ESEE Authentic Model 4HM Fixed Blade Knife, Black Powder Blade, Micarta Handle, Leather Sheath

ESEE 4 is a great knife. Sharp &sharpens easily. Big and strong enough for hard use without being too big to carry easily. Sheath is excellent as is the belt clip. 4 VS 5 - ESEE 5 ( I own both) is a big thick heavy knife. It’s not something that can be tucked inconspicuously into a pocket or waist band like the 4. The 5 is overbuilt (good thing) with better grips IMO than the 4. Sheath clip on the 5 is a little goofy compared to the 4 but 100% functional and comfortable. 5 is a great chopper and excels at splitting firewood. This said it’s heavy in the hand and just a tad clumsy. Esee 4 is a great “I may need a hard use knife” where the 5 is a great “I NEED a hard use knife”. I have a emergency blanket, ferro rod, string, lighter, fishing kit and 3 large nails strapped to the sheath of my 4. The 4 still fits in a cargo pocket or tucks into front pocket of my jeans. Personally I would recommend the 4 over the 5. The 4 will go with you more often while the 5 will spend more time in a draw due to the size and weight of the 5. I love both knives, but if I lost the 4 I would order another. If I lost the 5 I likely would not buy another. I’m better suited with the 4 and a small Gerber belt hatchet than the 5. This said both are really great knives.

I have multiple Esee Knives. Their quality is always top notch. The knife is D2 steel that arrives shaving sharp. The blade is thick, strong and ready for the outdoors. I love the HM handle as it fit my hand and feels great. The camo job on the handle was something I added. This is a lifetime knife and a good value for any outdoors man. Try it, you'll like it. Just know they can be addicting.

I have experience with 4X ESEE knives, and there is a tool for every job - I love them all. I bought this one to "downsize" from the ESEE Laser Strike which I found to be way too heavy to carry all day, and while a phenomenal knife, was not as well suited for smaller tasks. This one I found to be the perfect size for just about everything you do in the outdoors. Also, for folks with smaller hands, or a desire to work the blade more deftly, the smaller handle drops weight and is more easy to manipulate vs. it's larger cousins. After much experimentation, I've settled on carrying this knife as well as the tiny fisherman version which has a very small blade (2.5 inch) and is perfect for squirrel and fish work. The two together cover most tasks well. I also purchased an aftermarket fire steel with a kydex sheath which I added later. I then had to MOD the blade by ever-so-gently using an electric wire brush to remove just about an inch of the blade coating on the spine of the blade right near the handle so you can effectively spark the fire steel. Now, that will require extra oil maintenance to prevent rust, but if you take care of your tools, they will take care of you. I would love to see ESEE create a sheath which could house all three items (anybody listening?). Now if you are bushcrafting, remember to always carry a folding saw (safer) or a small axe. With those four tools, and a sharpening stone, you can rebuild civilization! If you have never had an ESEE knife, you will love this, so don't hesitate as it is bomb proof and will last you forever. If you could only have one blade and your life depended on it, this is the one. I may make some videos on this knife and when I do, you can find them at "Thecameracommando" on youtube. Cheers and happy camping!

This is my EDC knife. It’s on me all the time I would suggest duct taping the clip to the lower inside of the holster because it will pull out and the scabard will release from the belt. Other than that, it’s durable no-frills easy to sharpen holds an edge. Well, I beat the crap out of it and it is an enjoyable knife to use.

Like any ESEE knife, this one is beautiful, and is a favorite of mine for light tasks around our 160-acre wooded property. I have the ESEE 3 in the regular handle design, and love it. But I thought I'd try the 4 in the new "traditional" handle design, and I love it, too. I don't miss the finger choil for detailed tasks as I feared I might, and the rounded handle really does feel great in my gand. I did add a lanyard cord to give me a bit more security during light chopping tasks, though (the regular handle's shape makes it a bit easier to get a secure grip for light chopping). As for the sheath: I really love that ESEE makes a kydex sheath for it now. It's attractive a good quality. My only complaint about this knife (and a lot of other ESEE fixed blades) is that the knife rides too high on my waist in the sheath. It's a personal preference thing, but I like a lower ride. So, I added a leather dangler sheath attachment from Sagewood Gear, and problem solved!

Great knife. Looks and feels durable with a good edge right from the box. I like the handle option the HM model offers. I do wish it filed my hand just a bit more but completly happy with the knife. The sheath is good but I'm not a fan of the belt clip. I will be buying a different belt attachment .

I love this knife. I've been carrying it as my EDC for 6 months and it has not disappointed me at all. It came pretty sharp out of the box but I tuned it up more myself, it gets shaving sharp and holds that edge for awhile. It's also very slicey for being a thicker blade. The handle is very comfortable in any position I hold it and the micarta scales are super grippy. I made my own sheath for a more comfortable EDC and also dyed the handle scales. This was my first ESEE but definitely will not be my last, they make a great knife and their warranty can't be beat.

Had tried my friend's Esee 4, and I own an OKC RAT 3... thought that for a longer blade with the same length handle it wasn't for me. My friend has medium sized hands, so the Esee 4 was good for him. Handle was a bit short for me. Now I really liked the blade (I'm partial to 3/16" blade stock) and slight drop point. 1095 is my preferred steel. What really sold me is the handle length and the shape. It's not fully rounded (broom handle shape), but rather has flat sides with rounded edges top and bottom. It is canvas micarta and without the guard and choil of the Esee 4 regular model. As with all 1095 Esee knives, the heat treat is perfect done, offering a perfect balance of edge retention and ease of maintenance/sharpening. The powder coat, like on Tops knives, is very resistant, much better than OKC, Kabar and a few other brands. The knife is very comfortable to use, the various grips are all without hot spots, making this an excellent general purpose knife for outdoor activities. While some knives are really task specific, this one can do a wider variety of camp chores, cutting for anything from food prep to woods use. The sheath I received is a nice fairly medium/dark brown, with no ESEE stamping on the front, but ESEE/Made in USA on the back. Nice deep pouch style carry, wide enough belt loop to accommodate up to 3" belts. As the sheath ages, it will take a nice patina, and if you treat it with neetsfoot oil (and you should) it will get a nice darker brown, will help soften it up some and keep it from drying. For the Kydex fans, ESEE offers that option as well. Overall: an excellent knife, great quality/price value, comfort, perfect steel/coating combination, and a very good sheath. Now up to a few months ago, I thought ESEE knives were just overpriced OKCs, but after buying the PR4 (Kephart style that I really like) I was sold. I still enjoy using my OKC blades, but going the ESEE/Tops route has shown me that a few extra $, is a good investment for a quality tool. If you had any "doubts" on ESEE 4, and wished for a different handle option, here's your answer.

Das Messer hat schon was Besonderes . Die Esee 4 hm Ausführung passt gut in meine großen Hände . Ich bin sehr zufrieden . Bei der Gelegenheit möchte ich auch den Verkäufer loben . Ich hatte heute telefonisch Kontakt zu der Firma und war mit der Auskunftsfreudigkeit und Hilfsbereitschaft recht beeindruckt .

Pro: - hervorragende Qualität - durchdachtes Design - sehr stabil Neutral: - eher für kleinere Hände gemacht, ESEE6 ist eher für große Hände, Klingenlänge ist dann aber ein rechtliches Problem in Deutschland. Contra: - sehr teuer

Liegt gut in der Hand und macht was es soll