NathanJefferson
Master
- Feb 16, 2010
- 1,506
- 38
Knife lady/Brad or someone else confirm or comment on this quote I found on Rat vs Esee, Sounds like they are VERY similar but slight differences...?:
ESEE 3 vs RAT 3
- The Rat 3 has a shorter handle and many users say that the bevel is uneven on the grind of the RAT 3
-ESEE 3 comes in more styles and colors, offers a MOLLE backing (as do the other models). ESEE 3 has 2 different pommel options, pointed and rounded
-Ontario offers it in 1095 & d2
ESEE 5 vs RAT 5
- ESEEs has a 1/4" thickness, while RAT only has 3/16" neither is better, they both have a different purpose...
-Ontario offers it in 1095 & d2
-Standard crappy ontario shealth.
-Milled pommel on the ESEE is more elegant and maybe even better functioning since it is milled not cut out like RATs
I do not own the larger ontario models, but they are cheaper for a reason and as mentioned here they are:
Bevel/ grind irregularities, sheath design is poor on larger ontario knives, coating can wear easily.
ESEE used to contract their work out to Ontario, when ESEE was still called RAT, as far as I know they are 2 different companies now. RAT handles training, ESEE handles knives and other survival stuff. The main reason was the management and designers at RAT and ESEE were unhappy with the quality Ontario put out. Ontario at that time was more concerned about pumping out product quickly rather than quality. Now, realizing it, they have taken steps to do damage control since they realized they could have skyrocketed profits if they were able to keep quality up to higher standards. Newer Ontario knives like the Spec Plus Gen II line is high quality stuff, with a crappy sheath.
ESEE now leases or contracts their work out to a small company (in Idaho I believe), called Rowen Manufacturing. ESEE guarantees their knives FOR LIFE NO MATTER WHAT! Ontario does not, that is the main difference in price that you see.
ESEE 3 vs RAT 3
- The Rat 3 has a shorter handle and many users say that the bevel is uneven on the grind of the RAT 3
-ESEE 3 comes in more styles and colors, offers a MOLLE backing (as do the other models). ESEE 3 has 2 different pommel options, pointed and rounded
-Ontario offers it in 1095 & d2
ESEE 5 vs RAT 5
- ESEEs has a 1/4" thickness, while RAT only has 3/16" neither is better, they both have a different purpose...
-Ontario offers it in 1095 & d2
-Standard crappy ontario shealth.
-Milled pommel on the ESEE is more elegant and maybe even better functioning since it is milled not cut out like RATs
I do not own the larger ontario models, but they are cheaper for a reason and as mentioned here they are:
Bevel/ grind irregularities, sheath design is poor on larger ontario knives, coating can wear easily.
ESEE used to contract their work out to Ontario, when ESEE was still called RAT, as far as I know they are 2 different companies now. RAT handles training, ESEE handles knives and other survival stuff. The main reason was the management and designers at RAT and ESEE were unhappy with the quality Ontario put out. Ontario at that time was more concerned about pumping out product quickly rather than quality. Now, realizing it, they have taken steps to do damage control since they realized they could have skyrocketed profits if they were able to keep quality up to higher standards. Newer Ontario knives like the Spec Plus Gen II line is high quality stuff, with a crappy sheath.
ESEE now leases or contracts their work out to a small company (in Idaho I believe), called Rowen Manufacturing. ESEE guarantees their knives FOR LIFE NO MATTER WHAT! Ontario does not, that is the main difference in price that you see.