Will that seal things off better against water getting inside?
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I would say not any more than the factory handles. But if anything the g10 will be even more resistant to the elements. Just make sure you are using a good rest inhibitor like tuff cloth and it should be fine.
 
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I don't know if they'd seal better or not. It would be easy to make a gasket from a sheet of rubber I imagine. If you're that worried, swap the current tinder for a fire straw (soda straw packed with cotton, with some Vaseline on one end, then cut to size and melted/sealed) and you'd be good. The small magnesium/ferro rod is not affected by water. The coated steel under the handles will be fine (ESEE has a great coating) and the micarta itself couldn't care less if it's wet. Just dry it all out when you get home. I wouldn't worry at all about that, unless there's something I'm missing. If you're planning to be in water a lot, like kayaking, then I might opt for a stainless blade all together.
 
Thank you. That makes a lot of sense. I wasn't extremely worried, but wanted to make sure it wasn't something that would happen easily. It sure sounds like a nice knife.
 
I found it to be clunky for smaller chores. (thick) I prefer a scandi or a nice convex in the 4" range for my camp knife.
 
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