- ESEE Izula II · Drop Point2.63″ blade · 0.156″ spine · 3.2 oz · 1″ tall (published)
ESEE Izula II
The ESEE Izula II is a 2.875" drop point fixed blade in 1095 Carbon, full flat ground. The handle is Micarta. At 3.2 oz it sits 4th-lightest of the 30 bushcraft and camp knives here, where the median is 7.2 oz.
- Blade
- 2.63″
- Weight
- 3.2 oz
- Steel
- 1095 Carbon
- Price band
- Mid
Camp cutting and light carving
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Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against eseeknives.com, knifecenter.
- Blade length
- 2.63″
- Cutting edge
- 2.63″
- Spine thickness
- 0.156″
- Blade shape
- Drop Point
- Grind
- Full Flat
- Steel
- 1095 Carbon
- Overall length
- 6.75″
- Weight
- 3.2 oz
- Lock
- Fixed
- Handle material
- Micarta
- Country of origin
- USA
Why a drop point
The default hunting and EDC shape, and the safest general answer. The spine curves down to the tip in a convex line, which keeps the point low and strong and leaves plenty of belly for skinning. It is hard to make a drop point bad at anything.
Every drop point here →About 1095 Carbon
The American survival-knife standard. Dead simple, very tough at these hardnesses, and it will start rusting the day you put it away wet.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All 1095 Carbon knives
What owners say
Drawn from 211 owner discussions of the ESEE Izula II since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- Owners carry it for years of daily work: one industrial electrician used it as their daily driver on the job for years and calls it their favorite knife, a hardscaper and excavator has carried one for four or five years, and another owner has used theirs almost daily for three years.
- The 1095 is easy to bring back: one owner who beats on their Izula II while babying a Dragonfly says the carbon steel does not break down and is far easier to sharpen than premium steels, and another got theirs sharp enough on a ceramic hone that it drew blood.
- The size works for pocket carry: one new owner bought it as a pocket fixed blade and gets the hype, one with average hands finds the handle size just right with grippy scales and good balance, and another says it stays comfortable even in larger hands.
- It comes with a clip-on sheath rather than a belt loop only, which one owner counts as a plus, and an Ulticlip on a sheath keeps its grip after years of use for another.
- Aftermarket sheaths are plentiful: owners name Armatus kydex, RK Custom Kydex, an Etsy kydex maker at $45 with an Ulticlip, and Oak City leather, and two owners made their own.
- It takes to patina: one owner stripped the coating and gave it a vinegar patina, and another says keeping it oiled is all the leather-sheathed 1095 needs.
- The warranty backs hard use: ESEE is said to replace a broken one no questions asked, even one broken on purpose, and ESEE gets ranked first for build quality and warranty.
What owners flag
- The factory sheath is the common complaint: one owner filed down the retention nubs and still nearly pulls the clip off their pants drawing it, another found it ruined freshly stropped edges and rattled, one says it digs into the hip, and another never carries the knife for lack of a good way to.
- Pocket carry can be bulky: one owner with an Armatus sheath and Ulticlip Slim 3.3 says the rig catches on everything and fills about 70 percent of a jeans pocket, and winter layers make their scout carry awkward.
- It is not a carver: one owner of both an Izula II and a Mora Eldris found a big hot spot in the finger groove when carving and calls the geometry too fat and the heat treat soft, and another owner of both prefers the Eldris handle.
- For neck carry it is heavier and larger than a Mora Eldris: one owner of both says so and would pick ESEE's smaller Candiru instead, and an owner who neck-carries an Eldris sees the Izula II as no upgrade.
- A fixed blade draws attention: one owner who carried theirs for a year found it was not well accepted in public and switched to a Victorinox Spartan for public use.
A 2.875 in 1095 blade with a full micarta handle at 3.2 oz is the Izula II's case: a fixed blade small enough to pocket that owners use as a work knife. One industrial electrician carried it on the job for years and calls it their favorite, a hardscaper has carried one for four or five years of dirty work, and another owner has used theirs almost daily for three years. One owner finds the carbon steel easy to sharpen, another stripped the coating for a vinegar patina, and ESEE's warranty is said to cover a broken one no questions asked.
The factory sheath is the part many owners replace. They report it digging into the hip, rattling and dulling the edge, gripping so hard that drawing the knife nearly pulls the clip off a pocket, and some stop carrying the knife until they find another. Armatus, RK Custom Kydex, Etsy kydex makers and Oak City leather sheaths come up, often with an Ulticlip, and two owners made their own. Even a good pocket rig can be bulky, and one owner gave up carrying it in public because a fixed blade drew attention.
The original Izula is the closest alternative: one buyer chose it over the II for the slimmest carry, and one Izula II owner runs theirs with the scales off so it hides under a shirt. For neck carry and carving, owners of both prefer the Mora Eldris, finding the Izula II heavier with a fatter grind. Buyers also weigh it against the ESEE-3 and the Ka-Bar BK11 and BK14.
Which sheath should I use for the Izula II?
Many owners replace the stock one. Armatus kydex comes up most, along with RK Custom Kydex, Etsy kydex makers and Oak City leather slips. For pocket carry several pair a sheath with an Ulticlip, and if the clip feels too big a shorter Ulticlip is the suggested fix.
Izula or Izula II for pocket carry?
The II adds about half an inch and a full scaled handle. One buyer who wanted the slimmest possible carry picked the original and wraps it in paracord, and one Izula II owner runs theirs with the scales off because it hides better, though it is more comfortable with them on. The original also comes in S35VN and can take extended scales that bring it close to the II.
Izula II or Mora Eldris as a neck knife?
Owners of both mostly say the Eldris. They describe the Izula II as heavier and larger, with a hot spot in the finger groove when carving and a fatter grind. One owner of both finds the Izula II sturdier and more versatile and carries it in urban settings, keeping the Eldris for outdoor work.
Will the 1095 rust?
It will if neglected. One owner who carries theirs in a leather sheath says keeping it oiled is enough and that it will patina, and plain mineral oil does the job. Another owner stripped the coating and forced a vinegar patina on purpose.
Can it handle work use?
Owner accounts say yes. An industrial electrician used it as a daily work knife for years, a hardscaper has carried one through four or five years of dirty work, and one owner has used theirs almost daily for three years. ESEE is also said to fix one broken in use no questions asked.
Features
- Full fixed tang
- Full Flat grind
- Made in USA
- Carbon steel blade — will patina
