written by Eric Houseknecht
Anyone who has shopped for an outdoor camp knife can vouch that the market for such things is completely saturated. Every knife wants to be your “ultimate outdoor survival tool” and there are literally thousands of them. When faced with such overwhelming choices, it’s often best to go back to basics, and make the choice that simply settles for doing the simple things well. This is the area where ESEE knives live, particularly the ESEE-4. The ESEE-4 is a relatively small fixed blade, designed by Jeff Randall and made in the United States of America by Rowen Manufacturing at the behest of the ESEE knife company. The knife retails for anywhere from $86 without a sheath, up to $142 depending on options. The desert tan coated model with basic sheath, as reviewed here, can be had for $119.
According to ESEE themselves, the ESEE-4 is designed to be the “do-all workhorse of the ESEE line” with “the perfect blend between toughness and cutting efficiency all in a small package.” It is available in a variety of coating and handle colors, plain edge or partially serrated, and even in stainless or non-stainless steel options. I prefer the 1095 carbon steel with plain edge, but that’s all up to preference and intended use.
Let’s start this review with the stats of this model:
Overall Length: 9.0″
Cutting Edge Length: 4.1″
Overall Blade Length: 4.5″
Blade Width: 1.25″
Weight (Knife Only): 8.0 ounces
Drop Point Full Flat Ground Blade
Blade Stock Thickness: .188″
1095 Carbon Steel, 55 – 57 Rockwell Hardness
Tan Powder-Coat
Removable Micarta Handles
Molded Kydex Sheath
Alright, now for what you can’t get on the ESEE Knives website; let’s talk about how all of this translates into a usable package. The ESEE-4 is an easy knife to toss in a pack, lash to a strap, put on your belt, or even stick in a cargo pocket. I won’t say you’ll forget it’s there, as the knife is stout and not exactly light weight, but it is reasonable for its size and capability. The handle Is not skeletonized under the micarta handle scales, which would help a bit, but overall, I don’t find myself minding the weight of the ESEE-4. I prefer to carry this knife on my belt or stashed in a pack, and either of those work just fine with the molded kydex sheath I got with this knife.
ESEE knives, or whatever dealer you pick yours up from, will ship your knife with one of several sheath options. There are molded sheaths with clip plates, molded sheaths with MOLLE backs, molded sheaths only (what I got), and you can even buy ESEE knives with no sheath if you want to get one custom made. (Might I recommend Gun Gamers Custom Works? You’re welcome, Matt.) The plain molded kydex sheath has multiple mounting options it’s compatible with, though I’ve settled for simply using paracord. The kydex sheath also features adjustable tension with the screws holding it together, and a drainage hole at the tip. Overall, the sheath is simple but effective. This is definitely not the best knife sheath I’ve ever used, and the knife does rattle slightly inside it, but it retains the knife effectively enough. As far as included sheaths go, it’s pretty good. I’d recommend getting the MOLLE back version, or an aftermarket sheath if you want something a little more elaborate.
The ESEE-4 itself is just about as perfectly manufactured as a knife can be though. The micarta handle scales are excellently mated to the blade tang, the grind is symmetrical with an excellent distal taper toward the tip of the knife, the edges that aren’t supposed to cut stuff are all well rounded off, and from the factory the knife came shaving sharp on the cutting edge, though I have re-sharpened this knife a few times in the time I’ve owned it. The screws in the handle are nicely countersunk, which prevents them from being any kind of hotspot when using the knife hard. The micarta handle scales are grippy and durable without being overly aggressive, there is some well rounded but usable jimping on the blade spine, and the handle design overall is impeccable. My hands are unusually large (XXL glove size) and I still find the handle incredibly comfortable. I’m fairly convinced anyone could pick up this knife and find nothing wrong with the ergonomics. There is also a rounded protruding pommel and lanyard hole, though for my needs with this knife, I’ve not made use of it. The finger choil is going to be one of the few real love or hate parts of this knife in my opinion. Some people prefer having the cutting edge closer to the handle proper, while other people prefer having the option to choke up further. I like the finger choil personally, just because it gives further grip options, but it is something you’ll have to work around should you elect to do any batoning with this knife.
Speaking of batoning, I consider batoning to be probably the toughest task you can do with most knives, unless you’re an idiot and throw your nice knives. There’s a lot of controversy over whether batoning is even a task that should be performed, but ESEE has stated previously that their warranty will cover batoning because their knives are designed to handle it. I believe them, because I have yet to break an ESEE knife under any circumstances, and batoning with the ESEE-4 is a breeze. Maybe not an ideal task for a knife this size, but it will certainly do in a pinch for splitting kindling. The 3/16” thick blade stock and the full flat grind make pretty short work of anything in the way, even knots and gnarled bits. The fact that the edge is suitable thin also makes flattening the end of pieces of wood easy since the knife can bite in with little resistance.
The ESEE-4’s edge is also thin enough to be pretty good at making feather-sticks, and a variety of other fine cutting tasks such as food prep and cutting cordage. A knife with thinner blade stock and a thinner edge yet will be even better at this, but the ESEE-4 does the job admirably considering the toughness it possesses. I’m not certain if the ESEE-4 would be the best skinning knife, but with a sharp edge and careful handling I have no doubt it could be used as such.
Speaking of the sharp edge, let’s discuss the steel choice for this knife. 1095 carbon steel is nothing short of a classic outdoorsman’s steel. It is tough, easy to sharpen, takes and holds an excellent edge for a good amount of time, and it’s affordable. There are certainly more advanced (and expensive) steels out there these days, and you will have to watch out for rust, but overall I have always found 1095 to be an excellent choice for hard use fixed blade knives. With Rowen’s heat treat of the steel, the ESEE-4 is no exception. As a bonus, the non-reflective tan powder-coat has proven to be admirably durable in my use of this knife, so I have yet to run into any kind of rust issue.
Let’s quickly touch on the warranty, which is something I often surprise people with by mentioning. One advantage of buying high end knives is that high end knife companies typically have some kind of protection plan included with their purchase, and ESEE’s is particularly generous. As ESEE explains it; “ESEE knives are made with absolute attention to detail using the finest raw materials and care during the manufacturing process. We stand behind our knives with a 100% unconditional lifetime guarantee. If your ESEE knife should ever break, we will repair or replace it. This warranty follows the knife throughout its life, anywhere in the world.” To note though, this only covers breakage or failure of the knife. It does not cover rust, wear and tear (as they note wear on the coating is normal, and all knives dull with use), or throwing the knife. So while you are reasonably expected to maintain your cutting tool and understand its limitations, you are protected, no-questions-asked, should the knife ever be functionally broken. I’ve never personally had to use this guarantee, but if you peruse forums you can find plenty of stories from people who have nothing but good things to say about ESEE’s treatment of their customers.
As you can probably tell, I love the ESEE-4. That’s hardly a controversial opinion, as the ESEE-4 is one of ESEE’s most popular models, but the knife just plain works. It set out to fill the niche of being a jack-of-all-trades small fixed blade, and in my opinion it’s a home run. The only possible downside is the price, as this is hardly the most affordable camp knife on the market. That said, I think the quality of manufacture, quality of materials, and ESEE’s warranty justify the cost. The ESEE-4 is always in my bag when I venture outdoors, and I can’t think of another knife I’d rather have in its place.
585 Outdoors 