Spyderco Forester or Esee Junglas?

L

Larry Turko

Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
1,007
I'm torn between buying the Forester [$150.00] or the Junglas [$210.00] ,both available at my local knife store. Both knives seem to be almost the same size and both have kydex sheaths which I really like. I'm not adverse to saving $60.00 by opting for the Forester, but I'm willing to pay the difference for the Junglas, if that knife is better and appeals to me more, visually.
I wonder if anyone has both knives and could post a comparison photo which would probably help me make up my mind.
I could also go to the knife store and place both knives side by side in the flesh, so to speak, but they're busy this time of year and get a bit impatient with something heming and hawing for half an hour before deciding.
Thank-you.
 
if i were you i would go with the junglas, just because i love esee blades in general, and that one just appeals to me. both are good blades, but i would take the esee
 
i dont own ether blade but i do own a esse 5 the thing is a tank esee makes 1 mean blade and they are a company based on survival (amusing thats why u want these blades) where as spyderco is more of a folder brand and they are excellent as well but all in all i would go junglas but im no expert
 
I don't own either blade but ESEE has the better warrant for whatever type of hell you want to put it through.
 
I'd go with the Junglas. Also, I thought the Foresters are on closeout now. I remember one online dealer selling them for around $100 not long ago.
 
Last edited:
Junglas gets you a lifetime warranty to go with a hell of a knife. I would look around online though 210 is really, really high.
 
bthornton18 said:
i dont own ether blade but i do own a esse 5 the thing is a tank esee makes 1 mean blade and they are a company based on survival (amusing thats why u want these blades) where as spyderco is more of a folder brand and they are excellent as well but all in all i would go junglas but im no expert
Click to expand...

If you're no expert, why are you trying to tell people what to do?

Your comment did not answer the question. Junglas or Forester?

OP, I can tell you that both are designed to be choppers.

The Junglas is made of 1095 and heat treated to around 56-58RC. At that Rockwell hardness, 1095 takes abuse very well. This steel is also known to be sharpened easily, so if your setup isn't exactlyDiamond hones or waterstones, you can still be able to get it sharp fairly easy.

The Forester on the second hand, has a Recurve. The recurve makes the front portion of the blade function like the Kukri design. Although the steel is unknown to a lot of us, a little research brought me to a few places for knowledge

Spyderco Forum- N690C steel?
http://spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38751

Mike Stewart at KnifeForums talks about N690C
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/815115/
 
I have a Forester and it's a dandy chopper. I can't compare directly to the Junglas but the Forester is a great chopping knife. You won't be disappointed, especially at the recent low prices. Either way, you're going to end up with a good one.
 
I got both and to my likes the Junglas is superior...I was very disappointed with the Forester. It's not a bad chopper but a very uncomfortable one, the end of the handle really digs in the side of the hand making chopping unpleasant. Good steel but bad handle design at least compared to the Junglas...
 
What is your use going to be?

Not the exact knives you're comparing, but I have the slightly shorter Spyderco Forager and an RTAKII.
Size difference aside, they are quite a bit different from each other.

The Forager is beautiful with it's attention to detail and sculpted green micarta. The rounding of the spine and chamfered "spyder hole" are nice touches. The RTAKII, much like the Junglas, is much more utilitarian. Plus the Junglas is 1095 carbon steel while the Forester is N690Co stainless. So if you're looking for a tank that is going to be put to hard use, the Junglas will probably be a better fit with the carbon steel. If moisture is an issue or you want something that is just plain prettier, go with the Forester. Also bear in mind the Forester has a convex grind (potential sharpening issues unless you are comfortable with that) and has been discontinued, so they will only get harder to find.
 
I'd go with the Junglas (Which you can get for a lot less if you shop around, btw.) The Forester and friends in the Hossom series have a very thick edge making them poor cutters. The Junglas has a better edge geometry (And, personally, I prefer carbon steel over stainless for big heavy chopper/batoning knives.)
 
As long as the pictures don't have to be good, I can help. :o

DSCF1002.jpg


DSCF1004.jpg


The Junglas comes with a better, more secure sheath and as noted it has a thinner edge which cuts better. I find the handle of the Forester more comfortable for my somewhat oversized hands, and the thick, convex edge will take a lot of abuse, but it just doesn't chop all that well, at least on our local near-desert hardwoods. I think overall you'd be happier with the ESEE.
 
i got the forrester and it is comfy in my hands though i do not chop alot it holds a edge super,it bout cut my finger off,heck get em both you will...........
 
both knifes very good , ESEE has better sheath and you can find it online around $160 , forester discontinued and soon will be imposable to find .
I keep my Forester as part of my collection ,and Junglas as user knife ,
 
I have both and if it is a chopper you want I would go with the Junglas,and the sheath is great.
:thumbup:
 
Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to respond to my question. The pictures from yablanowitz are an excellent comparison, although ,from an aesthetic point of view, I'm still not sure which one I like better. However the consensus seems to be that the Junglas is the more hard use knife.
Someone asked what I'm going to use the knife for. The honest answer is that I don't 'need' either knife, as I'm a day hiker at best and never go camping. However I suppose I could justify the purchase of one knife or the other, on the basis that a day hike could inadvertantly turn into a night in the woods and a hard use knife could very likely turn out to be very handy.[ of course since when has anyone on this forum really needed a logical reason to buy a knife]
 
I just bought a Junglas for WAY less than the price you quoted shop around a bit and get your self a Junglas... it is one incredibly well made knife and ESEE is great company if you ever have any trouble with it. note - I am not knocking spyderco in any way shape or form they are a great company and I have several of their knives
 
LT, I got my first ESEE (the Junglas) about 7 weeks ago. Believe me, I am no expert with it, but all I can tell you is this knife has chopped, split, cut, hacked, dug, battoned, pried (yes, pried), & hammered everything & anything I have tried to do with it. No failures, no breakage, just a few nicks, wear and tear on the blade coating, & the grips/scales/handles are no longer nice & clean. Excellent knife, excellent warrany, excellent product & company backed. And as all of the other forum members, it was less expensive than the price you said. Good luck with your choice.
Be safe.
 
Last edited:
It kind of depends on how you define "hard use knife". The Forester is a tank. I saw a video of a guy taking apart a shed with one, using it for a crowbar to pry the boards off the studs. I've pounded mine through 1 1/2" thick locust tree limbs without so much as dulling the edge. But using the same amount of force on the swing, the Junglas will cut almost twice as deep as the Forester in my seasoned locust test log (which is only a little harder than white oak. ;)).

You pays your money and you takes your choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top