Esee 4 Handle Mod Camp Survival Knife Full Review and Test 

Good review and a great knife. Love the new design on both the 4HM and 6HM. They killed the choils. Yeah!!!

Very nice video, thank you! Waiting for this knife now :)

Here I am 4 months later watching an Esee rerun😅 I've never been an Esee fan BUT the HM 4 has a great basic design, if it can survive the demonic Aussie wood baked in the real underworld, it can survive almost anything. Hey man if ya get a chance take a look at Real Steels new Bushcraft Plus knife, it comes in scandi or flat and looks really nice.

I'm with you, really not a fan of the old handles. Now they only have to sell them without the knife over here. Nice review man!

Original ESEE-4 is my EDC, love it.

incredible swamphen montage

Thanks for the video review. You certainly did what you could to explicitly state you wouldn't normally baton that log, but did so to cover reviewer expectations. Even after all that you still got a lot of anti-batoning comments. I'm glad you stated that it is abuse, but that the knife should be capable of it. I own a number of good knives, but nothing crazy expensive, I feel the ESEE line is a good middle ground for lifetime quality at a price that sustains the company and their replacement policy. I don't intend to abuse my knives, but I certainly appreciate that they can withstand far more abuse than my planned usage. The 3D handles fit my hand nicely. They seem short at first, but I'm willing to make that trade-off for a reasonable sized knife. I've purchased the Architect 3D scales for ESEE-3 & 4 knives as well, but they are smoother than the ESEE 3D scales. Ever since I bought an ESEE Izula II-BO, I've wanted to try the HM model in micarta. This review help push me over the edge, so my new knife should arrive on Monday.

Bought one today at a store here in Ohio. Paid $105 for it. I really dont like carbon steel but everyone speaks so highly of ESEE as a brand and how well they take care of their customers that I figured id give it a shot. The leather sheath is simple but I like it. I am still searching for an Ontario Blackbird. There aren't too many places with good knife selections here. Everything is so tactical oriented that it's hard to find knives for camping and bushcraft. The store I went today was 1 or 2 retailers for Hidden Woodsmen so that was cool. They had LT Wright and many other brands that you don't see at other outdoor stores. Glad you liked this knife. I love watching DBK and their review of ESEE made me think my purchase may have been a mistake.

Great knife and great review mate. What watch are you wearing though?

Nice knife, I like the ergos. Have Esse increased the price for these new models ?

Instead of hitting the handle of the knife to get it perpendicular, hit the front side of the log. This can help save your handle from breaking (while batoning that is).

I don't think European descents can be very comfortable in the Australian climate... I would explode in that perennial hot weather! great review as always btw ;)

Good review thats not a table top, stat run down! I'll probably have a 4hm soon. The wood review was informative and entertaining (I live in a area with mostly softwoods like pine, cedar)

I've beat the crap out of my esee 6 and can't break it. The coating is mostly gone and it just gets better with age.

Oh plenty of haters of ESEE knives. I own most of the line and even a badass t-shirt lol. They'll take whatever you throw at them!

Where do you get your knives from in Australia? I find it's cheaper to buy them online from the US then locally. I've used Knife Connection a couple of times.

The knife looks pretty good. I have been lusting for a ESEE 6 lately. Maybe the new one with the modified handle could be a good alternative? Thanks for the review. Good stuff as always :) - Martin

Which is better ESEE hm or esee original??

I never really was interested in Esee knives. They are quite overprized here in germany and for a mass produced knife in 1095 steel I am not willing to pay that Esee premium price (Tops is the same issue, though Tops knives are at least interesting from a design standpoint). If I get another fixed blade in carbon steel it`ll be a handcrafted one, maybe another LT Wright or something like that. But my focus is shifting more towards edc items and folding knives because I just don`t have the time to go out into the woods anymore :(

I got this knife is a really good knife

Great review. The handle change and loosing the choil on some models definitely makes the HM models better users in woodcraft. "A bit less prone to hysteria" ??? The Aussie gun ban/confiscation "shoots" that claim out of the water. LOL

That knife in 3v or cruwear without the coating would be my dream knife. Let's make it a 5 incher and call it the ESEE 5 shtf bushcrafter. I'll probably still thin the edge out a tiny bit.

Is it safe to stand that close to a river in Australia? Aren't there crocs or something?

Looks like they fixed the too short Esee 4 handle...?

I don't want to offend anyone from the Northern Hemisphere, you do have hard woods but they are mostly straight grained, where as; our hard woods the grain is interwoven and an absolute nightmare to split I don't think a hatchet would get through that log so what Pete is demonstrating is a real testament to the survival tag of the knife (so we don't have to).

Batoning is abuse but also a useful skill, you need to practice before you are lost & hurt.

Hope you'll forgive me piping up Pete.. Rowen's the name of the family company that make the Esee branded knives.....Ontario RATs won't have Rowen written on it... Pretty Sure Rowen used to make stuff under contract for Tops....

It's your knife do whatever you think enhances the review. Also I think the term survival knife implies that you don't have an axe.

Honestly batoning is only useful up to a point, and I'd never really baton anything larger than 3" in diameter with a 4 inch knife. I think it can be useful for processing kindling and featherstick wood, even on a daily basis, but some people take it a bit too far.

Bit less prone to hysteria made me chuckle cuz im watching in 2021.

I think “the steel should always beat the wood ” is dodgy , use a simple wedge to split logs ! try drive your steel car into a tree at 10 mph see what comes off best ha ? To be fair you did explain you are testing . I do like that Esee 4 new mod looks more useful kitchen knife style. Thanks for all your tests you have done lately you certainly put in a lot of time & effort , great job. p.s. i did a SAK can opener mod have a look some time tell me what you think tks . Rob in Scotland

Yo... aren't you worried about crocodiles or crazy kangaroos sneaking up on you?!

The kydex version is so much better ....That billboard leather sheath is nice but very weird and way to showy. It has that "look at me I'm wearing an ESEE knife on my hip ...I am an ESEE owner " herp herp herp. I bumped into an old dude at Walmart a few years back in the knife section and started talking knives , ugh....The guy had an esee on his hip and started talking about their warranty and how he doesn't buy any knives but esee yadda yadda he wouldn't stop....He then starts bashing all those other brands behind the glass like he was there to fight for USA steel companies😂 He was nice, just had serious fan pride. I started back stepping away and was saved by an employee asking him if he needed help . He had no idea what he got himself into as my son and I took off we looked at each other with a..."What the @$#%?" was that look. Some Esee brand fans are a bit zealous over their 1095HC Rowen heat treated knives....I think he walks the knife sections just waiting for someone to see his Esee on his hip. Waiting for a fish like me to bite...Hey that's an Esee ya got there ......"Why yes ..yes it is" .

That's NOT a mod, it's a different design.

I saw a crocodile.

ray william johnson??

A knife is a knife, it's not an axe! Stop batoning! Get a hatchet! That's abuse! Been looking into the ESEE4HM too...not sure if it is for me...I really like my regular 4...

No one should be heavy battoning with a knife unless they are in a survival situation. That's what axes and hatchets and saws are made to do. I think knife reviewers focus too much on useless battoning, and less in what we really need to know: how to sharpen it in the field; and how easy is it to sharpen in the field.

Honestly, I think Esee is a complete rip-off. It's extortionate how much they ask for the materials involved. I like 1095. It's a time tested tough old steel, but it is a cheap steel, doesn't hold an edge that long (easy to sharpen, though) and rusts in a heartbeat. These knives shouldn't cost nearly as much as they do. You're essentially paying 3 times as much as you should in exchange for a great warranty. I recently had a look at their stainless version of the Esee 4. $140 for 440C! It's a joke. You can buy a Real Steel Observer (440C, G10, Kydex sheath) for a fraction of the price. No doubt Esee knives are tough (soft heat treat), but they are ridiculously overpriced.

i have never, i will never unless my life depends on it,,, baton a knife,,, it's stupid,,, that's why GOD invented axes and hatchets

why do you keep bashing it threw wood.......try cutting with it.....try using a lawn mower blade better..works great. ...save your knives......

I avoid splitting knotty wood even with my axe 🪓... if I can.