Best Safari Knife Overall and Reviewer’s Choice – ESEE RB3 Camp-lore

Feast your senses upon the absolute, hands down winner of the 2017 best safari knife competition, the made in America ESEE RB3 Camp-Lore designed by Reuben Bolieu. This fantastic knife got high marks for a great many reasons which we’ll enumerate shortly but first, lets talk about price. The Camp-Lore RB3 has an MSRP of $190.00 and a street price that hovers right around $110.00 in many places. The 1095 steel blade needs a modicum of upkeep to prevent rust but in return it is very easy to keep razor sharp.

What we loved: The Scandi grind made sharpening the knife idiot proof and the soft 1095 steel was easily stropped on our belt to hone the edge for more than a week of heavy use. Inos, our skinner let out a frightful noise of sheer surprise when we handed it to him to dress an impala ram as he did not anticipate a “surgical sharp” instrument in the bush. Long after the knife had skinned several animals it was still cutting the caps off of very delicate Partagas Serie P No. 2 torpedo cigars without trashing that Cuban delicacy. The no-nonsense leather sheath served as a strop daily and kept the edge wicked sharp for more than a week of heavy use before it could not longer shave hair. The linen micarta handles and grip geometry were stellar and removing the three torx screws that hold on the grips would be easy should you wish to someday personalize the knife with impala horn scales or a giraffe bone scrimshaw from one of your African experiences. We loved the heritage of this knife and its association with “Randall’s Adventure & Training School of Survival” and its known history as a serious bushcraft tool that is all utility and no superfluous gimmickry.

What we didn’t like: We don’t like to be told no and we don’t care for safety warnings! The first thing you’ll read in the box is that the .125” thick blade is not recommended for batoning wood as it will likely roll the edge of the knife. Acknowledged, we know that batoning any knife with mopane wood as the subject material will devastate the edge but for some reason this thoughtful warning made us feel that the ESEE warranty may not be honored if we do what we know we shouldn’t do to this knife. The sheath was not without a minor issue or two also but we have so much to say about all the sheaths we are going to give that a collective diatribe in this review.