The Past: Esee Knives was one of the first knife brands that I picked up whenever I first got serious about survival around 2014. I wanted a knife that was robust and overbuilt that carried a killer warranty, in case I broke it (which Esee certainly lives up to, even though I didn’t personally use it). However, as my skill level grew, I didn’t stick with big knives for long and I wanted something different.

Fast-forward: Nowadays, I prefer simple knives that are built for woodcraft and general outdoor use. And yet again, all these years later, Esee Knives has delivered for my needs. In fact, I recently did a private tour at Smoky Mountain Knifeworks, and of all the knives in the entire building, the Esee’s called to me the most. At the end of my tour, I ended up picking up a PR4 and CR2.5 to field test (on my own dime). I could tell that Esee had made some huge adjustments as a knife company with these (new-to-me) designs versus what I had used from them in the past.

Shown above is a display of warranted knives at SMKW that originally sold me on buying my first Esee Knife.

Favorite Knife Brand of 2021: As I’m writing this and closing out 2021, I can say that Esee Knives has impressed me the most as a knife brand this year. They have such a great variety of knives in their lineup, the staff at Esee Knives & Randall’s Adventure have true wilderness skills and are great folks, they back their product no-questions-asked, and their knives are almost always in stock when you want them.

SEE MY ESEE COLLECTION

Esee Knives Display at Smoky Mountain Knifeworks. Anyone else wishing they could play with all of those knives?!