Hitting the market at simply the suitable worth, ESEEs provide good alternate options to KA-BAR’s BK collection. They’re a bit extra refined with nicer touches, they usually are available 1,000,000 totally different varieties, all with the identical bones.
From the Candiru to the Junglas, there may be an ESEE in each dimension vary with coated 1095 metal, Micarta or G10 for the handles, and a sheath. I’ve used a lot of them and reviewed a number of by myself web site.
For the entire selection, although, one knife — the ESEE 4HM — stands out as among the best knives available on the market. If you’d like one and just one mounted blade, this must be your selection. It could actually do every thing.
In brief: I’ve owned this knife for years, however the first impression wasn’t glamorous. It’s a hard-use thumper, not a watch-like customized. And whereas that may sound like a slight, it isn’t. Its humble presentation matches its design. Its tough coating and coarse Micarta give it a way of being battle- or wilderness-ready. That is the fixed-blade knife distilled to its good essence — stout, easy, and extremely efficient.
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Metal
Coated 1095 -
Grind
Full flat grind -
Blade size
4.38” -
OAL
8.88” -
Weight
7.7 oz. (knife solely) -
Value
$120 -
Nation of origin
Made within the USA
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Simply sharpenable, even by novices -
Superior Kydex sheath -
Easy and superior deal with design -
Coating guards towards rust -
Full tang design utilizing hardy supplies can take an absolute beating -
Ridiculously nice guarantee
ESEE 4HM Fastened-Blade Evaluation
Wonderful Sheath
There are two sheath choices for the 4HM — a leather-based sheath and a Kydex one. Whereas, in fact, leather-based sheaths may be actually wonderful, at this worth level, they aren’t nice.
Thankfully, the Kydex sheath right here is wonderful. It’s a taco-style sheath (that means a single sheet of kydex folded over on itself) with a metallic belt clip. Taco-style sheaths are simply as efficient however have a tendency to hold a smaller footprint. It locks in place, carries the knife with out a rattle, and has a drain gap.
Within the years I’ve owned the 4HM, it has by no means fallen out of the sheath nor has it popped off my belt. It’s fairly comfortable, too; on quite a lot of events, I inadvertently wore the knife into the ironmongery store or whereas driving.
Proudly owning mounted blades up and down the value scale, this sheath is just outstanding. You gained’t discover a knife that prices $100 with a Kydex sheath this good wherever else.
Supplies & Design
The distinction between the 4HM and a typical ESEE 4 lay within the deal with. As a substitute of a posh set of curves and cuts, the 4HM has a broomstick-style deal with. This straightforward selection is a superb one, because it permits the knife for use in quite a few totally different positions, one thing that’s fairly useful for an outside knife.
I can chop meals with a chef’s pinch grip, stab into materials with an ice choose grip, or use it whereas doing chest lever cuts. There are not any hotspots or pinch factors. And the slight bulge in the course of the deal with additionally makes it work higher along with your hand’s anatomy than a posh deal with (see this wonderful explainer for extra about knife handles and hand anatomy).
The blade inventory is 3/16-inch, which is a bit thick, however the full flat grind makes up for it. A extra trendy metal, like 3V or Magnacut, would enable for a thinner blade of equal sturdiness, however that will add value and scale back the 4HM’s sharpenability. Given the value and meant use, this makes for a superb tradeoff. Through the years, it has confirmed the suitable design selection.
ESEE 4HM: Subject Examined
The 4HM has been on most likely a dozen tenting journeys over time and it has served me effectively. It handles hearth prep duties with aplomb — sufficiently small to make feather sticks however nonetheless respectable at batoning.
With a blade simply over 4 inches, it’s not nice at batonning, however I’m way more involved it should get caught than break.
I’ve additionally been pressed it into meals prep duties. I maintain most of my knives shaving sharp, and this allowed it to flex into roles like filleting steaks and chopping onions and mushrooms. Clearly, it isn’t a kitchen knife, however it’s surprisingly good round meals.
Nearly all of the time, I exploit this knife across the yard. I dwell in a extra rural a part of Massachusetts, and there’s a lot of random chopping duties that come up. Right here, the 4HM excels.
Felling wrist-thick bushes and bushes is straightforward and delimbing them is certainly one of my favourite exams of a knife’s edge geometry. The 4HM pops off branches with ease. I even used the 4HM when taking down a big, outdated play construction, doing that factor you aren’t purported to do with a knife (prying). Due to the robust 1095 and the full-tang building, I didn’t fear.
Lengthy-Time period Put on
A couple of notes on how the knife wears, on condition that it is a long-term assessment. The Micarta begins out fuzzy and tough however over time grew to become extra slick and worn in.
It’s nonetheless fairly grippy however not a Velcro-like floor. Second, as a result of the 1095 is about as simple to sharpen because it will get, you’ll be able to maintain the 4HM operating sticky sharp for years. I exploit a Ken Onion sharpener from Work Sharp, and over time, the precise reducing bevel has reworked right into a convex edge. It’s really sturdier due to this.
Put one other approach, years of use have made this knife higher than when it got here out of the field. That’s actually nice design.
Yet one more fast notice concerning the 4HM — like all ESEE mounted blades, it’s backed by the most effective guarantee within the knife enterprise. If you happen to break it, the model will substitute it. As long as you ship again the damaged knife, ESEE won’t query your guarantee declare and can substitute the blade.
If the blade is out of manufacturing, ESEE will substitute it with an equal mannequin. Smash and bash to your coronary heart’s content material.
Conclusion
I personal numerous very costly mounted blades and invariably, I come again to the 4HM. It’s a actually superior software, a knife with no design blubber in any way.
It really works as a result of regardless that it’s easy, its simplicity is guided by true design insights. The sheath is a masterpiece and although the metal is outdated, it actually fits the knife’s goal effectively.
Only a few merchandise in our consumerist world get higher with age — that is certainly one of them.