My field fixed blade is a Chris Reeve Pacific... so when I look at my ESEE-3 next to it it seems tiny, that probably throws off my perception of how concealable it is.
"For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt good about feeling bad about feeling good about it and, satisfied, drove on into the night."
-- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --
The Esee-3 is not a big knife per se, but RR's requirements are for something smaller. That CRK Pacific is nice looking, but would feel like a short sword to me.
Chris
In a way axis and ball bearing locks would be more dependable; in the sense that they are stronger than liners and frame locks (I feel less confident in a rocker bar lock). But there is an achilles heel to the axis and ball bearing locks - sand. I stopped using a Benchmade Grip for field work, when I accidentally dropped it into some very fine, talcum like, sand. I had to dunk the knife into my drinking water and shake it out to get it free enough to close. Until I disassembled and cleaned the whole thing it remained very gritty. Liner locks can have this happen too, but they're easier to clean, a framelock doesn't have these problems in my experience.
I also admit, I don't care much for captive springs to keep locks functioning at 100%. All of the designs I've seen for the locks you mentioned use springs of some type. Simpler is better for field work in my opinion.
I think so too, I'll take a hard look at the ESSE 3.
A Pacific would be great. I can easily conceal a big fixed blade in a shoulder rig under a safari vest, but it limits hand access and I don't like that.
Dude, awesome. Do we change the tag now? #ModsHereAreOkay
I have a couple of the Buck Bantams that are pretty solid folders for under $30. You then have a couple spares in case of loss.
Becker’s are good fixed blades for the money.
I have both an ESEE Candiru and Izula II that I use as field knives. I also had Dark Star Gear make wrap style sheaths with a pull the dot strap (aka the Clinch Pick style) sheaths for both of them. The Candiru factory fold over sheath is ok, and usually what I use on backpacking trips. The factory Izula sheath is very usable. I find the Candiru when carried like the Clinch Pick conceals very easily and will still baton, sharpen, etc like all ESEE products. The Izula II is slightly to large to conceal in the Clinch Pick position, but will conceal vertically IWB with the factory sheath very well.
Both of these knives are smaller than you want, but I would very much consider an ESEE 3 or 4 if I felt I needed more knife. The HM variants in particular seem to have a better field craft handle and come in slightly shorter than the MIL version since the choil has been removed. I have looked many times a buying a ESEE 4HM, which now comes with a new kydex sheath, but every time I get close I decide the Izula II/Candiru fill the roles I use them for quite well and I seem to prefer grabbing my Fiskars hatchet for anything I might want a bigger knife for.
Last edited by JHC; 01-29-2019 at 05:44 PM.
“Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais
I have an original DPx HEST fixed blade that has been a good field/utility/camp knife. I’ve eyeballed the HEST folder a couple of times, mainly because it’s one of the few lefty specific frame locks made that’s not a custom. I ended up with a Benchmade Grizzly Ridge instead because of the relative price points and the Axis Lock is tough to beat. I’ll be in the other end of Kenya taking pictures of critters mid year and doubt I’ll have much use for anything other than a pocket knife to cut the cellophane of an Altoids tin but, I’ll have my HEST with me.
Men freely believe that which they desire.
Julius Caesar
I have a Halloran Pikal that Tom Jones gifted me for a random draw prize. I like it quite a bit for that role.
The ZT 0620 is my EDC but it is waved... How about this?
“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie