Need help choosing an Esee

J

jcrain

Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
31
Hey All,

I'm looking for a knife to take with me hiking in Colorado and such, and I'm choosing between the Esee 4, 5, and 6. I'm just having trouble deciding which model and I thought I would take some recommendations. I'm a smaller guy, 5"8", 145, and I have small hands so I usually prefer mid-sized folders. I've never handled an Esee so I didn't know if handles vary much.

In any case, I want something reasonably light, not something to chop wood with or anything, but something that will hold up to hard use. Right now I'm thinking the 5, but I can't decide. Thanks in advance for suggestions.
 
If you want reasonably light then throw out the 5, that things a beast and imo not a very good bushcrafting knife due to it's weight and thickness. The six is nice but a bit on the long end for my liking but a better choice than the 5. Now the 4, that's my favorite Esee and I feel it is the goldilocks Esee, not too big, not too small, not too thin or too thick but just right for general all around bushcraft and camp use. Also, the 4 is much more comparable in size to a mid size folder. Just my opinion and ymmv! Good luck bro!
 
Whatever you get, you should get an izula as well if you don't have one. I had a esee 4 once and didn't like it. However I was surprised and how usefull the izula was. I like it better than my Bravo-1.
 
My vote goes to the 4. Unless you were planning on splitting wood, which you're not, I can't think of much that could be done with a 5 or 6" blade that can't be done with the 4" option. Also bear in mind that the 5 weighs a full pound, the 6 weighs about 12 ounces, and the 4 weighs close to 7 ounces. I'm smaller than you and the 4 fits me quite well.
 
Another vote for the 4. Mine has the TKC handles which are great. Here's a pic with my Becker BK-2

esee4_bk2.jpg
 
I'll throw my .02 in. Of the models you listed the 4 is all you need for hiking. That might even be over kill. Not on your list but worth mentioning, the Esee 3
 
I'll play the Devil's Advocate here, and say the 3.

There is not much about that knife that I don't like.

Great blade.

Moose
 
Out of the ones listed, the ESEE-4 (hands down IMHO).

I would also consider the ESEE-3.

Either one would be very good as an all around hiking/outdoors knife (I have both, tend to grab the 4 more often).

The 5 is waaaay to heavy & thick for my uses. It is designed to chop your way out of a downed aircraft. Not a good hiking knife.
 
One vote for: Plain edge Esee-4 with rounded pommel. I have been securing the sheath to my belt with paracord and it has worked fine.

I'm agreeing with Newknife... The Izula is very useful. I have been using it for whittling and cleaning deer. It could be the best of all.
 
I found the ESEE-3 to be the most useful general purpose hiking knife, but the 4 and 6 can work as well. Hell, you could probably manage just fine with an Izula-II. Forget about the ESEE-5.
 
I have all but the Junglas, and almost all the guidance has been spot on imo--the 4 is what you want, without question. The 5 is a beast, and the 6, while a great knife, is way more than you need for hiking.
 
Go with the 4 and get yourself an Izula 2. I have the 3,4,5 and Izula2, my fav for hiking is the 4. Batoning is not a problem with the 4, the 5 is too heavy but why own one....why not. If you can wait a few months, get yourself the Esee 4 in stainless. That ones gonna be a beauty...IMO.
 
Of the ones listed, I vote for the 4 as well. I have the 4 and 6 and carry the 4 the most because it's lighter, yet still very capable. The Izula 2 would also be a good choice.
 
Voting the 4 as well, I've had it and taken it to camping and hiking trips and held up fine. Very comfortable in the hand, actually miss a linen micarta scaled knife. They just feel so good in the hand and very light. Didn't care much for the black coating- especially when using the spine for a fire strike. Did some batoning and feather sticks with it. All in all a very capable knife.

Ohh, a stainless 4 would be really nice. Might even kick out my F1- my go to outdoor knife.
 
I really like the Esee 3 for a general purpose knife. It's light and compact but still a work horse and can do everything I want in an outdoor knife.
 
I recently got a esee-5 and it is a lot of knife for just camp task. The saber grind keeps a lot of metal near the tip which makes the edge kind of bulky for finer work (it can do it if you keep the edge up). If I could do it over again I would definitely get a esee-4 or the laser strike. They are still really tough knives that you can punish in the field and with the added benefit of not being as bulky
 
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I have 2 ESEE 3's and an ESEE 6. I just ordered an ESEE 4 after holding one in my local knife shop. The 4 seems to be the perfect length for a good camping/hiking knife that can do just about anything. I love my ESEE 3's but I am really curious to use my new 4. I think somewhere between a 4 and 5 inch blade is perfect for an all around type bushcraft blade.
 
I also feel that the Esee 4 is the best compromise. The 3 feels a little small for me and the 6 is probably longer than you want. The 5 is a brute and too heavy.
 
For me it's never "a" knife but a combo and right now that's the LS & Izula which just replaced the ESEE-6 and Izula. The five is a great knife but I'd never grab it over my six unless I was prying a door open or something along that line. I got the LS in a couple weeks ago and I'm really liking it, fwiw it's actually right inbetween the 4 & 5... 4.5?


Pictured from top to bottom: ESEE-6, 5, LS, 4 and 3
I lined them up from the top of the scales not the choils but it's close enough.

DSC04307-1.jpg



Here you can see the scales:

DSC04305-1.jpg


DSC04304-1.jpg


DSC04302-1.jpg



I can't speak for the clip-plate since I haven't used the stock sheath and made this up instead... I've already switched it out for another sheath though and the one pictured wasn't finished but since I had one before almost anyone else I just took the pics:

DSC04319-1.jpg



This was the old ESEE-6/Izula, Acc. Pouch combo:

DSC03827-1.jpg



You really can't go wrong but I tend to think it's better to go a little bigger than the "minimum" but the recommendations for the 3 are legitimate! With the 5 being so heavy the LS is a great compromise and a slight step up from the 4.


I do like me some ESEE-4 too:D

DSC04117-1.jpg




So I'm not sure how much of a help I am since I own them all...lol.


Interested to see what you end up getting but I hope the comparison pics above help with your dilemma.

Eli
 
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