Ontario rat 7 or esse 6

J

Joshua Wong

Joined
Feb 26, 2018
Messages
33
Looking to get a good survival, camp, shtf, hunting knife. It’s only between these two. I like the the rat 7 because it’s a longer blade but I have heard they chip really easy. Is the esse that much better than the rat ?
 
Rat 7 has a little more heft for chopping. You may need to sharpen it a few times to break through the crappy factory edge. Great beater knife.

Esee 6 is more refined, better fit / finish - thinner behind the edge but probably stronger in a few areas than Rat 7 ( specifically in heat treatment ).

Esee May have better warranty though both claim lifetime warranty.

I’d spent the extra $30 ish and get the 6 if I had to choose. Esee comes with a better sheath you won’t need to replace in 3 weeks.

Watch the exchange and grab a user, Esee 6 pop up very often.

E606D695-B5B2-462E-87F5-C9B4964A3C24.jpeg

Great knife. Worth the average price. Easy to keep sharp, takes a beating, can do most things a knife should do - still cuts pretty well.
 
Last edited:
luethge said:
Rat 7 has a little more heft for chopping. You may need to sharpen it a few times to break through the crappy factory edge. Great beater knife.

Esee 6 is more refined, better fit / finish - thinner behind the edge but probably stronger in a few areas than Rat 7 ( specifically in heat treatment ).

Esee May have better warranty though both claim lifetime warranty.

I’d spent the extra $30 ish and get the 6 if I had to choose. Esee comes with a better sheath you won’t need to replace in 3 weeks.

Watch the exchange and grab a user, Esee 6 pop up very often.

View attachment 1951141

Great knife. Worth the average price. Easy to keep sharp, takes a beating, can do most things a knife should do - still cuts pretty well.
Click to expand...
The 7” blade on the rat is it more useful having a longer blade? To defend against animal attacks when hunting ?
 
In my humble opinion, the QA/QC at Ontario can't really be compared to that at ESEE. They're on two very different levels. I am not saying that Ontario puts-out bad knives. I have several and love quite a few of them. However, I also have quite a few that have been less-than-stellar right out of the box.

I'm neither an ESEE collector nor a fanboi, but own a few. All of them have been outstanding in fit-&-finish and performance. They come out of the box about as perfect as any knife I have ever purchased. Beyond that, all I ever hear about is their warranty. I have never had to use it but know it to be pretty legendary. Warranties don't do much for you when your $h!t breaks in the field, but it sure is comforting to know that your knife has a good one when you get back to civilization.

Like most guys around here, I have a buttload of knives...from $30 production beaters, to some relatively expensive semi-productions, to full-on customs. From my experiences, ANY Manufacturer can have an "off" day. For me, it isn't about human error, it's about how that Manufacturer addresses any issues. Beyond that, production consistency is huge for me. In my opinion, ESEE really shines in both of those departments.

But, I digress. In regard to your question...Advantage: ESEE. I honestly think that your Grandkid's grandkids will still be beating on that ESEE-6, long after you and I are worm food.


Happy hunting.
 
Last edited:
Joshua Wong said:
The 7” blade on the rat is it more useful having a longer blade? To defend against animal attacks when hunting ?
Click to expand...

If you are carrying a knife as a primary defense against animal attack ( 4 legged animals ) .. I’d go for something along lines of 10mm or 12 gauge.

The 6 does come in a swedged version though, or better yet - Look up the Esee CM6 👍. It’s the martial version of the 6, comes with real kydex as well.

I’m no expert - Most of the animals capable of stalking humans won’t be noticed until the last second ( cats ). The bigger animals that may attack for territorial reasons wouldn’t even be immediately effected by a 6 or 7 inch blade stab wound ( elk ). Bear would probably laugh and wolves are seldom alone.

BEF471C7-D0E0-4F55-A38D-6911D8EE1879.jpeg
 
Last edited:
In the grand scheme, the Rat 7's blade is only ½ an inch longer, not enough to make me prefer it over the Esee..

As others have stated, I think the Esee is well worth the extra $ just because of the heat treat, followed by the warranty and sheath..
 
No experience with the RAT, but as an ESEE owner I can tell you that the 6 is likely to handle anything you can throw at it in the field. Mine has taken a beating, and haven’t had to sharpen it or even strop it yet, and it still slices through paper with ease. Amazing knives.
 
Another vote for the ESEE. I own a 4. Great knife.

I would also suggest you get the G10 contoured handles. Much more comfortable imo vs the original micarta handles. YMMV.
 
I used my ESEE 6 this summer to restore my garden lines, clean up tree roots that were deep in dirt and rocks before applying week barriers and mulch. The knife is truly a work horse. The coating on the tip and near the edge was worn a bit. A short free-hand sharpening session brought the knife back to razor sharpness. I later replaced the factory scales with a set of TKC G10 scales and I agree with gazz98 gazz98 that it now feels more comfortable.
 
If you like blocky uncomfortable handles go with the Ontario, if not then go with the Esee. :-)
 
I’ve never owned an ESEE, doesn’t mean I don’t like them. I would definitely take the 6 between those two. It look a great “one all” knife.
 
luethge said:
Rat 7 has a little more heft for chopping. You may need to sharpen it a few times to break through the crappy factory edge. Great beater knife.


View attachment 1951141

Great knife. Worth the average price. Easy to keep sharp, takes a beating, can do most things a knife should do - still cuts pretty well.
Click to expand...
I likely concur. I took my Rat 5 on a camping trip last weekend. Cut off two limbs of green wood for hot dog sticks. The limbs were 1/2 inch thick. I had to chop away since the green wood was resisting. After completing the task the edge had rolled. This was light use on soft wood. I was not impressed with the edge, which was the factory edge plus a single and very light and short session on a 1000 grit stone immediately after purchase. So pretty much the factory edge. I am going to re-profile on my Norton 220 stone and see if I can work up a better edge and more durable edge. The Esee looks very nice.
 
How about a Becker? Bk7 or bk9. Out of your two I would get esee 6. I don't really like the ergos of esee but they do make a good knife.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top