ESEE PR4 Fixed Blade Survival Knife, Black Oxide Finish, Leather Sheath

I'm not a God of the Wilderness, nor am I a primordial God. That said, when it comes to outdoor experience, I'd say I'm on the higher end of the bell curve. br>br>I'm also not a big fan of ESEE. I do have an ESEE-certified ESEE-certified ESEE-certified ESEE- 5 that has taken a lot of punishment on three continents and is still hungry for more. The ESEE- 5 is a massive chunker that can be used for anything from chopping up shipping crates to cutting straps and prying open doors. This review isn't about that knife; it's a classic Kephart design. br>br>It's a great knife with a purpose. It doesn't appear to be threatening, tactical, or as if it might kill a man for the sake of watching him die. The 1095 steel is old fashioned, but whatever trade secrets Rowen (the company that heat treats the steel for ESEE) has, it transforms 1095 into a seriously impressive performer. br>br>After recently trying a few brands and models, including some marketed toward "bushcraft," I picked up a PR4 fully expecting to despise the handle and be ready to invest in one of the aftermarket Micarta sets offered by a few manufacturers. That was not the case. Instead, on its first trip out last year to the family acreage where I like to tool around in the woods, I used it as my only knife and put it through its paces for three days. It was always on my hip, and I used it for everything from food prep to fire prep, as well as debarking and carving a standing dead poplar sapling into a swamp walking pole, and carving notches in timber to repair and extend a lean-to. br>br>I didn't do anything crazy with it, like use it as a piton to repel down a thousand-foot rock face or baton it through an oak with a diameter twice as large as the blade length. I used it and a cudgel for three days to process all of my firewood, which included a lot of baton work through wrist and calf-sized white oak, poplar, smaller hickory, jack pine, and hemlock, which it handled without complaint. With a few minor adjustments, it was ready to fly through fish, rabbit, and porcupine with ease. br>br>The balance is excellent. Aside from possibly chopping through a car door or digging a drainage ditch in rocky soil, the blade has just enough steel to make the knife strong enough to do anything you might want to do with it in the woods. The blade's profile makes it simple to touch up, as well as to use different parts of the blade for different tasks. I did some basic leatherwork with various grips, including a pinch grip near the blade's tip, which I found to be very comfortable for very delicate work. When batoning with a traditional power grip, I didn't notice any hot spots. br>br>The handle is surprisingly comfortable, even for my large hands with long fingers, and I've done nothing to it except add a short, fat tassel to the pommel to make it easier to pull out of the deep (and well made) leather sheath. Before putting it away between trips, put it up on a pocket stone with a small amount of oil. Honestly, without going full custom, this one is going to be nearly impossible to beat for what I'm looking for (a woods knife). I ended up giving away a few knives (including a Garberg and a Falkniven F-1). 1 and a couple of Bushlores/Mini Bushlores) that I wasn't unhappy with because I didn't need them any longer, and the older boys at the family camp trip only had a couple of cheap pocket knives between them.

Murphy Reeves

| May 29, 2021

In terms of appearance and build, he's a brawny dude. In terms of functionality, it's robust. It's unattractive and unattractive at the same time. It's not pretty, but it's dependable. It's like a ferocious dog who is also a sweet cuddler and good with children, and who makes a bad guy back up and reconsider his plans. Even though it's a man's knife, the woman who wields it must be stunning. Ideal for multi-day camping. I bought it because it was unique in my collection, but I decided to use it because it says, "Let's get to work," rather than "collection piece. " The sheath was finished beautifully after I soaked it in oil. (The sheath is a lot lighter in color than the photos I took. ) ) I tied a rawhide cord around it, afraid that if I dropped it on a trail or in the fall leaves, I'd never find it. It's a nice touch that the product is made in the United States. So put down your book and go out and buy the stupid thing. You will not be dissatisfied with this purchase.

Harvey Barrett

| Apr 30, 2021

That was not my personal experience. It doesn't have the same filling power as my TOPS b. b or other blades with belly-like grips, but it feels good; the grip appears to be uncomfortable at first, but I didn't notice any hotspots while making feather sticks or simply notching for meditation. My ferro rod is sparked by the spine, which creates amazing sparks. My first Esee product was a big hit with me.

Virginia Morrison

| Jan 06, 2021

It has a much more substantial feel to it than I had anticipated. It feels substantial in the hand, and the textured handle is pleasant to hold. The handle is a little on the thin side, but that's a feature I really like. I'm blown away by the quality of the ESEE, which is my first. I added a 1” lanyard to the end of the blade sheath 75% to make drawing the blade out of the sheath 75% easier (tip). The knife arrived well-knifed and performed admirably on its first outing! I'll notify you if there are any issues, but I don't expect there to be any. br>br>First impressions are a ten out of ten, and I highly recommend it! ————- br>br>————- br>br>————- br>br> br>br>All right, I've had a chance to put this knife through its paces a little bit more - It is fantastic. It's what I've used to make fireboards. I've used it to split wood. I even used it to cut a 4" eucalyptus round with it. It didn't even flinch, the edge remained sharp throughout the process, there was no rolling or chipping, and it didn't even flinch. With this knife, I have yet to encounter any hotspots and find it appealing and exciting to use. It's a go with this one.

Kailani Rowe

| Jan 10, 2021

I was intrigued by this model because it was my first Esee knife, and I am a Kephart fan. Esee produces a fantastic knife that is razor sharp right out of the box, well balanced, has a beautiful finish, very comfortable scales, and a well-made leather sheath. br>br>I'm not sure if it was a fluke, but I thought the blade looked thicker than 1/8" when I pulled it out of the sheath, so I got my caliper out and it measures a hair under 5/32". I won't complain because it's in the middle of the 1/8-3/16" range, making it a great cutting/slicing blade that's a little tougher for more difficult tasks. br>br>Overall, I'm pleased with my first Esee model and intend to purchase more. Oh, and they include some nice extras in the box, as well as a lot of useful information. Randall Adventure Training/Esee is in a league of its own; excellent work!.

Julia Rangel

| Jul 08, 2021