ESEEKnives Model 3P-B Fixed Blade Knife, Black Molded Polymer Sheath, Ambidextrous Belt Clip Plate

OK, let me start by saying I just got the knife so I have no experience with the durability. HOWEVER! Not only based on the many videos and reviews I've read but also based on the solid heft of this thing I have absolutely no worries about it lasting the rest of my life. Then again, I'm old, hahaha. Anywho, I am a real stickler for detail. Let me tell you, I've examined this baby with my reading glasses on and it is absolutely perfect. The handle scales are perfectly symmetrical, the blade and tang are shaped perfectly and finished beautifully, and the grind is exactly the same from tip to handle and even on both sides. Plus, I gave it the old hair shaving test and it passed easily and the tip is needle sharp. Mine has the micarta handles. From the pictures I couldn't tell if the micarta would be slick or not. No worries! It has a wonderful feel to the hand and also has great traction. I haven't tested it wet yet but I anticipate that it will still have good grip. The sheath is also outstanding. There seems to be a question about whether it's Kydex or plastic. I couldn't tell you which it is, but to me it doesn't matter either way because it does its job with flying colors. It's very solid, retains the knife very well (perhaps a little too well) and it came with the screws and clip to enable you to configure it the way you want. Plus it has a little para cord hanging on the bottom with one of those round clips so you can adjust it. I'm not sure what that's for yet but just letting you know it comes with it. Even the box and packaging is nice - a few stickers and what not in there as well as some survival tips on the back of the box. One other nice thing is the knife and sheath fit nicely in the front pocket of your pants. I've tried it so far on two different pairs of pants and it fits, so at least you have that option if you want. After going back and for between the Izula, the 3 and the 4, I'm glad I settled on the 3 - it seems to be the perfect size for EDC and is capable of just about anything short of batoning large pieces of wood. Not that I'd be afraid of it breaking, it's just that it would be a little too short. Then again, try EDCing a 4 or five inch knife - I don't think it would be too easy. In short, I can't see anyone being disappointed with this purchase. Oh, one last point - I've heard a lot of guys talking about the handle being too short. I have no idea what they are talking about. I have XXL hands and all four of my fingers go around the handle. When choking up on the choil there is at least 1/4" of Micarta left and if you count the exposed tang it's close to 1/2" of handle left. UPDATE: OK I've lived with this knife for a couple of days now and have used it quite a bit. Three things I'd like to add: 1. As others have said, it's not the best at edge holding (at least with cardboard boxes), however it IS very easy to get hair popping sharp again with just a leather strop. I know ESEE's approach is to make a tough blade that can be easily sharpened in the field. In this regard they succeeded. 2. The way the sheath holds the knife against my side is perfect. It might ride a tad high but it stays absolutely snug to the body with NO telegraphing through clothing. 3. Take their advice and add a little Locktite to the clip mounting screws. I just heard "TINK, Tink, tink" a few hours ago because I neglected to do so and lost one of the mounting screws. In place of that one I'm temporarily using a zip-tie. Use Locktite!

Another nice Esse 3, this one I chose because of the color combination and went with G10 scales instead of micarta. I have another Esee 3 and I carry it for edc. This is the largest fixed blade I feel comfortable carrying. It has a flat slim profile not very bulky, I like the sheath its very sturdy and element proof. Its a tactical/utility knife, its sturdy, well made and has the best warranty on the market. Made here in the USA with a nicely treated 1095 steel. Many people might not like 1095 as for me I do like it and unless you are in the damp jungle or by the sea; the steel will be ok with an occasional oiling. For wet conditions there is a stainless s35vn offering, it won’t be as tough as the 1095 but will do an excellent job.

First off if you're even looking at this knife it means you've likely done some homework. There are plenty of cheaper knives in this category by bigger brand names. I came looking for this one after reading forums online and hearing great things about ESEE knives.**My experience w/ it**I have seriously wanted this blade for at least 3 years now. I finally got it this summer and I'm glad I waited - ESEE fully warrants all knives stamped with that name, but not the older blades manufactured by Ontario Knives. So far I have used it as a general camp knife to shave firewood into tinder, whittling, cutting rope and some food prep. This isn't especially "heavy duty" use but it has been used for these things a lot. I've used it with dry hands, gloved hands and wet hands.**Ergonomics and balance**The G-10 handles are great. Getting a good grip on the handle is no problem even with wet hands. It is shaped well and the handles are just thick enough for my large hands, but not thick enough to become bulky or difficult for smaller hands. The knife has an excellent tang/blade angle and overall balance. For especially fine tasks the finger-groove in front of the tang is effective. There is a temptation with "survival" knives to think that bigger is better - and often this is the case when you will be chopping lots of wood. However balance becomes an issue with large blades. This is still small and well-balanced enough that it will fulfill just about any regular camp task you can think of. The knurling on the top of the blade (for thumb friction) is large enough yet blunted down to be effective without hurting. IF you do have VERY large hands or will be wearing big bulky gloves the ESEE-5 might be a better option for comfort.**Fit, finish and quality**The handles fit the tang excellently and there is no poor fit of the edges of the handles with the tang. It feels seamless and smooth. The blade coating does seem very tough though I'm sure over time it will get scratched and rub away. Note because of the blade coating this wouldn't be my top recommendation for a food prep or hunting knife, though it will work if you don't have a more appropriate one with you. The blade edge itself is expertly angled and polished. It holds an edge amazingly well, while still coming "razor-sharp" from the maker. For the orange G-10 handles I picked, they did come looking just a little marred or dirty but it wasn't enough to complain about, knowing that this is a field knife and not a collector's item.**Sheath and carry options**The included sheath is fantastic. It allows for tip up or tip down carry, left or right handed, inside waist-band or outside, clipped to a belt/bag or lashed to anything using cord. The belt clip is very, very secure when on a belt or MOLLE strap. Removing the knife requires a *firm* driving forward of the thumb while pulling back on the handle. It's not always easy depending on how/where the sheath is attached. This is a good thing though, especially for tip up "inverted" carry. The last thing you want is to drop your "survival" knife that you rely on. Putting the knife back into the sheath results in a satisfyingly solid "CLICK" so you know it's not popping out unless you want it to. If you don't cord-lash it to your pack, I recommend wrapping a length of paracord through the sheath holes as a back-up bit of paracord that will always be with you.**Overall**Fantastic all-around field knife. Due to the blade coating its food-prep or hunting uses should be limited, though. I might prefer an uncoated stainless blade, in retrospect. The sheath is excellent. Handles are great and will work for large or small hands. If you have FREAKISHLY large hands though I would recommend the ESEE-5 for better ergonomics. While this is pegged as a "survival" knife it simply is not big and heavy enough to be used for repeated wood chopping. It will cut wood, sure, but if you're really needing to chop that much wood, a big heavy blade or a tomahawk is what you need. This will be a perfect companion to something like that: Great for all the smaller, regular tasks when you're adventuring. The pommel glass breaker would make this a good item to keep in a glove box.

Very well built!Sheath and handles are excellent!Steel is thick and sturdy!Knife edge is sharp out of the box!