USA. All knives that feature the ESEE logo are proudly manufactured in the U.S.A. by Rowen Manufacturing in Idaho Falls, Idaho,
Beware of cheaper parallel imports – they will look exactly the same, box and all. But the premium Rowan heat treat and steel will be inferior.

CPM S35VN steel is high-end martensitic stainless steel produced by crucible industries, a company based in the US.
The CPM in its name means that it is produced following the Crucible Particle Metallurgy process. The letters S, V, N stand for stainless, Vanadium, and Niobium, respectively.
The number 35 does not have a specific meaning, but it differentiates this steel from S30V of a lower grade in the S…V series.
S35VN is an upgrade of S30V with better edge retention and improved toughness while maintaining the same level of corrosion resistance.
This steel has been used by reputable knife-making brands to produce high-end knife varieties like tactical knives, EDC knives, to mention a few. This steel is a superior stainless knife steel. It has to be good for Esee to use it. Here is some common sense about this steel from Esee as it relates to their carbon blades….

While we offer the exact same warranty on S35V as the rest of our line, we do not suggest the ESEE-3 S35V as a hard-use outdoor knife.
These knives are hardened at the optimal 59-60 Rc. Its ability to take abuse is not even close to our ESEE-3 1095 models.
The only reason we produced this model is due to the request of our customer base – not because it’s something the ESEE crew would carry or trust their life to.
In our opinion, what you gain with such a premium steel in edge-holding and stain resistance does not justify the extra cost.
Not to mention its inability to take the abuse that our regular knives are capable of.

Ok.. S35VN is not a screwdriver/crowbar steel! It is made for cutting stuff – and it does that very well.

HRC 59 – 60

The Esee 4 S35VN is a stainless version of the popular ‘4’ models. The more expensive steel is the heart of the blade. The overall length is 225 mm the cutting edge is 105 mm. Spine thickness is 4.5 mm. It has micarta handles. The black molded sheath has a clip attachment that can be easily detached from your belt. Then there is the hard to beat Esee guarantee ….” ESEE knives are made with absolute attention to detail using the finest raw materials and care during the manufacturing process.
We stand behind our knives with a 100% unconditional lifetime guarantee. If your ESEE knife should ever break, we will repair or replace it.
This warranty follows the knife throughout its life, anywhere in the world. No sales receipt or warranty registration required.”