survival blade/bushcraft. ESEE 4 Vs. Enzo Trapper

EDDAKA

EDDAKA

Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Messages
408
Hey fellow W&SS members,

I would really like one of these blades, but can only choose one(for now:D)

Need help deciding. So here we go:

ESEE 4 has a solid reputation. Alot of people love it, and it makes a good all around camp knife. Decent steel, good heat treat, and incredible warranty.


Enzo trapper has very little reputation. A few people have used them here and there, but I can't find any evidence of anybody really putting the blade through some hard use. They "seem" to hold up fine. But if something bad did happen to blade (what kind of quality control does enzo provide? Are we talking factory here, or a small-ish shop in finland?) Does Enzo have a warranty if their product fails?


I like both blades but I'm literally stuck in the middle. Both have their pro's and con's for me, and I could really do with some opinions.

(I can't explain my warranty paranoia. I'm the kind of guy who will buy that extra $5 insurance on a stupid item at K-mart, but that's just me. I like to be prepared in case the item fails.)

Look forward to the replies,

-Richard.
 
Prediction: you're going to get a lot more recommendations for the ESEE 4 just because there are a lot more people on here that own it vs. people who own an Enzo...

Here's my take: Forget about everything else on your mind and ask yourself this: "Do I want a scandi or a flat grind for my survival/bushcraft knife?" The knife's intended usage and your personal preference of blade geometry should really dictate your decision more-so than warranty concerns...

There are plenty of sources for full-tang, flat-ground knives (ESEE being one of them), but not very many that offer nice full tang scandis (Enzo being one of the few without having to go custom). I own a number of flat ground knives, but oddly enough, kept reaching for my Mora every time I wanted to do some carving/woodwork or other bushcraft tasks. Why? Because I found the scandi grind better suited for what I wanted to do... With that in mind, I decided to I pick up an Enzo trapper blank in D2 and make my own handle for it.

**edit** Instead of putting all my thoughts on the Enzo Trapper here, I'll just link to my original thread and post a picture of the final product:
P1070022.jpg
 
Last edited:
ESEE are excellent knives but i love my Enzo Trapper in 01!
The only knife i have thats as sharp as the Enzo is my Spyderco Bushcraft. If you like the Enzo but want a bit more blade length go with the Spyderco.
My Moras are almost as sharp though but the Enzo and Spydercos are full tang design which make them sturdier. Generally i find scandi grind to be the best for sharpness and edge retention but YMMV.

Maybe someday ESEE will make their own version of a Bushcraft knife with a scandi grind and no choil, one can hope! I have an Izula which i love and i do want an ESEE-5 but for me the choil on the rest of their knives is a turnoff.
 
Ive owned both. Sold the 4. Handle was just a bit short for my taste. My enzo is easily one of the sharpest blades I own and a perfect size for smaller bushcraft/general purpose knife. I have several other ESEE knives too, nothing against them at all.
 
If I were starting from scratch, I'd go with the Enzo Trapper. I have ESEE RC-3 and RC-4. My issue with both, is with the short, thin, slab side handles.
I find myself constantly readjusting my grip when working with them.
I vastly prefer my Spyderco Bushcraft knife, and in large part, for the handle, not the scandi grind.
I recently picked up a Busse CABS, another fine knife that is suitable for bushcraft tasks. It too is a disappointment, due to it's short, thin handle. I am sending it off to have the handle replaced with a larger, thicker handle of Bocate wood.
The warranty is not so much of an issue with me. I have never destroyed a knife in all the 55+ years I have been using them.
 
I think survival and bushcraft are different.

I could use a $10 Mora all day long for bushcraft but I would never bring one as a dedicated survival blade.

I've never used the EnZo Trapper but it looks like a very solid blade. O1 tool steel has a good reputation for being tough however scandi grinds tend to be more useful in bushcraft related tasks.

I used an ESEE 4 for over a year. Makes a great survival blade but I do not like using it to just go practice bushcraft skills with. It is uncomfortable with extended use. The handle is too small and the choil just gets in the way of things.

My recommendation:

Go with a "survival" blade like the ESEE 4 or Fallkniven F1 (my personal favorite) and pick up a $10 Mora Clipper for bushcrafting tasks.

OR, pick up the EnZo and save some cash for a "survival" blade later.
 
Last edited:
Esee makes a great product. I found the handle on the 4 to be a bit small for me , and I really dislike choils on my knives. I find them to be a waste of blade space. When carving off chunks of wood I like to postion the cutting edge right up against the guard. So choils don't work well for me.. I love a scandi or convex scandi grind. I have never heard any complaints about ENZO's heat treat, so I think the blade will be golden.. O-1 or D-2 are both rockin steels.. I think the Izula 2 is probably my favorite of ESEE's designs.. I would love to see mike and Jeff redesign the tak, a touch, and rerelease it...
 
I have an RC4. First off to get it to perform up to my liking I convexed the edge. As mentioned the handle is a little small but not horribly so. The worst issue with the RC4 is the choil. It gets in the way, catches on hides when skinning and on other work, and makes the knife rather inefficient in use.

The Enzo's are great blades with a very good reputation. 01 steel is fantastic with proper heat treat (same with 1095). The Enzo blades make it possible to craft your own handle, and a good hand filling handle is a must on a knife which will be heavily used.
 
I have looked at the spyderco bushcraft before but there are a couple things I dislike it about it:

$70+ over the enzo

Knife has an awful sheath, that would need a replacement as soon as I got it. (my opinion)

Arguably made with less attention to detail. Spyderco makes good quality products no doubt, but it's still made in a large factory in Taiwan.


Trust me I am really looking for lots info on the three blades. Wish I could handle both the enzo and spyderco. For anyone that has both, which handle feels nicer? Which knife feels like it has better fit and finish?

Really appreciate all the replys so far.

-Richard.
 
I like the Enzo alot and am ordering some blanks do make up with my two boys.

This fellow on youtube has a few videos of testing his enzo in 01. Looks like a very stout knife. I wouldn't worry about it not being strong enough to do what you need it to.

http://www.youtube.com/user/lmglange
 
The Spyderco has a more comfortable handle than the Enzo (for me). I find the Enzo hurts my hand after awhile, & find it to be somewhat narrow.
If you like the Enzo I would suggest getting a blade blank and putting your own handle on it.
The handle that killa concept put on his looks very nice. I think it would be much more comfortable than the factory handle.
Either way, you can't go wrong. Both are excellent knives.
Forgot to add: When you say the Spyderco is made with less attention to detail, I would disagree. It's an absolutely beautifully finished knife.
Here's a comparison of the handles side by side
IMG_0646.jpg
 
Last edited:
I've handled my buddy's Enzo in O1 and it seemed to be a very decent bushcraft blade. However, I also like the Spyderco Bushcraft a little over the Enzo. The one I own is the new G-10 model. I absolutely love the ergonomics and attention to detaila.
Spyderco knows how to make a PERFECT fixed blade. This is a fine example to how it's done, even though overseas!
 
i love my esse 4 but i also dont like the choil, though for different reasons. its not jimped or deep enough to be used by my fingers. so useless to me. the handle is small, not too small to be useful though, small enough to make extended chores a little more tiring than need be. the esse 5 or 6 might be better overall.
 
As nice a knife as the Spyderco Bushcraft might be, I just cannot justify paying $175 for something made in Taiwan when there are equally good (and less costly) options that don't exploit cheap labor. As for the debate on ergonomics, what fits one person well might not be so great for another... that's part of the reason why Enzo blanks are so nice. You can just pick up slabs of whatever wood you prefer and shape them to suit your grip.

It's very satisfying to create something personalized - besides, isn't carving and woodwork a large element of bushcraft? i.e. the intended work you're expecting to use this knife for? Why pass up on a valuable experience in the field you're wanting to gain knowledge in? It doesn't take much of a workshop either - I made mine mostly with a mora, a four-in-hand rasp, and sandpaper...
P1050663.jpg

P1070024.jpg
 
Last edited:
I have a enzo trapper that i got off the exchange here and it came with a thicker handle that someone made for it and i love it its a sweet knife. Ive been real temped to pick up the spyderco bushcraft in g10 but i wonder if its better then my enzo or brkt liten bror?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top