Esee 5/junglas military use

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bobby lupo

Joined
Aug 11, 2014
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Does anyone know if the esee folks have posted any video/articles about these 2 knives and their military applications? It's just plain curiosity on my part. I know the junglas was "designed" for Columbian special forces for instance, so do they all carry the junglas in the field?
 
When I was in Iraq, the last thing I'd want to lug around is a 16" knife along with all the other stuff I had to carry. I don't see it being useful in a military application. As far as survival knives though, ESEE is hard to beat.
 
My understanding is that the ESSE 5 was collaborated w/ a SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) instructor; from the point of view that you could get out of a downed chopper and survive in the woods long enough for escape/ rescue.

The Junglas was designed to extract drug plants (cannabis/ coca) form the forest; and used as a machete.
 
I think I remember reading an interview with Randall where he says that he makes knives for survival because that's what he knows and that he doesn't know anything about knife combat or what would be needed in a knife for combat. He also talks about the ESEE 5, saying that it's the least favorite knife ESEE makes, and that he was given a list of requirements by some SERE guy, and that's what the knife was designed around.
 
Muaddib1116 said:
I think I remember reading an interview with Randall where he says that he makes knives for survival because that's what he knows and that he doesn't know anything about knife combat or what would be needed in a knife for combat. He also talks about the ESEE 5, saying that it's the least favorite knife ESEE makes, and that he was given a list of requirements by some SERE guy, and that's what the knife was designed around.
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Yeah I read a similar quote from Jeff where says that he would choose a machete over the junglas. I'm wondering if the Air Force commissioned the 5 for their pilots and if its currently in use by them?

Esee never states that the 5 or junglas are "combat" knives in the sense that they were designed to kill, but more that they are made as survival type tools for specific military groups. I remember reading an article Jeff wrote on the Columbian jungla operators, I wonder if while researching it they asked him to design a knife for their guys?

I suppose I can just email esee and ask they are good at getting back to customers.
 
Silvanus said:
When I was in Iraq, the last thing I'd want to lug around is a 16" knife along with all the other stuff I had to carry. I don't see it being useful in a military application. As far as survival knives though, ESEE is hard to beat.
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Yeah they make great survival blades I've had a 4 for a while now and its amazing. I've handled the 6 and I think its probably the perfect size for "if I could only bring one knife into the woods" type scenarios
 
If any maker or manufacturer had an actual contract to provide their knives (or guns or backpacks or tactical toothbrushes) to a well-known military/LEO body, I'm pretty sure they'd let us know every chance they got. ;)

Then again, maybe it's top-secret/hush-hush/special ops stuff they're not allowed to talk about.
 
Here's an article I found on their website about US customs enforcement agents testing machetes from different knife makers. Apparently the esee lite machete and the cold steel Latin machete were the most popular. They also mention that the junglas was the most well made, but just a bit too short for them ( I imagine it made them stoop to cut the plants)

http://www.eseeknives.com/blade-magazine.pdf
 
Muaddib1116 said:
Honestly the ESEE Lite Machete confuses me. It's just a re-handled Imacasa machete right?
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Yeah the scales are made in the US according to the ESEE website, and the blade is made in El Salvador by imacasa.
I wonder if their lifetime warranty applies to that blade? It says "limited warranty" on the site
 
Muaddib1116 said:
So are the micarta handles really worth the $40 markup?
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Nah.....get yourself a Latin pattern Imacasa or Tramontina in the 18-22" range and save yourself some $. You will need to flush the edges of the handle and put an edge on them, but that isn't difficult and adds some "sweat equity" into your steel :D
 
Silvanus said:
When I was in Iraq, the last thing I'd want to lug around is a 16" knife along with all the other stuff I had to carry. I don't see it being useful in a military application. As far as survival knives though, ESEE is hard to beat.
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The entire world is not a desert, or a mountain.

Soldier or not, if I found myself in South America, or even the Southeastern US, I would probably want a machete of some type if I had to spend any amount of time in a forest with thick undergrowth.

I didn't like the JUNGLAS for the Northwoods, the edge was too thin for chopping anything harder than a vine and rolled too easily. It could have been ground thicker, but I didn't want to mess with it and the blade got sold.
 
Silvanus said:
When I was in Iraq, the last thing I'd want to lug around is a 16" knife along with all the other stuff I had to carry. I don't see it being useful in a military application. As far as survival knives though, ESEE is hard to beat.
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This is the end all/be all post.

It's bad enough our guys are lugging around 100+ lbs of gear, adding another pound is murder.
 
MatthewSB said:
The entire world is not a desert, or a mountain.

Soldier or not, if I found myself in South America, or even the Southeastern US, I would probably want a machete of some type if I had to spend any amount of time in a forest with thick undergrowth.

I didn't like the JUNGLAS for the Northwoods, the edge was too thin for chopping anything harder than a vine and rolled too easily. It could have been ground thicker, but I didn't want to mess with it and the blade got sold.
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What did you replace the junglas with?
I read the junglas keeps a pretty good edge I was thinking about getting one, but I live in canada (hardwood everywhere)
 
MatthewSB said:
I didn't like the JUNGLAS for the Northwoods, the edge was too thin for chopping anything harder than a vine and rolled too easily.
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That has not been my experience at all. Not in the least.

bobby lupo said:
I read the junglas keeps a pretty good edge I was thinking about getting one, but I live in canada (hardwood everywhere)
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I live in Canada too (obviously), and I've chopped everything from maple to cedar to ironwood, oak and hawthorne with my Junglas to no ill effect.

As to intended use, the article I'd read said it was designed for the Colombian Jungla anti-narcotics squads, as a stout, short machete for chopping down plants an destroying those jungle labs.

As to the Jungla squads: The Counternarcotics Jungla Company is a select Special Operations force known for flying over Colombia’s thick jungles in the middle of the night in search of clandestine cocaine processing laboratories owned and operated by illegal armed groups of narcoterrorists, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

As what can be best described as a militarized police unit, the Junglas Airmobile Narcotics Interdiction Commando is the operational arm of the Colombian National Police (CNP) and falls under its Anti-narcotics Directorate (DIRAN).
 
stabman said:
That has not been my experience at all. Not in the least.



I live in Canada too (obviously), and I've chopped everything from maple to cedar to ironwood, oak and hawthorne with my Junglas to no ill effect.
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Interesting (lots of ironwood around here) would you say the junglas is a useful knife for clearing/chopping/fire duty? Or would you take a hatchet instead for instance, the reviews online are petty conflicting.
 
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