3 Ways to Upgrade Your ESEE Knives

ESEE knives like the Candiru, Izula, ESEE 5 and JG5 are legendary and need no introduction. Scores of outdoorsmen around the country carry them (and have for years) with few to no qualms.

But that doesn’t mean these knives can’t be improved. This short post will take a look at 3 quick and easy ways you can take your ESEE knife, which is already great, and make it that much better.

1.  Get TKC Knives scales

Consider, for this instance, the Candiru and Izula. Both of these handy little knives are exceptionally designed and will not flinch at work intended for much bigger, heftier knives. You could even baton through firewood with a Candiru and you might be surprised at the performance of the knife, notwithstanding the downright small stature of the blade.

But let’s just be honest. If there’s one thing these knives lack, it’s a comfortable handle. The skeletonized tangs of both the Candiru and Izula are slim and keep a very discrete profile, but if you’re putting any muscle behind your work with these, the handles are downright uncomfortable.

Which is precisely why we make rounded, comfortable scales for these knives. You can utterly transform your Candiru or Izula with a set of scales from the TKC Knives collection. Of particular effect here are our extended scales, which add a bit of length to the handles of both of these (very) tiny knives.

But the effect is not limited to these knives. Other popular models like the JG5 come with somewhat narrow scales that, though they offer a good texture and traction, are somewhat lacking in terms of comfort. We sell fuller, rounded G10 scales for the JG5 that will not only improve handling, but comfort.

And, beyond simple function, we offer scales for many popular ESEE Knives in addition to those mentioned here (such as the JG3, ESEE 4, 5 and 6, Junglas, and ESEE Laser Strike in a variety of different colorways that give you the flexibility to add some color and personality to your favorite knife.

2.  Upgrade the sheath

The sheath is another area in which you can potentially upgrade your ESEE knife. Granted, most ESEE knives come with thermoplastic sheaths that not only offer an excellent friction fit, but which are perforated around the edges, making it possible to rig them how you like.

But other ESEE knives, like the JG5, come with leather sheaths. Now, while a leather knife sheath is a class act, and more comfortable to carry than a thermoplastic sheath, the fact of the matter is that leather traps moisture and can hasten rust.

This would not be a problem with most knives, but the majority of ESEE knives (and that includes the JG5) are made with 1095. It is a good steel, but let’s just call a spade a spade: it rusts if you so much as look at it.

The JG5 is finished with a black oxide coating that does help to protect the blade - where it is coated. The edge is exposed, and there rust will set in the fastest, especially in the leather knife sheath that comes with it.

This is one of the reasons we sell Kydex sheaths for popular ESEE knives like the JG5 (and others). Kydex not only offers all of the benefits mentioned above (such as versatility with respect to how you carry the knife) but it also does not trap moisture and drains better than leather. In other words, it will help protect your knife from rust better than a leather knife sheath would.

Also, if you go through our knife builder, you can add paracord to the build. Wrap this around your Kydex sheath a few times and you will not only have a softer sheath that carries more comfortably, you will have a few yards of cordage in a pinch.

3.  Add ons: Firesteel

Lastly, you can add a firesteel to your ESEE knife, assuming it is outfitted with a Kydex sheath (or even the molded polymer sheath that came with it).

Adding a firesteel to your ESEE knife will give you the versatility and flexibility to strike fire anywhere, and ferro rods last much longer than lighters or matches. With a little know-how you can even gather your own tinder in the field so you won’t need to carry any.

Just a note: many ESEE knives are powder coated and some of the coating must be stripped away from the spine before the knife can be used effectively with a ferro rod.

Nonetheless, this is a cheap, easy and accessible upgrade you can make to your favorite ESEE.

Check Out TKC Knives’ Knife Builder

These are just 3 of the creative ways you can upgrade some of your ESEE knives. For more information, get in touch with us or check out the TKC knives knife builder, where you can explore some of the upgrades mentioned here.