And thats how a video review should be made on a quality knife!!!! Excellent job. I own a Ontario RAT 7 and I have been serviously shopping for the Esse 5. Living in Italy 🇮🇹 now and tbe European Market is very costly!!!!
Loved your video on the Esee 5. I just ordered one thru Knifecenter. Can't wait to get it and put it to use on my acreage outside Chicago. Keep up the videos!
It is big and heavy and it´s a beauty. You can even carve with it when you get used to it. That surprised me a lot. I love that knive. Thanks for the hint with chopping i guess you are wright.
So happy you liked the review. Its as bullet proof as a knife can be and you will not be disappointed. If I could only have one knife it could very well be this. Alot of my students buy this knife and I never had a complaint. Thanks for taking the time to listen to an Irish fella talk about Survival knives
Nice !! Well tried and tested kit brother! I’m yet to add a ESEE to my collection though! I love micarta scales too ! Nice and grippy even when wet! Great video as always brother! Best wishes 👍🏽👍🏽😎
I always enjoy your videos sir. And my ESEE 5 is the toughest tool I have next to an axe. Just works. I do love my ESEE 6's, not going to lie, but, that 5 is a bulldog.
Thabks for dropping by Terry, you know me rough and ready. You are dead right a bulldog for sure, speaking of which, hope you are doing ok, rough old week.
@@eagleridge1972 Brother, Thank you for that. I miss my old friend. He gave more than he took, that's for sure. Thought I was tougher than I was until last week. Time will help, but there will be a hole in me.
I have had an esee junglas for about a year and a half and it quickly became my favorite knife. Other esee models appeal greatly to me so thanks for your input on the 5. Perhaps I'll pick it up soon
Interesting. I, however, have a Cold Steel Trail Master San Mai III (instead of the Junglas) and it is, in my estimation, a more versatile tool, and I am highly impressed with its functionality. Like you, I'm also looking at a belt knife, and my search has narrowed down to the Cold Steel SRK San Mai III as well, as my Trail Master is the heavy chopper type knife (and pack knife), while the belt knife is somewhat more slender for the smaller tasks. For the fiddly work I'd probably go for something smaller like an ESEE 3 (or possibly even the ESEE Izula II). In your selection it's strange that you are thinking of selecting a (very) large knife with a thinner blade and a belt knife with very thick blade. I'm not sure I see the logic there. In my case the large knife is thick 8mm (5/16th"), while the SRK is much thinner. I just thought I'd share my logic, as it may possibly help your selection. Cheers
@@dennisleighton2812 I see your point about the thickness. The junglass is 3/16" all the way to the top, which honestly I find thick enough, although I do like a 1/4" blade for splitting wood. But the 3/16" hasn't let me down, as I've beat the absolute crap out of my junglass, even done a little prying with no I'll effect. I wound up going with the esee 6 which is ground from 3/16" stock but tapers at the ricasso to 5/32" (same as most kabars). It handles fine work really well but can still do some bigger jobs if I need it to. I also picked up an old stock Ontario RAT-7 in 1095 and I like it quite a bit too. Slightly longer and it keeps it's thickness instead of stepping down. So far they've served me pretty well. I do like cold steel as well, and wouldn't mind having one of those trailmasters. My brother has the O1 steel version. I've got a really old SRK in Carbon V as well. Just curious, do you like the San Mai? I haven't tried it. I've heard some say the edge chips easily but was wondering what your experience has been. What kind of stuff have you used it for? Thanks for your input
@@jeremybryant5778 Hi Jeremy. My San Mai is fairly new and I've just started using it. My first try was on a hard dry oak branch, and the TM absolutely sailed through it. On green wood it's like a knife through butter. The San Mai is a true convex grind with NO secondary or micro-bevel at all. Consequently, the edge would be very tough. However, I belong to the school of thought where one uses the right tool for the job, so I don't anticipate getting into situations where the blade might chip. It's an awesome knife, and the balance is amazing! I can now see why this knife is still the genre benchmark, and still on so many "Top 5" lists. Long may it remain there.
I've been searching for a knife like the Esse5/Rat5/BK2 but in scandi/convex USA made and found it.... I purchased a Tops Brakimo and wish I had done so sooner it's almost perfect. The handle scales are a bit thin but I'm used to it now and it don't bother me . The scales can be removed so easy fix if that bugs ya. The edge is excellent , the grind angle is perfect I HIGHLY recommend purchasing one . Other than my Sk5 Ontario combine it with a small neck knife for carving you're set.
I love my eese 5. The sheath that comes with it is nice with the lock but I would like a more sturdy attachment to my belt. Perhaps I should get the Molly attachment?? Otherwise this blade spilits all my tinder foe my home firepit. It may be heavy but it feels nearly unbreakable. Might I add after splitting 3 5 inch pieces or ash it's still hair shaving sharp.
How do you feel about small hand saws? Also, any thoughts on a small axe, like the mini Gransfors Bruks? It does not seem to be as effective as a froe as knife and baton.
I love small folding saws, in particular the the Bahco laplander, they don't cut quite as well as the Silky but the bahcos are much tougher and don't snap. I would say the esee 5 with a saw can just about do anything. Axes are great and small hatchets too and I particularly like the gransfors wildlife hatchet. The only caveat in Survival is accidents with hatchet and axes are rarely the type you just stick a plaster on. I mostly teach batoning because the live edge is static and we are hitting the back of the knife with a mallet, very safe and practically zero chance of deflection.
@@eagleridge1972 Snapping a Silky blade? Probably the only reason this happens is questionable technique. The silky doesn't work like a Laplander, which has bi-directional cutting teeth. The Silky cuts ONLY on the pull stroke! So you have to use a different style - pressure on the pull stoke, virtually NO pressure on the return stroke (whose function is to clean the sawdust out of the kerf). This means working a bit more slowly and deliberately. However, the Silky will cut very effectively in comparable time (but seldom faster). But why in such a hurry anyway? Axes are generally quite a bit heavier and bulkier (as you said "axes are great", as in great size and weight?), and a hatchet is almost useless except for small, fiddly tasks, and having fun with. But, sorry Sir, I'm not a fan of batoning heavier bits of wood. Light batoning is fine - a guide would be no more than half the length of the blade, to a maximum of about 4-5 inches of log, preferably with few to no knots. Anything heavier use wedges! Just my penny's worth. I invite comments
Great video. Dying to know what the similar knife was that didn’t have a a full tang? I’m betting BK2. There’s just something about the BK2 I just trust. Esee-5 is a little more money but a LOT more knife (imo).
Thanks for dropping by. The ESEE 5 is the knife I give to students that break everything else. It's impossible to break this knife in genuine Survival tasks.
Always wanted a 5 with serrations on the inner portion of the blade, and the old skull logo. Cannot get those anymore so I am out of luck there. Hang on to it.
11:00 We seem to be back to the thing about using tools for tasks they are not designed to do, cross batoning, or even batoning, for that matter. Any task across the grain is the area of the saw. No other tool can do it as efficiently, and with less expenditure of calories, or with less damage to one's tools. I recently saw a claim (I can't verify its veracity) that the vast majority of knife failures returned to the company ESEE concerned the knife being used in batoning or cross-batoning, and mostly with inappropriately sized material often very knotty and hard. Maybe ESEE would grace us with the real facts? Although not stated, it seems that the "only one knife" scenario is being touted here. Now the reason that ESEE have such an impressive array of various knives is that they do not subscribe to this notion either (but of course would never admit that, for fear of alienating the "outdoors" community). In a "one knife only" scenario that is where one has ended up because some smelly stuff has hit the fan. So, who in their right mind would plan, and prepare to have, "only one knife" before the outset even, just to end up in the smelly stuff? If one puts their considerable reasoning ability to the task of planning and preparation, maybe they would be in a better position not to end up with " only one knife" and smelling highly fragrant as a result. A range of knives, each good at their designed tasks (bearing in mind that NO knife is ever designed to do batoning to split wood. Axes, mauls, wedges, and froes ARE designed for this.) is a better way to go, after consideration of the implications.
Can you please share what knife you broke at the tang? I am considering the Architect 6.5 but am reconsidering because it is skeletonized.. the downside is that the ESEE 5 1095, but the architect is 3v steel. Can you share your thoughts?
I don't know Felix but this is copied directly from Esee website "The ESEE-5 was designed by military SERE instructors as a hard-use downed pilot’s survival knife. Except for knife only models, the ESEE-5 comes standard with a Kydex sheath. Optional MOLLE Backs and Pouches may be ordered." My experience is that few knives can hang with it as a Survival tool.
@@eagleridge1972 sorry I ment bushcraft. They commented on Dutch bushcraft knives Esse 5 video thst it was made to let pilots cut and pry themselves out of aircraft and not for bushcraft.
@@kakashi1234777 ah right, to be fair I think those guys aren't really bushcrafters or Survivalists but just knife guys that are funny. I mean they didn't think too much of Ray Mears knife either and if Ray couldn't design a good knife, who could ?
The only time I’ve ever seen an esee 5 fail is cause a guy was whacking it against a metal pole intentionally trying to break it and even then it was the blade that broke, not the tang. I have however seen many bk2’s break cause of the skeletonized tangs. This man knows what he’s talking about and is speaking the truth about true full tangs.
What did you buy that spindle in baseblock, It's not the knife it's the wood, I could do that with a f****** butterknife Gather the wood for the spindle and base block on camera then I'll watch it
Im intrigued by the fact you are talking about / using a 21st century knife but using 5000yr old technology to make fire. For me the two dont sit comfortably together. I have a 6" ferro rod which will Never fail!! Wind, wet or whatever , and certainly outlast me! Forgive me but I think lighting a fire by rubbing two sticks together in this day and age is nothing more than an affectation.
I don't think so, you depend on technology like most humans on the planet me included, but it could disappear. It is essential to pass on all the knowledge that allows to survive without technology. It already happened in my country, Italy, with the fall of the Roman empire, the technology thay had (an it was surprisingly advanced) almost disappeared. Imagine that a comet hits the planet, in this extreme survival situation people who know how to do a bow drill fire will survive. Maybe not now, maybe in 10000 years, but one day it will happen. We have to pass on all the primitive knowledge.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
This man here is the reason I bought an esee 5. You can tell he means business and isn’t BS’ing anyone. Much respect dude.
This comment actually means the World to me. Thank you my friend
One of my most favorite blades in my collection
Quite the review. Putting the knife through its paces while offering keen observations. Superb video.
Ah thanks so much and thanks for dropping by
And thats how a video review should be made on a quality knife!!!! Excellent job. I own a Ontario RAT 7 and I have been serviously shopping for the Esse 5. Living in Italy 🇮🇹 now and tbe European Market is very costly!!!!
Ah thanks so much my friend
Great one Shane! A classic for sure! Love mine too!
Thanks for dropping by friend.
Loved your video on the Esee 5.
I just ordered one thru Knifecenter.
Can't wait to get it and put it to use on my acreage outside Chicago.
Keep up the videos!
Thanks for dropping by and I can't wait to here how you get on. It is the knife I always t s recommend to my students on courses.
It is big and heavy and it´s a beauty. You can even carve with it when you get used to it. That surprised me a lot. I love that knive. Thanks for the hint with chopping i guess you are wright.
Thanks for dropping by friend
Awesome I'm in the process of getting one. Thanks for the great review.👍
So happy you liked the review. Its as bullet proof as a knife can be and you will not be disappointed. If I could only have one knife it could very well be this. Alot of my students buy this knife and I never had a complaint. Thanks for taking the time to listen to an Irish fella talk about Survival knives
Nice !! Well tried and tested kit brother! I’m yet to add a ESEE to my collection though! I love micarta scales too ! Nice and grippy even when wet! Great video as always brother! Best wishes 👍🏽👍🏽😎
Thanks for dropping in bro, hope you are well.
👍🏽👍🏽👌🏽😎
I always enjoy your videos sir. And my ESEE 5 is the toughest tool I have next to an axe. Just works. I do love my ESEE 6's, not going to lie, but, that 5 is a bulldog.
Thabks for dropping by Terry, you know me rough and ready. You are dead right a bulldog for sure, speaking of which, hope you are doing ok, rough old week.
@@eagleridge1972 Brother, Thank you for that. I miss my old friend. He gave more than he took, that's for sure. Thought I was tougher than I was until last week. Time will help, but there will be a hole in me.
I have had an esee junglas for about a year and a half and it quickly became my favorite knife. Other esee models appeal greatly to me so thanks for your input on the 5. Perhaps I'll pick it up soon
Interesting. I, however, have a Cold Steel Trail Master San Mai III (instead of the Junglas) and it is, in my estimation, a more versatile tool, and I am highly impressed with its functionality. Like you, I'm also looking at a belt knife, and my search has narrowed down to the Cold Steel SRK San Mai III as well, as my Trail Master is the heavy chopper type knife (and pack knife), while the belt knife is somewhat more slender for the smaller tasks. For the fiddly work I'd probably go for something smaller like an ESEE 3 (or possibly even the ESEE Izula II).
In your selection it's strange that you are thinking of selecting a (very) large knife with a thinner blade and a belt knife with very thick blade. I'm not sure I see the logic there. In my case the large knife is thick 8mm (5/16th"), while the SRK is much thinner.
I just thought I'd share my logic, as it may possibly help your selection.
Cheers
@@dennisleighton2812 I see your point about the thickness. The junglass is 3/16" all the way to the top, which honestly I find thick enough, although I do like a 1/4" blade for splitting wood. But the 3/16" hasn't let me down, as I've beat the absolute crap out of my junglass, even done a little prying with no I'll effect. I wound up going with the esee 6 which is ground from 3/16" stock but tapers at the ricasso to 5/32" (same as most kabars). It handles fine work really well but can still do some bigger jobs if I need it to. I also picked up an old stock Ontario RAT-7 in 1095 and I like it quite a bit too. Slightly longer and it keeps it's thickness instead of stepping down. So far they've served me pretty well. I do like cold steel as well, and wouldn't mind having one of those trailmasters. My brother has the O1 steel version. I've got a really old SRK in Carbon V as well. Just curious, do you like the San Mai? I haven't tried it. I've heard some say the edge chips easily but was wondering what your experience has been. What kind of stuff have you used it for? Thanks for your input
@@jeremybryant5778 Hi Jeremy. My San Mai is fairly new and I've just started using it. My first try was on a hard dry oak branch, and the TM absolutely sailed through it. On green wood it's like a knife through butter. The San Mai is a true convex grind with NO secondary or micro-bevel at all. Consequently, the edge would be very tough. However, I belong to the school of thought where one uses the right tool for the job, so I don't anticipate getting into situations where the blade might chip. It's an awesome knife, and the balance is amazing! I can now see why this knife is still the genre benchmark, and still on so many "Top 5" lists. Long may it remain there.
i have 3 esee knives, the 5, 6 and original junglas
Everyone has their favorite. This one is mine.
I couldnt argue Brian, this knife has had a hard old life, I would trust me existence to this knife.
I've been searching for a knife like the Esse5/Rat5/BK2 but in scandi/convex USA made and found it.... I purchased a Tops Brakimo and wish I had done so sooner it's almost perfect. The handle scales are a bit thin but I'm used to it now and it don't bother me . The scales can be removed so easy fix if that bugs ya. The edge is excellent , the grind angle is perfect I HIGHLY recommend purchasing one . Other than my Sk5 Ontario combine it with a small neck knife for carving you're set.
I think the tops Bob fieldcraft is a good option so 👍
I love my eese 5. The sheath that comes with it is nice with the lock but I would like a more sturdy attachment to my belt. Perhaps I should get the Molly attachment?? Otherwise this blade spilits all my tinder foe my home firepit. It may be heavy but it feels nearly unbreakable. Might I add after splitting 3 5 inch pieces or ash it's still hair shaving sharp.
Amazing friend
How do you feel about small hand saws? Also, any thoughts on a small axe, like the mini Gransfors Bruks? It does not seem to be as effective as a froe as knife and baton.
I love small folding saws, in particular the the Bahco laplander, they don't cut quite as well as the Silky but the bahcos are much tougher and don't snap. I would say the esee 5 with a saw can just about do anything. Axes are great and small hatchets too and I particularly like the gransfors wildlife hatchet. The only caveat in Survival is accidents with hatchet and axes are rarely the type you just stick a plaster on. I mostly teach batoning because the live edge is static and we are hitting the back of the knife with a mallet, very safe and practically zero chance of deflection.
@@eagleridge1972 Snapping a Silky blade? Probably the only reason this happens is questionable technique. The silky doesn't work like a Laplander, which has bi-directional cutting teeth. The Silky cuts ONLY on the pull stroke! So you have to use a different style - pressure on the pull stoke, virtually NO pressure on the return stroke (whose function is to clean the sawdust out of the kerf). This means working a bit more slowly and deliberately. However, the Silky will cut very effectively in comparable time (but seldom faster). But why in such a hurry anyway?
Axes are generally quite a bit heavier and bulkier (as you said "axes are great", as in great size and weight?), and a hatchet is almost useless except for small, fiddly tasks, and having fun with.
But, sorry Sir, I'm not a fan of batoning heavier bits of wood. Light batoning is fine - a guide would be no more than half the length of the blade, to a maximum of about 4-5 inches of log, preferably with few to no knots. Anything heavier use wedges!
Just my penny's worth. I invite comments
Cheers Mate!
Great video. Dying to know what the similar knife was that didn’t have a a full tang? I’m betting BK2. There’s just something about the BK2 I just trust. Esee-5 is a little more money but a LOT more knife (imo).
Thanks for dropping by. The ESEE 5 is the knife I give to students that break everything else. It's impossible to break this knife in genuine Survival tasks.
Always wanted a 5 with serrations on the inner portion of the blade, and the old skull logo. Cannot get those anymore so I am out of luck there. Hang on to it.
I will keep my eyes peeled and if I come across one I will let you know
@@eagleridge1972 thanks mate :-)
THANK YOU
Thanks for dropping by
Which hex key number fits the Esee 5 ?
11:00 We seem to be back to the thing about using tools for tasks they are not designed to do, cross batoning, or even batoning, for that matter. Any task across the grain is the area of the saw. No other tool can do it as efficiently, and with less expenditure of calories, or with less damage to one's tools. I recently saw a claim (I can't verify its veracity) that the vast majority of knife failures returned to the company ESEE concerned the knife being used in batoning or cross-batoning, and mostly with inappropriately sized material often very knotty and hard. Maybe ESEE would grace us with the real facts?
Although not stated, it seems that the "only one knife" scenario is being touted here. Now the reason that ESEE have such an impressive array of various knives is that they do not subscribe to this notion either (but of course would never admit that, for fear of alienating the "outdoors" community). In a "one knife only" scenario that is where one has ended up because some smelly stuff has hit the fan. So, who in their right mind would plan, and prepare to have, "only one knife" before the outset even, just to end up in the smelly stuff? If one puts their considerable reasoning ability to the task of planning and preparation, maybe they would be in a better position not to end up with " only one knife" and smelling highly fragrant as a result.
A range of knives, each good at their designed tasks (bearing in mind that NO knife is ever designed to do batoning to split wood. Axes, mauls, wedges, and froes ARE designed for this.) is a better way to go, after consideration of the implications.
Do we know what model of knife he broke? He mentioned breaking one but not which one.
I think it was a Becker bk2.
@@The2006200 Thanks. I tried to search the channel to see the break video. He must not have recorded it.
Can you please share what knife you broke at the tang? I am considering the Architect 6.5 but am reconsidering because it is skeletonized..
the downside is that the ESEE 5 1095, but the architect is 3v steel. Can you share your thoughts?
That is some tough ass wood....
According to esse it’s not a survival knife apparently. Seems to do a good job tho idk. I got the 6 and 4 and am loving it.
I don't know Felix but this is copied directly from Esee website "The ESEE-5 was designed by military SERE instructors as a hard-use downed pilot’s survival knife. Except for knife only models, the ESEE-5 comes standard with a Kydex sheath. Optional MOLLE Backs and Pouches may be ordered." My experience is that few knives can hang with it as a Survival tool.
@@eagleridge1972 sorry I ment bushcraft. They commented on Dutch bushcraft knives Esse 5 video thst it was made to let pilots cut and pry themselves out of aircraft and not for bushcraft.
@@kakashi1234777 ah right, to be fair I think those guys aren't really bushcrafters or Survivalists but just knife guys that are funny. I mean they didn't think too much of Ray Mears knife either and if Ray couldn't design a good knife, who could ?
I doubt skeletonized .25" stock Beckers are ever a point of failure .
The only time I’ve ever seen an esee 5 fail is cause a guy was whacking it against a metal pole intentionally trying to break it and even then it was the blade that broke, not the tang. I have however seen many bk2’s break cause of the skeletonized tangs. This man knows what he’s talking about and is speaking the truth about true full tangs.
What did you buy that spindle in baseblock, It's not the knife it's the wood, I could do that with a f****** butterknife Gather the wood for the spindle and base block on camera then I'll watch it
Im intrigued by the fact you are talking about / using a 21st century knife but using 5000yr old technology to make fire. For me the two dont sit comfortably together. I have a 6" ferro rod which will Never fail!! Wind, wet or whatever , and certainly outlast me! Forgive me but I think lighting a fire by rubbing two sticks together in this day and age is nothing more than an affectation.
I don't think so, you depend on technology like most humans on the planet me included, but it could disappear. It is essential to pass on all the knowledge that allows to survive without technology.
It already happened in my country, Italy, with the fall of the Roman empire, the technology thay had (an it was surprisingly advanced) almost disappeared. Imagine that a comet hits the planet, in this extreme survival situation people who know how to do a bow drill fire will survive.
Maybe not now, maybe in 10000 years, but one day it will happen. We have to pass on all the primitive knowledge.