Knives ESEE-3MIL-P Military Plain Black Edge / w Green Canvas Micarta Handles

I love this blade. It is very sturdy, the canvas handle has a good feel, should be a great option to EDC. This is my first ESEE blade, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the box comes with very useful wilderness survival tips. The warranty on ESEE knives are unmatched as well, I would definitely buy ESEE knives with confidence. Edit. Try your hardest to not get the sheath wet. Yes, there is a channel to leak the water out but somehow, after drying for a couple of days, my blade gets a layer of rust after putting it back in the sheath. Its not a big deal to clean off though, I use toothpaste to clean the blade. Also, I have found that the best way to clean the canvas handle is to use some MINT sneaker cleaner- its a foam that dries clean. I just put a little bit on the handle and scrub it down with a cloth, and it looks new after that. I usually clean once every 2 or 3 days with regular use. I definitely will be upgrading the sheath when I can to a kydex, and will most likely purchase the ESEE 4 in the near future

I originally bought an ESSE-5 and that knife was just way too heavy for backpacking. I wouldn't call the ESSE-3 "ultralight", but it has the perfect size-to-weight ratio to make it an awesome wilderness survival blade. This knife quickly and easily split 4" pine logs for the campfire (I just don't see the need to baton larger diameter wood for campfires). The grip feels good in your hand and the overall size of the knife is just enough to make a good self-defense weapon. My hand size is large (glove size) and the thickness of the handle did not seem too narrow to achieve a good grip as some people have complained. The plastic sheath supplied seems to work just a good as Kydex sheaths (clicks in-and-out very nicely, no sloppy movement). When I first mounted the sheath to the molle carrier, I had difficulty pulling the knife out of the sheath and it took me a little while to figure out not to use the two topmost mounting holes. After moving the mounting screws to the next (lower) pair of mounting holes, the knife draws nicely.

This knife is the greatest value for a hunting/skinning knife, self-defense knife, and camp chore knife. This knife is not an axe, and probably shouldnt be used for batoning, but for what it does do, it nears perfection. If its quality and performance doesnt grab you, then its no questions asked life time warranty should. If you chip it batoning a cinder block, or if you crack it because you were using it as a shooting steel for your high powered rifle, just send it in, and they will replace it for the rest of the knife's lifetime. It comes sharp, and the PLASTIC sheath is easily as good as kydex. Best full tang 3-4 inch fixed blade that has ever been sold. use this knife in it's context, and do not use it contrary to its proper use and you will never have to use your warranty.

I love this knife! It's lightweight, bomb proof, high quality and American made. You will love it. The black coating is rough textured so hopefully that's not an issue. The micarta handle fits my (large) hands very well. The sheath is very adaptable and I was able to non-permanently attach it to my hiking pack in such a way that I don't look like I'm tacti-cool and heading to Kandahar. I elected for the 3" blade because I don't plan to get in knife fights, tangle with bears, or split firewood with my knife - it's a simple cutting tool and a 3" blade is more than any backpacker/camper/hiker ever needs. If you think I'm wrong then 1.3 million years of human ancestors surviving using 2" flakes of stone to cut things proves that you probably have some insecurities going on.

Apparently the Esee 3 comes with a POS CHEAP PLASTIC sheath. This knife costs more than $100 and Esee probably save $1 / unit by using CHEAP PLASTIC. How short-sighted and stupid Esee management is to not just add a couple dollars to the price and include a Kydek sheath like the rest of the line. Do they really think anyone who would spend that kind of money on a knife would want a CHEAP PLASTIC sheath? Not only that, it is much harder to draw the knife out of that POS CHEAP PLASTIC sheath. Why am I so hard on them for this? I already own an Esee 4 and an Esee 5 - great knives, great sheath. Why would they do anything different for the rest of the line? Hey, did I mention that this knife has a CHEAP PLASTIC SHEATH?

I was in the market for an EDC fixed blade and was torn between the ESEE and Ontario; so I bought both! Having had an opportunity to play with bith, I thought I'd share my thoughts. First off, these are almost identical knives in terms of design. They were designed by the same folks and it shows. Both fit really well in my hand and had nearly identical handles. The ESEE blade is slightly longer and the pommel extends a bit more into a glass breaker. The mircata feels grippy and comfortable, though if you're looking for a handle that will never show dirt, these are probably not for you. They will look worn out of the box (I kind of like that look) and will age more with use. The sheaths for both knives are the same molded plastic. The ESEE comes with a couple extra mounting options to include a nylon drop leg, the kydex retention, a plastic boot clip and includes a couple of Bladetch molle clips. The Rat comes with just the plastic sheath, but does include a Bladetech Tek Lok, which is a snazzy mounting option. I much prefer it to the clips the ESEE came with. I should note, that even though the Tek Lok is a Large, the holes don't line up with all four holes on each side of the blade. You have to pick one side to put two screws into. It holds, but I'm not really happy with that. More on that later. Each blade has a coating on it. The Rat is more matte, whereas the ESSE has more texture to it. I prefer the feel to the ESEE only because it's different. The ESEE comes to a longer point than the rat by about 1/4". Both blades were sharp out of the box, but the ESEE was noticeably sharper. In the end, I decided to only keep one knife, and that was the ESSE. This came down to personal preference really. The ESEE felt a bit more comfortable in my hand, was a bit sharper, and the main reason: the sheath retention wasn't as hard as the Rat. I really wanted a plastic sheath, but the Rat's was extremely hard to pull the knife out. I contemplated keeping both, but really couldn't justify the cost. Here's a tip for mounting the ESEE. I'm never going to use the included belt/boot clip, so I cut off the clip and drilled some holes in the plate to allow me to mount it to a Tek Lok at 0, 45, and 90 degrees using a Tek Lok as a template. I prefer this to attaching the Tek Lok directly to the sheath as you can get four screws vs two to attach, so less wobble, and more cant options for carrying.

Great knife and excellent mounting/retention options. The blade comes with a good edge that's easy to sharpen and only requires minimal effort to prevent rust on the steel. The grip will show use very quickly, as it's made from a strange material I'm not familiar with, but that just gives the knife more character in my mind. Glass breaker on the bottom is a nice addition too. Size is just a little too large to go unnoticed in an everyday setting (although it is easy to conceal), but looks right at home in the outdoors without being a true pigsticker. I wear this every time I go out backpacking here in Alaska and it's done great.

I bought this as an everyday carry and while the knife has been great at keeping an edge and it's easy to sharpen, the black finish is chipping off the back of the blade from sliding it in and out of the sheath. It's starting to show signs of rust, where the finish chipped. I don't keep it oiled because it is an everyday carry and comes in contact with my skin and clothing, so I don't want oil all over it. Overall, it's a great knife. The thickness of the blade is great and it feels great in the hand. It just needs to be more corrosion resistant.