ESEE is a Spanish-English acronym that stands for Escuela De Supervivencia (School of Survival), Escape and Evasion. It initially established as a sister company to Randall’s Adventures, consisting of Jeff Randall and Mike Perrin’s Randall’s Adventure and Training in Peru in 1997.

They trained jungle survivalists in the Peruvian Amazon, signed a contract with the Peruvian Airforce’s Survival Training School, and offer in-depth training courses in Peru and North America to law enforcement agencies and civilians.

Their extensive experience in the field and name in the market is what made ESEE Knives so popular among knife enthusiasts because they fill specific real-world utilitarian needs. Randall’s Adventure also owns and operates a 10-acre survival training facility in Alabama called The Farm. That further makes the company more than eligible to build utilitarian tools.

ESEE 6 is the high watermark knife in the survival industry and is ranked among top 3 survival knives recommended by well-known independent knife reviewers. In this review, we will examine what makes ESEE 6 so special that makes it stand out.

ESEE 6 is a robust and versatile large fixed-blade knife that comes with a sheath. It is a purposed tactical and survival knife. It has a full tang, drop point, and full flat ground gun smoke grey powder coated 1095HC carbon steel blade with grey linen Micarta handle. It comes with a lanyard hole and a black molded belt sheath with clip plate.

It serves as the perfect balance between size and functionality with its 11.75” overall profile and 5.75” blade. Its Micarta handle is 6” long and weighs 12 ounces.

The ESEE 6 came in a nice branded cardboard box with a cover. The knife was already inside the sheath to protect the blade with the belt tied around it. We received the knife with a black sheath and the blade was securely latched inside without any rough edges pointing out.

The box also included a manual, knife specs, stickers, training cards and a warranty card. ESEE offers unconditional lifetime warranty on their knives. This might make the purchasing decision a lot easier for most customers. I would not hesitate spending more than $100 on a hard EDC knife that also comes with a sheath, because that means that you can go back to the company for repairs and exchange without the receipt and no matter how you broke the knife. The warranty is also transferable. Such warranty policy is sure to be loved by all their customers.

The back plate also came separately and was not latched on to the sheath, showing that it is removable.

The knife slide right out of the sheath very smoothly and had its factory edge and fine finishing. The grey powder coating was very well done, and the handle felt smooth and comfortable yet grippy.

The full extended tang along with the jimping on the spine made it very easy to maneuver the knife and choke it up in however position you would like. The linen Micarta handle fully covers the hand while leaving some space. So if you have larger hands, you should have no problem in carrying this knife.

The black Kydex sheath also comes with a thumb ramp, making it easier to slide the knife in and out of it. The drain holes further makes it easier to wash and maintain. You can use the belt in multiple ways when carrying on your backpack. The clip plate is quite versatile and removable. You can mount in in several positions around yourself.

This is how the sheath looks with the clip plate intact. It does not get in the way of pulling out the knife.

The ESEE 6 blade is a 5.75” full flat grind, which means that the blade narrows in gradually and consistently from the thick spine to the cutting edge without any bends or valleys. The full flat grind is also ideal for chopping and slicing and serves as a chef’s knife.

The cutting edge of ESEE 6 is razor sharp and extends the length of the blade. With the 0.188” blade stock thickness, it also cuts right with contact. However, it may be a bit too thin considering the 12 ounce weight of the overall knife. But it does its job really well regardless.

The 1095 carbon steel on ESEE 6 is 55-57 RC on hardness level, which is great for an EDC.

ESEE knives mostly used 1095 Carbon Steel, like you will find same steel in ESEE 3 and also in ESEE 4. It is commonly used in rugged knives for hard use because the carbon element makes the steel hard. At the same time, it retains a balance between edge retention, strength, and rust resistance. The ESEE 6 has a very durable edge and is easy to sharpen. It also works better on fixed-blade knives as opposed to foldable ones.

The tang and the blade is coated with heavy duty powder coating that eliminates chances of rust. So you can leave it in fruity acids without tarnishing it too much too quickly. It is usually common among 1095 blade steel knives. It is the blade’s first line of defense against premature corrosion. The next is typically maintaining lubrication.

You can also baton ESEE 6 all day long without worrying that the blade would come apart. However, it will need some TLC, proper care and maintenance in order for that to happen.

The base of the spine on the blade adjacent to the handle is a section of ridges called jimping. It helps you hold the knife more comfortably and exercise control while performing finer cutting tasks like carving. You can also use it to choke up the knife and use it from either side.

Adjacent to the handle on the cutting side is a large notch that acts as a choil. It is blunt and allows the entire length of the blade to be sharpened easily.

The handle of ESEE 6 is made of very light and durable linen Micarta. It is made from soaking linen cloth in phenolic resin and curing the composites through high pressure industrial processes. The end result is then machined and textured as desired into an ergonomic knife handle. This process has been in place since 1910 and works perfectly by making the handle ultra-durable. It makes for a very grippy handle.

There is no handle guard on the spine of the handle. It allows you to extend your thumb over the spine jibbing while exercising better handle control and performing precise tasks like whittling.

The ergonomics on ESEE 6 are excellent and makes for a great non-slip handle. The absence of the finger guard does a good job of keeping the hand from sliding forward onto the blade.

And since ESEE is a medium to full-sized knife, you can use it for light to hard chopping. You can start from the cutting edge and slide in from the belly of the blade. The blade width of 1.56” offers enough leverage to work on a cutting board. Its chopping action is similar to that of a machete. Its sloping tail allows you to slide your hand back and forth in rhyming the chopping action.

The knife is screwed together at three points via socket bolts and is fully customizable. So you can easily replace or upgrade the handle.

The sheath of ESEE 6 is a molded belt Kydex with clip plate. It is available in black and brown color. It is mostly made of plastic, so some customers have complained of it making a rattling noise. However, we did not experience such a case. Regardless, you can always get a new and improved sheath.

The belt and clip plate allows the knife handle to be mounted lower, preventing it from digging into your body when carrying the knife on your belt and sitting down. The clip plate offers several mounting options. You can also remove it when mounting it on your backpack.

The clip works excellently by securing the blade right into the sheath via friction grip that holds well even when jostled and inverted.

We tested the knife right out of the box by slicing paper with it. The act for totally effortless and it shred the paper in pieces, which shows its excellent factory edge.

You can keep using the knife to cut paper, cardboard boxes, ropes, and pipes, etc. for an extended period without the need to sharpen it.

When it comes to battoning however, it is responsible to bring along a multi-tool and a hatchet or machete for chopping and splitting wood.

The carbon steel blade along with the weight of ESEE 6 is balanced enough to chop down small trees and limb branches for a small shelter making. It outperforms Gerber LMF 2 in this aspect.

ESEE 6 also showed formidable piercing ability. It sliced through tough exterior of a rabbit skin like butter while hunting and cooking outdoors.

The edge retention was very impressive too compared to LMF 2 with 420 HC steel hardness. Even after battoning through hardwood, it sliced through paper very smoothly.

It is useful to use the lanyard hole and wrap it around your pinky finger to prevent accidental slippage. Even though the size of the handle is ample enough, you may need to slide your hand down during the action. The knife also comes with adjustable paracord lanyard on the sheath in the form of the belt, which is enough to slide through the lanyard hole.

You can use ESEE 6 as a survival, hunting, and chef’s knife.

The Gerber LMF 2 is also a fixed-blade knife that comes with a sheath and does the same things that the ESEE 6 does. However, it features a 420 HC stainless steel blade, which is not as high-end as ESEE 6’s 1095 carbon steel. It is more affordable than ESEE 6, but lacks in functionality and features as compared to ESEE 6. For example, it is not suitable for batoning and comes with a serrated edge with not as good edge holding as 1095 carbon steel on ESEE 6. It also requires more oil treatments and frequent maintenance due to the serrated edge, as it can easily get dirty. It also comes with limited warranty unlike ESEE 6, which comes with unconditional lifetime warranty.

However, the 420 HC blade on LMF 2 is easy to sharpen and comes with a drop point just like on ESEE 6. You can also sharpen it to customize and increase LMF 2’s tactical powers.

LMF 2 comes with a saber grind unlike the full flat grind on ESEE 6. It is one of the strongest possible blade profiles and preserves maximum structural strength during hard EDC tasks.

The ESEE 6HM model features a slimmer handle profile for hunting and bushcraft applications with a customized leather belt sheath. The ESEE 6 on the other hand, represents more of a fine balance between fit and size.

The 6HM also features a rounded handle profile and is better suited for carving and finer tasks. The custom scales on ESEE 6HM enhance comfort and grip. It also shines in carving, but both the knives can handle chopping tasks. The 6HM is also more comfortable for extended use.

Therefore, if you prioritize carving and comfort, then ESEE 6HM might be a suitable fit for you. But ESEE 6 is still a better bet for survival and outdoor use, as well as hard EDC tasks.

The ESEE 6 is a fixed-blade full tang knife with a lanyard hole and comes with a black clip plate belt Kydex sheath. Its drop point blade with full flat grind and 1095 carbon steel makes it suitable for hard EDC tasks, outdoor survival and hunting endeavors. You can carry the knife in multiple ways around yourself.

The linen Micarta handle is smooth and comfortable yet grippy in the hand. It is easy to grip and position while chopping wood and slicing meat on a cutting board. The 1095 carbon steel blade has a nice cutting edge and came with a very sharp cutting edge right out of the box. It slices though paper, cardboard box, wood, rope, rabbit skin and the like with ease.