Which one first

LWILLIAMS

LWILLIAMS

Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
181
I am looking for a knife to carry to handle anything from general camp messing around to gutting and skinning my animals when they are on the ground. I am looking at ESEE 3 & 4 but not sure which one will fit my bill right now. I know the simple answer is to buy both but I am neck deep in another custom gun build right now so the funding is going elsewhere. Any real world help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

LWILLIAMS
 
i've never skinned with mine...but i would imagine that the 3 would be better for skinning...

the three has the thinnest blade of all the ESEE knives and makes it a great slicer...but i still think it is more than able to hold up to any other job thrown at it...
 
I have 3,4 andthe 6 as far as the two that you mentioned either are good for skinning and processing. I prefer the 4 just for the added length and little more heft but as said above the 3 is thinner for slicing ability. Most of the time the 6 does the trick for me because its my goto blade and ive used it more than all others.... Ive used it alot for cleaning fish, field dressing big & small game.
In the end you cant do wrong with any of them, its just a personal preference.
Good luck.
 
I'm not a hunter so I can't say on skinning. Many who do seem to suggest the 3mil for the thinner blade. The ESEE-4 IMHO is the perfect camp/woods knife in general though. I know a lot of guys who just love their ESEE-3's as well.

God bless,
Adam

PS: If you go with the 4, get a set of Dale's Scales for that bad boy, they are GREAT! But don't try and eat them, because they are made of G10, not Frosted Flakes.
 
I'd say the 4 is the better option.
The longer blade has more functionality, the grip is a bit more substantial, and it can do (almost) any task that you throw at it.
For a do-it-all knife, you may want to consider the HEST.
If you go for the 3, get the 3MIL.
YMMV
 
If want one knife for camp, skinning, food prep and the list goes on forever get the ESEE-6. It does not behave like a big knife in your hand but like a small knife with muscle and extra capability. I have not used another size knife for anything except heavy chopping. Good Luck:thumbup:
 
So much of this is about personal preference. Personally I like the 4 as a general type survival knife / camp utility knife. If you are talking skinning and food prep, I would recommend the 3 if you are set on those two as your options. Personally I like a smaller knife like the Izula for those uses. Small, easy to maneuver in tight spaces, slices good, and tough as nails. All comes back to personal preference though, I debated every model in the line up and came back to my initial decision after much debate, go with your gut. No matter which one you pick, you won't be disappointed.
 
I have a 3 - Iit's light enough that I took it running a couple times and didn't notice it was there. If you're looking for something to take camping - "general camp messing around to cutting and skinning" I would want something a smidge larger and would start with a 4. I said start because, well, apparently you alread know ;)

T
 
Don't have a 4, but I've used my 3 quite a bit and it does a great job. Highly recommended. Good size for field dressing deer and general camp chores. If you go with the ESEE-3, you won't be disappointed.

Strat
 
Sounds like everyone have given you the advice I would. Either will work great....just depends if you want one a little bigger or a little smaller.

the 3 is a good small-ish blade. the 4 is a good small-ish medium-sized blade.
 
IMHO... If you are not going to do any heavy duty camp chores such as batoning, go with the 3. If heavier chores will be done with the knife, go with the 4 as it will still be fine for field dressing dear, skinning & meat cut up.
 
The 3 is about the perfect knife to have with you as a daily cutter. It's size makes you forget it's there until you need it. Great skinning blade and also great for food prep. The thinner profile makes it the best slicer of the entire line. For a bit more muscle for the more demanding survival/camping chores I'd go with the 4 or the 6. The 3 could handle it, but you have to work harder to get a small blade to tackle beefier chores. The 6 would be the knife I'd want for a do all camp knife.
 
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