This knife is designed to be the perfect lightweight survival kit or concealed carry knife.”The Isula, from my personal experience, turns out to be a really great knife to carry on my moto treks because it is very small and, due to its construction, thinner than most folding knives. The Bullet Ant is known to be independent, tough, light on its feet, and a real aggressive survivor – the IZULA knife is built the same way. ESEE Izula + survival kit Esee Izula Review“The locals in Peru call the meanest, nastiest ant of the jungle by the name “Isula.” We know it as the Bullet Ant. Jungle survival for me? I don’t think so – but that hardware will work well on my moto adventures. When you buy a ESEE knife you know you’re getting a knife designed by real users.”This was enough to make me want to hold a piece of that experience in my hands. We also have users around the world that test our knives and submit feedback. Once we make the final design tweaks and the knife is put into production, we test the design again during field outings Stateside and jungle survival classes in the Peruvian Amazon. “Unlike a lot of manufacturers, ESEE doesn’t just release a new knife because it looks cool on paper – we personally field test each new design prototype before is makes it to the production stage. All of our designs fit the bill of desirable field cutlery when it comes to toughness, comfort, and cutting efficiency. Most important, ESEE is now in a position to respond quickly to new product development and upgrades to existing lines. This means you will notice upgrades to sheathing, fit, finish and detail on ESEE knives.

The new ESEE Line (Formerly RAT Cutlery) is considered “mid-tech” in the sense of quality and manufacturing procedures. “After our Ontario contract ended in April, 2007, we decided to produce a higher quality line of knives outside of the mass production capabilities of Ontario.

During that time frame, Randall’s Adventure & Training designed additional knives that were also built by Ontario, and secured government NSN numbers on two of the designs. “In 2002 Randall’s Adventure & Training (RAT) licensed Ontario Knife Co to build the RTAK on a 5-year contract term. Machetes were too thin and flexible and sheath knives were too small and lacked cutting efficiency. During our survival training ventures, we recognized the need for a better knife for our jungle school. “Randall’s Adventure Training has been in business since 1997, training military, law enforcement, and civilians in the art of jungle survival. This acronym comes from our long running jungle survival school that teaches these principles of staying alive in remote and hostile environments. It works well and can’t really be noticed when applied sparingly.I was attracted to the ESEE line-up not only because they use carbon steel exclusively in all blades (except the Lite Machete blade and the ESEE/Becker Cooking Knives) but because parent company Randall’s Adventure Training looked very interesting.They say, “ESEE is pronounced “S E” and is an acronym for Escuela de Supervivencia (School of Survival), Escape and Evasion (ESEE). These are used by the military to wipe a rust-preventative nano-coating on metal surfaces. I find the same performance with these ESEE blades.On the ESEE carbon blades I use a dry film rust inhibitor, like TUF-GLIDE or TUF-CLOTH. Collectors love them and they are worth a lot of money now. Additionally, they have taken on the dull patina of the years but, even after four decades, they are in perfect shape and one or two strokes on the strop or stone will yield a blade that can cut a ripe tomato into wafer thin slices. I must wipe these knives dry each time they are used but that’s not a problem for me. Presumably, the buying public simply wants knives they can use, wash and put back in the knife block without worrying about staining. I have a 40-year old set of carbon Sabatier kitchen knives that the company no longer produces. Esee Izula and 3-Mil with casesPersonally, I adore carbon and the razor edge I can put on it rather easily. A careful finger over the edge reveals its aggressive cutting characteristics. The 1095 carbon steel blade has that certain razor sharpness mostly found in this type of steel. Both steels have excellent properties and aficionados will choose based upon their personal likes and the job at hand. Carbon lacks the chromium present in stainless, which may make up 10-30% of its content. Stainless won’t usually rust but is softer and dulls a bit faster. Carbon steel is known to sharpen easier and take a razor edge but it is a bit more brittle and can rust or stain if not properly protected and cared for. Both are forged from 1095 carbon steel rather than more common stainless.

Esse izula