ESEE Izula II Knife

Product Description

The locals in Peru call the meanest, nastiest ant of the jungle by the name "Isula" We know it as the Bullet Ant. The Bullet Ant is known to be independent, tough, light on its feet, and an aggressive survivor - the IZULA-II knife is built the same way. This knife is a perfect lightweight addition to a survival kit or concealed carry knife. This Izula-II measures in at 6.75" of 1095 high carbon steel, the 2.63" blade is flat ground with a black powder coat finish. The handle features a 1/2" long notched section at the spine, for extra thumb grip. The handle of each knife is made out of comfortable Micarta scales, and the bottom of the blade is engraved with name, logo and unique serial number. Includes a durable black injection molded polymer carry sheath. Carbon steel knives are preferred by those who want a sharp, long-lasting edge. Our carbon steel knives are made from 1095 steel. And while 1095 is a top choice for professional cutlery designed for hard use, it will rust and stain if not properly cared for - especially on the cutting edge and around the laser engraving. It is the user's responsibility to keep the blades properly lubricated and cleaned. We suggest using a dry film rust inhibitor such as TUF-GLIDE or TUF-CLOTH.

Features

• Overall Length: 6.75", Blade Length: 2.63"
• Blade Material: 1095 Steel
• Blade Finish: Black
• Handle Material: Tan Micarta
• Made in USA

Top Reviews

Both knives are very sturdy, equally capable
by WB (5 out of 5 stars)
July 14, 2014

This is a review of the Izula 2 compared to the the Kabar BK 14. I own Both of these knives and will compare these two very similar blades. Both knives are very sturdy, equally capable, light weight knives in this review I will list the advantages of the Izula 2 over the BK14 and the reasons I think the Izula 2 is a better purchase.
Handle and length: 1/2 inch extra of handle on the izula 2 makes it much more comfortable to use than the BK 14 and really fit well into my size XL glove hands. The wide micarta handles included with the Izula 2 Help make the Izula 2 a better value as neither knife can be used comfortably without a Handle, even para cord warped handles don't cut it for large hands.
Sharpness: The Izula 2 came sharper and is easier to sharpen thank the BK 14. The BK 14 seems to have a less fine grained steel than the Izula 2, I could not get the BK Shaving sharp but with the same tools I can get the Izula 2 sharper than shaving sharp, wicked sharp? As sharp as my Mora can get. The Izulas sharpness is likely due to its Rowens heat treatment ESEE has.
Weight: the Izula 2 w/ handle scales is less than the BK 14 without handle scales.
Fit and finish: MY BK14 has uneven edge grinding getting worse at the tip and was missing blade coating in several very small spots. The BK14 also was only working sharp when delivered. The Izula 2 shaved hair on my arm when delivered and after using it on a backcountry camping trip as our only knife. Handle scales fit perfectly.
Blade coating: The blade coating on the Izula 2 is less abrasive and stays cleaner than the BK14's coating. It seems more durable and was more evenly applied than on the BK14.

Sheath: The Izula 2 has a better sheath hands down. It's smaller, has better retention, has no rattle and is much lighter than the BK14 sheath. MY BK14 doesn't snap into the sheath like It did upon purchasing.

Blade geometry: The spine of the blade of the Izula 2 has more of a downward curve and IMHO it gives the knife better ergonomics, cutting ability and fine control. While the BK14 has a longer blade IMHO it does not seem any more capable and it's wide blade hindered its ability to do fine wood carving. See images I uploaded comparing the Izula 2 and BK14's blades.
Heat treat and steel. The Izula 2 is made from 1095 steel with a Rowens heat treatment all ESEE knives have. The BK14 is 1095 chromium vanadium steel with a not quite as good as Rowens heat treatment. 1095 cro-van steel is better on paper but according to many people heat treatment is more important than steel chemistry at least to a point. After using both practically speaking I like the steel of the Izula 2 better because I can get it sharper than the BK14 steel.

Warranty: ESSE has the best warranty in the knife business, a unconditional if you break it you get a new one warranty. Kabar BK has a good warranty but not unconditional.
Is the Izula 2 worth the extra $30? I think so. For $30 more than the BK14 you get 1/2" extra handle, better ergonomics, better fit and finish, mythical Rowens heat treat, comfortable micarta handles, a unconditional warranty, a better sheath and more effective blade geometry. I uploaded lots of images so how this helps.
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Great knife that lives up to the "hype" ...
by BlackBelt4 (5 out of 5 stars)
April 12, 2018

Great smaller knife, that lives up to the hype. I probably own + 50 personal working knives, mostly fixed blades. All of them get USED, as I'm wearing/using a fixed blade +18 hrs a day, every day. No "pretty-boy" display knives. Most of my knives tend to be bigger than the Izula 2, but thought I'd give it a try, after reading/watching a bunch of reviews here/YouTube. I gotta admit, I was pleasantly surprised. The handle has a nice feel to it, the blade has nice coating, and it came razor sharp. Sheath is actually pretty good for a 'stock' sheath, and has a nice small profile. I was concerned about the belt clip, as most 'stock' belt clips might work okay for the casual knife person, but usually don't hold your knife in place (very well). But for this Izula 2, I have been able to use the belt clip attachment that came with the knife, as the spring tension of the clip is really strong. I was impressed.

I like the sheath that came with it, as it has nice retention to it, with no rattle. But for folks who buy the Tan or OD Green colored blade, the sheath tends to leave a dark black mark on both sides of your blade, whenever it's inserted/extracted from the sheath. I found 2 little nubs on the inside top part of the sheath, that holds the blade in. But they tend to rub on the blade, leaving a small black smudge mark. Easy to clean off, but will probably continue to leave those marks, and eventually wear away the protective coating.

For many of my fixed blade knives, I buy a custom sheath, as some 'stock' sheaths are sub-par. While waiting for this knife, I started looking for a custom sheath. Found a great double-layered, two-tone kydex sheath, made for the price that most folks charge for a single layer kydex sheath. DeepCreekCustoms did a great job on it, and very inexpensive (about 1/3 the cost of the knife). Nice part is, I now have two really good sheaths that I can use, and each has their purpose. My 'stock' sheath works nicely if wearing my knife on pants, etc., and my custom one works great if attached to my pack or work gear.

I've only owned this knife for a week or two, so I won't go into assessing how functional it is. Most of the other reviews here have covered most of that pretty well, already. I will say that I am very satisfied with my purchase, and for a smaller, utility knife, it will handle almost anything I throw at it. Try one .... you'll be glad you did.
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Great knife, sheath is just OK.
by Stephen Shellenbean (4 out of 5 stars)
December 7, 2016

I'm a firm believer that different knives serve different purposes and there's not a true all-purpose knife. This that in mind, the Izula-II is a great everyday/EDC/day hike blade. The overall size is that of a solid folder with the advantages of better handle and full tang construction. I really like the blade shape and the factory edge is almost paper-shaving sharp, fully functional and even better with just a touch of care.I found the handle fits my bigger hands well, giving me a solid 3 fingers and allowing my pinky to drop into the rear hole. Thumb sits firmly in the notches on the spine, allowing great fine control.

The things I don't like aren't deal killers on this knife. The coating on the blade doesn't allow for use as a striker for flint or a ferro rod. I might strip it and patina the blade instead, but I have other striker options so that can wait. My bigger complaint is with the sheath. It's a bit rough and bulky, and you need to attach the belt clip yourself. Not a big deal for me as I got this primarily to act as a secondary knife that will attach to the sheath of my Schrade SCHF9, but if you were hoping to open the box, attach this to your belt, and go, you'll have to do a little assembly first.

This is my first ESEE knife and I'm very pleased with their quality, I'll be getting more from them in the future. I'll revisit this ina few months after I beat on it some more.
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This knife is my favorite EDC blade
by Spooky Mr Skeltal (5 out of 5 stars)
July 26, 2015

This knife is my favorite EDC blade. It replaced a BM Barrage, and rides in my front pocket 24/7. It is incredibly easy to sharpen, and comes hair popping sharp. The blade is thick which makes it a slower slicer through wood/cardboard/etc, but the strength gained from the thick spine is worth the trade off. Liked it so much I ordered a second one for my son to use, and plan on giving more out as Christmas gifts this year to family. If you want a small fixed blade, I don't think you can beat the Izula II in terms of value/quality/materials/practicality. The included sheath rides high on the pocket, so if you plan on discreet pocket carry(my preferred method) you will need to invest in a pocket sheath for it, or else it will flail around in your pocket and drive you crazy, and stick out in odd but sometimes flattering angles.
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Older Blades Rocked, this one rusted before I could even return from backpacking trip. Second blade
by Amazon Customer (1 out of 5 stars)
October 10, 2016

Sadly have to give this a one star, and this is based on the results of the two Izula II's I just acquired. Please note, the Izula II and Izula blades my family has owned for over the past three years are all five stars knives and continue to exhibit none of the 'flaws' outlined below, even when exposed to similar (or possibly worse care).

I have contacted ESEE regarding the below content and was shocked by their lack of customer service, blasting me for my stupidity in maintaining the blade. Said they would send me a new clip plate for the sheath, but that has yet to occur.

What Happened? After two years of being jealous of the Izula II I got my dad, I picked up one for myself. My how the handle just seems so perfect. Used it around the house, for two weeks, happy as could be! Then the real test came, a five day backpacking trip. First two days were sunshine, and then day three and 24 hours of rain occurred. Blade had light coating of oil on it, and was on my body in the sleeping bag at night. The next day was sunshine, and I used the blade to cut open salami. Day 5 was snow, and by the time we had made it back to the car, I noticed the blade had started to rust. Now it had been wet, but I live in the Pacific Northwest and have never had a blade react in this manner (including an Izula knife that has been on many fall and winter hiking trips).

When getting home that evening, I was even more shocked to find the paint on the sheath's clip plate had bubbled off with rust underneath. To me this screams out an issue with the bonding of the metal and paint. For it to bubble off in the manner it did, I immediately contacted ESEE. I acknowledged the blade rust was minor and could fix it myself, but was shocked when they recommend coating the metal sheath clip plate with an oil or wax to prevent it from rusting...Isn't that why it is coated in a black, protective paint? Coating the clip plate in oil in a means to prevent rust, would also transfer the oil onto whatever the belt clip plate was attached to. I would rather not have my pants and belt become oil stained - again, that is why this piece is painted. The concerning part of the rust here was that the paint bubbled from underneath to come off.

Well I had happened to buy two Izula II and gave one to my friend. Surely it wouldn't happen twice? He was super excited to use it when foraging mushrooms this fall, but used it around the home before then. He cut a block of cheese, and the next day his blade had rust all over it. Contacting ESEE, their response was even more pathetic with them lecturing on the chemical equation for carbon steel to rust.

Thoroughly disappointed in my recent experience. Will gladly return for different production run and update my review, or even return for credit and purchase a different model. I honestly believe this is a unique case with this batch of metal in the knife. I say this based upon the other ESEE knives I own and from 25 years' experience with metal fabrication. But from the contact I have had with ESEE, I highly doubt that is happening. If you are going to make claims about your product, have the backbone for when it fails so miserably.
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Worth the wait, if you're on the fence trust me..worth every cent.
by Timothy K. (5 out of 5 stars)
January 20, 2017

The quality is so fine, construction so solid that I wish that when choosing a larger knife for Christmas I had went with an Esee 4, 6 or Laser strike rather then the Tops Fieldcraft (b.o.b).. which is also a fine knife, I just prefer the full flat grind, finger choil and sheath quality you get with an Esee. I have the b.o.b., a bk16, a Mora, and several other fixed blades but this purchase has only ensured I will be adding more Esees to my collection. I was happy to see it came with the clip plate, two stickers, two info/survival cards, and was well packaged. If you are unsure.. do yourself a favor and just order one already.. you won't be sorry. UPDATE ON 8-20-2017 this is one of THE BEST E.D.C kits on the market.. led me to the Esee4, and yearning for the Laserstrike.
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The Perfect Knife for Folder-Haters (like me)
by Amos Volante (5 out of 5 stars)
August 31, 2016

Highs: evenly sharp from the box, full tang, well sanded/finished handle, feels smaller than the overall length would have you believe, good concealability, factory sheath is plenty good - so ordering a special one is not necessary unless you're super fussy (I normally hate all factory sheaths)

Lows: pushing the limit of smallness for bigger handed guys as a fighting knife (but no loss of utility) - any smaller would be bad

Verdict: About as good as a small knife needs to be for those of us who hate folding knives
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You get what you pay for.
by Dusty (5 out of 5 stars)
November 12, 2018

This knife is small.

Despite punching way above its weight, this knife is not a do-it-all blade.

This knife may seem overly pricey.

All of that said, I believe this knife represents a good value considering what you get: a Made in USA blade with no questions asked warranty (how often do you see that anymore?) with nice micarta scales and an awesome Kydex sheath. Add to that the fact that this blade will probably cover 99% of real-world tasks that 99% of knife users actually conduct.

Conclusion: this knife, and the kit it comes with, are super high-quality. Some people will say it's a lot of money to pony up for such a small blade - and Jayne they'd be correct. But with the ESEE Izula 2, you're purchasing a knife that could last you the rest of your life.
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Phenomenal knife.
by Chris Adams (5 out of 5 stars)
February 22, 2019

Phenomenal knife. I would recommend this one to anyone. This will be EDC from now on or until I come across something I like better. Definitely one of the better quality knives I have ever owned. The warranty is great and follows the knife to all of its future owners, if any. The only problem I have with this knife isn't really a problem and nothing worth taking a star for is the sheath. I'm not a fan of hard sheaths. I'd be fine with paying a little more for a nice leather sheath. Over all, I'd buy again without batting an eye.
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Excellent!
by ODB (5 out of 5 stars)
June 14, 2018

What a great little knife that fits my hand perfectly. Sometimes smaller blades have small handles but this one is perfect just enough to get a full grip on and be useful. If you're looking for a great little fixed blade knife look no further this one is awesome and it comes with a great little plastic sheath with belt clip that holds it very securely I use it at work all the time and it never falls out. It's not very heavy either so I hardly notice it, most of the time I forget it's there so it's excellent just buy it you'll love it...

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