Hello everyone and happy new year. Hope you are doing well. I wanna try out the ESEE-brand and have a few questions before deciding which model I will get. 1. How hard (HRC) is the blade of the ESEE 4 in S35VN? 2. Do all of the carbon steel models (3, 4, 5, etc.) have the same hardness? I'm asking because a few years ago a lot of sources told you that ESEE knives have outstanding toughness but don't hold an edge very well. But recently I'm basically hearing the opposite. There is even a test on Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors where a cabon steel ESEE 4 did pretty well. 3. Will modifying the knife void the warranty? (things like sharpening the spine with a file, convexing the edge or making changes to the coating) Thx for reading and have a nice day.
to my knowledge all of the carbon ESEE blades have the same hardness. The 440c stainless blades of a few years past were had a similar hardness the new S35VN blades are run a little harder for better edge holding - I don't know for certian, but would not be surprised if it's in the 60-61 range.. I've never had a problem with my carbon versions, but I also don't go nuts sharpening them before use and am not worried by the need to strop or hone an edge occasionally when working with abrasive materials - like skinning deer. (hair is hard on an edge) The ESEE warranty is not voided by removing the coating, convexing, or sharpening the spine. that said - it also doesn't cover rust, so if you remove the coating on a 1095 blade, you'll need to wax or oil it if you're spending time in high humidity or near the beach.
1: S35VN--59-60Rc. 2: They are all the same hardness. 1095-- 55-57 Rc. 3: "ESEE knives are made with absolute attention to detail using the finest raw materials and care during the manufacturing process. We stand behind our knives with a 100% unconditional lifetime guarantee. If your ESEE knife should ever break, we will repair or replace it. This warranty follows the knife throughout its life, anywhere in the world. No sales receipt or warranty registration required." Quoted their website on all of this and the specs above. The right steel for the job is what you are looking for. Try a few out from friends or other and see what works best. Check out ESEEs testing on the S35VN blades on youtube to see their recs. If you do dumb stuff to it you will be told so as they replace your blade.
Thank you for the replies, guys. I guess I'll get the ESEE 4 in this case. About 60 HRC is a propper degree of hardness for S35VN. If I like it I might try the CM6, regular 6 or 5 later on. Just something that fits into the gap between my Skrama and the other knives in my collection. Btw I've watched antother review related to ESEE's 1095 today (rope cutting again) and the bad edge retention really seems to be a myth. It's actually quite good considering the hardness.
For a real world use, the edge retention is fine. I like that the carbon steel keeps cutting even with flat spots on the cutting edge and can be brought back to scary sharp very fast, even with strop (most of the time).
I’ve got a 4 in 1095 and one in S35. Both are good blades. I tend to carry the 1095 more just because it was my first ESEE so has that nostalgic feel. I live in the tropics and stripped the coating off the blade but didn’t sand it to a polish. Seems to still give some protection from humidity and salt. Which ever you get it will be a great workhorse
I know what you mean. My first ESEE was the venom green Izula. Had to get the stainless version when it came out but my first ESEE is definately the most carried and used due to the nostalgic feel...
