the 5 or 6

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plowboy87

Joined
Nov 24, 2010
Messages
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so i'm about to buy my first ESEE knife and i can't seem to make up my mind. it's down to ether the 5 or the 6. i'm going to get a partially serrated blade, i'v already got a couple knives that size with a normal blade.

i could see the glass breaker on the 5 poking me, but have no way of knowing for sure

i'm looking for the best overall knife for camping, hunting and all the outdoors jazz


and just for shits and giggles, a canoe flying over the water
IMGP2248.jpg
 
personally, i'd rather have the 5, but it sounds like you want the 6. a lot of people on here swear by their 6 and/or 4 for camping/bushcraft knives.
 
i'm not sold on ether one yet, it just seemed like the glass breaker would poke the side. that and i can't say i'll be breaking glass on even a monthly basis

odds are i'd get/make a molle back because i hate having knives riding above the belt so in theory that would take care of the glass breaker
 
I'm partial because I own a 6, but I'd say it's probably the most versatile of the two offerings just given the longer blade length for batoning. I've beaten mine though several different widths and types of logs, and it just begs for more.

That said, the 5 is about as bomb-proof a knife as you'll ever find. Thicker than the 6, but shorter. I'd say if you want to do general bushcraft and wood prep, the 6 is the ticket. If you need that and happen to find yourself buried alive in a plexiglass coffin, then go for the 5.
 
id go with the 5 if i was in the woods and only could pick one, the overall size is the close.

the main differences are ( correct me if im wrong)

5 - Glass breaker/pummel, Sheath Kydex - Thicker
6 - finger notch @ bottom of blade, .5 longer cutting edge, Sheath injected plastic - Thinner

here's a youtube vid explaining the differences

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW7n8r3vvl8
 
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It it was between the 5 and 6, I'd go 5. If the glass breaker is a problem, I'd grind it smooth. I've done that for people and myself. Though, the 5 I keep in my vehicle still has the glass breaker.
 
plowboy87 said:
i'm not sold on ether one yet, it just seemed like the glass breaker would poke the side. that and i can't say i'll be breaking glass on even a monthly basis

odds are i'd get/make a molle back because i hate having knives riding above the belt so in theory that would take care of the glass breaker
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The Glass Breaker isn't a big deal....it's just a pyramid/diamond shaped tip that you can use to crash down with. It wouldn't poke you anymore than a regular pommel....except for the length. Like TAGannon said, you could grind or file down the glass breaker if you don't like it.

Now to the fun stuff:

It really depends what you see yourself doing with it. 'Camping, hunting and outdoors' lets us know what you plan to do, but a little more specific info would help. Do you plan to cut down trees? Do you plan to cut off limbs? Baton wood? Use it for food prep? Could you break it down into a main-use and secondary-uses?

I love serrations....most people here don't. I'm going to buy a 5-S to throw in a BOB or similar. If I could just choose one knife out of the two to survive in a war-time situation, I'd choose the 5-S (5 serrated).

Since you want the serrations, that's going to take up the first bit of the knife. If someone else could chime in here, it looks like the esee-6 has 6 or 7 serrations where the esee-3, -4 and -5 have 5 serrations. This may influence your decision.

The 5 is really thick, built like a tank. You will be able to cut through trees/baton wood easily, and since it's extra thick the batoning should go a tad smoother since there's a 1/4" thick wedge being driven through it instead of the thinner blade of the 6.

I think a serrated version would be good for urban use in a car or in/on your bag. For outdoors situations, the 6 may get a bit more use or more efficient use since the length is longer and it's supposedly a better slicer since it's thinner. I personally would go with the 5-serrated, though, if I was going to choose only one.

You said you already have plain edges that are the size of these knives. Would you bring them with you? Can you depend on them for heavy work? Do you particularly like them? If you didn't like them, you may find yourself getting a 5 or 6 serrated - find out it's better than what you currently have and then buy the other or the same in a plain edge.
 
go for the esee-6.i think its a better all-around knife.its lighter and esier to carry,better slicer,more comfortable thinner handle.but the 5 is nice too.
 
iyyob said:
id go with the 5 if i was in the woods and only could pick one, i believe the overall size is the same.

the main differences are ( correct me if im wrong)

5 - Glass breaker/pummel, Sheath Kydex - Thicker
6 - finger notch @ bottom of blade, 1/4 longer cutting edge, Sheath injected plastic - Thinner

here's a youtube vid explaining the differences

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW7n8r3vvl8
Click to expand...

The overall size is different. They also have different grinds (Sabre vs full flat), bow drill pivot in the handle of the 5, and the 5 comes with a bit different sheathing unit....the clip that goes onto the sheath for mounting.

Check out the clip I'm talking about:
http://www.eseeknives.com/RC5-new-sheath2.jpg

Here are the spec's from their website:

ESEE-6

Overall length: 11.75"
Cutting Edge Length: 5.75"
Blade length (end of handle to tip of blade): 6.5"
Blade Width: 1.56"
Weight (knife only): 11.8 ounces
Drop point blade style, full flat grind
Available in plain or partially serrated edge
Maximum thickness: .188"
1095 Carbon Steel, 57 Rc.
Removable lined Micarta handle slabs
Rounded Pommel w/ lanyard hole
The ESEE-6 is shipped with a molded sheath and MOLLE Locks.

ESEE-5

O.A Length: 10.88"
Blade Length: 5.25"
Maximum thickness: .25"
Weight: 16 ounces (Knife Only)
Finish: Textured Black Powder Coat
Handles: Canvas Micarta w/ Bow Drill Divot
Blade Width: 1.56"
1095 Steel - 57 Rc.
Sabre Grind
Glass Breaker Pommel
Serial Number On Pommel
Standard Equipment: Kyxdex Sheath w/ Belt Clip

The ESEE-5 is shipped with a black Kydex sheath and a Clip Plate.

Take a look at their website and it's specs, take a look at some of the other threads here and determine what would fit your needs best. Good luck!
 
plowboy87 said:
i'm not sold on ether one yet, it just seemed like the glass breaker would poke the side. that and i can't say i'll be breaking glass on even a monthly basis

odds are i'd get/make a molle back because i hate having knives riding above the belt so in theory that would take care of the glass breaker
Click to expand...

The MOLLE5/6 Unit is great for both the 5 and 6.

You may be able to find one of the old-style Cordura sheaths for the ESEE-5, though. It is pretty cool and only fits the 5. It would make the glass breaker below the belt line......check out the ESEE website to see if they have some pics, or search for ESEE5cordura or esee-5 cordura sheath or something and you should be able to find some pics here.

So you can get two different sheaths for the 5, only one different sheath for the 6, unless you make one or have someone make one for you (which isn't hard to find someone willing to do).
 
right now i use a S&W search and rescue for most of my bushwork. it's a great knife but i'm looking for something with a thicker blade so i can push it a little farther without fear of breaking it. the only knives i'v ever broken where cheap folders, turns out the butt's do not like being used as a hammer (think getting a bolt to line up, not cracking cinder blocks)

as for the sheath, i'm not too picky. as long as it hangs below the belt it's all good. the search and rescue is nice because it has a molded plastic sheath thats wrapped in webbing. the same goes with the weight, not a big deal to me

whats the difference between the 2 different grinds?

i though about the 4, but i already pack a couple smaller blades when i'm out and about. the 5/6 would be the primary knife since the other blades are normally packed away

as for the carry, it's 1 larger knife on the belt and a SAK in the pocket(mechanic).

i'm also wondering what knife would stand up the best to being thrown into trees and passing oil drums at set distances :jerk it:
 
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reddawn said:
go for the esee-6.i think its a better all-around knife.its lighter and esier to carry,better slicer,more comfortable thinner handle.but the 5 is nice too.
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I've had both and like the 6 just a little better for these reasons.

ETA: The 6 is full flat ground and the 5 is sabre ground.

You won't break either.
 
My personal opinion on the glass breaker is that it is a useless feature for me. I could grind it off, but even though I have no use for it, it has never gotten in my way/poked me/given me any reason for concern...so I leave it as is (I am lazy like that).

just wanted to share this because the glass breaker is a big fat non-issue as far as I would be concerned. If you use (either) the clip plate or the MOLLE back there is no way that thing will poke you while sheathed. As for "in use" I am not sure how it would poke you unless you are doing pommel strikes.

I have the 5 in my truck now...if you want a photo of how it rides relative to the belt with the MOLLE back, shoot me a PM and I will get any images you like.
 
I have both the 5 and 6. Honestly, for camping, I like the 6 much better. Longer for batoning, lighter, both really solid blades. The sabre grind on the 5 makes it bomb proof, but are much less adapt than the 6 at normal camping tasks. I tried batoning the same size piece of firewood, and the 6 went through a LOT easier, while the 5 was getting stuck because of how thick it is, and how the blade is ground.

If you want a very versatile blade for camping/hunting, I'd suggest the 6. If you want a single blade that will bring you back from Hell, then go with the 5.
 
The 6 has a full-flat grind - The knife was cut from a blank and ground down at an angle from the top and each side is fully flat - it goes up like a V. This removes more metal from the blank to make it lighter as well as thinner to help slice delicate things easier.

The 5 is Sabre-ground. It has the same flat V grind, but it only goes up about halfway, so the top half of the knife is a full 1/4" thick. Take a look at the website or the pics and you can see the grind-line that runs about halfway up from the edge/down from the spine. This makes the knife more sturdy as it has more metal up at the top/spine. It also makes it heavier.

If you were batoning through wood that extra thickness could help crack open the log since it gets to it's thick spine faster. The 6 would go through the wood smoother since it is thinner and gets progressively thicker at a slower rate. The 5 doesn't have much room until you are at maximum thickness. Also, the thicker spine would prevent it from breaking as easy I would think.
 
i did a little baton testing yesterday with the 5 and 6. the wood is dried out pecan from last summer its very hard and dense. did the 5 first and really had to hammer on it to split the wood in one case i just couldn't hit it hard enough to get through. the 6 was much easier to split the wood with it required alot less effort which = calories. thats always something to think of too, you dont need to exhaust yourself when trying to build a fire to get warm. i do really like the 5 and its a great knife, the 6 is just a lot better camping and hiking knife, it does camp chores easier and better.

take it easy
cricket
 
If you're going partially serrated, definitely go with the RC6. Especially if you're bushcrafting. a bit longer for batoning, and it's thinner, so you get more blade for the weight.
YMMV
 
The 5 is a tank of a knife, and a brute workhorse. It's extremely thick and fairly heavy particularly for the size blade it offers. It's great, but will not do well at more precise work due to it's thickness. I swear you could use two of em to scale a tree with though. :)

The 6 is a more well rounded knife imo, and is thick / heavy enough to do some light chopping with but thin enough to do a bit more precise work.


For basic bushcrafting, I'd take the 6. For combat I'd take the 5.
 
cricketdave said:
i did a little baton testing yesterday with the 5 and 6. the wood is dried out pecan from last summer its very hard and dense. did the 5 first and really had to hammer on it to split the wood in one case i just couldn't hit it hard enough to get through. the 6 was much easier to split the wood with it required alot less effort which = calories. thats always something to think of too, you dont need to exhaust yourself when trying to build a fire to get warm. i do really like the 5 and its a great knife, the 6 is just a lot better camping and hiking knife, it does camp chores easier and better.

take it easy
cricket
Click to expand...

This. Thanks for the in-field baton test. One would think that a thicker blade would automatically equate to a better splitter, but it sounds like the saber grind on the 5 just ends up being a flat spot that more difficult woods will simply bind up on. The full flat grind, however, gives little more than the blade's spine to bind up on. In this case, also, I'd bet the amazing powder coating isn't helping it move through wood any better, either. Thanks again, Cricket.
 
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