ESEE-4 Field Knife: The Love Child of Experience and Practical Application
The ESEE-4 is one of the most popular ESEE knives ever made. With its 3/16″ thickness, it’s the perfect blend between toughness and cutting efficiency all in a small package. The ESEE-4is a rugged high-performance fixed blade knife designed for anything from general utility work to use as the survival knife in your bug out bag. Designed by jungle survival instructors for performance and durability, the ESEE-4 is the love child of experience and practical application. It is issued to US Air Force survival instructors.
Some people like big knives. They have their place. I like to watch the survival shows on TV. One of my favorite things is watching people with huge knives doing delicate work like skinning a rat or building the trigger for a snare. This is where the ESEE-4 excels. I have been using the ESEE-4 at work and while camping. It is light enough to carry all day and tough enough that I don’t ever worry about breaking it. Easy to sharpen and guaranteed for life, I am fearless with this blade. The only thing that I worry about is losing it.
The ESEE-4 has full tang construction. The functional handle and reinforced drop point are well suited for hard use in defensive and survival situations. The blade has a lot of belly and features a full flat grind optimized for slicing, and batoning. ESEE offers both a combo serrated edge and a plain edge version. A lanyard hole in the pommel supports heavy chopping and hard use tasks.
The ESEE-4 is made of 1095 high carbon steel. High carbon steel is a durable tool steel that won’t chip under hard use. 1095 is a great choice for survival knives because it holds a good edge and is easy to sharpen. The first two digits of the designation “1095” refer to the main two elements used in the steel, and the second two digits represent the percentage of carbon used. In the case of “1095” the first digit “1” refers to carbon, the second digit “0” means that there is no second main element used in the alloy, for the two last digits “95” refers to 0.95%, which gives us 0.95% of Carbon. 1095 is mainly made of carbon and Manganese, which makes it very hard steel with a Rockwell hardness of 55Hrc and can be tempered at 372 to 705°C (700 to 1300°F).
1095 steel offers the following properties:
Edge Retention: it’s a very hard steel that can offer great edge retention, thanks to the mix of Carbon and Manganese used in the alloy.
Corrosion Resistance: It has a very low corrosion resistance since there is no Chromium in the alloy, 1095 is corrosion-prone steel, will rust very quickly.
Wear Resistance: 1095 steel is hard and grants good wear resistance, not the best, but it’s enough for outdoor usage.
Sharpness: Reasonably easy to sharpen.
Toughness: Good toughness, that can decrease in the cost of hardness, (You can get your 1095 to 63 Hrc, but it will be brittle)
1095 will rust and stain if not properly cared for, especially on the cutting edge. ESEE suggests using a dry film rust inhibitor on the blade.
ESEE-4 SPECS:
- Overall Length: 9.0″
- Cutting Edge Length: 4.1″
- Overall Blade Length: 4.5″
- Blade Width: 1.25″
- Weight (Knife Only): 8.0 ounces
- Drop Point Blade Style
- Maximum Thickness: .188″
- 1095 Carbon Steel, 55 – 57 Rc. (Carbon Steel Models)
- 440C (Stainless Steel Models)
- Textured Power Coat Finish (Carbon Steel Models)
- Removable Handles
- Rounded Pommel w/ Lanyard Hole
- Molded Sheath w/ Clip Plate (Sheath Color Depends On Model)
- Made in the U.S.A.
ESEE 4 Models available:
BLACK BLADES:
- ESEE-4P-KO (Plain Edge, Black Blade, No Sheath)
- ESEE-4S-KO (Serrated Edge, Black Blade, No Sheath)
- ESEE-4P (Plain Edge, Black Blade, Coyote Brown Sheath)
- ESEE-4S (Partially Serrated, Black Blade, Coyote Brown Sheath)
- ESEE-4P-B (Plain Edge, Black Blade, Black Sheath)
- ESEE-4S-B (Partially Serrated, Black Blade, Black Sheath)
- ESEE-4P-MB (Plain Edge, Black Blade, Coyote Brown Sheath, MOLLE Back)
- ESEE-4S-MB (Partially Serrated, Black Blade, Coyote Brown Sheath, MOLLE Back)
- ESEE-4P-MB-B (Plain Edge, Black Blade, Black Sheath, MOLLE Back)
- ESEE-4S-MB-B (Partially Serrated, Black Blade, Black Sheath, MOLLE Back)
DESERT TAN BLADES:
- ESEE-4P-KO-DT (Plain Edge, No Sheath)
- ESEE-4S-KO-DT (Serrated Edge, No Sheath)
- ESEE-4P-DT (Plain Edge, OD Sheath)
- ESEE-4S-DT (Partially Serrated, OD Sheath)
- ESEE-4P-MB-DT (Plain Edge, OD Sheath, MOLLE Back)
- ESEE-4S-MB-DT (Partially Serrated, OD Sheath, MOLLE Back)
Note: The ESEE-4P-MB-DT is assigned NSN 1095-01-649-5945
OD BLADES:
- ESEE-4P-KO-OD (Plain Edge, No Sheath)
- ESEE-4S-KO-OD (Serrated Edge, No Sheath)
- ESEE-4P-OD (Plain Edge, Black Sheath)
- ESEE-4S-OD (Partially Serrated, Black Sheath)
- ESEE-4P-MB-OD (Plain Edge, Black Sheath, MOLLE Back)
- ESEE-4S-MB-OD (Partially Serrated, Black Sheath, MOLLE Back)
OPTIONAL BLADE COLORS:
- ESEE-4P-MB-DE (Plain Edge Only, Dark Earth Blade, Black Sheath, MOLLE Back)
- ESEE-4P-VG (Plain Edge Only, Venom Green Blade, Black Sheath)
STAINLESS STEEL MODELS:
- ESEE-4P-SS (Plain Edge, 440C Stainless Steel, Canvas Micarta Handles, Black Sheath)
- ESEE-4P-SS-OR (Plain Edge, 440C Stainless Steel, Orange G10 Handles, Black Sheath)
- ESEE-4P35V (Plain Edge, S35VN Stainless Steel, Canvas Micarta Handles, Black Sheath)
- ESEE-4P35V-OR (Plain Edge, S35VN Stainless Steel, Orange G10 Handles, Black Sheath)
- 4P35V-002 (Plain Edge, S35VN Stainless Steel, Grey/Black G10 3D Handle, Black Sheath)
The ESEE-4 has a molded kydex sheath with integral retention. The sheath will not absorb water and a drain hole helps keep your blade dry to delay rust. An optional Cordura MOLLE mount provides mounting options. The ESEE-4‘s comfortable handle scales are made of rugged micarta, fixed to the tang with 3 Allen bolts. Milled and rounded, they provide solid grip with good feel even for large hands.
The ESEE-4 is a favorite among law enforcement and military teams due to its light weight, thin profile and sheath options. It has been tested and recommended by the members of the National Tactical Officers Association. The overall score was a 4.77 out of a possible 5. The pommel (butt) of the ESEE-4 is pointed and can be used as a glass-breaker.
The fit and finish of ESEE knives is the most obvious sign of their quality control and high production values. The blades have a flawless finish and the handle and tang come together flush with no edges or gaps. Groves cut into the tang are called jimping. The blade of the ESEE-4 has a finger grove cut and jimping so that you can choke up on the knife and get a grip beyond the bolster for delicate work requiring more control.
