Definitely looks like Esee whipped out that old OKC Kukri design , I brought my Ontario Kukri in 1095 steel around 10 yrs ago from Amazon for $55.00 .... Aaaahh the good ole days ... Nice Review Aaron ...👍🖖
Your right; I own both and side by side they are almost identical except the OKC has an ever so slide rounding to it and their handle is black. I prefer the ESEE for some reason though.
Those OKC Kukris absolutely refuse to quit. I've used mine to baton, pry and all manner of tasks that have no business being done with a knife lmfao. Absolute legend of a brand
I have a condor K-Tac Kukri and it’s an absolute MONSTER. I’ve had it for about 4 years and I love it. It has amazing fit and finish, heat treatment, a true convex edge, micarta scales, a kydex sheath, the part of the blade closest to the handle I turned into a scandi grind for fine work. The Condor kukris with the wood handles and leather sheath I’m sure are just as good. A little more pretty too!! I would highly recommend it over this blade to be honest. It’s a lot more bang for your buck.
The problem with "Thin" bladed Khukuri's is you have to use arm strength when chopping. The 12 inch long Jungle Black Khukuri, is heavier. All I have to do id guide where I want the blade to go, and then recover. Much less work.
1. Great review; 2. You are absolutely correct in comments about sheaths usually being afterthoughts. I have worked on many machetes and found Machete Specialists has the widest selection of sheaths for machetes and long bladed knives. 3. I appreciated the portions of the video where you wore eye protection.
Budget is completely subjective. With that said just because a certain designer/country/factory makes something cheaper doesn’t mean that sets the market. Also just because it’s “official” doesn’t mean it’s best.
I agree with @nosrin1988. I have a 10" kukri and an 11" Bowie from EGKH. Both pieces are outstanding in every way. Hecking bombproof .The Bowie lives on my nightstand and the kukri is in my emergency bag because they're that good!
@@chrisrey9644 i dont know if it's them or someone else but my brother has one from an official website from over there. He's been obsessed with the kukri since like highschool. it's really awesome. the closest thing I have is a Kerhshaw Camp 10, an absolute beast of a budget blade. EVENTUALLY I'll get a real kukri. One day.
99% of the sellers out of Nepal are not what the military uses, despite whatever advertising they try to use. They ate mostly all wall hangers as plenty of videos on TH-cam show with improper grinds and terrible QC.
Great review, I have owned this for a couple of months and use it on my property to trim palm and banana leaves and cut up the odd coconut or branches. Does a great job for those tasks. I have a similar issue with the grind being thick near the base which is where I would do the finer tasks if it were necessary so I have sharpened it up but still too thick to be effective for delicate tasks like notching. It is possible but not preferred and doesn't give clean cuts to the small notches. The sheath sucks, mine is now a dirty brown colour which sucks up moisture and dirt which is a magnet for rust as I live in a tropical area. I have to keep the blade well oiled to prevent rust. The coating chipped off in areas of high use immediately so if someone is thinking of getting this, you might want to strip the coating and do a patina. It is my go to blade for the palm fronds and banana leaves like I said and I recommend it as a yard workhorse but most certainly not as a one tool option or anything like that.
I’m actually surprised that Esee is putting their name on this knife. It looks like they just replicated the OKC Kukri and the fit and finish looks sub par.
At my age 67 I don’t backpack any longer. My back won’t put up with it. I do have a R-tac 2. Ontario Cuttery nowadays our camping is in a camper so there’s all the tools I need for the job so this would not fit in for me always good content keep up the good work.
I believe you are spot on in your review. It's a shame Esee didn't design this with screw on handles while offering upgraded versions? Actually, I would offer an alternate, sheath upgrade as well. 🤷 [Esee...if you need a good product manager feel free to reach out!]
Comprehensive review as usual, thanks for doing that!! As soon as u showed a close up of the handle, it looked like it would be super uncomfortable. The grooves didn't look chamfored (probably spelled wrong) and i instantly though..."BLISTERS"!!
then again, most people who buy these tools now, have to make excuses as to why they bought something they didnt need, "its for survival". He says wile sitting in his room.
When I was in Costa Rica I bought myself a El Salvadore made Machete for 8$. The edge was crap from the store but after sharpening it this thing is a monster. Definately helps me in the garden all the time and probably for a long time
Can't say I'd trade my Condor K-Tact for it. I'm one of those people who don't care about slicing cordage or making feather sticks with a kukri. If I'm going anywhere with a kukri, it means I also have a pocket and fixed blade knife on me as well. Right tool for the job. Great chopper, comfortable handle, great sheath.
I'm very surprised at it's handle construction. The sheath also leaves a lot to be desired. I have Condor's heavy duty and K-Tac Kukri's and are both superb in doing what they're supposed to do. 100 bucks on the Heavy duty kukri by Condor would be your best bet if looking for a quality "budget" chopper in my humble opinion... GREAT VIDEO Aaron❤!!!
Thanks for the review. I bought an Ontario once I heard they were going out of business. It should finally get some use in a month or so but since it was such an affordable kukri I am definitely interested so see how much of an upgrade the others may or may not be.
I agree with paying a little more for a better sheath I’m getting a steel eagle 107d but I comes with a nylon sheath but you can get them for $25 more with a kydex sheath I’m going with the second option love the videos keep up the great work
Good grief! I picked up the larger Cold Steel Kukri Machete 4 or 5 years ago for $38. It chops really well, makes fire sticks just fine, batons okay, doesn't hurt my hand to hit hard with it, holds an edge reasonably well for what it is, and the sheath, while cheap, doesn't suck. These things will sell just because Essee put their name on them. Chock this up to "what were they thinking" to put out a badly made piece of junk. The prototype must have been significantly better than this one.
Cold steel kukri lost a quarter sized chip outta the steel when chopping a small branch in snowy alpine conditions. It later broke at the tang and handle join. Piece of shite.
G'day Aaron, whilst kooks appear to be well designed for chopping, i.e. accentuated forward weight, in practice it means the edge comes through well in advance of the hand and on a flat plane the handle points up on impact, like you dont get a full swing, (and not surprising if one gets more jarring through the wrist either). For the handle to end up parallel with the ground you've gotta be almost chopping behind you, or at the very least back towards you. Can you imagine a hammer or hatchet head with a boomerang for a handle, lol. .... Me thinks if you're gonna have one at all, ..... better for vines, (or bodies), at "close quarters", since the length is somewhat limited for a slashing tool. Anyway, like other machete type jobs they are quite "agricultural" and the fit and finish is often low on the priority list, however that is extremely poor for 100-ish USD. Sure one can easily mess about with handle ergos and finish, though I'd be far more willing to do so on a 20 odd dollar Tramo for example. Cheers Duke. P.S. my ol' man has a particular kook, I believe given to him by a Gurkha during his military service, very ornate and certainly no tourist job ; ) anyway, the main reason I mention it, (and in fairness its many decades old at least), even the "very" robust leather sheath couldn't stand up to an insanely sharp edge. On that basis, I reckon a fully "lift out" sheath design is about the only way to get more longevity out of it for the blade shape; mind you, with fasteners, at the expense of a "quicker draw". Incidentally it would be good to hear more about other unusual and truly vintage jobs, rather than an old Buck 119 for example, (I do have a more contemporary one and love it, but they aint exactly rare/unusual), either from yourself or other commenters.
Ontario had a decent 1095 kukri, fair thickness and good rubberized kabar style handle similar to the essee, think I paid 50something bucks for mine a few years ago
Looks like a great tool... BUT (I like big buts and I cannot lie...) when I can buy 3 or 4 Cold Steels for the same price, it makes it hard to justify the purchase.
I was so disappointed when ESEE just used the Ontario kukri blank and slapped a wood handle on it. I heard the steel is too soft as well. 🫤 I was hoping ESEE was going to do their own from the ground up kukri with Junglas vibes. Instead I ordered a Kailash Blades 13" Panawal Khukuri. 8mm spine. Micarta scales. Differentially tempered 5160 spring steel. Absolute beast. Highly recommend Kailash for a real deal khukuri with a lifetime warranty!
That’s exactly what I thought! Huge let down! They probably did it because Ontario went down, and wanted to keep the design going. There’s gotta be something that we don’t know
I upgraded my OKC version of this with a leather sheath that fits perfect. I cant remember which one it was that it was but they are probably still available somewhere. The kydex options avail were all akwardly oversized
Another reviewer managed to roll the blade edge over in about 5 minutes. Almost bought one before I saw that. Got the Becker/Reinhardt and couldn't be happier.
For what it's worth, I love my Cold Steel Royal Kukri.. It has a Kraton handle that's very comfortable and I have to believe it's easier on the user than the wood....
this is interesting to see because i personally EDC a condor K-tac kukri, i may have to pick one of these up and see if it performs as well as my condor
Flattish primary grind like that with a secondary grind at the end will be inferior in a chopper to the traditional convex grind on a khukuri with shallow fullers/chirra to reduce weight. Not only will this stick more and jam but it won't chop at deeply in comparison to a more convex grind, nor will it split well, which means people will end up batoning instead, which it'll also take more effort to do. I'd rather pay slightly more say 120-140 USD and get a traditional khukuri made out of spring steel with a leather sheathe. Not worth it in my opinion, handle is also not set up for good snap cutting. Frankly it's more like a khukuri shaped machete than a khukuri.
The guy who designed the ontario kukri brought the design to ESEE because ontario whent out of business. I belive these are made in the condor factory.
My guess would be that the Handles are to be finished at home. The Tramontina machetes are said to have big bulky handles, to finish and fit at home as well. 🤔
Ahhh, they’re riveted. The gaps are on the blade tang side, not much you can finish if afraid. Unless you fill in with epoxy. Or, you could pay the $79.00 extra and get the original Spartan Harsey kukri with great handle and Kayden sheath.
Its made by IMACASA which means same manufacturer as condor. Which i think is really good, i never had better Machete than condor do. They are soft, but thats what you need on Machete. Condor leather is top notch and is a shame this dont have one. I dont even like kukry, so i will pass on this one. Its better to buy condor directly in my eyes
I was hoping to see this compared to a condor in the chopping test since you kept mentioning them being of similar price point and made in the same country
@@gideonstactical that's fair, after seeing this video though i think i'll still stixk with buying one of the condor kukri's. If it's good enough to win a season of Alone, it's good enough for me to thump on in the Canadian wilderness
Good review as allways 👍 The ESEE Kukri doesn't impress one bit, performance, workmanship and sheath are below average. The only Kukri I own is the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri Plus 3V and that's really good, but not my best chopper e.g. my Bark River Ja-Nap or my TOPS El Chete are real chopping monsters. Also good choppers are Bark River Bravo 3, Fallkniven Moderne Bowie, Fallkniven Thor, Cold Steel Trail Master 3V. Greetings from germany.
That thing looks like a custom ontario spec plus kukri, makes me wonder if they bought up a large stock from ontario after it closed and just tweaked them, as a fan of all things ontario spec plus ill have to get one of these
Probably originally designed by the ESEE guys, when they were with Ontario. Otherwise this would be a complete rip off of the design and worthy of being sued
Out of the 3 I’d go with the jungulas than the esee kukri my last pick would be that harsey kukri not a fan but opinions are like bum holes 😉 😉 🤪. I have the Ontario kukri to bad they went out of buisness as their kukri was fantastic for the price basically the exact same as the esee but it’s 1095 steel rather than 1075 plus it was $40 cheaper probably why they went out of buisness though 🤷♂️.
@@gideonstactical that’s understandable. The handle does seem rather odd. Just wondering if it works with a blade shape like that, and you give your honest insights.
I have a condor khukuri , it looks remarkably similar to that Esee, wouldn't surprise me if it came out of the same El Salvador factory. It's OK a decent tool, but the khukuri originated in Nepal, I am fortunate enough to own a genuine khukuri which was given to me by a retired Gurkha regiment Captain one of his service weapons. It is very different in design to the Condor and far better in my opinion, these Esee and condor designs are quite different to genuine khukuris. 1
At that price point the sheath makes sense but the fit and finish on the scales is disappointing but I’m not surprised. Condor doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to QC . I have a CRKT Mah-chete made by Condor and it has the worst handle design and fit and finish I’ve seen .
What a major fail for Esee that is terrible, I saw that kukri the other day and as soon as I saw that ontario handle I said nope no way. At $100 for that it is nowhere near budget minded and that sheath is terrible too, I figured it would have a wide secondary edge to help with less warranty claims not the best edge for the tool. I like Esee and all but they really need to catch up to the times and they had better watch out cuz the stuff coming over from China is getting better and better, sadly many companies produce a much better blade for less money for example kershaw camp 10. Let's see those two go at a chopping test lol but thanks for showing me why I knew I shouldn't get it 🤣.
@gideonstactical that Esee might have a 1/16th of an inch or so of thickness on the camp 10 so it might beat it, I dunno though lol, that camp 10 does do a really good job and it would be a good face off I think.
I have an ontario kukri purchased over 10 years ago which looks 100% same as this, even the steel is same, and just came across another copy on Amazon by Smith and Wesson. Do you know if they are all the same? Also, what do you use to sharpen the recurve part on Kukris? Thank you
I have the condor ktac kukri and it’s much better then this for only $130, I get liking Esee but this is a dud they lost me at the flat grind, the ktac is convex and has kydex that is actually pretty excellent. Both are 1075 and both are made in El Salvador I think
After seeing this review and the price point I think I will pass. I have a CRKT Kuk and it’s great plus cheaper than the Expat Kukri. ESEE dropped the ball on this one.
Ima go ahead and guess that it falls flat as it's grind. I'd really like to be wrong... and see a worthy successor to the Ontario, which this Esee is copying.
![The FEARED Kukri! [What You NEED To Know]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/w6ZIY2i1t2s/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks To Zoleo For Sponsoring This Video
Satellite Communicator Link**
alnk.to/3chnV6C
Promo Code: GT4ZOLEO
Definitely looks like Esee whipped out that old OKC Kukri design , I brought my Ontario Kukri in 1095 steel around 10 yrs ago from Amazon for $55.00 .... Aaaahh the good ole days ... Nice Review Aaron ...👍🖖
Thanks for watching!!
Your right; I own both and side by side they are almost identical except the OKC has an ever so slide rounding to it and their handle is black. I prefer the ESEE for some reason though.
My Ontario is also 1095... I bent the tip on it but still going strong. The move to 1075 was LAZY, and go figure, now they're outta business.
Those OKC Kukris absolutely refuse to quit. I've used mine to baton, pry and all manner of tasks that have no business being done with a knife lmfao. Absolute legend of a brand
I have a condor K-Tac Kukri and it’s an absolute MONSTER. I’ve had it for about 4 years and I love it. It has amazing fit and finish, heat treatment, a true convex edge, micarta scales, a kydex sheath, the part of the blade closest to the handle I turned into a scandi grind for fine work. The Condor kukris with the wood handles and leather sheath I’m sure are just as good. A little more pretty too!! I would highly recommend it over this blade to be honest. It’s a lot more bang for your buck.
These kukris are made for Esee by Condor . They’re clearly cutting corners to meet the price point .
Loving my 3 year old KTac Kukri by Condor. Gets lots of gardening work during the off season! Heh Heh Heh... Peace Be The Journey!
The problem with "Thin" bladed Khukuri's is you have to use arm strength when chopping. The 12 inch long Jungle Black Khukuri, is heavier. All I have to do id guide where I want the blade to go, and then recover. Much less work.
1. Great review;
2. You are absolutely correct in comments about sheaths usually being afterthoughts. I have worked on many machetes and found Machete Specialists has the widest selection of sheaths for machetes and long bladed knives.
3. I appreciated the portions of the video where you wore eye protection.
Esee mailed this in…..Not impressed, sheath and handles seem like afterthought
Hahah totally!
My favorite Budget Chopper is the Kershaw Camp 10. $54 on Amazon and is an absolute Beast! Hope you get one and revisit a chop off.
Can you really call it budget if it's more expensive than a real official Gurkha Kukri? Im shocked how cheap you can get ones actually made in Nepal!
Budget is completely subjective. With that said just because a certain designer/country/factory makes something cheaper doesn’t mean that sets the market. Also just because it’s “official” doesn’t mean it’s best.
@@John5.56 in theory. yes.
however i Know just how amazing an official kukri is soooo. ya. i stand by my point in this situation.
I agree with @nosrin1988. I have a 10" kukri and an 11" Bowie from EGKH. Both pieces are outstanding in every way. Hecking bombproof .The Bowie lives on my nightstand and the kukri is in my emergency bag because they're that good!
@@chrisrey9644 i dont know if it's them or someone else but my brother has one from an official website from over there.
He's been obsessed with the kukri since like highschool. it's really awesome.
the closest thing I have is a Kerhshaw Camp 10, an absolute beast of a budget blade.
EVENTUALLY I'll get a real kukri. One day.
99% of the sellers out of Nepal are not what the military uses, despite whatever advertising they try to use. They ate mostly all wall hangers as plenty of videos on TH-cam show with improper grinds and terrible QC.
Great review, I have owned this for a couple of months and use it on my property to trim palm and banana leaves and cut up the odd coconut or branches. Does a great job for those tasks. I have a similar issue with the grind being thick near the base which is where I would do the finer tasks if it were necessary so I have sharpened it up but still too thick to be effective for delicate tasks like notching. It is possible but not preferred and doesn't give clean cuts to the small notches. The sheath sucks, mine is now a dirty brown colour which sucks up moisture and dirt which is a magnet for rust as I live in a tropical area. I have to keep the blade well oiled to prevent rust. The coating chipped off in areas of high use immediately so if someone is thinking of getting this, you might want to strip the coating and do a patina. It is my go to blade for the palm fronds and banana leaves like I said and I recommend it as a yard workhorse but most certainly not as a one tool option or anything like that.
Than you for the feed back!!
I’m actually surprised that Esee is putting their name on this knife. It looks like they just replicated the OKC Kukri and the fit and finish looks sub par.
A Lot of okc designs are from when the esse guys worked with them.
Thats right it's Probably an old Esee Design ....
At my age 67 I don’t backpack any longer. My back won’t put up with it. I do have a R-tac 2. Ontario Cuttery nowadays our camping is in a camper so there’s all the tools I need for the job so this would not fit in for me always good content keep up the good work.
I have a kershaw camp10 I bought years ago it's still one of the best choppers out there. Especially for the price
It's a Condor with Esee's name. Probably designed by Joe Flowers. If I had to guess, it is probably the Condor King Kukri Machete.
Old Ontario design, created by one of the OG ESEE guys
Well, it is as stated “Harsey” designed kukri as in Spartan Blades. Made in El Salvador, possibly (suspect it is) in the Condor factory.
I believe you are spot on in your review. It's a shame Esee didn't design this with screw on handles while offering upgraded versions? Actually, I would offer an alternate, sheath upgrade as well. 🤷 [Esee...if you need a good product manager feel free to reach out!]
Comprehensive review as usual, thanks for doing that!! As soon as u showed a close up of the handle, it looked like it would be super uncomfortable. The grooves didn't look chamfored (probably spelled wrong) and i instantly though..."BLISTERS"!!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching
Thank you for the honest review, Aaron. I was considering this kukri, but not now. I expected better from esee
The sheath is cheap. The handle is crude for a bit more money I would go with a condor.
Totally agree!
then again, most people who buy these tools now, have to make excuses as to why they bought something they didnt need, "its for survival".
He says wile sitting in his room.
dont worry, you can just eat tree bark and drink deer blood. LOL
I heard these were made for Esee by Condor.
When I was in Costa Rica I bought myself a El Salvadore made Machete for 8$. The edge was crap from the store but after sharpening it this thing is a monster. Definately helps me in the garden all the time and probably for a long time
Can't say I'd trade my Condor K-Tact for it. I'm one of those people who don't care about slicing cordage or making feather sticks with a kukri. If I'm going anywhere with a kukri, it means I also have a pocket and fixed blade knife on me as well. Right tool for the job. Great chopper, comfortable handle, great sheath.
I saw “ESEE” and “kukri” and was intrigued. But after this, I’ll look elsewhere.
I'm very surprised at it's handle construction. The sheath also leaves a lot to be desired. I have Condor's heavy duty and K-Tac Kukri's and are both superb in doing what they're supposed to do. 100 bucks on the Heavy duty kukri by Condor would be your best bet if looking for a quality "budget" chopper in my humble opinion... GREAT VIDEO Aaron❤!!!
Thanks!!
And while I’m at it, when you cut Wood, the off cut hangs over the lever point thereby opening the kerf while you’re cutting, not closing it.
And while I’m at it, when you cut wood, the offcut hangs over the lever point, thereby opening the kerf while you’re cutting instead of closing it
Thanks for the review. I bought an Ontario once I heard they were going out of business. It should finally get some use in a month or so but since it was such an affordable kukri I am definitely interested so see how much of an upgrade the others may or may not be.
My favorite chopper is still the Silky Nata 240. If you haven't tried it yet you should.
I agree with paying a little more for a better sheath I’m getting a steel eagle 107d but I comes with a nylon sheath but you can get them for $25 more with a kydex sheath I’m going with the second option love the videos keep up the great work
Thank for mentioning the sheath! Plenty of knives I haven't bought because of a crappy nylon sheath.
i remember some gi joes having these so i need one - im broke however, went overbudget on a pc build :(
Good grief! I picked up the larger Cold Steel Kukri Machete 4 or 5 years ago for $38. It chops really well, makes fire sticks just fine, batons okay, doesn't hurt my hand to hit hard with it, holds an edge reasonably well for what it is, and the sheath, while cheap, doesn't suck. These things will sell just because Essee put their name on them. Chock this up to "what were they thinking" to put out a badly made piece of junk. The prototype must have been significantly better than this one.
Cold steel kukri lost a quarter sized chip outta the steel when chopping a small branch in snowy alpine conditions. It later broke at the tang and handle join. Piece of shite.
G'day Aaron, whilst kooks appear to be well designed for chopping, i.e. accentuated forward weight, in practice it means the edge comes through well in advance of the hand and on a flat plane the handle points up on impact, like you dont get a full swing, (and not surprising if one gets more jarring through the wrist either). For the handle to end up parallel with the ground you've gotta be almost chopping behind you, or at the very least back towards you. Can you imagine a hammer or hatchet head with a boomerang for a handle, lol. .... Me thinks if you're gonna have one at all, ..... better for vines, (or bodies), at "close quarters", since the length is somewhat limited for a slashing tool.
Anyway, like other machete type jobs they are quite "agricultural" and the fit and finish is often low on the priority list, however that is extremely poor for 100-ish USD. Sure one can easily mess about with handle ergos and finish, though I'd be far more willing to do so on a 20 odd dollar Tramo for example.
Cheers Duke.
P.S. my ol' man has a particular kook, I believe given to him by a Gurkha during his military service, very ornate and certainly no tourist job ; ) anyway, the main reason I mention it, (and in fairness its many decades old at least), even the "very" robust leather sheath couldn't stand up to an insanely sharp edge. On that basis, I reckon a fully "lift out" sheath design is about the only way to get more longevity out of it for the blade shape; mind you, with fasteners, at the expense of a "quicker draw".
Incidentally it would be good to hear more about other unusual and truly vintage jobs, rather than an old Buck 119 for example, (I do have a more contemporary one and love it, but they aint exactly rare/unusual), either from yourself or other commenters.
Ontario had a decent 1095 kukri, fair thickness and good rubberized kabar style handle similar to the essee, think I paid 50something bucks for mine a few years ago
Looks like a great tool... BUT (I like big buts and I cannot lie...) when I can buy 3 or 4 Cold Steels for the same price, it makes it hard to justify the purchase.
I was so disappointed when ESEE just used the Ontario kukri blank and slapped a wood handle on it. I heard the steel is too soft as well. 🫤
I was hoping ESEE was going to do their own from the ground up kukri with Junglas vibes.
Instead I ordered a Kailash Blades 13" Panawal Khukuri. 8mm spine. Micarta scales. Differentially tempered 5160 spring steel.
Absolute beast. Highly recommend Kailash for a real deal khukuri with a lifetime warranty!
Ya!
That’s exactly what I thought! Huge let down! They probably did it because Ontario went down, and wanted to keep the design going. There’s gotta be something that we don’t know
Great review, definitely been pleased with my Junglass for a few years now and the kydex sheath for it has held up well
Same here. Great tool!!!
I upgraded my OKC version of this with a leather sheath that fits perfect. I cant remember which one it was that it was but they are probably still available somewhere. The kydex options avail were all akwardly oversized
Thanks Aaron! I would def buy the Condor for a few bucks more
Another reviewer managed to roll the blade edge over in about 5 minutes.
Almost bought one before I saw that.
Got the Becker/Reinhardt and couldn't be happier.
For what it's worth, I love my Cold Steel Royal Kukri.. It has a Kraton handle that's very comfortable and I have to believe it's easier on the user than the wood....
Thakns for the review, Aaron. If you haven't already, I think you might want to check out Kailash blades.
That ESEE is a nice looking Kukri.
I will use a wood file and sandpaper to smooth off the sharp handle edges.
✅ I really like the steel handgaurd.
this is interesting to see because i personally EDC a condor K-tac kukri, i may have to pick one of these up and see if it performs as well as my condor
Appreciate your honest opinions. That's why you're credible.
Really appreciate that!
Cudeman SVK II = best chopper /mini machete I've owned. Holds an edge, chops great, killer leather sheath, and is stainless to boot.
A little sanding and some hockey stick tape on the handle would help some !
For sure!
Seems like this thing is on par with my 15 year old $30 Coldsteel Kukri machete, even down to the sheath quality.
Great review. I have a couple esse knives and this might be a good compliment to the collection
Flattish primary grind like that with a secondary grind at the end will be inferior in a chopper to the traditional convex grind on a khukuri with shallow fullers/chirra to reduce weight. Not only will this stick more and jam but it won't chop at deeply in comparison to a more convex grind, nor will it split well, which means people will end up batoning instead, which it'll also take more effort to do. I'd rather pay slightly more say 120-140 USD and get a traditional khukuri made out of spring steel with a leather sheathe. Not worth it in my opinion, handle is also not set up for good snap cutting. Frankly it's more like a khukuri shaped machete than a khukuri.
Budget? Esee? Cool blade, I like kukris. What is your opinion of the Cold Steel Spartan? I got one and love it.
Never had one but looks cool!
Thorough testing 👍
Thank you! Cheers!
If you keep putting your hand on the blade side of khukri sheaths when you draw the blade, you’re gonna get a shock one day.
Looks pretty average for an Essee. Would leave a lot of modifying.
100 %
Absolutely love your review. One suggestion in a big chopper review like this one could you add in a hatchet say a Fiskars X7 as it might be helpful.
Cool idea!
I have the Brush Demon by Wicked Edge and it is fantastic.
The guy who designed the ontario kukri brought the design to ESEE because ontario whent out of business. I belive these are made in the condor factory.
Have you tried the Crkt Kuk? It's low cost and worth a try. I like mine.
I will check it out
I find myself agreeing with most of all your assessments in your reviews, great presentation friend, well done and well spoken....
My guess would be that the Handles are to be finished at home. The Tramontina machetes are said to have big bulky handles, to finish and fit at home as well. 🤔
shoes are said to have laces.
It is also said that when a light turns on, one can see.
Ahhh, they’re riveted. The gaps are on the blade tang side, not much you can finish if afraid. Unless you fill in with epoxy. Or, you could pay the $79.00 extra and get the original Spartan Harsey kukri with great handle and Kayden sheath.
Saw dust and epoxy mix.
@@amayapahernandez5532 That works! But found JB Weld makes a “Wood weld” that is very good for repairing knife scales, etc.
Woohoo! It’s about time someone did a review on the esee kukri.
Kukri blades are best suited for hacking a path through a jungle.
Its made by IMACASA which means same manufacturer as condor. Which i think is really good, i never had better Machete than condor do. They are soft, but thats what you need on Machete.
Condor leather is top notch and is a shame this dont have one.
I dont even like kukry, so i will pass on this one. Its better to buy condor directly in my eyes
Love my tops nata. One of my favorites
Cant believe Esee would even put their name on something like that. Definitely won't be buying it. Thanks sir
It is surprising
I was hoping to see this compared to a condor in the chopping test since you kept mentioning them being of similar price point and made in the same country
Don’t currently own any condors
@@gideonstactical that's fair, after seeing this video though i think i'll still stixk with buying one of the condor kukri's. If it's good enough to win a season of Alone, it's good enough for me to thump on in the Canadian wilderness
I was curious; which do you prefer, the Condor model or the ESEE? If you reviewed the Condor, I missed it.
I'll take my condor eco parang with nylon sheath over this any day.
But can it stand up to the JOEX tests
I mentioned this knife to JOEX a couple of weeks ago and he was surprised that he hadn't heard of it.
I suspect they'll be a video soon.
Poor Esee 😂.
i love my ontario kukri, this one needes those upgrades to meet the price difference, the only point this has is the esee warranty
Looks a lot like the Ontario Kukri
Do you still have the Pathfinder knife?
Good review as allways 👍 The ESEE Kukri doesn't impress one bit, performance, workmanship and sheath are below average. The only Kukri I own is the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri Plus 3V and that's really good, but not my best chopper e.g. my Bark River Ja-Nap or my TOPS El Chete are real chopping monsters. Also good choppers are Bark River Bravo 3, Fallkniven Moderne Bowie, Fallkniven Thor, Cold Steel Trail Master 3V. Greetings from germany.
I imagine if ESEE made another big chopper that they valued at 300+ dollars, it would be better than their $200 Junglas.
You remind me of the count from sesame street when chopping
One hahah two haha 😂
That thing looks like a custom ontario spec plus kukri, makes me wonder if they bought up a large stock from ontario after it closed and just tweaked them, as a fan of all things ontario spec plus ill have to get one of these
Expat line was around before okc went down. I was looking at one of these a few years ago.
Probably originally designed by the ESEE guys, when they were with Ontario. Otherwise this would be a complete rip off of the design and worthy of being sued
who's this Howard Stern guy? I've never heard of him. probably for the best.
Is this the best budget chopper? How does this make you feel?
his feelings determine your choices? Thats beta as f.
My KaBar kukri was cheap and it has a decent sheath. It's not the same one you showed in the video, forgot my model
Looks identical to the Ontario kukri.
WISH you also included the ESEE Darien Expat Machete..
Out of the 3 I’d go with the jungulas than the esee kukri my last pick would be that harsey kukri not a fan but opinions are like bum holes 😉 😉 🤪. I have the Ontario kukri to bad they went out of buisness as their kukri was fantastic for the price basically the exact same as the esee but it’s 1095 steel rather than 1075 plus it was $40 cheaper probably why they went out of buisness though 🤷♂️.
Aaron, any chance you’ll pick up a Kabar Combat Kukri for review? Always been intrigued by that one.
I’ll take a look into that one. Not sure since I’m not really a Kukri guy and the handle doesn’t make a lot of sense to me on that model.
@@gideonstactical that’s understandable. The handle does seem rather odd. Just wondering if it works with a blade shape like that, and you give your honest insights.
For the money I would just get the Cold Steel version and be done with it.
There is no better and cheaper machete than the Corneta. I've had mine since I was 14. 30 years later its still as good as new.
I have a condor khukuri , it looks remarkably similar to that Esee, wouldn't surprise me if it came out of the same El Salvador factory. It's OK a decent tool, but the khukuri originated in Nepal, I am fortunate enough to own a genuine khukuri which was given to me by a retired Gurkha regiment Captain one of his service weapons. It is very different in design to the Condor and far better in my opinion, these Esee and condor designs are quite different to genuine khukuris. 1
At that price point the sheath makes sense but the fit and finish on the scales is disappointing but I’m not surprised. Condor doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to QC . I have a CRKT Mah-chete made by Condor and it has the worst handle design and fit and finish I’ve seen .
Condor makes good leather sheaths.
What a major fail for Esee that is terrible, I saw that kukri the other day and as soon as I saw that ontario handle I said nope no way. At $100 for that it is nowhere near budget minded and that sheath is terrible too, I figured it would have a wide secondary edge to help with less warranty claims not the best edge for the tool. I like Esee and all but they really need to catch up to the times and they had better watch out cuz the stuff coming over from China is getting better and better, sadly many companies produce a much better blade for less money for example kershaw camp 10. Let's see those two go at a chopping test lol but thanks for showing me why I knew I shouldn't get it 🤣.
Great idea 💡!
@gideonstactical that Esee might have a 1/16th of an inch or so of thickness on the camp 10 so it might beat it, I dunno though lol, that camp 10 does do a really good job and it would be a good face off I think.
I mean like literally the real ones are budget and are already proven
I agree with you
How thick is the blade in front of the handle? 1/8", 3/16", or 1/4"?
0.25inch
@@gideonstactical I have got to have one! Thank You!
That looks almost identical to the ontario kukri.
Totally
I have an ontario kukri purchased over 10 years ago which looks 100% same as this, even the steel is same, and just came across another copy on Amazon by Smith and Wesson. Do you know if they are all the same? Also, what do you use to sharpen the recurve part on Kukris? Thank you
Great video
I have the condor ktac kukri and it’s much better then this for only $130, I get liking Esee but this is a dud they lost me at the flat grind, the ktac is convex and has kydex that is actually pretty excellent. Both are 1075 and both are made in El Salvador I think
Nothing beats my BK2 for chopping or batoning. Also Ford is better than Chevy, and Football is better than Soccer.
This mite be my 2nd comment… either way awesome video again… lol luv ya brother..!👍
ESEE = "we heard you needed more jung on your junglas..."
After seeing this review and the price point I think I will pass. I have a CRKT Kuk and it’s great plus cheaper than the Expat Kukri. ESEE dropped the ball on this one.
Why use one that's went out of business????
Wow
I have an old kbar kukri… I’ll just use that
Wish they would of used micarta
Ima go ahead and guess that it falls flat as it's grind. I'd really like to be wrong... and see a worthy successor to the Ontario, which this Esee is copying.