ESEE Knives | Camp-lore RB3 | Field Use & Initial Impressions

Krik of Black Owl Outdoors tries something a bit different with the ESEE Knives Camp-lore RB3. Normally with knife reviews he has used them for months before making his assessment, but this time he conducts field chores and give his initial impression on the knife. Designed by Reuben Bolieu, the RB3 features a scandi grind, micarta handles and comes included with a leather sheath.
ESEE Camp-lore RB3 - amzn.to/1WAkpe8
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[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Definitely one of the nicer production "bushcraft"style knives to come out recently. Your knife handling skills are top notch making this initial review very credible. Thanks

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thanks for the nice words.

[@h00t76]

I think I need this.... Thx for a great review. Will pick this one up for sure.

[@Apeman_Actual]

Great review man I know this was done almost a decade ago but you definitely got a subscriber from me for your awesome content

[@snowpuppy77]

I vote for you showing us how to stain and/or modify the sheath. Excellent video.

[@opichocal]

Got an Esee 6 and love it. Heat treat is perfect. I've beat the crap out of it 3 years now and only sharpened it 3 times. A quick strop usually does the trick.

[@indianoutdoors1316]

Nice video on a sweet knife from Esee, this one goes on my to-buy list now.

[@harkerb1977]

Great video, thanks. Keep up the good work. Its good to find videos done by people who have real skill sets and no bull shit hype or crazy survival mantra. Cheers.

[@averyvenegas7443]

love the video bro! really looking forward to the upgrades to the knife! keep up the work bro

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thanks man!

[@TrentFlips]

i just got this knife and went backpacking with it. i am super impressed. forced petina shouldn't be too hard, i got rained on while using it on day one and the wet leather sheath made it full on rust. i have since cleaned it and there is some serious patina just from the very first day of use. i would be interested in seeing if you could upgrade the sheath with a fire rod slot. thanks, loved the review, you hit everything i wanted to know about it!

[@dougLinker]

glad you did this vid - its much beefier than i imagined it was -sheath will dye and wetform nicely too (seen pics)

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

I did a little finishing work on the sheath. Doesn't change the function, just appeases my ocd. Ha.

[@danokitemanotoo1791]

Thanks Krik, I've been thinking about getting this knife and now I'm almost certain I'll have it in my grubby little paws before 2020! LoL

[@joelohms2629]

Damned nice video.This is the first video of yours I've watched,and it won't be the last.

[@jassenswisher]

Awesome video for a awesome blade! Thanks for posting

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

No prob thanks for watching.

[@gideonstactical]

Great video. I'm every impressed with it. I hope Esee makes a 4" version in the future.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

What would the extra .5 inch afford you? Aren't they making a HM 4 inch?

[@gideonstactical]

+Black Owl Outdoors they are, I find that 4" To 4.5" gives me more to work with.

[@gideonstactical]

+Dogman J sorry you feel that way. Never been paid a dime for a review. My dog Tommy always has plenty of water.

[@gideonstactical]

+Dogman J not a problem I know that video was going to kick a hornets nest. Got to keep it really and share what I have learned about neck knives . Just my opinion. About 70% of what I review is bought buy me. The rest I am honest and point out pros and cons. Love the black owl guys do it right and love what they do here.

[@flex93312]

I agree. I have both the ESEE 3 and 4 and I like the 4 a lot better. I also have the HM 4 and chose not to get the HM 3, just for that reason. I like my knives to be at least four inches in length and at least an 1/8 inches thick, but I do have to say, the 3/16 inch thick blade on the 4 is a lot nice than the 1/8 inch thick ESEE 3. And as to the sarcastic comment, "what would the extra .5 inch afford you?" The actual cutting edge on the 3 and 4 are an inch difference, so yes it does "afford" more of a cutting edge. Plus Camp-Lore is a Scandinavian Grind as compared to a Flat Grind on the Hm 4.

[@bombsawaylemay770]

Excellent fire starting knife

[@TrentFlips]

i updated my sheath. made it a dangler sheath and also glued and restitched the main stitching. muuuch better now.

[@TheDaveDryden]

looks like a mix of the condor bushlore and a rat 3/ esee 3. similar sheath as the bushlore with a scandi, but similar size to the others. I personally love knives this size. I'm sure you will enjoy using it more. cheers Dave

[@woodlandsnorth]

Good Demonstration of what looks to be a good contender for a bushcraft knife. Glad to see ESEE added a nice palm swell unlike my ESEE 4 which has fairly flat handles.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Yea that's my only complaint with the 4. But I bought new scales for the 4 and it made it much better. Have you seen that vid?

[@woodlandsnorth]

Yes I have. Love the scales but cant afford them yet :)

[@sammyjaketucker]

picked one up but haven't used it yet. Looking forward to it.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

I think you'll enjoy it.

[@WildMedGuru1]

One of my faves I actually like the small size for carving

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Yea me too. Great companion knife.

[@coffeencream7586]

Great looking knife.

[@wanderingthewilderness]

looks real nice. i would like a little longer blade but very nice

[@NorwegianWoods]

Looks like a really sweet knife! Thanks for the review :) - Martin

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thanks for watching Martin.

[@ElkArrow]

So I have this knife, as well as the Esse 3 flat grind. Both are razor sharp. Both are 1095 carbon steel. This knife, as seen in this video, makes awesome feather sticks and really, really cuts deep. On the other hand, the Esee 3 flat grind is essentially worthless, in my opinion, at making feather sticks. It may be a good beater knife but otherwise I hate it. The RB3 Camplore is one of the best Bushcraft knives out there, especially considering that it has a very sharp 90 degree spine which the Esee 3 flat grind doesn't have. I'm guessing that the difference in cutting ability between the two knives is the blade style / blade grind. Do you agree?

[@andrewclark6822]

It would be great if you modified the sheath, to a nice deep color. Amazing review as always.

[@niklasekstrom5923]

i wanna see a another video of this knife, howe does it hold up in the long rung, any problems whit the blade and so on.

[@matthewjeffres1289]

Great review! More my style knife. Good size blade for most camp stuff.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Yup completely agree. Thanks for watching.

[@bosse641]

Very nice this one.

[@trentthornton4828]

Would love to see some new vids

[@chewher4171]

By your reaction I can tell you enjoy the knife.

[@Lars1540]

Great review Krik! My only worry about a knife like this is that the bolts may come loose from repeated batoning. I also noticed you didn't demonstrate any cross-batoning. You are aware that there is more to batoning than just splitting wood right? I personally don't even baton to split wood with my knife. I use a wooden wedge instead. I find that I cross-baton my knife far more often than batoning to split wood. Cross-batoning is used for tasks like creating notches, or for felling green saplings that are too thick to simply bend and tension cut.

[@clawhammeroutdoors9227]

Great video. I too would love to see a 4" version of this.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

What would the extra .5 inch afford you?

[@clawhammeroutdoors9227]

According to some females, an extra half inch goes a long way lol. But seriously, you would be surprised how much of a difference it would make.

[@nathanwoehl15]

I'm looking at getting a hunting and bushcraft knife and was looking at the condor kephart would that perform well with those tests or would I be better off with the condor bushlore I was also looking at the eskabar bk14 or a mora if a mora which model? Any input helps thanks

[@ElkArrow]

Apparently, there's a good deal of demand for this knife. As of today, it's going for $129.00 on Bladehq. I got one this past summer for about $75.00 from Knife Connection. The blade was crazy dangerous sharp out of the box. I've never seen a knife that sharp

[@PiperV0315]

I sure do love this size, I got the six because I already have a knife this size, and I love the one I have, but man I like these too!!!!!

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

How do you like the 6? Someone said they discontinued it?

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

I mean the DC6

[@PiperV0315]

+Black Owl Outdoors So far I love it, I haven't had a chance to do a lot with it yet. I definitely want to do the scale swap. I feel fortunate to have gotten it then if they discontinued it.

[@PiperV0315]

+Black Owl Outdoors Ah my bad I have the regular esee 6

[@misolgit69]

when I put a patina on my Hultafors heavy duty I used old pickle juice,and I mean OLD found a well out of date jar in cupboard with 1 pickle left I filtered out the solids put knife in jar overnight when I removed it the blade was black very black hope this gives you ideas Bill😉

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Did you like how black it made the knife?

[@refaiabdeen5943]

Cheers Mate!

[@JohnWic-ld2fd]

Let’s go I need new vids brother It’s been awhile I lost my other account but man I miss your vids Hope all is well and hope to see you soon

[@brandona.6337]

Nice video 👍🏻 I too own this knife and really enjoy doing woodcraft with it ! It has really good ergos and my hand doesn't get fatigued after a good hour or so if whittling ! I haven't done anything to the sheath other than I wet formed it . I've been EDCing this knife for the last couple of weeks and really like the performance you get from such a small blade 👍🏻

[@DamionJR4923]

The edge on mine didn't hold up real well. I have beaten the crap out of some carbon Mora's and they just took it. My RB3 has some nicks in it from carving. No I haven't batoned it. I thought it would be a harder use knife than it is so it has been a bit disappointing.

[@smokymountainoutdoorsman1991]

I like how you did this episode. The fact that you started using the knife right out of the box gives people a better idea of what they might be getting. Keep up the good work man.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thanks buddy. I like this format as well. We'll definitely be doing more of them.

[@BudgetBugout]

Great job guys. I saw this knife at SHOT Show but after watching this video I want one! So with your expertise on leather you might want to do a comparison video on some of the best leather sheaths out there - both aftermarket and production. I'd be interested to see that.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Great idea for a video. Thanks buddy!

[@mikedifeo8344]

Nice blade. I am curious of how it stacks up against the Mora heavy duty companion. It looks beefier, but it is also a lot more expensive.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Good observation. I may just do a video on comparing the two.

[@theblacksmith2338]

Good video

[@StandardAmericanCarnivore]

I’ve had and use my RB3 everyday, because I can’t put it down. They really thought this knife out, up to the sheath. The sheath SUCKS! But I bout a custom Kydex so not a big deal, other than the added $40. It holds an edge BETTER than a Mora, in fact, better than a lot of knives. It’s the heat treat that sets this knife apart. This is a deep cutting bevel, so there was a learning curve. All in all, I’ve paired it with my Junglas and Corona folding saw, and so far it’s awesome!!!!

[@Airik1111bibles]

How about an RB5;) that would be awesome!

[@BlackRifleSurvival]

Good price for this knife, I'm going to pick one up and that's a super warranty. Just wish they had Kydex or a dangler for it.

[@BlackRifleSurvival]

Update: just purchased, alright! Can't wait to test it out

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Making a dangler isn't that difficult. Have you messed around with leather at all?

[@BlackRifleSurvival]

Black Owl Outdoors I have not tried leatherworking, I've attempted to make small pouches with vinyl but not very skilled. I'd just rather buy something that is made for that application as I can appreciate the time and effort that goes into each handmade part.

[@PandaKnivesRo]

Cool video! I would like to see a nice leather sheath made by you for this knife, or mod it like you said. :)

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Part of me wants to make a new sheath for it, but the pragmatist won't let me. Nothing wrong with this one. Ha.

[@PandaKnivesRo]

+Black Owl Outdoors Yeah, I know what you mean :)) But maybe some improvements to the existing one, will definitely make it look better. :) Thanks for the reply!

[@alexanderseiwald8592]

great video! is it a true scandi or does it have a secondary micro bevel?

[@richardlocke3375]

It is a true Scandi

[@bombsawaylemay770]

True Scandinavian grind, just like the Vikings used

[@petrovsergei]

+1 A good knife, I really liked!

[@huckhuckhuck]

SWEEET BROS!

[@adamgal2265]

great video! what do you think the knife steel?

[@CedricAda]

My LT Wright knife bites like that, its very satisfying to toothpick limbs with it 👍🏻

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Sho is.

[@regischung4678]

Which do you prefer, the condor bushlore or this?

[@jdawson7910]

I have both the RB3 and a condor bushlore, the bushlore is no comparison to the RB3

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

RB3 all the way. But that doesn't mean the bushlore isn't a good knife.

[@spencerhall6744]

I'd really like to see you do some fishing videos

[@spencerhall6744]

Since your always that close to a water source

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

+Hall Man167 Stay tuned it's in the works!

[@oneizzue]

i really like ure show btw

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

+Meandthekid thank you!

[@zardchaser_]

Update video!!! Hahaha

[@misolgit69]

oh yes VERY dark almost like a blackboard type of finish

[@thelasthuntsmanoutdoors]

I was really excited about the Esee Camp-lore DC-6 then they discontinued it because of BHKs whiny ass lol. This one looks like a nice blade just not my style. Good review though.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

I didn't know they discontinued the DC6. What blades are you style, out of curiosity? Thanks for watching bud.

[@thelasthuntsmanoutdoors]

I'm kinda more of a survival knife style, just because of the versitilty. I generally like full flat grinds or sabre grinds. The Esee 6 and the Tops silent hero are two I like a lot. The Esee DC-6 appealed to me because it was kinda like the BHK scout platoon but half the price and look like it would be good as a bush knife and a survival/defensive blade

[@TheGrousehunter78]

I do not think this knife has the same warranty as the others in their line up due to the grind.

[@DamionJR4923]

It should. All of the 1095 knives should have the unconditional no question warranty. The stainless steal knives don't.

[@richardlocke3375]

It does have the lifetime warranty however they warned that it may not be as tough as full flat grinds or saber grinds

[@davidtate166]

It's cool but dont button with it they say ? Its ok for basic camp work .moras are just as good for hard use .😀

[@h00t76]

Great vid! Another great brittish carver is Lee Stoffer. Check him out!

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

I follow him on Instagram! Talented for sure.

[@davidtate166]

I like it. Ok 1095 steel ho job done .

[@misscasualty]

Nice design but over priced in my opinion when compared to their other knives.

[@DeadCanto]

The reason i dont buy the esee rb3 is because of the uncoated blade which always makes me worry about rust. I heard that olive oil will do the job of reasure that the blade wont rust whenever i come back after a camping weekebd but yet... Wish more would use stainless...

[@BushcraftQuebec]

Bolieu pronounce the i its a feench canadian Quebecois name :) i want the knife

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thanks for correcting me. That's why I love our international audience - I learn so much.

[@scottsantanni7646]

why do you call us turtle's

[@realmetis8002]

caus your a turd hole lol

[@CochiseGE]

search back in the videos. there's one dedicated to an explanation. hint: tmnt.

[@JimS0cks]

he's a ninja turtle fan.

[@Gunbei2]

Yeah, it's kind of odd with the turtle thing. That put me off from the beginning. It's like this guy needs people to follow him or something.

[@philoeolivarria448]

What did you just call me?.!!!!!!!!

[@oneizzue]

im sorry but yes, thers never a personal touch to it and all of them looks the same