ESEE Izula ii

   I cannot remember a time when my grand father or uncle didn't carry a folding knife. They used their knives at work, trimming finger nails, and general cutting jobs. Their personal favorites were Case, Old Timer, or a variety of other brands. These styles fit their EDC and were used often. Personally, this style of knife has never fit well in my EDC. Over the years, I've mainly carried Lockback knives and Liner locks. They have served me well and in certain situations, I still carry them.

   I have recently shifted to carrying a Fixed blade. For me, the choice just made sense. The main reasons for my decision was based on realistic confrontations. When people are overtaken by an aggressor, there is little time (if any) to remove a folding knife, deploy it, and begin defending oneself. This was my major reason for the transition.

   This transition, however, was not as simple as I first thought. I didn't want to carry a knife that would only serve one purpose. So I laid down some ground rules. I wanted a knife that was stout and versatile. It needed to fit in my hand well (to limit disarming). It must be small enough for concealment and I didn't want it to break the bank. After searching, debating, and comparing I chose the ESEE Izula ii.

   I realize that many people will question this choice as an EDC/self defense choice. The Izula ii I felt would do well in every role. Being made of 1095 Carbon Steel, there was very little worry of it breaking or dulling. (This fit my utility/defense role well.) The Textured powder coat finish looked amazing and seems very durable. (This would make the knife fashionable and protect it from the elements.) The Micarta scales were really my only concern (since Micarta is porous). The only other real question was how would I carry the knife? I was really looking to carry it on the front of my belt in more of an appendix style carry. Was the knife going to be too long? I wasn't sure.

   As first impressions go, I was surprised by the quality of the knife. Everything was perfectly ground, shaped molded, and right where it should be. The tan coating is a little bright for my personal tastes (I'm more of a coyote tan or FDE kinda guy) but I wanted to give this color a try. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the color. I chose it even though I knew how light it would be. It matches my hunting and new EDC bag better than the other choices. I just wish they had a darker tan (but you can't go around pleasing everyone.)

 When people who review this knife say that it is sharp out of the box, they are not joking. The Izula ii is scary sharp and precisely ground right down to the tip. The scale handles fit the full tang grip perfectly. The craftsmanship for this production knife is quite amazing. There is a good reason these knives have quite the cult following.

   The sheath is nothing special but locks up nicely. I have been carrying mine via a Large Tek-Lock made by  Benchmade. The Tek-Lock fit well on a 2" belt. I had to remove one spacer on the lock and add one O-ring to the sheath to make it fit securely where I wanted it. The knife can be drawn without the sheath sliding down the belt. With the additional O-ring placed at the bottom left hand corner, the handle of the knife rides closer to my belt buckle for a quick right handed draw. This also limits profiling. No one knows I carry it until I lift my shirt for deployment. In a dangerous situation I could unsheath the knife with one handle without lifting the shirt (but I don't want to risk cutting my shirts to ribbons).

All in all the Izual ii is fantastic choice for EDC. But the possibilities do not end there. It could easily double as a companion to a camping knife or a variety of other chores. Mine will get years of use and I am sure if you purchase one, yours will too. By far, one of the stoutest little knives on the market for its size. Well worth the asking price!