That one looks a lot nicer than the one they have with the pry-bar on the pommel. What model is that?
That other little knife is a
Swamp Rat Warden, now out of production but available on the secondary market, last one on the exchange sold for $75. It's longer than the Izula in blade and esp. handle, SR101 steel (52100 w/ Busse HT).
MANY companies offer neck/small fixed blades in many different steels, including Buck's 420HC and S30V (also offering a lifetime warranty & good customer service like ESEE whose customer service pales in comparison to Bussekin). These are not "clones", they are different knives of similar size. Prices vary as well.
Is it worth $15 extra over the Izula for the Swamp Warden which lacks a factory sheath? Is the $30 Buck Packlite 420HC or the $20 Benchmark Backpacker (originally 1095) much more deficient? I guess it all depends on what you are really looking for, what your assessment of the "value" of each is and how well that translates to price. I bought an Izula and like it alot, bought one for a female friend as well. It's a tough little knife, thick enough to take a beating (I'll pry with it if I want to, it's my knife), and it resharpens easily. I like the ergonomics of it's handle wrapped in cord, the pronounced forward "lean" and drop-point, the thumb-jimping, the large carabiner hole and round pommel (vs. prybar), the minimal choil... :thumbup: a knife I like that performs well for me. It won't hold its edge as well as 'better' steel or cut with the efficiency of a thinner uncoated blade, but it works for me.
Here's a review that pushed me toward one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSrlvqrZQKY
Is it over-priced? Cost of manufacture is probably much lower (esp. given the size of the operation) so profit-margin may be
quite large on this knife, but it is well marketed and is priced where sales haven't seemed to suffer much... *shrug* It's your money, spend it on what you want.