Made a batch of char today out of lamp wick,and wanted to test it. I used the 5 today and my char was good to go. I put more char than usual ,not because I need that much to make fire but because the sparks come off pretty random. The rockwell is a little low on Esee for this but it will work. Never had to hit it more than a few times. The spine has been cleaned of any coating to allow me to use it this way. I used a chunk of Chert I found in Cody Wy. Char was made in my canteen cup. We all know how fragile the "5" is so if you are worried about a few scratch's this isn't for you. Last tip, if you have never made flint and steel fire this would be a poor learning experience. Long Live the "FIVE"
O.K. So no love for the 5 , I get it.......... Grabbed two more Esee knives. The Six getting it's way with some char. And the mighty "Hung More" knocks it out, No Sweat... Put a Bow Drill Divot in the Junglas and it works fine. Not as Blade Heavy as I thought it would be.......