Fixed Blade Knives

Rosarms Kisten Overview

Last Updated: August 20, 2019
In the course of reviewing hundreds of knives, occasionally something comes so far from out field that you feel compelled to examine it. If anything, for posterity. I felt that way when Vlad Kovalov of RussianKnives.com approached me about the Rosarms Kisten.

This is a Russian fighting knife designed by Alexander Kisten. Alexander Kisten is a 1984 graduate from the Ryazan Airborne Command School. After graduating he went on to serve in a distinguished military career with the Russian army. In 1995, he retired from military service and began working in the security services of commercial companies. Since 2003, he has lived in Moscow, teaching techniques of knife fighting for the special units of various government agencies.

In 2016 Alexander teamed up with Rosarms to develop the Kisten. This is a knife so far outside my comfort zone that I won’t even pretend to call this a review. I have absolutely zero martial arts training, and no practical knowledge of using a knife for combat or self defense. I probably should have passed the Kisten on to Chad McBroom for a true evaluation, but when the knife arrived I was intrigued. “Sure, I can write an article on this,” I thought as I thumbed the sharpened spine of the blade.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Kisten has an overall length of 11″, a 6.25″ blade. This knife is made in Russia. I am not sure of the exact weight, but it feels light for its size and has a nice balance to it, with the center of gravity being right behind the guard.

This knife is a pure combat / fighting knife. While I suppose nothing is preventing you from using it at a campsite, it’s double edged, so it could be potentially illegal to bring to a camp site. And lets face it, Alexander Kisten isn’t designing kitchen knives. A man with this kind of martial arts pedigree is building a purpose built tool.

The blade of the Kisten is a dramatic modified drop point. I think the most interesting aspect of the blade is that it is double edged, and the top edge features a row of serrations. These are fully sharpened serrations. The sweeping belly and ample recurve are likely the next most noticed aspect of the blade. The deep belly may provide a little extra weight and geometry for chopping, but my guess is it’s primary advantage is for trapping and cutting flesh.

The blade is double hollow ground and features a bright satin finish. It makes for a dramatic knife. The grinds are all done beautifully. The knife gets thin behind the edges. And the edges themselves are even and neatly ground.

The blade of the Kisten is made from EL-107 stainless steel. I have not encountered this steel before, but ZKnives has it covered in his steel chart, and even he doesn’t have much to say about it beyond it being “heat resistant valve steel” that is “used by several Russian knifemakers”. I can’t say that I have used this knife a whole lot. If I do I’ll update this section of the article.

Handle and Ergonomics

Like the blade, the handle of the Kisten is also unique. For starters you can completely disassemble the knife with a flathead screwdriver. This is thanks to the stick tang construction. I haven’t tried this, but it’s interesting to see. The choice of materials is also unique. you have an aluminum forward guard, a hornbeam wood handle segment, and a polished aluminum pommel.

Hornbeam wood is not a wood I have experience with, but according to Rosarms hornbeam wood was used on the classic Russian NR-40 WWII Scout/Recon knife, which is essentially a Russian Ka-Bar USMC knife. Hornbeam is a dark brown wood with a tight grain.

The handle has been finished neatly with a diamond pattern and 2 deep dimples. I suspect the dimples are for indexing your fingers on the handle. Adding to the ergonomics is the flared pommel / end cap, and flared forward guards. The top guard doubles as a thumb ramp and is lightly jimped. Rounding things out are 2 lanyard holes for extra security. The end result is a comfortable handle that fills the hande and offers good traction.

I won’t pretend to know what I am talking about when it comes to the ergonomics from a self defense standpoint, but the knife feels fast and light in hand, and I can’t see how it would slip out easily.

Sheath

The Kisten comes wit ha pancake style ABS Thermoplastic sheath. It’s like a kydex sheath, but lighter weight plastic. In some ways it reminds me of the lightweight sheathes that come with Fallkniven knives. Although it feels a little less impressive than a true kydex sheath, this is still a secure and functional sheath.

It is MOLLE compatible and comes with MOLLE clips and a nylon belt loop. There is no rattle, a drain hole, and extra eyelets so you can configure the sheath for horizontal or vertical carry. Removing the knife from the sheath requires you to place your thumb on the sheath and levering the blade out. It’s secure. My preference would be for a true kydex sheath with a heavier belt loop, something like my Junglas, but this sheath is fully functional.

Kisten Rosarms – Final Thoughts

The Kisten is a dedicated self defense tool for martial artists and enthusiasts of fighting knives. This is not a review, but hopefully this has at least been a decent introduction to the knife. Although I don’t want to comment much on the practical merits of the knife, obviously I would not recommend this for casual knife fans or people seeking an outdoor utility knife.

However, if you are a fan of tactical fixed blade knives or a fan of Alexander Kisten, then I think you will find this ROSarms Kisten to be nicely made and fully functional. The blade is beautifully ground and the knife has been made to tight tolerances. The sheath is equally well made. The Kisten is not or everyone, but I think those who like this knife on paper will enjoy it in person as well. I also think the $140 price tag is fair for this unique knife. The materials are nice and the craftsmanship is evident throughout the Kisten.

If you want to learn more about the knife I recommend checking it out at the RussianKnives.com.

Arthos Knives Drop Point Fixed Blade Knife Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

It’s not every day I get to share a new manufacturer. I was recently approached by Robert Yates with Arthos Knives about checking out his new line of fixed blade outdoors knives. Robert is an engineer by day, who decided to take the leap and start his own knife company. I think basically anyone who enjoys knives long enough eventually dream of designing their own knives, or starting a knife company. I thought it would be interesting to see what he developed, and I told him I’d be happy to check out his new knife.

Arthos stands for “The ART of Hunting, Outdoors, and Survival”. This drop point fixed blade is the only knife in their catalog currently, and it does not have a name. I will refer to it as the “Arthos” throughout the review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Arthos has an overall length of 8.6″, a 4.0″ blade. The handle and sheath are made in the USA while the blade is made in China. The knife is finished an assembled in the USA.

The Arthos is geared towards the outdoors crowd. It is a little bigger than my ESEE-3. This could be a good camp knife. It’s big enough to do some light chopping and batoning, but small enough to carry around on your belt without issue. I’m not a hunter, but could see it being used in that capacity.

The Arthos has a simple drop point blade. This classic blade shape is capable and versatile. The edge is almost a continuous belly ending in a strong tip. Arthos went with a saber hollow grind. It makes for a strong knife.

I tested this knife on some seasoned oak firewood, bamboo, 2x2s, and green wood. The Arthos came sharp, and is a good carver. The uncoated blade peeled off thin slices of wood with ease, and did a good job limbing small branches. I am a little spoiled by heavy duty convex ground blades like my Fallkniven A1, and Bark River Bravo 1 (to be reviewed), but for a mid size knife I felt like the Arthos held its own. The tip is strong and held up under some light prying.

I also did a little batoning with the Arthos. The relatively thin and short blade don’t make this a great choice for batoning, and neither does the saber hollow grind, but the blade held up to the beating and I was able to pop apart smaller diameter pieces of wood.

Arthos decided on D2 steel for their fixed blade. D2 is a good choice for a camp knife. It’s tough and it holds a good edge. D2 has a reputation for being stubborn to sharpen, but I haven’t noticed any issues with this simple blade shape. In fact, the Arthos sharpens up nicely on my Lansky Crock Sticks. D2 is a semi-stainless steel, so it will stain and it may rust if you aren’t careful with it. Arthos does offer this knife with a black coating, which may not be a bad idea for humid environments.

Handle and Ergonomics

Robert mentioned to me that it always bugged him how the handles on knives felt like an afterthought. Here he wanted to give the handle special attention. I gotta say he did a great job with it. The Arthos features a fully contoured CNC machined G10 handle. These were done by Stoner CNC, and they did an excellent job.

I will note that there is no locktite on the torx hardware. If you plan on using this knife spiritedly you will want to add some thread locker prior to taking it out.

Arthos offers their knife with a variety of color options. The scales are held in place with T-10 torx bits.

As you can imagine, the handle feels great. There is plenty of palm swell to support your hand, and your fingers fall naturally into the countours of the handle. There is a short run of jimping on the spine of the blade. Personally, I feel that the jimping is too sharp to be useful without gloves. On the bare thumb the jimping is painful for any kind of serious cutting. Beyond that I found the handle to be comfortable. I think the choice of machined G-10 handles kicks things up a notch on the Arthos.

Sheath

The sheath is another part of the knife where Arthos went above and beyond. The Arthos features a hand fitted custom kydex sheath. This pancake style sheath has been nicely finished; no sharp edges and a generous drain hole. The blade pops out with the deliberate push of a thumb, and slides back in with a satisfying “thwack”. There is no rattle or wiggle.

Arthos also included a Tek-lok pre-attached to the sheath. This is an expensive add on to include, and makes the sheath easy to attach to a belt. At this price point you will be hard pressed to find a knife with a nicer sheath.

Arthos Knives Drop Point Fixed Blade – Final Thoughts

For a first offering, I think Arthos did a great job with their D2 hunter. The handles and sheath are top notch, and serve to elevate the basic blade. I can’t think of anything else that has handles and a sheath as nice as the Arthos at anywhere near this price point. The blade is serviceable, but pales in comparison to the sheath and handles. The grind is basic and I am not a fan of the jimping, but the blade performs well and the D2 steel is a good choice for and outdoor fixed blade.

If I were to offer Arthos Knives some constructive criticism, I’d recommend upgrading the blade. I might suggest thicker stock with a full flat or higher grind, and perhaps bringing the manufacturing of the blade over to the USA. It may significantly increase the price, but at that point you would have a truly premium product, and I think the handles and sheath justify it.

As it stands I think this an impressive first offering from a new company. For those that are interested in this knife, I think that the Arthos provides a lot of value for money, and the exceptional handles and sheath distinguish it from a competitive market. I’d recommend it.

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I recommend purchasing Arthos Knives directly from the manufacturer or at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Mora Companion Review

by Benjamin Schwartz 3 Comments

I’ll always be a folding knife guy at heart, but recently I’ve been on a fixed blade kick. I never thought they would appeal to me, but I’ve come to appreciate fixed blades of all shapes and sizes. And in a nice little fluke of symmetry, just as my appreciation of folding knives began with an affordable, European everyman’s knife, the fixed blade that opened my eyes is similarly affordable, European, and populist: the Mora Companion.

Buy on Amazon

The Mora Companion, and Mora in general, has a complicated reputation in the knife world. This complication stems from its intersection with the hardcore outdoorsman / survivalist / bushcrafter communities. Whether or not it was designed for the kind of applications these guys put it through is unclear (and Mora’s own literature on the subject is vague), but it has become a point of contention amongst enthusiasts, who tend to think it is an indispensable tool or a sham of a knife.

I approached this review with no significant outdoors experience, no previous Mora experiences, and no fixed blade preferences. The Companion thoroughly impressed me. I put this through an especially wide array of cutting chores and it never flagged, never failed to impress me. This is a beautifully simple tool. It was an impulse purchase for me, and the best one I have ever made.

(For the record, the model I reviewed is a standard Companion with the 12C27 stainless steel blade.)

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Companion has a 4” blade, a 4.5” handle, and an overall length of about 8.5”. It comes with a plastic friction fit sheath. Combined, the knife and sheath weigh just about 4 oz. Like all Mora knives, the Companion is made in Mora, Sweden. The Companion is exactly the right size for the sort of general outdoor tasks you would call on it to do.

Mora has a near-perfect rendition of the drop point here. One thing that is hard to notice in photographs is the balance between straight and curved edge. It may not look like it, but the blade is divided, length-wise into equal portions of curved and straight edge. Some blades favor one or the other but here, the balance is exact. Whether you’re slicing, roll cutting, push – or pull-cutting, you’re going to have enough length of the edge you need for the job. Brilliant.

Steel is 12C27 – a great blade steel, especially at the price. There are plenty of proponents of the carbon steel Moras out there. I’m sure that the carbon steel is great, but I abhor rust and I abhor having to worry about my knives so I went with the stainless. It’s kept a little soft at 57-58 Rockwell, which is probably good given that it might be pressed into more demanding tasks.

The Scandi grind is a traditional element of Scandinavian knife culture, present and accounted for on the Companion. It’s a little reductive, but the way I think of a Scandi grind is as a sabre grind with an extremely small edge bevel. Scandi grinds are renowned for their woodworking ability, and my experience with the Companion reinforces this. This knife took huge, even bites out of a block of basswood. Beyond this, the general geometry of the edge made the knife excel at just about everything. I cut woods, thick plastic ties, paper, cardboard, and produce. The Companion went through everything with ease, and I never fought to push it through media until it was almost totally dull.

The first time I sharpened my Companion I just went along the tiny edge bevel and had great results, although I understand now this isn’t the traditional method. If you watch videos on how to sharpen a Scandi-ground knife, they tell you that the primary bevel sets your sharpening angle. This means that you should never have to reprofile a Scandi-ground knife, even after years of use. It also means that if you’re using something like a Sharpmaker you may have to configure it for freehand sharpening.

The second time I sharpened the Companion, I set it along the primary bevel as I was supposed to. It worked well, although I marred up the mirror finish on the knife a bit. I was using a dry diamond plate instead of a wet stone, so this may have had something to do with it.

Handle and Ergonomics

The Companion’s handle is made from plastic, with a TPE-like wrap around the center swell. It’s great, plain and simple. The palm swell is exactly my style, and there is just the slightest amount of Coke bottling to fill the hand. The downturn at the butt of the knife and the guard at the front are both gentle enough to preclude any issues of finger crowding. This is a great, task neutral handle.

Some designers overengineer their handles, with embellishments like finger grooves, parrot beaks, palm swells, different traction inserts for different parts of the handle, jimping, thumb ramps – eventually it just becomes too much. The Companion is wonderful in the hand without being overdesigned. I wouldn’t call it understated so much as simply stated: this is just a knife, plain and simple. The handle is here so you can use the thing, so go out and use it, however you want.

Sheath

The sheath is your standard plastic friction fit Mora affair. Although it didn’t move me to my core, I like this sheath. The plastic, while not as handsome as leather, doesn’t look any worse to my eye than nylon and is very lightweight and durable. There’s a drainage hole at the bottom to let out accumulated moisture, and I like that the belt clip doesn’t require me to take my belt off and loop it through. You simply pry it open far enough to slide over your belt, and you’re golden. It almost works like an oversized pocket clip.

Another small feature that I found surprisingly handy was the thumb ramp on the corner of the sheath. You can push off it with your thumb to disengage the Companion from the sheath with ease, and it helps index when you’re putting the knife away.

Mora Companion – Final Thoughts

I’ve gone this long in the review without addressing the Companion’s price, so I’d like to do so now.

A lot of people say or think that the Companion is a good knife for the price. I don’t believe in good knives for the price. There are good knives, and there are good values. You can pay too much for a good knife, but you can never say a bad knife is a good value.

I think that reviewers need to address the cost of all the products they review, because value – what you get for what you pay – is an intrinsic part of good design. It contextualizes design decisions. This is why we’re okay with AUS-8 on a $25 knife but less thrilled when we get it for $80 – it doesn’t make a knife a worse knife, but it makes it less well-designed, and thus less attractive as a possible purchase.

If I paid $75 for the Companion, I’d still tell you that it was a good knife, but I would take issue with design choices relative to its price, and it wouldn’t get a recommendation.

Sale

Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife with Stainless Steel Blade, 4.1-Inch, Military Green

BUSHCRAFT KNIFE: The perfect all-in-one knife for outdoor enthusiasts, this outdoor knife makes an ideal camping knife, backpacking knife, fishing knife, hiking knife, or survival knife
PREMIUM BLADE: 0.08-inch thick hardened Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel knife blade stays sharp longer than carbon steel and is less prone to rust; Ideal for carving, food prep, and cutting tinder
HIGH-FRICTION HANDLE: Made with an ergonomic polymer handle with a soft friction grip and finger guard, this knife is safe and efficient for use in all weather conditions
PROTECTIVE POLYMER SHEATH: Easy-to-clean plastic sheath comes equipped with a belt clip, so you can easily attach your knife to a belt or rucksack
SPECIFICATIONS: Blade thickness: 0.08 inch (2.0 mm), blade length: 4.1 inches (104 mm), total length: 8.5 inch (217 mm), net weight with sheath: 3.9 ounces (110 g)

I recommend purchasing the Mora Companion at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

DPx Gear HEFT 4 Assault Review

by Chad McBroom 4 Comments

Last Updated: August 11, 2019
Robert Young Pelton is a journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker with a reputation as an adventurer with an uncanny ability to enter into violent and deadly areas of the world return with a stunning story. Pelton’s experiences led him to create his own brand of knives after much frustration with the inadequacy of other knives on the market. As a result, Pelton founded DPx (Dangerous Places Extreme) Gear, Inc. in 2011, to create a line of gear based on his own “specific needs for equipment in hostile and deadly environments.”

Buy the DPx Gear HEFT 4 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Touted as the big brother to the DPx HEST, the HEFT 4 (Hostile Environment Survival Tool), designed by Italian knife designer Tommaso Rumici and Robert Young Pelton, is one of the newer models in the DPx Gear lineup.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The HEFT 4 Assault has a four-inch “sword-ground” blade made from 0.19-inch (4.83 mm) German Lohmann Niolox® 1.4153.03 steel, which has been cryo-hardened to a hardness of 61 HRC. Niolox® is a niobium-enhanced, high-performance stainless blade steel produced in Germany by Lohmann Stahl (Steel). Niobium is one of the best stable carbide formers, aiding in the formation of martensite, a crystalline microstructure of iron atoms that is formed during quenching and what gives a blade its hardness.

Although my HEFT came extremely sharp out of the box, I have read complaints by others who have said theirs were not sharp enough. I don’t know how to answer to that. All I can say is that this was not an issue for me. Even after spending some time in the field cutting away at wood and other common materials, I have yet to find the need to re-sharpen this blade. That being said, I would not be at all surprised if it takes a lot of elbow grease to put an edge back on it (if you ever need to), considering the hardness of this blade.

The HEFT 4 weights 6.95 ounces with an overall length of 9.05 inches. The length and weight makes the knife very manageable. In fact, I expected the knife to be much heavier at first glance, but it is surprisingly light given its beefy design.

The Stonewashed version of the HEFT 4 Assault has a matte black TiCN PVD coating that is tumbled for a grey stonewashed look. The result is an intimidatingly beautiful finish that is as functionally durable as it is aesthetically pleasing.

Handle and Ergonomics

The HEFT’s ergonomic handle and black G10 handle scales are hollowed out to offer a mini storage cavity for carrying fire starter, cordage, fish hooks, a button compass, or whatever survival necessities you deem worthy of residing inside. The handle scales are secured in place with 304 stainless steel hybrid slotted/Allen screws. These screws can be removed with a standard screwdriver, 3mm Allen wrench, or even better, the DPx Mr. DP Skull Tool. A ¼” magnetized hex driver is located on the right side of the handle near the pommel, adding even more functionality to this awesome piece of hardware.

The HEFT features a bottle opener/pry bar that also functions as a striker pommel (read skull crusher) at the end of the handle. This innovative pommel design has an integrated lanyard hole, which no survival knife would be complete without. The most unique feature on a knife loaded with “extras” is probably the wire-stripper “jimping” on the thumb ramp. These three wire-sized cutouts that provide thumb traction during cutting are also, in fact, wire strippers. It is a subtle addition that is easily overlooked if you are not in the know.

The handle fits very nicely in the hand, providing an angle and grip similar to that of any one of the ESEE® brand knives (interestingly, several of DPx Gear’s knives are made by Rowen Manufacturing, the company that manufactures ESEE Knives), but with a bit more purchase area. The upward sloping thumb ramp mentioned earlier provides a convenient backstop that aids in cutting and penetrating tasks alike. If you lose control of this blade, it’s because you weren’t holding on to it.

Sheath

The HEFT 4 comes with a black CORDURA® sheath that has a hard plastic insert. A single MOLLE attachment point is present on the back of the sheath, which allows it to be mounted to the outside of a MOLLE equipped pack or vest. The addition of two grommet holes at the bottom and plastic D-rings at each end of the sheath allow for quite a few mounting configurations. A retention loop with a button snap holds the knife securely in place when housed inside the sheath. There is also an outside pocket that can be used to carry a sharpening stone, ferro rod, hex bits, or whatever small item(s) you may find convenient to have around while in the brush.

DPx HEFT 4 Assault Review – Final Thoughts

I highly recommend the DPx HEFT 4 Assault as an all-around, hard-use knife. Its array of unique features lends it to be a fixed-blade multi-tool with pry-bar durability. It is the total package when it comes to beauty and functionality—the Land Rover of knives if you will. For the price of this knife, you can’t go wrong.

The HEFT 4 Assault is made in Maniago, Italy by LionSTEEL. The Italians have a pretty solid reputation when it comes to making knives, and LionSTEEL, owned by Gianni Pauletta and family, is one of the most reputable knife-making companies in Italy.

DPx Gear offers a lifetime, no-questions-asked warranty on their knives, so you can buy in confidence, knowing that if anything happens to your knife, they’ll have you covered, and you won’t have to tear you house apart looking for that warranty card that you actually threw away with the box.

DPX Heft 4 Assault Fixed Blade Knife

Matte black PVD TiCN coated Niolox stainless tool steel
Wire strippers jimping
1/4" magnetized hex driver in scale
Hollow scales
Lifetime warranty

I recommend purchasing the DPx Gear HEFT 4 Assault at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Hogue EX-F03 Review

by Grayson Parker 9 Comments

Last Updated: August 26, 2019
Hogue is something of an odd brand in the knife industry. Despite their award winning designs, the Hogue line has never really caught on with the majority of the knife community. It could be that they produce button locks whereas consumers [think that they] want framelocks. Or perhaps the market is too caught up in the frenzy over flippers. Whatever the reason, Hogue is a company that rarely gets the praise or online attention it deserves.

Buy the Hogue EX-F03 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Like its brethren, the EX-F03 is not a trendy knife. Pictures of it won’t clog your Instagram feed. BladeHQ won’t generate a feeding frenzy by announcing a shipment of EX-F03’s has arrived. It certainly won’t scratch the itch behind the EDC top and the torq bar. At the end of the day, it’s a working knife in a market driven by collectors and aficionados. As a collector (and a nonstop fidgeter) I’m guilty of both sins. Whatever the case, the EX-F03 seems to have slipped under the radar. Hopefully this review remedies that.

Before the review really begins in earnest, there’s a bit of a cautionary tale/PSA I should share. Always check state and local laws before purchasing a knife. CA Penal Code 21310 forbids carrying a concealed “dirk or dagger,” which I belatedly discovered applies to all fixed blades. It cuts me deeply that I can’t carry a knife that I [spoiler alert] really like outside of my home. What really twists the blade is that this was a gift from my girlfriend. I’d like to say that it being a gift hasn’t affected this review, but she reads my work here, and I’d rather keep my blood inside of my body.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

Out of the sheath, the Hogue EX-F03 has a cutting edge of 2.25”, an overall length of 5.5”, and a weight of 2.1 oz. In the sheath, the knife is 6.5” long, 2.5” wide, and weighs just under 4 oz. The blade stock is .16” thick. Judging by size alone, the design intent of the EX-F03 is a small utility blade. It’s also available as a dedicated belt knife, which includes a screw-on handle with a karambit style ring incorporated. Of note is that the aforementioned belt version includes the neck sheath as well. Both handle styles of the EX-F03 are available with a hawkbill blade, if you’re so inclined.

The EX-F03 has what Hogue calls a clip point. It doesn’t look like any clip point I’ve ever seen, but one thing’s for sure: the folks at Hogue know how to manage a grind. It’s even and crisp, and the blade stock is thin enough that it cuts well. The blade is a bit short for food preparation, and I’ve learned the hard way that stubby blades can be hazardous at times. Pro tip: don’t try and slice a palmed apple with something this size. It doesn’t end well.

At first I thought the tip was too thin, but some pretty extensive use has shown me the error of my ways. It’s not as durable as an ESEE or a Becker, but I found the thin tip perfect for working with tough materials that tend to bind, such as foam board. Conversely, I was a big fan of the continuous belly on the EX-F03 in theory, but in practice it tends to slip out of the aforementioned tough cutting mediums. Not that it’s a poor cutter – quite the opposite – but some finesse may be required.

Here is a picture of the tip of the EX-F03 compared to the Paramilitary 2:

Hogue uses 154CM for most of their blades. It’s a steel I prefer on any serious work knife, as its blend of toughness, edge retention, rust resistance, and ease of maintenance make it well suited for any given task on the job site. It doesn’t shrug off abuse like 1095, but it doesn’t chip near as often as S30V. Regular stropping keeps the edge keen, and I’ve never had a problem with tarnishing or rust spots. This particular knife has been used on drywall, cardboard, and more than a few clamshell packages without any problems. The true sharpening choil makes for headache-free maintenance. And yes, it did all of this:

Handle and Ergonomics

The EX-F03’s skeletonized construction is as simple as you can get. As such, the EX-F03 really has only one problem: it’s too thin. Yeah, I know. Go figure. Remarks from Captain Obvious aside, without the presence of some contouring, harder cuts press the tang into the palm, which in turn generates some discomfort. That said, I’m looking for a knife that fits into my pocket comfortably, and the extended grip is too long for that. If you have access to some basic tools, you could theoretically purchase the full version and grind off the ring (Allen Elishewitz spoke about doing just that). Bear in mind, that sort of action will void your warranty.

All that said, I like the overall design. It’s a 3-finger grip, but the included lanyard gives your pinky something to hold onto. The curves of the handle, although thin, nestle organically into the palm. And I have to hand it to Hogue’s machinists: they made a bare piece of steel as comfortable as they could. Everything is chamfered and polished. The jimping is hands-down some of the nicest I’ve experienced, with thick, rounded ridges that lock your thumb in place without generating hotspots.

It all boils down to intended use: if you want to carry a fixed blade in your pocket (rather than on your belt), chances are you value discretion and ease of carry as much or more than the ergonomics. If you do need a blade that can handle prolonged use, it’s probable that you can carry said knife on your belt without rubbing anyone the wrong way.

Sheath

The sheath of the EX-F03 is truly sublime. Apart from a loose rivet – which Hogue fixed promptly – I have no complaints. If you keep up with Gear Geeks Live, you’ll have an idea how rare that is. There is a firm snap upon sheathing and unsheathing the blade, and no wiggle in any direction while stored. It’s made of Boltaron, which is similar to but slightly tougher than Kydex. I own a couple custom fixed blades and have handled my fair share of productions, and this sheath outclasses all of them. Through some witchcraft, it’s bidirectional and accommodates both blade shapes. One slight downside: you can (with some effort) pop the sheath off with your thumb, but for me it’s mostly a two-handed affair. I don’t know if that’s a deal breaker for some, but I don’t mind.

As shipped the EX-F03 is a neck knife. While I’m reasonably certain that it would serve well in such a role, I don’t work in an environment where that would be appropriate. For the sake of due diligence, I wore it around my neck once or twice, and it worked fine. Deployment was easy and the cord was comfortable. Even so, the cord was removed at the earliest opportunity. To my delight I found that the EX-F03 carries wonderfully in the pocket. The sheath is wide enough that the blade doesn’t roll or bind in the pocket, and rounded enough to fit into a variety of pants without issue. On a few weekend trips up into the woods, I wore it on my belt with a spare Tek-Lok I had lying around, and it worked fine. The dedicated belt sheath is clearly superior, but in a pinch this did the trick.

Hogue EX-F03 Review – Final Thoughts

All told, the EX-F03 is an impressive addition to the Hogue line. By now you should be able to tell I’m overly picky, so of course my jimmies will be rustled by the little things. (Hell, if you don’t see a complaint, call the authorities. It may be a cry for help.) The few flaws present are honestly quibbles, and can’t hold back what I think is a strong competitor in the world of fixed blades.

Speaking of competition: the price point of the EX-F03 is a major departure for Hogue. Typically their knives clock in at $150 and up, but this configuration of the EX-F03 costs just under $70.00. Some may still consider this expensive for a small fixed blade. Depending on what extras you want, the ESEE Izula falls at a similar price point, but I think the costlier steel and stellar sheath are well worth the price of admission for the Hogue.

If you’re looking for a pocket fixed blade, you should start here. Much like traditional knives, a good carry option determines if the knife in question actually gets pocket time. In this regard, the EX-F03 is unmatched. I couldn’t fault anyone for looking elsewhere, and the competition is very strong, but the sheath of the EX-F03 is so well-suited to pocket carry that it at least should be part of the conversation. Whether you’re a veteran to the world of fixed blades, or a green recruit, I can wholeheartedly recommend giving the EX-F03 a chance. If you live in California, well…shell out for the belt sheath. I’ve heard good things.

Hogue 35370 EXF03 Neck 2.25" Knife, Clip Pt., Tumble Finish, Black Sheath

Package length: 2.4 cm
Package width: 7.2 cm
Package height: 17.0 cm
Product Type: SPORTING GOODS

Editor: If you are thinking of buying a Hogue EX-F03, please consider purchasing it at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

ESEE-4 Review

by Chad McBroom 18 Comments

If you are a fan of Randall’s Adventure Training®, then you are probably somewhat familiar with their influence in the knife world. Operating under the parent company TransEquatorial Solutions, Inc., which is co-owned by Jeff Randall and Mike Perrin, Randall’s Adventure Training was started in 1997 as a school to train military, law enforcement, and civilians in the art of jungle survival. After identifying the need for some knife designs that better suited their requirements, they began developing their own knife designs.

Buy the ESEE-4 at BladeHQ

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Their first design, the RTAK, was built by Newt Livesay of Wicked Knife Company. In order to mass produce the RTAK, they signed a 5-year licensing contract with Ontario Knives who also later produced the RAT series. In an attempt to “build a higher quality line of knives outside of the mass production capabilities of Ontario,” Randall and Perrin began a company called RAT Cutlery to produce mid-tech versions of their popular knife designs. The company was later renamed ESEE® Knives to avoid confusion with the Ontario RAT line of knives which are still endorsed by Randall’s Adventure Training.

The ESEE-4 is the “wilderness” model of the ESEE-3. It features a longer and thicker blade than the 3, and sits comfortably (and predictably) between the ESEE-3 and ESEE-5 in the ESEE lineup. The 4 is designed to be a more robust camp and woods knife than the 3, but isn’t as heavy duty as the 5.

I bought my first ESEE-4 about five years ago and have acquired several more since then. I carried an ESEE-4 daily for the past several years as part of my personal kit in a profession that requires the frequent use of a dependable knife. It only makes sense that I would jump at the opportunity to write a review on this fine blade.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The ESEE-4 has an overall length of 9″, a 4.5″ blade (4.1” cutting surface), weighs 7.45 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is a .188” thick full-tang knife that has a flat-ground, drop point blade made from 1095 high carbon steel (55-57rc). The blade features a large choil that make sharpening and reconditioning the cutting edge much easier that a blade with a small or nonexistent choil.

The geometry of the ESEE-4 drop point design makes it an excellent all-purpose knife. The large belly area makes it perfect for slicing. The lowered point in relation to the spine (hence the term “drop point”) dissipates energy as the cutting stroke approaches the point. This gives the user more control over the tip, which is very important during skinning and other survival tasks. The drop point also adds strength to the tip, and the thicker flat spine makes this knife excellent for batoning. The one disadvantage of the drop point design is that it is not as suitable for piercing as a spear point, tanto, or some other designs, but every blade design has its strengths and weaknesses.

High carbon steels like 1095 are ideal for bushcraft/survival knives like this one. While these metal compositions are prone to rust if not properly cared for, their high carbon content make them easy to sharpen in the field. For a defensive blade, super steels like CPM S35VN and S30V are great because you can sharpen them in a controlled environment with high-tech sharpening systems like the Wicked Edge or Work Sharp; however, when you are in a survival situation and your knife is your lifeline, you want something that you can sharpen on whatever hard, abrasive surface might be available. Although ESEE powder-coats the knife, keeping the blade dry (especially the edge) and lightly lubricated with a rust inhibitor like TUF-GLIDE will prevent the ESEE-4 from staining or rusting.

Editor’s note: ESEE recently released a version of the 4 with an uncoated 440C stainless steel blade. 440C is a hearty steel and probably a good choice for a outdoor focused fixed blade like the ESEE-4 if you are looking for something stainless. In addition to being more stain resistant, the uncoated version will slice better than the 1095 version of the ESEE-4, as ESEE’s powder coat is thick and textured. The trade off is that 440C is not as tough as 1095, and for that reason you lose ESEE’s lifetime warranty with the 440C version.

It would be cool to see ESEE offer this knife in 3V, which would theoretically give you the best of both worlds, but my guess is a 3V knife would add another $100 to the price tag.

Handle and Ergonomics

ESEE knives have a reputation for their handle ergonomics and the ESEE-4 is no exception. If you are acquainted with the ESEE-3, then you already know the ESEE-4 handle, because it is the exact same handle minus the additional 0.063” difference in metal thickness of the ESEE-4 over the ESEE-3. This is a simple and time-tested handle design.

The ESEE-4 handle fits very well in the hand and the linen Micarta handle scales provide a positive gripping surface dry or wet. When you really need to choke up on the knife for some fine blade manipulation, the large choil serves as an additional finger groove. The spine jimping offers an additional level of control for thumb-supported cutting and extends far enough forward that it can be used in conjunction with the finger-sized choil.

Sheath

The ESEE-4 comes with a friction-fit molded sheath that locks the knife very securely in place and has an attachment clip plate that can be mounted on either side of the sheath. This is an improvement over their original Kydex sheath that came with my first ESEE-4. Not that there is anything wrong with Kydex, but injection molding is a much more expensive process and the plastic does hold up to extremely hot temperatures better than Kydex, which is a plus if you live in the southwest and wish to keep a knife inside your car during the summer.

A length of 550 cord and a cord lock is also included with the knife. This cord may be used as a lanyard, or for lashing the sheath to a belt or pack. A quick shoelace-style threading of the cord through the eyelets of the sheath makes an excellent attachment point that can be locked down with the cord lock. There is also a MOLLE backing available (purchased separately) that can be worn as a drop leg sheath or attached to MOLLE gear.

ESEE-4 Review – Final Thoughts

I have spent many nights curled up next to a campfire with an ESEE-4 in hand. This is without a doubt my favorite field knife, which has been used for making fuzz sticks, shaving tinder, cutting branches and rope, batoning wood, field dressing game, and a slew of other tasks, and has required very little maintenance. It is the simplicity of the design that makes it so desirable and user friendly. If you are looking for a reasonably sized, all-around outdoor knife, then I can’t recommend the ESEE-4 enough.

ESEE® offers a no questions asked lifetime warranty on all of their 1095 carbon steel knives. If it breaks, they will replace it. There are also a large number of Chinese knockoffs floating around on the internet, so do your homework before you buy.

Esee Knives, ESEE-4, Sharpened Clip Point Plain Edge, Coyote Brown Sheath, Clip Plate

Blade Length: 4. 50"
Cutting Edge: 4. 06"
Blade Material: 1095 Carbon Steel

Editor: If you are thinking of buying an ESEE-4, please consider purchasing it at Amazon or BladeHQ. By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com, keep the website free of annoying banner ads, and help produce future reviews. Thank you very much.