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ESEE 5 VS RAT 5 - full comparison of Ontario Rat 5 vs Esee 5
The ESEE5 5 And the ONTARIO RAT 5 are very similar knives, and a lot of people are trying to figure out what are the differences and what are the similarities, well I’m from those people, and today I’m going to take a look at the big battle of ESEE VS RAT, by exploring and analyzing both knives and comparing the result of an ESEE 5 VS RAT 5.
So today we’re going to review each knife, then sort their similarities and their differences, at the end we will try to pick the best (if there is one) and of course, we’re going to see why, if you’re still interested, let us dive in.
RAT 5 VS ESEE 5 – A Head-to-Head Comparison
SPECS | ONTARIO RAT 5 | ESEE 5 |
|---|---|---|
Overall Length | 10,5” | 11” |
Blade Length | 5” | 5.25” |
Blade Steel | ||
Knife Weight | 11.4 Oz | 16 Oz |
Blade Style | Drop Point | Drop Point |
Price |
Ontario Rat 5 Review
I did already review the RAT 3, will this is his big brother RAT 5, its also a result of the collaboration between RAT and Ontario Rat company, to bring us one of the greatest small size knives, it has a 5” drop point blade made from 1095 Steel, that offers great edge retention, great wear-resistance, and medium corrosion resistance, it has a flat grind which is excellent for cutting and slicing, it comes with a green linen Micarta that offers great ergonomics to the knife and a good grip, and finally, it has a Nylon sheath.
The knife was designed mainly for Law enforcement, it’s size makes it legally approved in many states (Check your state law enforcement before buying any knife), it’s great for the tactical situation and it’s easily concealed, a great tool for self-defense and can be great for outdoor activities, camping, hunting or fishing even for while doing survival, the small fine edge of the knife makes it very useful for precision work.
ESEE 5 Review
“This Review is already Used in my other ESEE 5 Review, If you already did read it you can skip it”
The ESEE 5 is the bruiser of the ESEE Line up, with its ¼” thickness, this knife is really built to take tons of abuse, if your day consists of batoning, chopping, or even hammering with your knife, the ESEE 5 is your knife, like most of the ESEE line up the ESEE 5 features a black coated 5.25” drop point blade, made from the 1095 Steel that offers great edge retention, great wear-resistance but low corrosion resistance, therefore you should always take care of it (with oiling and drying it after usage), another cool feature about the ESEE 5 is there is a bow-drill divot in its handle, speaking of the handle it has a beautiful strong micarta handle and comes with a Kydex sheath which has plenty of attachment holes for all types of carrying.
Now the knife in itself is a beast made for all those looking for a hard tool, for survival, camping or even hunting, I have no complaints about this knife, and I really recommend it.
What are the Similarities ESEE 5 VS RAT 5?
- Steel: they Both have the 1095 Steel that offers great edge retention, great wear resistance, and toughness, and comes with low corrosion resistance.
- Design: they offer the same or a close design that comes with finger choil and thumb spine.
- Handle: Both Esee 5 and Rat 5 offer a non-slippery handle made from Micarta
- Thickness: Both knives have a very close thickness between 0.12” and 0.125”.
ONTARIO RAT 5 VS ESEE 5– Some Key Differences
- Blade Length: ESEE 5 comes with a 5” blade length, meanwhile the RAT 5 has a 5.25” blade length (I know it’s not a big difference, and Yes you can clas it as a similarity).
- Sheath: ESEE 5 comes with a Kydex sheath with Clip Plate. on the other hand Rat 5 comes with a Black Nylon Sheath.
- Thickness: ESEE 5 Has a 0.125” thickness which makes it beefier compared to the Rat 5 0.19” thickness.
Conclusion
Now the question would be like, which one is the best, will for me the best is definitely the ESEE 5 thanks to its better hardness (slightly better compared to the RAT 5), but on the other hand the RAT 5 would be a perfect choice for low entry budget since the ESEE is more of a premium knife, the rat 5 comes with a lower price and has a finger choil plus a thumb spine which gives some good ergonomics to the knife, and the best way to choose honestly would be to try by yourself because I know that the ESEE is better and many of knife users are saying the same thing, but still, there other users that still prefer to go with a RAT 5, at the end one thing is sure if you own any of these two you must take good care of it so it won’t get rusty, it has low corrosion resistance and the black coat won’t protect your knife-edge, so de oil and dry your knife after usage.
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