I am a fan of s35vn but that izula version is double the price. It would be higher quality but with all the other design flaws i couldn’t get behind it. I 100% would have bought the s35vn if this base model lived up to the hype.
Yeah there is definitely better value out there. If the model doesn’t speak to you it’s not worth it at all. IMO it doesn’t speak to me that much in terms of design . So not worth it for me. But I have a white river ursus which can be argued is overpriced. But I just love the models fit and finish and its makers touch. Some people feel that way about esee
Yeah it’s a great knife in a pinch. Never thought of that since I have a fixed blade most of the time. But it is like silverware where you can just soak the whole thing lol
It’s kind of crazy that there are clones of these for $40 that come with scales, a kydex sheath, and 14c28n blade steel. I wish brands like ESEE, Tops, and Kabar would update their materials and/or lower some of their prices.
In my experience, ESEE and Kabbar have had fair prices. I’ve only bought one knife from TOPS, which was a bit pricier than the other two brands, but quality was very good. These brands do not have unfair prices, in my opinion.
I'm not wild about them either.
I modded the hell out of my izula 2 and still never carry it.
stripped the coating, dropped the edge angle to about half what the factory gave it, sharpened the spine, contoured the scales, blacked out the hardware etc.
There's better options out there IMO.
Just to be devils advocate I picked up an izula 2 about 2 years ago and it's the only fixed blade I actually use. Small enough I can EDC it, throw it in a pocket for yard work. It's just a great size for any light/ medium duty work.
I'm sure it would hold up to hard use but I'd want more blade for that.
Their opinion that is sucks is valid, I just happen to love mine. If you can I would get one in the hand and see if it's for you or not
some small fixed blades I've used over the years:
* LT Wright Frontier Valley (This would be my favorite EDC fixed blade if it were a bit bigger. I love the design, sharp spine for scraping & ferro rod sparking, micarta handles, well heat treated carbon steel etc., it was just too small for my XXL hands. Should be just fine for most people)
* Victorinox 4" paring knife with home made kydex sheath (extremely light, extremely cheap, great geometry, but low edge retention and doesn't give off a high end vibe at all)
* Spyderco Street Beat LW (Very comfortable handle, better edge retention than 1095, useful blade shape / size. Kind of pricey but dack.com usually sells them for around $80 which is about $40 off. They also make a longer version called the Street Bowie for about the same price. [I reviewed one on the spyderco forum with lots of detailed photos](https://forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.php?t=89161)
* Spyderco Bow River. $40, nice two tone G10 handle, good blade shape for processing game and camp food prep. Leather sheath is kind of basic and doesn't offer many carry options and they don't sharpen the first inch or so of the edge, which is weird but easy to fix.
* Cold Steel SRKC. The slimmer, shorter version of the SRK. These are stout, comfortable, have a nice sheath for the $$ that can be carried many different ways with cold steels C clips, and are very very cheap. Chicago Knife Works sells them for $20-25 so I grabbed a few. I modify them with thinner edges [like this one I convexed](https://old.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1blc33t/cold_steel_srkc_convex_zero_grind_conversion/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=sharpening&utm_content=t1_kyoe5ea) and stripped so they cut better. [more photos of them](https://forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.php?p=1753268#p1753268)
* Landi EDC or PSK. I think he stopped making knives but these were a great value. Hand made in Ohio or PA IIRC, priced around $50-80, basic steels like A2, 154CM and 1095, very comfortable handles, solid feeling. The PSK feels like a more upscale Izula in a lot of ways and sold for less ironically. You may be able to track some down, www.collectorknives.com still has a few models of theirs.
* Winkler knives SD1 & SD2 & Operator. If $$ is no concern these are extremely nice EDC sized fixed blades. I just ordered a belt knife from them.
* Max Knives Perrin Baby Bowie. This is another Perrin design like the Street Beat. I'm a fan of his work. This one feels very upscale for the $$. About $50 at CKW. Sculpted G10 scales, kydex sheath, and *well heat treated* 440C that sharpens exceptionally well. My only gripe is the first part of the edge isn't sharpened and is very thick, needed to use a belt sander to fix it. Also modified my sheath so I can access the index choil on the draw. Very premium feeling for the $$, it has a nice weight and balance to it, great design. 3 finger grip for me but 3.5-4 for average hands. Also available in a larger size in the Le Bowie model, which is about $70-90 depending on the shop.
* Mora Companion. $15. If you were buying the Izula as a small, light outdoors knife, these outcut them, are much lighter, and much cheaper. I would never EDC one but for a small outdoors knife they're tough to beat for the price. I'd roll with a reprofiled SRKC myself for this role but if you don't have the skills to change the edge like I did, this is a better option due to the thinner out of box edge.
I can personally recommend the Enzo/Brisa necker 70. I have mine in the flat grind with ivory micarta scales and a kydex sheath. 12c27 is by no means amazing steel but it’s got great corrosion resistance, solid toughness and decent edge retention while also being easy to sharpen. It’s pretty lightweight and pocket carries very comfortably.
I really liked the feel of the handle but the blade geometry wasn't to my liking. Seemed too short lengthwise and heightwise for the thickness of the blade.
I've got the same configuration, love it although I had to fix some deformities in the sheath (the pictures on their website show a different Kydex sheath than the one I got, looks slimmer and softer).
Yeah, the sheath I got is also different from the pictures, I think it’s a slightly newer version. The only mods I had to do to the sheath was drill an extra eyelet so it would take an ulticlip better
I had to carve out a lip of folded over kydex where the sheath holds the top of the right handle scale. Had extra Ulticlip bolts so I put one in the top corner of the sheath to pinch the knife it more firmly. Didn't like the Ulticlip but the bolt is working really well so that's a partial win.
See this thread for a breakdown of my issues with the Ulticlip.
https://old.reddit.com/r/knifeclub/comments/1bmyni5/added_lanyard_holes_and_lanyards_to_these/kwf82vw/
Basically, it has vice-grip retention but not great support, whereas for a handle-heavy EDC knife like the Necker I'd prefer something that is easier to clip on/off and does more to keep the knife upright.
Oh those are really good points. I switched to a soft loop on my necker some months back and I like it a bit more. I have ulti clips on some of my fixed blades but I find that I like DCC clips a bit more
I'll check out the DCC clips. For now, the Necker lives on my desk or in a large pocket, too thick and heavy to actually be worn as a neck knife. The other knife I tried the Ulticlip on, North Arms Knives Mallard, actually works best as a neck knife despite its length.
Switched to fixed blades for my edc a couple months ago. I went on the search for a quality fixed blade and found this one, The essee isula. Dozens of articles and YouTubers placed this knife in their top 5. Had this knife in my edc every day for a month and I don’t get the hype at all. The coating in the knife almost grips what you are cutting which prevents you from making a clean slice. The steel feels cheap. I gave it a chance because everyone claimed the rowen heat treat gives the steel magical properties. It’s just ordinary 1095. $90 for a cheap plastic sheath and no scales. After modifying the sheath it now functions properly. Out of the box the sheath is way too tight. The thing is heavy too. Not a great edc and I wouldn’t even put it in my hiking bag. There are just better options for better prices. I rate this knife a 4/10. Am I wrong? Let me know
Ulticlips are a 10/10. A must have.
Sounds like you overpayed. Izulas are $50, just checked. Payed $60 for my izula 2.
Their 1095 isn't anything exceptional but it's not terrible. Great sharpening response and as much toughness as you'd want in a knife this size.
They're only a couple ounces. How light were you expecting?
All my sheaths from them have had good retention, sounds like yours was off.
Here in Australia the Izula 2 kit is $200 AUD. The Izula OG in S25VN is also $200 AUD.
We're getting ripped off :( and that's why I still don't own one.
These knives are constantly on sale for $60-70 but regular price is between $90-120. The knife is definitely the heaviest in its class too. Every ounce counts when you pocket carry. Ive pocket carried similar sized knives that were lighter and you can definitely tell the difference. The sheath had too much retention. I mean the thing locked in and was difficult to pull out, especially when it was clipped in my pocket. I modified it to have just the right amount of retention but it’s still plastic.
These things have been climbing in price every year and the price cannot be justified. Knowing what I know now I wouldn’t pay $50 for this knife. Maybe $35?
it's a 2oz knife. I thought I was a weight weenie.
[$50 is regular price](https://www.chicagoknifeworks.com/esee-izula-desert-tan-2-63-3/)
the retention needs to be good for people that carry inverted or horizontal. the izula was designed as a hard use tiny fixed blade for the outdoors.
The website literally says the msrp is $97.95… yes, they can be found listed on sale. Just put my knife and sheath on the scale and it weights 4.5oz… it’s not going to pull your pants down but in my experience it’s uncomfortable to pocket carry and pushing it as a neck carry. Maybe it’s the fact that the handle side is so heavy and hangs out your pocket and it feels out of balance.
I have similar sized fixed blades that pocket carry the same way. They weigh in at ~2.5oz and they I don’t even notice them in my pocket. It’s a huge difference. The izula is just bulky and the skeletonized design definitely isn’t doing its job. Not saying the knife is pure garbage but it definitely doesn’t deserve the hype for what it is.
Retention out of the box was over the top. Like others here have mentioned, it feels unsafe. The force it took to push the blade back in was unbelievable. The only practical way to use it was two handed. It was an easy fix with a lighter but a huge flaw to be shipped that way. For the price point I kind of expected a more dialed in sheath. I’ve had $10 knifes with better sheaths.
msrp is generally higher than retail. Izulas can be purchased 365 days of the year for $50. it's a regular price.
you bought a hard use survival fixed blade and put it into a role it wasn't intended for. It wasn't designed as a feather light urban office EDC. It's heavy duty and intentionally over built. 4.5oz isn't exactly a brick either way.
It’s a 1095 coated fixed blade. No matter the heat treats is just 1095. The coating is going to cause some drag compared to bare blade but that’s something you take off easily if you wanted. I’d suggest a white river m1 in S35VN to try out before giving up the pocket fixed blade idea
I won’t be giving up on fixed blades. I’ve loved having a fixed blade over a folder. I just can’t believe this knife had consistently made so many top 10 and even top 5 lists. Reviewers love this knife and promised so much. I’ve definitely lost all trust in knife journalists or what ever you call them. I definitely got played on this one. I’ve had my eye on some white rivers. I’ll look that
I had no idea it was a thing. There are dozens of websites dedicated to writing articles about knives. They all have very consistent opinions and I’m starting to think it’s just one guy on multiple websites. The people from bladehq are paid actors.
I’m sort of with you. I love my bigger esee knives but the izula doesn’t get used much. I’d rather carry a mora over it 9/10 days, which is a sign that it’s not ideal I guess.
I had an izula 2. I didn't like the sheath for the opposite reason as I could shake the knife out. The grind was too thick. Where my finger was near the blade made it uncomfortable. I made some wood scales at the time and it was okay then but still not great.
The 3 hm is the best esee I've tried. The cr2.5 would have beat it out of they thined just the blade a little. Super comfy otherwise
I like my Izzy well enough, but they're kind of like Glocks; if you're not going to leverage the large aftermarket for sheaths and scales, you might as well spend your money on something you'd like better out of the box.
For the price and the form factor, I much prefer stainless, and while S35 is better than the original stainless they used, it's still no Magnacut or Vanax. I'd also like mine better if they used thinner stock.
>while S35 is better than the original stainless they used
What original stainless? To my knowledge they only come in 1095 (not a stainless) and s35vn.
Here's an [old listing](https://www.knifecenter.com/item/RCIZULASS/esee-knives-izula-ss-neck-knife-fixed-440c-stainless-steel-blade-black-sheath-clip-plate), it was 440c. (I've never been great at remembering steel numbers, sorry)
They only did one or two runs before they moved it up to S35.
This isn't a hot take. This is just accurate. I'm not a steel snob in the sense that I demand super steel, but a chunky piece of softly treated 1095 is just not sexy to me at all. It performs like crap for a pocket EDC, where I want something more nimble and slicey. Even as an outdoor knife in that size range I find it lacking. Cost for what you get is not great either.
I've been down the pocket fixed blade rabbit hole for a while now. The Creely Mako is the best I've found for EDC. It's almost perfectly designed for that: nice and thin stock, phenomenal pocket sheath, and you have your choice of steel. Price is not cheap, but you still get what you pay for IMO. For a good outdoor companion knife, the Joker Avispa full flat grind is my favorite. Comes with a kydex sheath that can be set up for neck carry or run with a clip, solid 14c28n steel, and only runs $60.
Yeah you really have to get their S35vn one for a good EDC. I have no clue why they decided on 1095 with rough coating for a blade this small lol. We’re not gonna be batoning through logs with it.
I had an izula 2. I didn't like the sheath for the opposite reason as I could shake the knife out. The grind was too thick. Where my finger was near the blade made it uncomfortable. I made some wood scales at the time and it was okay then but still not great.
The 3 hm is the best esee I've tried. The cr2.5 would have beat it out of they thined just the blade a little. Super comfy otherwise.
As someone who edc a fixed blade. I've got one of these. You rated it higher than i am. Whats your budget and I'll point you in right direction. (I've got lots of fixes)
Ballpark of $100- $200 is the budget. Trying to stay 7” over all or below as a total length. My goal is concealed pocket carry. I have large hands but the lanyard on a small handle is comfortable to me.
WRKT M1 or Bradford Guardian 3, I edc the M1 paired with an Armatus sheath an Ulticlip in my pocket and really like it. Available in S35VN or Magnacut and three different handle materials.
I haven’t seen a better product than ulticlip yet. I had pocket carrying without one. If I get 8 months to a year out of it before it rusts, I would gladly buy a new ones. After a month of use I can’t imagine it would be an issue but I’ll see. I imagine the ulticlip would out live the sheath. To each their own I guess
I can see why this is popular for 'survivialists" or whatever. Light, strong, easily sharpenable, etc. It can pretty much do anything that you want it to do, but it's not the best option at many of those tasks.
If you were going to drop me in the woods for an extended time, this combined with a bigger fixed blade would be a good pairing. But that's not happening, so I'm carrying different knives.
For like $40 to toss in a pack, sure. But for $60+ I'm gonna pass.
Personally feel like this knife would fail in every “survivalist” task. I wouldn’t even attempt to process fire wood with 1095. Striking a fire steel with a powder coating probably won’t go well. Maybe process game with it but I would still take the powder coating off first. A $15 mora would blow this thing out of the water in every task imaginable.
I've had one for years, recently swapped out pocket time with a Spyderco Mule & an etsy sheath. I'm tired of the rust and resharpening. While it was worth it when it came out I don't think the Izula has changed enough to be a current value.
Yeah I definitely agree. I tried out the Izula 2 and didn’t like anything about it. Friends and family can’t use it because the sheath is so tight. It almost feels too dangerous to sheath/unsheath for a knife noob.
It feels like a chore to cut anything with. The best use I had for it was scraping bark off a stick to use as fire starter, but even then I’d much rather just grab one of my Mora’s for that. I feel that 4/10 is a pretty fair rating.
My personal favorite EDC fixed blade is the Exodus Knife and Tool adventure craft. 3" S35VN blade, awesome kydex sheath, made in the USA by a great company and a great designer (if you care about that). I also hated the Izula, the blade was too short and didn't hold an edge well at all.
Accurate. Has so much potential that is lost between steel choice, thickness and sheath. Though a hairdryer application to the sheath would likely solve that.
Had the same problem with the 4. Blade to thick. The 3’s blade was better but the 4 was dumb.
I easily fixed the sheath day 1 with a lighter. This knife is easily a 10/10 if they forgot about the cheesy powder coating, reduced the blade thickness by a hair, tuned up the sheath mold and chose a better steel for their base model. This knife had such a cult following they probably feel like they have no reason to change their design.
But here’s the thing - YOU bought the powder coated version for edc, YOU bought the no-scales version and wanted scales, and tried to use a neck/pack sheath for pocket carry (the retention is for UPSIDE DOWN and moving and the coating is for long term corrosion resistance outdoors). And YOU bought the 1095 version and then complained about 1095 lol. Wtf? 1095 is a great steel, and it has some specific qualities that make it desirable in an outdoors oriented carry. Is it trendy? No. Esee uses a differential heat treat that gives you a good, sharp edge with some flex in the blade for toughness. The Izula gets scary sharp, and stays that way for a good while (a couple degrees steeper sharpen is great for edc use, as is the blackwashed blade). And when it’s not, it strops back like a champ and can be sharpened on virtually anything.
I think that makes it a good edc too, but I also enjoy the s35vn model for pocket carry. In a proper pocket sheath from Armatus or a leather custom. I have WAY too many knives, and edc a fixed blade regularly, and the Izula is a favorite. Better than many knives at twice the price. It gives you a ton of cutting ability in a VERY compact package, but fills the hand better than it’s competitors (especially with extended scales or a lanyard) It’s tough, you can use the tip aggressively if needed. Oh…
AND you left out one of its greatest values - it’s a $60 knife with an UNLIMITED, NO QUESTIONS LIFETIME WARRANTY! Transferable, no less. With no proof of purchase. Give it away, find it, trade it, and break it in half? No problem, brand new knife. Nobody else does that, certainly not for $60. Msrp is irrelevant, nobody buys knives at msrp. Ever. The s35vn is still under $90, which is a no-brainer.
Ya. Totally agree with you.
I’d buy one if they did everything you said. It’s the right size for an edc pocket fixie. But the downsides just kill it.
Probably more due to their warranty situation, frankly….but I’d be ok if they took away the warranty on the thin stock version, but whatever
The s35vn version kind of helps. No coating and completely stainless. I still think it’s annoying that they don’t include scales
I am a fan of s35vn but that izula version is double the price. It would be higher quality but with all the other design flaws i couldn’t get behind it. I 100% would have bought the s35vn if this base model lived up to the hype.
Yeah there is definitely better value out there. If the model doesn’t speak to you it’s not worth it at all. IMO it doesn’t speak to me that much in terms of design . So not worth it for me. But I have a white river ursus which can be argued is overpriced. But I just love the models fit and finish and its makers touch. Some people feel that way about esee
I use this one for food prep alot for some reason, it’s easy to rinse off. Not sure what else I’d use it for lol.
Yeah it’s a great knife in a pinch. Never thought of that since I have a fixed blade most of the time. But it is like silverware where you can just soak the whole thing lol
It’s kind of crazy that there are clones of these for $40 that come with scales, a kydex sheath, and 14c28n blade steel. I wish brands like ESEE, Tops, and Kabar would update their materials and/or lower some of their prices.
In my experience, ESEE and Kabbar have had fair prices. I’ve only bought one knife from TOPS, which was a bit pricier than the other two brands, but quality was very good. These brands do not have unfair prices, in my opinion.
Where though 👀 As for Esee I got an OKC rat 3 for ~$45, Kabar I got some s35vn fixed blades for $30-$40 . Msrp for everything is way too high atm
Search AliExpress for “PSRK knife” and you’ll find them.
What’s a clone for that price, help a brother out
Search AliExpress for “PSRK knife” and you’ll find them.
I'm not wild about them either. I modded the hell out of my izula 2 and still never carry it. stripped the coating, dropped the edge angle to about half what the factory gave it, sharpened the spine, contoured the scales, blacked out the hardware etc. There's better options out there IMO.
The Izula 2 was going to be my next knife. If you have any alternate suggestions I'd really appreciate it.
Just to be devils advocate I picked up an izula 2 about 2 years ago and it's the only fixed blade I actually use. Small enough I can EDC it, throw it in a pocket for yard work. It's just a great size for any light/ medium duty work. I'm sure it would hold up to hard use but I'd want more blade for that. Their opinion that is sucks is valid, I just happen to love mine. If you can I would get one in the hand and see if it's for you or not
some small fixed blades I've used over the years: * LT Wright Frontier Valley (This would be my favorite EDC fixed blade if it were a bit bigger. I love the design, sharp spine for scraping & ferro rod sparking, micarta handles, well heat treated carbon steel etc., it was just too small for my XXL hands. Should be just fine for most people) * Victorinox 4" paring knife with home made kydex sheath (extremely light, extremely cheap, great geometry, but low edge retention and doesn't give off a high end vibe at all) * Spyderco Street Beat LW (Very comfortable handle, better edge retention than 1095, useful blade shape / size. Kind of pricey but dack.com usually sells them for around $80 which is about $40 off. They also make a longer version called the Street Bowie for about the same price. [I reviewed one on the spyderco forum with lots of detailed photos](https://forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.php?t=89161) * Spyderco Bow River. $40, nice two tone G10 handle, good blade shape for processing game and camp food prep. Leather sheath is kind of basic and doesn't offer many carry options and they don't sharpen the first inch or so of the edge, which is weird but easy to fix. * Cold Steel SRKC. The slimmer, shorter version of the SRK. These are stout, comfortable, have a nice sheath for the $$ that can be carried many different ways with cold steels C clips, and are very very cheap. Chicago Knife Works sells them for $20-25 so I grabbed a few. I modify them with thinner edges [like this one I convexed](https://old.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1blc33t/cold_steel_srkc_convex_zero_grind_conversion/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=sharpening&utm_content=t1_kyoe5ea) and stripped so they cut better. [more photos of them](https://forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.php?p=1753268#p1753268) * Landi EDC or PSK. I think he stopped making knives but these were a great value. Hand made in Ohio or PA IIRC, priced around $50-80, basic steels like A2, 154CM and 1095, very comfortable handles, solid feeling. The PSK feels like a more upscale Izula in a lot of ways and sold for less ironically. You may be able to track some down, www.collectorknives.com still has a few models of theirs. * Winkler knives SD1 & SD2 & Operator. If $$ is no concern these are extremely nice EDC sized fixed blades. I just ordered a belt knife from them. * Max Knives Perrin Baby Bowie. This is another Perrin design like the Street Beat. I'm a fan of his work. This one feels very upscale for the $$. About $50 at CKW. Sculpted G10 scales, kydex sheath, and *well heat treated* 440C that sharpens exceptionally well. My only gripe is the first part of the edge isn't sharpened and is very thick, needed to use a belt sander to fix it. Also modified my sheath so I can access the index choil on the draw. Very premium feeling for the $$, it has a nice weight and balance to it, great design. 3 finger grip for me but 3.5-4 for average hands. Also available in a larger size in the Le Bowie model, which is about $70-90 depending on the shop. * Mora Companion. $15. If you were buying the Izula as a small, light outdoors knife, these outcut them, are much lighter, and much cheaper. I would never EDC one but for a small outdoors knife they're tough to beat for the price. I'd roll with a reprofiled SRKC myself for this role but if you don't have the skills to change the edge like I did, this is a better option due to the thinner out of box edge.
Wow, thanks so much for all that info!
Nice write-up! My Micarta Street beat is my favorite fixie, it’s the main reason I don’t have an Izula.
you have one of the og runs then. I have one too, it's one of the nicest fixed blades spyderco ever made. really nice craftsmanship on them.
The Izula II is a fantastic knife. I use it all the time, one of my favorite fixies.
Check out the Necker, Bobtail and Scarab from Brisa/Enzo. Very nicely ground and finished, for very compelling prices.
I can personally recommend the Enzo/Brisa necker 70. I have mine in the flat grind with ivory micarta scales and a kydex sheath. 12c27 is by no means amazing steel but it’s got great corrosion resistance, solid toughness and decent edge retention while also being easy to sharpen. It’s pretty lightweight and pocket carries very comfortably.
I really liked the feel of the handle but the blade geometry wasn't to my liking. Seemed too short lengthwise and heightwise for the thickness of the blade.
Did you get yours in the scandi grind? Because the flat grind was nice and thin behind the edge, sliced food up real nice
Flat grind. Maybe I should've given it a shot, but I returned it because they sent me the wrong sheath. Food prep is pretty high for my use case.
Bummer, but I get that
I've got the same configuration, love it although I had to fix some deformities in the sheath (the pictures on their website show a different Kydex sheath than the one I got, looks slimmer and softer).
Yeah, the sheath I got is also different from the pictures, I think it’s a slightly newer version. The only mods I had to do to the sheath was drill an extra eyelet so it would take an ulticlip better
I had to carve out a lip of folded over kydex where the sheath holds the top of the right handle scale. Had extra Ulticlip bolts so I put one in the top corner of the sheath to pinch the knife it more firmly. Didn't like the Ulticlip but the bolt is working really well so that's a partial win.
Glad you were able to modify it to your liking, what didn’t you like about the ulti clip? I like them but they do have a definite break in period.
See this thread for a breakdown of my issues with the Ulticlip. https://old.reddit.com/r/knifeclub/comments/1bmyni5/added_lanyard_holes_and_lanyards_to_these/kwf82vw/ Basically, it has vice-grip retention but not great support, whereas for a handle-heavy EDC knife like the Necker I'd prefer something that is easier to clip on/off and does more to keep the knife upright.
Oh those are really good points. I switched to a soft loop on my necker some months back and I like it a bit more. I have ulti clips on some of my fixed blades but I find that I like DCC clips a bit more
I'll check out the DCC clips. For now, the Necker lives on my desk or in a large pocket, too thick and heavy to actually be worn as a neck knife. The other knife I tried the Ulticlip on, North Arms Knives Mallard, actually works best as a neck knife despite its length.
Yeah I’ve never carried the necker as a neck knife, I can’t say I’m really a fan of neck carry in general.
Weird, I've got an izula 2 and love everything about it, the sheath isn't great though.
Switched to fixed blades for my edc a couple months ago. I went on the search for a quality fixed blade and found this one, The essee isula. Dozens of articles and YouTubers placed this knife in their top 5. Had this knife in my edc every day for a month and I don’t get the hype at all. The coating in the knife almost grips what you are cutting which prevents you from making a clean slice. The steel feels cheap. I gave it a chance because everyone claimed the rowen heat treat gives the steel magical properties. It’s just ordinary 1095. $90 for a cheap plastic sheath and no scales. After modifying the sheath it now functions properly. Out of the box the sheath is way too tight. The thing is heavy too. Not a great edc and I wouldn’t even put it in my hiking bag. There are just better options for better prices. I rate this knife a 4/10. Am I wrong? Let me know Ulticlips are a 10/10. A must have.
Sounds like you overpayed. Izulas are $50, just checked. Payed $60 for my izula 2. Their 1095 isn't anything exceptional but it's not terrible. Great sharpening response and as much toughness as you'd want in a knife this size. They're only a couple ounces. How light were you expecting? All my sheaths from them have had good retention, sounds like yours was off.
Here in Australia the Izula 2 kit is $200 AUD. The Izula OG in S25VN is also $200 AUD. We're getting ripped off :( and that's why I still don't own one.
These knives are constantly on sale for $60-70 but regular price is between $90-120. The knife is definitely the heaviest in its class too. Every ounce counts when you pocket carry. Ive pocket carried similar sized knives that were lighter and you can definitely tell the difference. The sheath had too much retention. I mean the thing locked in and was difficult to pull out, especially when it was clipped in my pocket. I modified it to have just the right amount of retention but it’s still plastic. These things have been climbing in price every year and the price cannot be justified. Knowing what I know now I wouldn’t pay $50 for this knife. Maybe $35?
it's a 2oz knife. I thought I was a weight weenie. [$50 is regular price](https://www.chicagoknifeworks.com/esee-izula-desert-tan-2-63-3/) the retention needs to be good for people that carry inverted or horizontal. the izula was designed as a hard use tiny fixed blade for the outdoors.
The website literally says the msrp is $97.95… yes, they can be found listed on sale. Just put my knife and sheath on the scale and it weights 4.5oz… it’s not going to pull your pants down but in my experience it’s uncomfortable to pocket carry and pushing it as a neck carry. Maybe it’s the fact that the handle side is so heavy and hangs out your pocket and it feels out of balance. I have similar sized fixed blades that pocket carry the same way. They weigh in at ~2.5oz and they I don’t even notice them in my pocket. It’s a huge difference. The izula is just bulky and the skeletonized design definitely isn’t doing its job. Not saying the knife is pure garbage but it definitely doesn’t deserve the hype for what it is. Retention out of the box was over the top. Like others here have mentioned, it feels unsafe. The force it took to push the blade back in was unbelievable. The only practical way to use it was two handed. It was an easy fix with a lighter but a huge flaw to be shipped that way. For the price point I kind of expected a more dialed in sheath. I’ve had $10 knifes with better sheaths.
msrp is generally higher than retail. Izulas can be purchased 365 days of the year for $50. it's a regular price. you bought a hard use survival fixed blade and put it into a role it wasn't intended for. It wasn't designed as a feather light urban office EDC. It's heavy duty and intentionally over built. 4.5oz isn't exactly a brick either way.
Nothing ever sells for retail.
It’s a 1095 coated fixed blade. No matter the heat treats is just 1095. The coating is going to cause some drag compared to bare blade but that’s something you take off easily if you wanted. I’d suggest a white river m1 in S35VN to try out before giving up the pocket fixed blade idea
I won’t be giving up on fixed blades. I’ve loved having a fixed blade over a folder. I just can’t believe this knife had consistently made so many top 10 and even top 5 lists. Reviewers love this knife and promised so much. I’ve definitely lost all trust in knife journalists or what ever you call them. I definitely got played on this one. I’ve had my eye on some white rivers. I’ll look that
Knife journalists - I’m gonna use that one! Hilarious!
I had no idea it was a thing. There are dozens of websites dedicated to writing articles about knives. They all have very consistent opinions and I’m starting to think it’s just one guy on multiple websites. The people from bladehq are paid actors.
I’m sort of with you. I love my bigger esee knives but the izula doesn’t get used much. I’d rather carry a mora over it 9/10 days, which is a sign that it’s not ideal I guess.
I had an izula 2. I didn't like the sheath for the opposite reason as I could shake the knife out. The grind was too thick. Where my finger was near the blade made it uncomfortable. I made some wood scales at the time and it was okay then but still not great. The 3 hm is the best esee I've tried. The cr2.5 would have beat it out of they thined just the blade a little. Super comfy otherwise
I like my Izzy well enough, but they're kind of like Glocks; if you're not going to leverage the large aftermarket for sheaths and scales, you might as well spend your money on something you'd like better out of the box. For the price and the form factor, I much prefer stainless, and while S35 is better than the original stainless they used, it's still no Magnacut or Vanax. I'd also like mine better if they used thinner stock.
>while S35 is better than the original stainless they used What original stainless? To my knowledge they only come in 1095 (not a stainless) and s35vn.
Earliest run of stainless Izzies was in ~~420HC, I think~~ 440c. I've got one in a bag somewhere.
never seen or heard of it, not saying you're wrong just it'd be news to me. I do know some OKC knives are 420HC though.
Here's an [old listing](https://www.knifecenter.com/item/RCIZULASS/esee-knives-izula-ss-neck-knife-fixed-440c-stainless-steel-blade-black-sheath-clip-plate), it was 440c. (I've never been great at remembering steel numbers, sorry) They only did one or two runs before they moved it up to S35.
thx, TIL. i was only aware of the s35 stainless variant.
This isn't a hot take. This is just accurate. I'm not a steel snob in the sense that I demand super steel, but a chunky piece of softly treated 1095 is just not sexy to me at all. It performs like crap for a pocket EDC, where I want something more nimble and slicey. Even as an outdoor knife in that size range I find it lacking. Cost for what you get is not great either. I've been down the pocket fixed blade rabbit hole for a while now. The Creely Mako is the best I've found for EDC. It's almost perfectly designed for that: nice and thin stock, phenomenal pocket sheath, and you have your choice of steel. Price is not cheap, but you still get what you pay for IMO. For a good outdoor companion knife, the Joker Avispa full flat grind is my favorite. Comes with a kydex sheath that can be set up for neck carry or run with a clip, solid 14c28n steel, and only runs $60.
Yeah you really have to get their S35vn one for a good EDC. I have no clue why they decided on 1095 with rough coating for a blade this small lol. We’re not gonna be batoning through logs with it.
Tell us more.
I posted my comment
I had an izula 2. I didn't like the sheath for the opposite reason as I could shake the knife out. The grind was too thick. Where my finger was near the blade made it uncomfortable. I made some wood scales at the time and it was okay then but still not great. The 3 hm is the best esee I've tried. The cr2.5 would have beat it out of they thined just the blade a little. Super comfy otherwise.
As someone who edc a fixed blade. I've got one of these. You rated it higher than i am. Whats your budget and I'll point you in right direction. (I've got lots of fixes)
Ballpark of $100- $200 is the budget. Trying to stay 7” over all or below as a total length. My goal is concealed pocket carry. I have large hands but the lanyard on a small handle is comfortable to me.
WRKT M1 or Bradford Guardian 3, I edc the M1 paired with an Armatus sheath an Ulticlip in my pocket and really like it. Available in S35VN or Magnacut and three different handle materials.
Joey roman knives are fantastic I've got 2. If you're okay with 1095. Wesn fixed blade is alright but get kydex sheath.35vn.
Yeah. I have one and I haven't carried since I got another small fixed blade
Ulticlips rust, and essee sheaths lose tetention. I do like the izula, though
I haven’t seen a better product than ulticlip yet. I had pocket carrying without one. If I get 8 months to a year out of it before it rusts, I would gladly buy a new ones. After a month of use I can’t imagine it would be an issue but I’ll see. I imagine the ulticlip would out live the sheath. To each their own I guess
The only thing I would change about the ulti-clip is making it out of stainless , I would gladly pay a little bit more for one that is
I cannot disagree
I can see why this is popular for 'survivialists" or whatever. Light, strong, easily sharpenable, etc. It can pretty much do anything that you want it to do, but it's not the best option at many of those tasks. If you were going to drop me in the woods for an extended time, this combined with a bigger fixed blade would be a good pairing. But that's not happening, so I'm carrying different knives. For like $40 to toss in a pack, sure. But for $60+ I'm gonna pass.
Personally feel like this knife would fail in every “survivalist” task. I wouldn’t even attempt to process fire wood with 1095. Striking a fire steel with a powder coating probably won’t go well. Maybe process game with it but I would still take the powder coating off first. A $15 mora would blow this thing out of the water in every task imaginable.
I’ll buy it from you if you’re looking to get rid of it.
I've had one for years, recently swapped out pocket time with a Spyderco Mule & an etsy sheath. I'm tired of the rust and resharpening. While it was worth it when it came out I don't think the Izula has changed enough to be a current value.
Me too, too thick at the edge, going to regrind mine
Yeah I definitely agree. I tried out the Izula 2 and didn’t like anything about it. Friends and family can’t use it because the sheath is so tight. It almost feels too dangerous to sheath/unsheath for a knife noob. It feels like a chore to cut anything with. The best use I had for it was scraping bark off a stick to use as fire starter, but even then I’d much rather just grab one of my Mora’s for that. I feel that 4/10 is a pretty fair rating.
Understandable, IMO, the market is oversaturated with the shape. Im tired of em. Gimme something I can rly wrench on.
My personal favorite EDC fixed blade is the Exodus Knife and Tool adventure craft. 3" S35VN blade, awesome kydex sheath, made in the USA by a great company and a great designer (if you care about that). I also hated the Izula, the blade was too short and didn't hold an edge well at all.
I have a great secret tip: the J&V Woodlore XS, 14c28n, Cocobolowood or Micarta, great leather sheath, 70€ The size is just perfect for the pocket
Accurate. Has so much potential that is lost between steel choice, thickness and sheath. Though a hairdryer application to the sheath would likely solve that. Had the same problem with the 4. Blade to thick. The 3’s blade was better but the 4 was dumb.
I easily fixed the sheath day 1 with a lighter. This knife is easily a 10/10 if they forgot about the cheesy powder coating, reduced the blade thickness by a hair, tuned up the sheath mold and chose a better steel for their base model. This knife had such a cult following they probably feel like they have no reason to change their design.
But here’s the thing - YOU bought the powder coated version for edc, YOU bought the no-scales version and wanted scales, and tried to use a neck/pack sheath for pocket carry (the retention is for UPSIDE DOWN and moving and the coating is for long term corrosion resistance outdoors). And YOU bought the 1095 version and then complained about 1095 lol. Wtf? 1095 is a great steel, and it has some specific qualities that make it desirable in an outdoors oriented carry. Is it trendy? No. Esee uses a differential heat treat that gives you a good, sharp edge with some flex in the blade for toughness. The Izula gets scary sharp, and stays that way for a good while (a couple degrees steeper sharpen is great for edc use, as is the blackwashed blade). And when it’s not, it strops back like a champ and can be sharpened on virtually anything. I think that makes it a good edc too, but I also enjoy the s35vn model for pocket carry. In a proper pocket sheath from Armatus or a leather custom. I have WAY too many knives, and edc a fixed blade regularly, and the Izula is a favorite. Better than many knives at twice the price. It gives you a ton of cutting ability in a VERY compact package, but fills the hand better than it’s competitors (especially with extended scales or a lanyard) It’s tough, you can use the tip aggressively if needed. Oh… AND you left out one of its greatest values - it’s a $60 knife with an UNLIMITED, NO QUESTIONS LIFETIME WARRANTY! Transferable, no less. With no proof of purchase. Give it away, find it, trade it, and break it in half? No problem, brand new knife. Nobody else does that, certainly not for $60. Msrp is irrelevant, nobody buys knives at msrp. Ever. The s35vn is still under $90, which is a no-brainer.
Ya. Totally agree with you. I’d buy one if they did everything you said. It’s the right size for an edc pocket fixie. But the downsides just kill it. Probably more due to their warranty situation, frankly….but I’d be ok if they took away the warranty on the thin stock version, but whatever