Izula hard use

kgd

kgd

Joined
Feb 28, 2007
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Sorry no pics, but a report on my use of the Izula last week and on through the next week as an EDC during the teaching of my Great Lakes Field Biology Course. I teach this course with a tonne of boat work where we do everything from throwing in gill nets to setting up trap (fyke) nets, taking sediment samples using dredgers and collecting water samples at different depths with niskin bottles, gutting and dissecting fish.

Everything requires rope, tonnes of rope of different sizes and I'm cutting it down to size. From 1" thick anchor line on the dredgers to 3/16" line for the niskin bottles to fit the messengers, to cutting piles of little pieces of paracord for lashing things down. I've gut through rope that is full of dirt and grit, you name it. I've had to cut the spinal cords of three large carp because the anesthetic wasn't working and even used it for some finer dissections to show students different parts of the fish. A scalpel works better, but the Izula was handy at the time.

I've been doing this almost entirely with the Izula. I secured a spyderco serrated military for the purpose of the course, but after a couple of days of the military on the boat I went back to carrying the Izula. The Izula just feels down right solid compared to the military when horsing through a cut and I'm just not one to really take to folders.

The izula is very easy to touch up at night (yes it helps to touch it up nightly with all the dirty line I'm cutting).

I wore it as a neck knife while in hip waders when seining and it is great to carry that way. I mostly just wear it dangling from my PDF, with a carbiner through a loop tied through the sheath hole.

In the past I used to just buy a cheap knife and use it to hell and then toss it after the course is done. The izula is surviving it just fine and will be put to duty next year. Now if only I could get my hands on a fully serrated Izula for this course :D :D :D

Great little blade!
 
Great review of one of our knives being used like it should in the field. Much thanks for posting this!
 
Nice report on the izula. At first glance I wondered how it would match up against thick rope work, etc. Did you wrap the handle in paracord?
 
Yes I prefer the Izula wrapped. On the 1" thick rope it takes a couple of slices to get through. Then again that is true of just about any knife I use on that stuff. Mind you, I'm not talking a set up for rope cutting contests. I'm just talking using the knife for work. Grap the rope, fold it over and cut it.
 
When working with rope I always use my Myerchin rigging knife. I will have to get an Izula now to compare them.
Thanks KGD.
 
Thanks for the Izula writeup. The Izula is "the little knife that can"!
 
Hey kgd, nice write-up bud. Whereabouts was the course? Also since it was wrapped how did you deal with all the fish gunk on the paracord? I would imagine that the smell of fish would be absorbed into the cord and start to smell ripe real fast!
 
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I've heard nothing but good things about this izula. A fully serrated option sounds nice. Wonder how it would sell?
 
NaturalMystic said:
Hey kgd, nice write-up bud. Whereabouts was the course? Also since it was wrapped how did you deal with all the fish gunk on the paracord? I would imagine that the smell of fish would be absorbed into the cord and start to smell ripe real fast!
Click to expand...

You might be right NM - at this stage everything I own smells like fish :D:D
If the cord gets stinky and I can just wash it with dish soap and a brush like I usually do, then I will simply re-wrap it. I always keep a tonne of paracord around.

The course is taught out of the University of Windsor, Biology Program.

kgd
 
Rat Cutlery and Busse are the only two companies I currently own - sold the rest as they have become obsolete (OK I kept my Emerson Mini CQC 7, but, only for travel where fixed blades are illegal).

Love my Izula - its my EDC 50% of the time. And, when I carry a bag, its always in there.

Its light, tough and just a pleasure to hold and use!

How has the edge and logo held up against rust with all that work around water? Is it even a concern?

Use her in good health!!!
 
I get the odd spot on the edge, especially given that mine is convexed and there is more bare metal exposed than with the original grind. It is just tarnish though. A couple of strops and its gone. No signs of rust on the logo. I do try to wipe my knife dry at night.
 
really thinking about getting another backup izula for abuse and one to keep in reserve...
 
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