Not sure where its going to sit yet, on a plate carrier or 1st line. It will be used for mall ninja instagram posting as well as quarterly weekend backpacking trips through the ADK trails in the Northeast. Im in between the 4 and the 6, please help me choose.

3.  Never had a use for a longer blade.

6 trips the big badass knife trigger, but I'm not really a fan of replacing several tools with a big blade.  But you'll forget the 4 is on you until you need to cut/shave/chop something.

I have both. I've owned the 4 for over a decade and just recently replaced the grips with TKC long grips. It turned a good knife into a fantastic knife. I've skinned and butchered many deer and small game with the knife along with using it for hundreds of cutting uses over the years. Just a solid choice.

I talked myself into ordering the 6 a few months ago after watching tons of YouTube videos which got me interested and then researching on a bunch of other websites. I ordered the new contour natural color grips model. Everyone seems to think it's the cats meow. I think it's way too damn big personally. When I pulled it out of the package my first thought was "this is one big ass knife!" It's too small to cut firewood other than really small kindling stuff. Sure, you can split kindling all day with it but that's the extent of its usefulness. It's too thick to be a good slicer as I've tried it with a ton of fruit, vegetables and meat. Too long and ungainly for peeling. It looks really cool. I'm just at the point where I'm asking "why did I order this and what do I do with it now?"

If you want a good suggestion on something completely different, I can highly recommend the Buck-lite maxII large. I picked this up recently and I don't know where it's been all my life. Seriously love this thing for a utilitarian fixed Woods blade.
Bucklite

Forgot to mention the weight of the 6. It's way heavier than the 4. This is a seriously big and heavy blade! Definitely check it out at a dealer if you can and compare the two. That's the best advice I could give you.

IMHO the 6 is too large and heavy to carry hiking.  My 6 stays in the tool bag in my vehicle.  I take a 3 when hiking , and a 2nd one is attached to my battle belt.

A Victorinox Super Tinker or maybe a Mora Companion is all you’ll need for ADK backpacking. Just get the squeeze pouch for peanut butter to solve the reaching the bottom of the jar issue.


Put the ESEE 4 on your MOLLE gear and leave it at home, unless you intend to get a hot tent and stove in the near future. I only bring a big knife when I bring my stove.

The 4 is great as a hard-use outdoor knife for backpacking and outdoors stuff. Personally, I don't like fixed blade utility knives on the carrier, but to each their own. It's a great work knife.

The 6 is absolutely massive. This is a strange analogy but it's the knife version of the Sig 226. Every time I pick one up, I'm a bit taken aback at just how large the damn thing is.

I really don't see the need for a fixed blade 4" or shorter. A blade of that length can easily be a folder. It really has to do with it's intended purpose is. An ESEE 6 really is not that much larger and it can do things a smaller knife can't.

I'll blame ^ guys if I cause a thread derail :D  Unless you have already ruled out a 3, I strongly recommend that you evaluate it.

I'm unsure how ADK backpacking differs from other backpacking, but over a day or 3 you will spend 80%+ of your time carrying not using the blade, right? IMHO the 6 is lots of weight penalty with minimal use benefit relative to the 3 (not capability, but use). And the 3 vs the 4? I don't belt carry so the 4 is a bit unwieldy on carriers, bags, etc. Lastly, the one comment about a folder misses the point of a fixed blade - you can misuse it more forgivingly :)

I use my 3 and rarely use my 4. However, if I could only have one, then it would be the 4. Since you all know what website this is, you know where I'm going. Get both.

@OP - FWIW I just bought 5 more ESEE 3s.

My use case may be different as I need to outfit a family. Everyone has a pack with a 3 on the side and then I carry a legit big blade as well. Sux but that's part of being a dad.

Just sayin' ...