For a backyard survival Youtube and instagram
artist like myself, a good fixed blade is
essential.
That way an internet man can reconnect with
nature like the primitive man, as I drink
beer and break down tree garbage for my chimnea
like cavebros used to do.
I mean first you have to assemble your chimnea.
But at least you got the knife for the cardboard.
So when Esee released the PR4 back in September-
I was like that's the perfect knife to get
the clicks.
Ok maybe not since my last two Esee reviews
are sitting under 3k views.
Maybe its the sarcasm like friend of the channel
Dan Cornet said on my Junglas II review.
So let's look at the dimensions like the overall
length and weight.
With and without dat sheath.
The blade size and cutting edge.
The handle size and grip area.
Spine thickness and handle thickness, and
how about the tallness, just two add a few
extra seconds
The ESSE camplore series PR4 is a new made
in the USA fixed blade knife from Esee...
the PR in PR4 stands for Patrick Rollins the
designer of the knife I assume, and the 4
being the age he was dropped into a snake
pit in the middle of a jungle and told to
survive.
Ok 4 just means its in the 4 inch blade length
range.
The blade is a spear point style, with a midish
to high flat grind.
It uses the easy to sharpen but oxidization
friendly 1095 carbon steel with a tumbled
black oxide finish.
The oxide finish is a very thin coat with
friction but not texture- like the typical
esee powdercoat.
It hides scratches well.
It was razor sharp out of the box, but after
20-30 minutes of cutting heavy cardboard and
wood it needed a sharpen.
The handle.
The handle has 2 redish brownish polished
and scalloped micarta scales, that provide
traction.
Its a tad slicker than regular micarta you
know because of the word polished, but the
scallops keep it in your hand.
And plus its still not super smooth either,
mostly shiner.
Which is a good way to improve lots of things.
The handle isnt as bulbous as your used to
on an esee, its kind of thin overall.
I think I would prefer a smoother more rounded,
and thicker handle overall.
Then you might ask why did you buy this knife
is a thin scalloped handle, ok because it
was new and looked cool- and It was in 4 inch
range.
At the back theres a lanyard hole, for your
outdoor bead sculpture.
The spine is a hard 90 degree angle with no
coating, so its good for your fire starting
bark shavings, and striking a ferro rod. if
you didnt bring coleman camp fuel, That means
there could be a hot spot on that depending
on how you play with your knife.
I dont mind it because it gives you friction
when rolling your blade with your thumb from
right to left.
The sheath.
The sheath is a nice leather sheath.
I prefer leather sheaths some people like
kydex, and theres nothing wrong with that.
This one is made from two pieces of thick
smooth on the face rough on the back leather.
Its a drop sheath, and holds the knife in
place well.
Its a big belt loop, so it allows the knife
to move if you sit down.
The PR4 is said to be based on the classic
Kephart sheath knife, which is similar in
its spear point blade shape but that original
knife has a smoother wood handle looking kind
of thin like this one.
So lets compare I to some of my other fixed
blades.
For size lets look at the Izula, which is
tiny.
My smallest esee.
To its credit the PR4 has about the same overall
handle thickness and a subtly thinner blade
stock.
Next is the Esee 6 HM, which I reviewed a
while back, It has a blade stock about as
thick as the Izula, which means both have
thicker spines than the PR4 it doesnt mean
the PR4 is thin or has flex, it just means
why have a thicker blade stock when you dont
need it.
I dont think they improve the stoutness of
the knife greatly.
The 6Hm is their quillion free knife, which
is why as a user the PR4 works better for
me because on the 6HM it tends to touch the
blade edge when doing dumb backyard stuff.
Now the vangedal rover which several people
criticized in the original review for looking
not cool or like a steak knife, or it looks
too useful.
This so far is my favorite fixed blade high
quality leather sheath with a retention loop
and stud that keeps it locked in the sheath
when you need it.
A more bulbous handle, 90 degree spine for
ferro rod striking maybe the handle could
have a more pronounced quillion and be a tad
longer but it has a reasonable size spine
thickness and a clip point for game dressing
if it comes to that.
Then the ultra light and thin bladed mora
kansbol.
I like a slightly thicked blade for batoning
small pieces of fire wood, and for no real
good reason except its plastic and rubber,
a like wooded handles better because ummm
really theres nothing wrong with the handle,
its bulbous and has traction and stays in
the hand well plus its super light.
Ok some dumb stuff.
So a 4 inch blade is generally too small for
big wood beating, at least in my opinion.
But that wont stop me while I express some
knife emotions.
The PR4 has a pretty stout as it really needs
to be blade, it maintains a good thickness
to the tip, so unless youre really doing some
stuff you dont need to it should be able to
do some light wood prying and digging a hole
in the wood- two very essential survival skills.
At this point in the review I had used the
blade for tasks where I didnt have the camera
rolling.
Mainly breaking down card board for recycling-
I mean burnin.
So while it has a nice working edge it wasnt
up for fine easy wood shaving tests.
10 minutes on the Spyderco Sharpmaker and
I was able to shave arm air again.
I used the 40 degree angle and it worked well.
Then I was able to do some fine shaving, not
enough for a good fire, but I got some flames
going so now I smell like smoke and BO.
Natures perfume.
I reckon the PR4 is generally made for food
prep, and light duty stuff.
Bring an axe if you want to chop something.
That is unless your Youtubing, then feel free
to do whatever irritates the real outdoorsmen.
The PR4 has held up well, and I didnt really
have hot spots or blisters, although the handle
again could be a little more comfortable.
The little quillion nub up front kept my hand
from touching the blade.
Anyway, if you like this review subscribe
to my channel, watch some of these other reviews
that will pop up at the end give the video
a thumbs up, comment, and try not to catch
your yard on fire.
Thanks for watching.
