Why are esee knives so expensive?

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With ESEE a lot of the cost goes into the warranty; you pay more so that some ahole can cut his with a torch and get a free one. I personally don't put a lot of merit in "lifetime" warranties because all that means is its guaranteed for the life of the company, not you or the blade.
 
So how bout buying the Becker, but if you're not crazy about the plastic scales pay a little extra for for some better scales.
 
sunandsteel said:
So how bout buying the Becker, but if you're not crazy about the plastic scales pay a little extra for for some better scales.
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Can't go wrong with Becker either. Same great warranty as ESEE, they just don't overtly advertise it (makes me think of the line from Tommy Boy- "why would they put a guarntee on the box? Because they know all they sold you was a guaranteed piece of s..."). Certainly not saying ESEE is a bad knife, just making a joke. When it comes to 1095, it seems that ESEE, Ka-Bar, and Tops have the best heat treat and produce the toughest blades. Of those 3, pick the one that feels best in your hand.
 
An ESEE 4 is 40 bucks more than the comparable BK16. Micarta scales for the BK16 alone cost 40 bucks. Add superior sheath, F&F, HT and there you go.
OP, maybe you don't have much experience with knives, try one out you won't regret it !
 
Adjusted for inflation, I paid more for a production Schrade Walden 1095 hunting knife more than 40 years ago. Even then there were knives available at a much lower pricepoint for those who felt that $20.00 was too much to give for a carbon steel hunting knife, even if it did have a lifetime warranty.

I sent mine back to the factory in 1996 because the shield fell out of the handle. It was repaired, sharpend and returned to me in a new sheath free of charge. By the way, that original price I paid would be $112.00 now. It had seen constant use from me from the time I bought it until it was stolen a couple of months ago and was as good as new in function and nearly as good in condition in spite of years of use and sharpening.

If you want quality, be prepared to pay for it. I could have gone to WalMart and bought a knife to replace it for $20, but instead I searched, found and bought the exact same knife new in the box for just a bit more than the original retail when inflation adjusted. I would be quite surprised to learn that the $20 WalMart knife was still useful in 40 years, much less retained it's original value.
 
M0sfet, with regards to 1095.... I felt EXACTLY the same as you do two years ago until I actually bought and used some of these blades. 1095 is the steel of choice for my slip joints made by Great Eastern Cutlery. (You might say that it's just a slipjoint, but many of these are priced well over $100.) The trick is with just about any steel is the balance between the heat treat, resulting hardness, blade thickness, and ability to hold a sharpened edge. I recall stating that 1095 or 1085 was used for machetes as a big negative. I learned....

1095 was never intended to be A2, 01, VG-10, D2 or some of the other steels. The beauty is in the abilty to sharpen these, their modest price, and they do hold and edge with use. Toss in guarantees and so forth....

The price is consistent with the market. Buy one if you like or buy some Chinese blade. That's pretty much your choice at this price point if you want to spend much less. Of course, there are always Buck knives.

If it is any consulation, I also thought ESEE knives priced a bit high a couple years ago. It is one of the reasons I prefer KaBar Becker knives and I do own ESEE knives.
 
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Karda said:
Not entirely true. ESEE knives warranty does not cover normal wear-and-tear or usage as a throwing knife.
I suspect that acts of stupidity will only be covered on a case by case basis and only once.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ty-issue-that-is-unbelievable?highlight=idiot
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Wrong.

From the ESEE web page:

"If you break it, we will replace it. Warranty is lifetime and transferable. In other words, we warranty the knife no matter how many times it's been traded, sold or given away - no sales receipt or proof of purchase required."

However, they ask that you do not throw them, or do other "stupid" things with their knives. If you do, they will replace it anyway.

ETA: No, they don't warranty against rust. But they do provide a coating to help prevent it.
 
spydercobenchmadekai said:
Wrong.

From the ESEE web page:

"If you break it, we will replace it. Warranty is lifetime and transferable. In other words, we warranty the knife no matter how many times it's been traded, sold or given away - no sales receipt or proof of purchase required."

However, they ask that you do not throw them, or do other "stupid" things with their knives. If you do, they will replace it anyway.
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Also from ESEE's website:

"We do not warranty against rust or normal wear and tear."
 
Keep in mind the warranty is only as good as the company. ESEE has only been around since 1997 and they are a relatively small company, nowhere near the size of say Ka-Bar or Ontario- their longevity remains to be seen.
 
Steel choice also depends a lot on what the knives will actually be used for. ESEE makes outdoor/survival/hard use knives.
So ZDP189 is probably the wrong choice. 1095 is a very proven steel for harder use, and simple to sharpen, which is important, since few of us drag a belt grinder and 10 miles of extension cord into the woods. :D

I don't think they could do much better than 1095 at the price point and I don't think their knives would benefit a lot from "better" steel.
Besides, Rowen arguably produces the best 1095 in a production knife and then some.

The final question is: what steel should they use to be worth the money in your opinion, OP ?
 
C_Becker said:
Steel choice also depends a lot on what the knives will actually be used for. ESEE makes outdoor/survival/hard use knives.
So ZDP189 is probably the wrong choice. 1095 is a very proven steel for harder use, and simple to sharpen, which is important, since few of us drag a belt grinder and 10 miles of extension cord into the woods. :D

I don't think they could do much better than 1095 at the price point and I don't think their knives would benefit a lot from "better" steel.
Besides, Rowen arguably produces the best 1095 in a production knife and then some.

The final question is: what steel should they use to be worth the money in your opinion, OP ?
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Having used just about every production companies 1095, I can safely say the Rowen heat treat is the best there is short of custom makers who diff heat treat there blades.
 
I guess it depends on what you consider expensive, and what you need out of a knife. I personally find them reasonably priced, employing Americans, great warranty, and 1095 is one of my all time favorite steels.
 
Quillan said:
Take a Becker BK16. $80CAN. Replace crappy cheap plasticky slick grivory scales with linen micarta scales like the ESEE. They cost $45CAN. You are now at $125CAN. Spend time, gas, and money to make a special trip to the hardware store to buy longer torx screws to attach those micarta scales to the knife. Becker does not supply longer torx screws with their optional micarta scales. Go figure. So, add $5? You are now at $130 plus time and effort. Replace the pedestrian cordura sheath with a top quality kydex sheath like the ESEE. Aftermarket, of course. Minimum $45CAN, plus, of course, S&H. Say $50CAN? You are now at $180CAN. Then look at the blade coating finish. The ESEE's is high quality and durable. The Becker's is not. The mathematics speak for themselves.
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I dont agree that Beckers are cheap or not durable, but I feel like this sums it up nicely why people buy esee's. Its for everything that you get standard with the knife. In my mind, the price of an ESEE knife is justified. They use a great heat treat on their 1095, use great materials for the handles and sheaths, and their customer service/warranty is amazing! They are all no-frill kind of knives with solid designs that are meant for work and not to be flashy, which isn't always the case with some competitors' designs. When you purchase an ESEE you know what you are going to get: a tool thats ready for use. Also, I dont feel that an ESEE knife is that expensive when compared to some of the prices you come across in the knife world. And best of all, its made in America! Anyways im willing to pay for an ESEE!
 
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spydercobenchmadekai said:
Wrong.

From the ESEE web page:

"If you break it, we will replace it. Warranty is lifetime and transferable. In other words, we warranty the knife no matter how many times it's been traded, sold or given away - no sales receipt or proof of purchase required."

However, they ask that you do not throw them, or do other "stupid" things with their knives. If you do, they will replace it anyway.

ETA: No, they don't warranty against rust. But they do provide a coating to help prevent it.
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You apparently didn't take time to read the link I provided.
They [may] replace it if you throw it. They will also tell you to purchase elsewhere in the future and publically make fun of you.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ty-issue-that-is-unbelievable?highlight=idiot
 
sunandsteel said:
Depends on how much bread you're taking home. ;)
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Understand that when I bought my aforementioned knife over 40 years ago, it cost me most of a week's earnings. That was working three hard part time jobs. And I still saved that up over a month's time since it was the same cost as fifty-five gallons of gas. We all set our own priorities. If one's prime priority is to buy a knife now at a low cost, that is fine. There are high quality used knives, there are lower quality new knives. But remember that the bitterness of low quality lingers long after the cost is forgotten.
 
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