RAT Cutlery Izula

Reviewed 06/27/2011 by lootnabber

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I love this knife, the only reason I didnt give it all tens is because a perfect 10 is something all together different in a knife. Its really a matter of opinion. This knife performs everyday, I have owned mine just over a year now and must say it has done everything I could have ever expected. The one problem I have with it is the powder coating, I regularly cut rubber base and other rubber items and it seems to hang when pinched, more so than a stainless knife. Also for people who like to keep their stuff spotless, if you intend to use this it will scuff up, from a utilitarian stand point it is perfect though. I have even pryed and hammered this thing (lightly, and do not recommend) and it is still fantastic!

Reviewed 12/13/2010 by KennyB

-Price Paid: $55.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

I got my ESEE Izula because I wanted a small fixed blade to EDC. The no-questions-asked warranty was also a very big attraction. I've carried it for a little over a month now.

My favorite aspect of the Izula is the versatility and carry options. It can be a neck knife, or can be carried easily on the belt in both horizontal and vertical configurations. On top of that, you can attach molle or tek loks to it to attach it to your packs.

The ergonomics are the second reason, but this knife is one that has a lot of options of ergonomics. You can carry it "naked" with just the skeleton frame, with a paracord wrap ( of which there are many different wraps that ofter various grips ), and there's also the optional micarta scales. I never found it very comfortable to carry it naked when using it for cutting tasks that require more force, but for mundane EDC things it's all right. I think the paracord wrap is a step up in comfort, but the scales really give you a lot more to hold on to. The only thing I don't really like about the scales is that they leave the pommel exposed and make it feel like there's nothing there to hold on to; but it's easy to wrap this part in paracord to have a half micarta/half paracord setup. As far as carrying it goes though; at 2 ounces and with all the options for carry, it's easy to forget it's even on you sometimes. Between the handle and carry options it's kind of hard not to find a comfortable way to carry and use.

There's a lot of things this knife can do that a lot of 3" offerings can't, but this can be kind of bad on one hand because I started trying to use the Izula for tasks that no 3" knife was suited for--slicing up a full sized ham for example. For the most part though, I haven't felt limited by the blade length, and I haven't felt like there's anything the blade can't really do within reason. I mean, as far as strength goes, I already had to use it as an ice pick/prybar to get my gas hatch open after I ran out of gas on the side of the road. It tore up the 1/16" sheet metal on the car in 18 F weather and all that happened was I slightly dulled up the tip and rolled the edge the tiniest bit (didn't even notice until 3 days later when trying to shave arm hair), but yet it's small enough to be able to handle delicate cutting tasks like whittling or taking out a splinter, cooking tasks, opening stuff. etc. I can even shave my face with it, which you probably wouldn't see me doing with many other knives I can treat like this.

I wasn't sure about 1095 steel when I bought it. Mostly because of the corrosion resistance because the humidity can get pretty high around here. From what I've seen with my limited experience the coating is pretty durable, but I've had the edge rust up slightly from leaving a little water on and putting it in the sheath. A little rust isn't really a big deal though.

As far as the other aspects of the steel go, I'm pretty surprised at how long the edge holds up to tasks that are nasty on an edge. I reprofiled but left the factory geometry; I just put a more even bevel on. Afterward I batoned through a 2x4 with no rolling or noticeable dulling, cut up about 16' of carpet with only slight dulling, and cut through a good bit of a steel radial tire. I think that with the blade thickness and a full flat grind it helps to keep it thick enough to handle a lot of stuff, but thin enough to still be a great slicer. It still dulls faster than my other EDC in S30V, but it's not so far behind it I wouldn't use it at the same rate.

To me though the real shining factor isn't the edge retention, because it does have its limit. What's really nice is how quickly it sharpens. That probably has to do with the 57 HRC hardness. You would think that being that soft it wouldn't hold an edge at all, but it holds it quite well and it's very easy to put back on. Seeing how I can even compare it to my S30V in edge retention, yet I could probably sharpen it back up in a quarter of the time, I think that's a huge asset.

The only real issue build wise I have with the Izula is that near the choil there is a very slight recurve. It ground out pretty well, but it still remains after my first reprofile, and so it prevented me from grinding out the entire original finish. It's not really a big deal at this point, but with the factory edge I think it would make it hard to make contact with the full edge at this point on the blade. The jimpings were a little rounded and provided little friction because of the coating as well; but that's nothing a file won't solve so it didn't bother me, but these were the only two questionable things I found with the build.

It's really hard to beat the price point given everything. All the carry and handle options, the low weight, and the insanely stout yet utilitarian build quality, it's generally a $30-$60 buy and you have a lot of options even when purchasing. It comes with Pink, OD Green, Desert Tan and Black coatings, and there are many more colors available online--I've even seen Red white and Blue patterns, and some vendors have exclusive "Safety Orange" models available. In addition to that you can get it with the "survival kit" or just with a sheath on its own. The micarta scales are about a $15 extra purchase though. At the end of it, for about $75 you can have an Izula with the survival kit and micarta scales, or for about $40 you can find just the knife on its own.

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Reviewed 04/03/2010 by Ted Erdelyi

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

This knife has become a favorite pocket knife since I recieved it 3 months ago, it is a very versitile set up and with an extra flint rod and a wrap of Velcro I have a system that is very customizeable.

Outta the box sharpness was 8 0n a scale of 10.

The ergos on the knife were a 7 to start but once I wrapped the handle it was better more like an 8.

The only shortcomming was the coating, it started chipping and flaking, purely cosmetic, didn't affect the function one bit.

Ease of sharpening was an 8 and the steel held its' edge.

For the price ya get a little sharpened prybar that fits the average size hand well and takes a decent edge with ease.

I will be buyin' more, this knife is a definite 8 and well worth the price.

Reviewed 04/03/2010 by rwasham

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I love the Izula. Ive used mine for everything from jobs in the kitchen to building a shelter and it hasnt let me down yet. Even though the blade is somewhat tiny, this knife can handle the jobs of a much larger knife and does everyting I ask of it. I gave it a nine in ergos because I have large hands and the handle doesnt fit me as well as I would like, but If you wrp it or buy the extra handle that goes with it Im sure this problem would be remedied. I just cant say enough good things about this knife. Overall its probably my favorite fixed blade to date.

Reviewed 01/18/2010 by FortyTwoBlades

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

My Izula has been a constant companion since the day I received it. The comfortable handle (especially when cord-wrapped) and pommel ring give a secure grip in all weather conditions I've thus far experienced (everything from bone dry to pounding rain and snow storms). The 1095 high carbon steel has kept a keen edge like a charm, and has withstood the rigors of batoning kindling (yes, Virginia, you CAN baton with a small blade) without batting an eye, and even if something went wrong the second-to-none warranty would have taken care of it.

I've even used it as a steak knife at Olive Garden when the one they provided me proved not to be up to the task. A great knife at any price.

Reviewed 01/17/2010 by gundude73

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

well if you are on the fence about this knife i say go for it. the only reason that i dinged it in the ergonomics department is that the handle is a little small. it allows for a 3 finger grip. the value is amazing. you get an American made knife that is razor sharp with survival kit, which has some nice little things in it, for $55! the warranty for this knife is amazing as well. no questions asked lifetime warranty. i have no qualms about using the heck out of it.

Reviewed 01/03/2010 by Lock1454

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

This is my favorite small fixed blade. The knife and sheath are both excellent. The 1095 steel sharpens very easily and holds its edge for quite some time and I haven't had any rust issues with minimal care. The drop point shape of the blade is great for a general utility blade, it has a nice tip that isn't too thin and a good amount of belly and sweep for general cutting tasks. The coating is quite durable, you can't expect it to look perfect forever, but I've found mine to wear quite well. The skeletonized handle is not the most comfortable to hold onto (what one is?) but is just fine when wrapped with 550 cord. The handle design provides a template for quite a few interesting wraps, I admit it's pretty fun to play with new wrap ideas. There is jumping on the back of the spine isn't the greatest (it's not very deep or sharp and add on the fact that it is a coated blade), but it does provide a bit of traction. The knife is easily deployed with one hand by using your thumb to push the top part of the sheath which is nicely rounded so it isn't a pain. The lanyard hole on the back of the knife and on the sheath are generously large which would allow for attachments of any size to fit easily. The sheath itself is quite sturdy, not flimsy like some other sheaths you may encounter. The blade locks in with a nice snap and is held securely. The sheath provides for a multitude of carry options with it's arrangement of slots and holes. I highly recommend this knife, it is nearly perfect, no major complaints about any particular aspect of it. And to top it off it isn't very expensive to obtain one if you know the right places to look. They sell these knives in various colors and with an optional kit (which contains a few other tidbits for a bit higher cost).

Reviewed 12/22/2009 by Fascion

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

Great, great knife. My only real complaints come in regards to the sheath, which falls well short of the sheath provided with the Ka-Bar/Becker BK-11. The texture on the Izula's sheath is easy to mar up and has no visual appeal, unlike the BK-11. Also, because it only has one hole with which to dangle it from, I find that it sways far more. The knife... perfect.

Reviewed 11/04/2009 by RAT

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

This is an awesome little fixed blade. Very light and very compact, but don't be fooled by it's size. This thing will hang with the best of them. This knife can be used very hard, and can serve many functions. This knife is capable of being used as an every day carry knife all the way to light batoning projects. I find it's most comfortable with a little paracord wrapped around the handle. There are tutorials online that demonstrate smart ways to wrap it. For 60 bucks or so, this knife means business. Also, it should be noted that RAT has awesome customer support and WILL cover you should this knife fail you. I wouldn't worry about that happening though...