Background and History
ESEE (an acronym which stands for ‘Escuela de Supervivencia’, which is Spanish for ‘School of Survival’, and ‘Escape and Evasion’ – ‘ESEE’ when merged together) is a knife and survival-gear supply company which provides an exclusive range of high-quality tactical and wilderness gear employed by outdoorsmen, trekkers, mountaineers, rangers, and law enforcement.
ESEE Knives is a subsidiary and direct marketing branch of Randall’s Adventure Training, a company which specializes in jungle survival training and offers a week-long extensive crash-course on wilderness survival and tactics, taught by seasoned survivalists who comprise the Adventure Training instruction team with the help of Peruvian Special Forces personnel. Situated in the heart of the Amazon jungle, the crash course helps to equip individuals with all the necessary skills needed to survive an excursion into the wilderness with only basic survival gear and a few tools to help. Because of their extensive focus on wilderness survival techniques, they have created an expansive and still growing line of survival gear such as tactical-grade hunting knives and machetes, high-quality folding / pocket knives, and even their own range of remote terrain survival accessories.
Randall’s Adventure Training, which has been in business since 1997, is likewise an offshoot of the TransEquatorial Solutions, Inc., a metal-fabrication company located in Gallant, Alabaman, which specializes in the mass-production of high-quality metal cutlery, hardware, non-powered hand and edged tools and metal cookware. Randall’s Adventure Training has been in the business of marketing, selling, and designing military-grade tactical and survival knives for nearly two decades. The earliest models (the RTAK model and all its early variants) made by the company were created on commission by Newt Livesay of Wicked Knife Co. Their RTAK large-sheath knife became so popular that it was later relegated to mass production under license through the services of Ontario Knife Co. where they continued to develop new designs and improved upon existing models. After the end of their contract with Ontario Knife Co. on April of 2007, they developed their decided to create their own independent company to continue their goal of providing high-quality survival gear that exceeds what is most commonly available in the mass-production-grade market niche. Revamped as ESEE, and owing complete rights to all previous models under Ontario Knife Co. and Wicked Knife Co., they have continued to improve upon older designed and developed newer, more innovative ones to replace previous models.
The ESEE Brand
With an eye on breaking away from the mainstream mass-production-grade survival blades that they’ve been producing with Ontario Knife Co., Randall’s Adventure Training decided to refine their product line with an all new brand that would trump even the best and the finest of their previous models: enter the ESEE brand of knives. Originally named the RAT Cutlery line of tactical and muti-purpose blades, the entire brand was renamed ESEE to reflect the core ideals and philosophy of the company from its inception as a remote terrain survival school, to its current incarnation as a manufacturer of high-quality survival knives. Unlike most other knife-brands in the market, ESEE does not believe in the advantage of mass production if it produces knives that do not stand the test of time, hard and unforgiving use, or the ravages of the elements. It therefore combines the best that mass-production can offer, coupled with a keen eye for quality and absolutely stringent quality-control. Their blades are designed by master-bladesmiths and undergo extensive and brutal field testing before being approved for production, thereby maintaining the exacting company demands to provide knives of superior and lasting quality.
Fixed Blade Models
The ESEE-range of survival edged tools and accessories offers an extensive range of fixed-blade models to choose from, each with their own distinct uses and advantages. Here is a quick overview of the basic models available:
CANDIRU – (named after a species of minute, blood-sucking catfish found in Peru and the Amazon jungles) is an easy-carry skeletonized 5.13” neck-knife or pocket knife with optional Micarta handles, paracord lanyard wrap, and moulded sheath.
IZULA – (Peruvian for ‘bullet ant’) is the larger relative of the Candiru, measuring 6.25”. Comes with optional Micarta handles, paracord lanyard wrap, and moulded sheath; comes in damascened varieties.
IZULA-II – slightly upgraded version of original IZULA; comes with Micarta handles and a moulded sheath.
ESEE-3 – 8.31” and 8.19” long law-enforcement grade tactical combat knife with plain and glass-breaker pommel options and plain-edged or partially serrated versions. Comes with moulded Micarta handles and moulded polymer sheath.
ESEE-4 – 9.0” long survival and bushcraft knife. Comes in 1090 carbon steel 55057 Rc. and 440C stainless steel versions. Carbon steel variety is powder-coated jet-black or matte-black.
LASER STRIKE – 10.0” standalone survival knife made out of 1095 carbon steel, 55 – 57 Rc. with a waterproof, easy-access compartment inside Micarta handle which contains magnesium / ferrocerium fire starter flint and two tinder tabs. Comes with moulded sheath.
ESEE-5 – 11.0” dagger designed by SERE military instructors as an everyday-carry, hard-use downed pilot’s survival knife made with 1095 carbon steel, 55-57 Rc., optional plane-edge or serrated versions, with glass breaker pommel and bow drill divot on Micarta handle. Comes with moulded sheath.
ESEE-6 – 11.75” tactical knife with several varieties for different specialized uses. Has plain-edged, partially-serrated, clip-point, and tactical combo (all features in one blade) varieties. All options come with Micarta handle and moulded sheath.
JUNGLAS – (pronounced ‘Hoong-lahs’, named after the Colombian Jungla Special Operations Forces), 16.5” hunting knife with 10.38”, 1095 carbon steel, plain-edged blade and full-tang construction. Comes with removable polyresin Micarta handles and a Kydex Sheath with MOLLE backing. Blade finish and handle colors also available in alternative colors.
LITE MACHETE – 23.25” overall length, with a total blade-length of 17.25” and a blade width of 2.38” fashioned into darkened, powdered coated carbon steel 50 – 52 Rc. blade made in El Salvador by Imacasa Machete Specialists; a U. S. A. made hardwood handle, perfect heavy-duty jungle commando machete. Comes with lightweight Cordura sheath.
Folding Models
ZANCUDO – (Spanish for ‘mosquito’) framelock tactical-grade folding dagger with 3” blade made with AUS-8A stainless steel and a G-10 textured and non-slip casement-slash-handle with a discreet lanyard hole near the ‘pommel’ area, along with an accompanying easy-carry stainless steel belt-clip.
AVISPA – (Spanish for ‘wasp’) – slim, stealth-oriented foldable with spear-point, 3.5” blade and ergonomical Micarta polyresin handle.
Miscellaneous Bladed Items
ARROWHEAD – for tipping makeshift arrows or spear shafts; can be used as makeshift blade. Made from a single piece of double-edged 1095 carbon steel and powder coated with a jet-black finish, it comes singly or in pairs along with a 500 denier Condura ‘wallet’ for easy carrying and storage.
