I just received my first Esee knife, an Izula-II. Love the design and plan to use it for an EDC knife. The one thing I am suspicious about is the powder coating. I know that there are ways to remove it. I plan to keep it on and put it through the ringers before I make a final decision about keeping it or removing it. My first critique of the coating so far is it is worthless for use with my ferrous rod. What are others thoughts about this coating from those of you that have used these knives with this coating for awhile?
Im not a “use my knife as a striker” guy. In a pinch ive used the edge but only when im stuck without proper tools. A striker or most often the back of my saw or my multi tool saw back are used. Up to you on how you want to use your tool though buddy.
For EDC I would strip it. I like the coating for those knives that are just sitting there waiting for some use. My black oxide Izula has darkened a bit but never had any rust issues.
powder coating has a lot of drag, would like to see more knife with teflon coating, a thick teflon coated blade glides thru cutting task.
Drag is another thing I'm thinking I won't like. Plus the possibility that stuff like sap will stick to it more easily.
Striker for a ferro rod, I have a length of hacksaw blade (longer than the usual short piece you see) in my gear so it can serve double duty. I have cut a good bit of meat/skinned with coated blades (from many makers) and didn't really find it a burden enough to remove for performance but once its bet to hell I will strip them and have never had a serious rust issue. Cheers Andy
I have a striker attached to my rod that does ok. The Izula really isn't a camp blade and I have other tools available. It's just one little part of why I'm not sure about this coating. I'll carry it for awhile and decide eventually if I want to keep it or take it off.
The Izula doesn’t have a 90° spine, so even if you remove the coating it’s still not a good striker, unless you modify the spine. Like others I don’t tend to use knives as strikers. The edge can always be used in an emergency, but for regular use the methods already mentioned are sufficient (back of a saw, multi-tool, dedicated striker). Still, I use a lighter 99% of the time. A ferro rod is a good backup and it’s smart to build up the skill of using one, but once that’s achieved, a lighter is much more efficient. Point being, I wouldn’t prioritize building my outdoor kit/setup around a ferro rod. I think they are popular because of their theatrical value online. Just my opinion, no disrespect to the ferrocerium devotees. As for the coating, I almost always remove it. I don’t care for the drag, and the paint really holds onto dirt/sap/whatever. I prefer a blade I can clean easily up and use on food. It’s always interesting hearing how mileage varies person-to-person. I remember doing general repair work with some other guys and we would always check out each other’s tool-kits to get ideas and talk ****. Outdoor/woods setups are much the same. Have fun using it and figuring out what works for you.
