ESEE PR4: 3 Days of Field Testing a New Knife from ESEE Knives

Three days of testing my ESEE PR4--a new knife from the ESEE KNIVES Camplore Series. I wanted to see how this knife handled the kind of stuff that I do, so I put it through a number of tasks over the course of these three days and in 3 separate locations. I stripped bark, prepped tinder, and made feather sticks. I built a bow drill set and a figure four trap. I gathered medicinal plants, and I harvested and prepared a prickly pear cactus pad for cooking. Slicing, cutting, notching, carving, stripping, scraping...I got a good feel for this knife over the last few days.
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ESEE PR4: amzn.to/37GTP0n
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[@kriskabin]

Now this is how knife reviews should be done; out in the field doing a lot of realistic tasks! I also appreciate your down-to-earth camera presence,... you're calm, direct & to the point. ( No childish joking around like some other knife reviewers.) Well done, Sir.👏

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks, Torrey Pine!

[@RandallsAdventureESEE]

Great demo of skills and great tasks! Thanks for the video! Subbed!

[@kpfagerberg]

Nice to see the knife be used for knife stuff. No crazy KZbin survival things like batoning through logs twice as thick as the knife or chopping down a small tree which takes a long time lapse to get through.

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks, kpfagerberg!

[@addicted2tone349]

I've had one for about 6 weeks now. I love it so far, one of the best ESEE designs so far.

[@ottmountain733]

Really like how this was shot and edited. It's good seeing how you put the knife to use doing your normal stuff. Each of the demonstrations could have almost been stand-alone vids. Very cool man

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks OTT MOUNTAIN.

[@JunkyardFox]

Great job. Subbed

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks! Glad to have you along, Junkyard Fox!

[@larrykoroush6995]

Finally, real testing of a knife. Beautiful place to demonstrate your skills. Great video

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks, Larry! I try to make sure my reviews aren't just unboxings or backyard cardboard cutting sessions because I want to really test the knives I review in the environment and with the tasks they were designed for. Thanks for watching!

[@gavingaming123]

Enjoyed the format of your review and the scenery was spectacular. Nice to see the varied tasks you put the knife through. Subbed. Thanks for sharing. All the best from Scotland. Garry

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks so much--I appreciate that!

[@toto29er]

Hey....I just got my pr4 thanks for the review...

[@AdventureRyan]

You’re welcome, Francisco! Hopefully you enjoy the knife.

[@jamesconnors5653]

PR4 works, great knife.. Thank you much.

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks for watching. And yes, i think you put it very well-the PR4 is a knife that just “works.”

[@jamesconnors5653]

2 year update. I now own a pair of fixed blade knives, and the PR4 is still the best to wear and work with all day, whether in the lab or the woods. Take care.

[@EonFigure]

I enjoyed your video, the silence was very calming and relaxing, and stills of the background landscape were very beautiful. :)

[@starlingblack814]

Hello Ryan, A great review on this ESEE Kephart blade. I have one on the way from Ebay. Looks like you are in Arizona as am I, although now I live in the White Mountains, but loved the desert too and spent much time there around the Salt River and Apache Lake area. Also I believe in another video you looked to be in Alaska as I have also done. I'm enjoying your videos. Thanks.

[@AdventureRyan]

Hi Starling Black! Thanks for watching! And yes, I was living in Arizona when I filmed this, but I moved back to Alaska about a year ago. I miss the desert, but Alaska is an amazing place! That's crazy that you are also an Alaska/Arizona creature.

[@davidrogers182]

Now that is a practical , logical review demonstrating a variety of uses! I’m subbing to channel! Thanks for excellent review!

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks David! And thanks for subscribing. I hope you continue to enjoy the channel.

[@BrodyToYou]

Well done. Glad I found the channel. Happy new year!

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks for watching, Emanuel B. Happy New Year!

[@nattybumpo4384]

MMM nopales, great skills and the temperament to get the most out of them. Appreciate the heads up for 7 Rattles also.

[@acedecs]

Love Esee great kit.

[@getsmart3701]

My goodness, what dry country...your excellent editing and filming made it look fantastic. Well done mate and good review.

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks. Get Smart. The desert is definitely an interesting place, but there are some hidden beauties to discover, for sure.

[@joaquin-jacknava2696]

I have been looking at getting this knife. After seeing your video and subscribeing I went ahead and orderd the knife. The only thing I am not to thrilled about is the sheath. I wish it came with a kydex one. I liked how you put the knife to work. Thanks for sharing.

[@AdventureRyan]

I'm glad to hear the video was helpful for you, Joaquin Nava. And thank you for subscribing!

[@spijkerpoes]

Nice knive, good skills, very nice shots!

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks, spijkerpoes--I had a lot of fun getting out and putting it to work.

[@spijkerpoes]

Adventure Ryan jep.. ..that's what we do, go out - have a fun time for a bit.. cheers!

[@bradleymichels8818]

i end up buying pr4 im very happy wirh it grip is very nice i did not think id like it at first went with it becuse it is a bit thiner knife was razor sharp when i got it only complaint is the spine be a harder for playing with flint and steel

[@chrisbailey2526]

I really really like this video and the way you present in the video...you obviously are very skilled and know what your doing but you dont come a ross as cocky or a know it all.Please make more videos as im now a subscriber..another note something I just learned is to carry several sets of good chopsticks with me outdoors as long ones are great for cooking and short ones are great for eating..im new to them and I've gotten so good I can eat single grains of rice. Lots of times for fun I make my chopsticks on site out of sticks I find as its just fun..

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks, Chris. I appreciate that! I’ll try to get some more reviews out in the future.

[@stuartb9194]

Just stumbled across your chanel, great review style and content. Subbed 👍

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks for subscribing, Stuart. I hope you continue to enjoy the videos. Welcome!

[@stuartb9194]

I am out a lot in the Mojave, so your stuff is really relavent and a nice mixup from the boreal forest bushcraft chanels. I'm slowly working through your play list, really nice content. Thanks

[@s.s.6812]

Seems like a very practical blade.

[@AdventureRyan]

Very true.

[@paulie4x1]

Say Heah, I like Kephats. Infact I have a Vintage Blind Horse Bushcrafter and my little bigger O. K. C. Blackbird SK-5. I like both of them. My Bushcrafter is a 4" blade in O1 and my Blackbird SK-5 is made out of C M 154 Stainless. Even though my Rodent 4 isn't a Kephart, It's still one of my Fav's. Bushcraft Knives. It's made out of a Busse Technology Tempered 52100 Ballbearing Steel and it has a choil which I really like on knives. I also had a Spear Point Eliptical Blade Profile knife made by W C. Blase length is 5 1/8" from tip to handle with a Choil, so the cutting edge is around a 4"+ edge, but positioned in such a way, that it makes for a great slicer when slicing off bark, then the finer tasks I use the Choil. Infact I posted them on my Google Plus, Yeah, I had two Customs made. Dilly Dilly.,,.p

[@AdventureRyan]

Can't beat a proven design.

[@jaredleland6667]

still loving that PR4 brother? Great video!

[@AdventureRyan]

I am! Do you have one? If so, do you like it? I'm a knife enthusiast so, like many of us, I end up buying way more knives than I need, but I really enjoy exploring the various details of knife desing and how they relate to function. I've even started making my own knives (a work in progress). So while I still love the PR4, I don't use it quite as often. I really like the Kephart-style that this knife is inpired by and I have a few knives of that style. All of them are slighty different and one of the biggest features that sets the PR4 apart is the thin handle scales. A lot of people hate them, but I find that the thin scales yeild themselves well in certain tasks (but not all). Overall, its still a good go-to knife when I just need a basic camp knife to handle a wide variety of tasks, especially if I'm not doing any super heavy work with it (deep cuts for extended amounts of time, falling trees, fighting bears...).

[@Biblicalgiants]

I really like this knife design. I never handled one but it seems like it would be a nice knife! Good upload!

[@AdventureRyan]

I really like the design too--works great for most of the stuff I do. Thanks for watching!

[@Wildwestwrangler]

Do you mind if I ask where this vid was taken?

[@user-mb4se6km5p]

Looks like your south of payson

[@gavingaming123]

How has the edge retention been ? I have heard mixed reviews on Esee's heat treatment. Thanks in advance.

[@AdventureRyan]

Edge retention is good for 1095 high carbon steel. The nature of this steel only allows a certain amount of edge retention. One of the benefits of that is that the edge will often roll before it chips. I prefer this over the harder steels because a roll can be straightened back out with light sharpening or stropping, but a chip takes a lot more work and you have to remove more steel. So compared to other types of steel (cpm 3v, o1, a2...) you're going to see a little less edge retention, but compared to other 1095 high carbon steel blades from other companies, it seems to hold an edge quite well--which has a lot to do with having a good heat treatment. I have several knives from ESEE knives and they all seem to hold up about the same. If I'm working with them a lot throughout the day, I make sure to touch it up a little at the end of the day (either with a light sharpening on a stone or a little stropping). As long as I keep up with that that my blades stay sharp. Hope that helps.

[@gavingaming123]

Adventure Ryan thanks for the detailed reply it’s much appreciated. I really enjoyed the in-depth review and the multitude of tasks that you completed with it. Thanks again. All the best from Scotland. Garry

[@jamesortiz5388]

Looks like New Mexico, neighbor.

[@AdventureRyan]

I might have to venture that way one of these days.

[@bombsawaylemay770]

How is the 90 spine? My ESEE RB3 throws some serious spark.

[@AdventureRyan]

Pretty good. I’d say it’s about the same as the RB3.

[@Lars1540]

Ryan - I'm looking for a good solid and comfortable outdoor belt knife and think I've narrowed my search down to the ESEE PR4 or the Mora Garberg Black in carbon steel. However, I'm not really sure which one to choose. They are both in the same approximate price range and are both very solid knives. The immediate differences are the handles and the grind. The Garberg is a scandi grind while the PR4 is a high saber grind. The pr4 has a quite narrow micarta handle with scalloped texturing while the Garberg has a hard dense plastic handle with great comfortable ergos. Do you have any experience with the Garberg? Which one should I choose?

[@AdventureRyan]

I've used the Mora companion, but not the Garberg--although I am familiar with the knife. I think you've weighed out the two knives fairly well and it really comes down to some personal preferences when it comes to deciding which is going to be best for you. I'll share a little of my thoughts with you, but keep in mind that this is based on my personal preferences--which might not be the same as yours. I really like the blade geometry of the PR4--the spear point style tip is very useful and I find the grind to suit my needs better than a scandi grind. If you do a lot of carving and shaping--making traps, tent stakes, pot hangers...then the scandi grind is delightful to work with (especially when working with green wood) but the PR4 will get it done as well. ESEE Knives also has a killer guarantee on their knives, so that's always a plus for me. On the down side--like you already mentioned--the PR4 doesn't have the ergonomics that the Garberg has. TheKnifeConnection.net makes an aftermarket handle for the PR4, but that will run you another $50. Some people can't stand the PR4 handle, but I personally don't mind it--it even has its benefits--but you do start to notice it when doing heavy cutting for long periods of time. --So I think it comes down to grind and handle type which--again--is mostly a personal preference based on the kind of work you do with your knife. Personally, if I had both knives, and could only keep one--I think I'd keep the PR4. Both are good knives though. I hope that was somewhat helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions, and keep me updated on which knife you end up with and how you like it. Good luck!

[@Lars1540]

Thanks Ryan! I will certainly let you know! I think I may end up getting the PR4, due to the fact that I already own a Mora Bushcraft Black as well as tons of other Moras. I also don't baton my knives so the whole "full tang" thing is really not a must-have selling point for me when shopping for knives. I kind of feel like I would just be getting more of the same if I chose the Garberg, as I pretty much get that now with the Bushcraft Black. So the PR4 would be quite a change up for me. I'm very familiar with ESEE and they do have one of the best warranties in the business which is a comfort for sure! I already own an ESEE 4, 5, 6, and I used to have an Izula that I ended up selling because I grew to HATE the skeletonized grip. It was so freakin' uncomfortable in the hand that it drove me crazy. I could only whittle a piece of wood for about 20 seconds before it became painful in the hand! It was also hard to get any purchase on when gripping it and it had a tendency to twist in the hand because the grip near the choil was so narrow. I also tried wrapping it with paracord, but I found it was extremely unsanitary when used to cut raw meat, because the cord wrap harbors bacteria and can't be cleaned. So the Izula just became useless to me. The handle ergos on the ESEE 5 and 6 are really blocky and honestly kind of suck. They quickly become rather uncomfortable in the hand when carving or more than a couple minutes. So I really don't use either of them much anymore either. The ESEE 4 is probably my least disliked of them all as far as ergos, however I still don't think they're very good when compared with something like a Mora either. I just think flat slab handles are quick and easy for manufacturers to produce, but don't offer much in the way of affording the user much comfort for prolonged usage. I also find the ESEE 4 handle to be rather unusually short. It's literally JUST long enough to accommodate my hand, and I only wear size Large gloves. So I have completely average sized hands for an adult male. I also really don't like the coating that ESEE applied to their blades. I understand that they are coated to prevent rust, however the coating is so heavily textured that it creates too much resistance when trying to cut through things. And it also doesn't allow for the user to strike a ferro rod or get sparks from a rock for fire with char cloth. This is why I was considering the Mora Garberg black in carbon steel. It has great ergos, no blade coating, sharp spine for ferro rods, carbon steel for throwing sparks with a rock, and it's also full tang. The PR4 also has no blade coating, a sharp spine, and carbon steel as well. Although I have a little worry about the handle ergos. The saber grind is not a problem for me at all, as I actually prefer to sharpen normal grinds on stones instead of Scandi grinds. I know this is contrary to what most people prefer, but I honestly find it to be a pain to make sure that the scandi bevel is always resting and riding perfectly flat on the stone. Usually, most Scandi knives ultimately end up turning into scandi-vex grinds over time if sharpening by hand on stones. This was common if you look at the history of puukkos. Either way, I find scandi grinds to be more annoying to sharpen than say something like a saber or full flat grind. You also don't have the benefit of being able to easily change your bevel angle with a Scandi grind as you would with standard grinds either. With something like a full flat or saber grind I can quickly hit the stones and make my bevel more obtuse if I'm intending on using the knife for something rough, or sharpen the bevel to a more acute angle if I was using the knife for food prep or skinning for example. You simply can't do this with a scandi grind, and scandi grinds are simply delicate by default. So that is my opinion on that. Lol I really enjoyed your video of the PR4 that you made in the desert. It was honestly probably the best review I've found, and demonstrates the most practical use of the knife in a real outdoor/hiking situation. Everyone else on KZbin seems to just make videos of themselves going into their back yard and smashing the knife through a log! It's just stupid in my honest opinion! Lol Even despite the fact that I live in MA and am in an "eastern woodland" bio region, I still found your "desert bio region" usage video more helpful than anyone else's review of the knife. So thank you very much! I would love it if you could do more videos like this in the future! I find them both entertaining and very useful for gathering insight to how a particular knife would perform when used by someone that is skilled in knife use, and used in a reasonable manner. Many KZbinrs that do knife reviews simply don't have much skill with a knife, so it's often difficult to get a clear idea of how the knife behaves when put to use. This ends up being frustrating because you're not left with much to go on because someone that is not skilled in knife use is likely to make ANY knife they use look bad. So I find that I first need to find a KZbinr that has proficient knife skills, then hope they do a video on a knife I find interesting. Lol

[@AdventureRyan]

Thanks for you kind words, I'll keep doing my best to put out quality reviews you can trust. Check out those handle mods from TheKnifeConnection.net. too. I still haven't tried the aftermarket scales myself, but I keep meaning to try out a set--when I do, I'll be sure to do a video review on them. Also, give the PR4 handle a chance to grow on you though--it might feel weird at first, but take it out in the field and give it a little time before swapping out the scales. The PR4 (and all of ESEE's Camplore series) are uncoated and will strike a ferro rod so you wont have the same issues that you mentioned with your other ESEE models. One last thought (and another reason you might want to try out the PR4)-- even if it doesn't end up being your 'go to' knife, getting some time with different grinds and different blade profiles is part of the journey toward figuring out what you like (regardless of what anyone else says) and what works for you.

[@Wildwestwrangler]

Have you processed any game with this knife?

[@AdventureRyan]

Jesse, I haven't processed any game with it yet. I've been curious about that as well. Compared to a drop point blade, the spear point style does have less of a belly to it, but there's still a nice amount of curve to it.

[@trextrextrex]

Kephart design

[@AdventureRyan]

Yep.

[@ruready4adventure743]

Ryan, do you offer Bushcraft classes? I'm in the Fountain Hills/Fort McDowell area. If you would reach out to me on my Instagram page...Whoops Watson. Thx.

[@AdventureRyan]

Spider Watson, I don't currently offer bushcraft classes--fun idea though!

[@ruready4adventure743]

Adventure Ryan Brother, if you don't mind I'd like to go out with you and learn. Need to hone skills. Been out of the service since 99, miss and need to learn so to teach friends and fam. Thx. W

[@cheikhmbacke4624]

Is it just me...or is he the man Patrick Neal Harris SHOULD have became?

[@tacmed1995]

Yeah. That is all we scandinavians do with our knives. Slicing and dicing.Haha. And all scandi ground knives are thin and fragile. LOL. Murica!

[@AdventureRyan]

Scandi grinds are indeed capable of a wide variety of tasks--I didn't mean to single them out in that statement as being limited ONLY to slicing. I've tested scandi ground knives that held up to all sorts of use and abuse--far from thin and fragile (at least, not under general use). Still, I think that it's important to look at a knife's grind--and at all the features of the knife--and determine whether its form follows the function that you (as the user) is needing. I've used a broken edge of a stone for cutting tasks, but a knife is usually better. Along those same lines, if you're looking for a knife to best suit your needs (based on what you do), it's important to evaluate each piece based on function. There are specific areas where a scandi grind excels in relation to other grinds, but there's also value in a convex grind, hollow grind, flat grind, or even in combining those grinds with features like a saber grind. The knife industry is full of knives built purely to please the eye. There are also a number of fads circulating at any given time that heavily impact the views of many knife users. The scandi grind (in one form or another) has been around for a long time, but so has many other grinds. Finding what works best for what you do, is a process. Personally, I'm still exploring--I love the process.

[@Airik1111bibles]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYrCiplqr99gr9E

[@latestplague3762]

I'm not knocking the video or anything but I'm so tired of people making these "figure 4 traps" they are dumb as hell and non efficient in all the setups I have seen. I watch some of the survivalist shows on TV today on rare occasions and I see these people brag about their outdoor skills and some even on their trapping skills yet the 1 and only trap they make are these lame ass figure 4 rock or basket traps. I have caught plenty of game and showed my children a # of ways to trap and this trap is 1 I will not even bother with. You might rarely catch a field mouse with it and that would be a 1 in a 10,000 chance wasting more energy than gained. There are a lot more effective traps and snares available even for just demonstrating a knifes abilities for video. Like I said nothing wrong with your video I would just choose a different trap or notch making purpose for showcasing. Just my opinion.

[@AdventureRyan]

I appreciate your comment, and I don't have any problem with you not liking figure 4 traps. During the time I was making this video, I was also dedicating some time to learning more about this trap for my own education and experience. While I appreciate the wealth of knowledge and information available online, I never take anything at face value, and I always make an effort to find out for myself if there's any value in a certain skill or method. l had learned about the figure 4 trap from one of Larry Dean Olsen's early books. That guy somehow managed to catch all sorts of food with these traps. My experience, however, has been similar to your own--the things are finicky and--as long as you have other options available--they seem to be more trouble then they are worth.