The ESEE Xancudo was designed to fill the gap between the ESEE 3 and the ESEE Izula. With a 3″ long, 1/8″ thick blade made out of premium S35VN stainless steel and its signature orange and black 3D G10 scales, there is little the Xancudo can’t accomplish.
The Xancudo is 7 1/8″ long compared to the Izula’s 6 1/4″ length, but that extra 7/8″ gives you an almost 4-finger grip along with comfortable contoured G10 scales that provide positive traction without being rough or unpleasant to use. The G10 adds some weight, however, with the knife weighing in at just under 4 ounces and the factory sheath adding another ounce.
Despite its overall compactness, the Xancudo is one of the most comfortable fixed blade knives I own for ongoing real-world use. Zero hotspots and perfect contouring make it my number one choice for extended use among my compact fixed blades.
The size and shape of the Xancudo fixed blade are based on the Zancudo folding knife, an inexpensive ($35 street price) but fairly low-end collaboration between ESEE and Blue Ridge Knives. The design is solid, but the folder uses mediocre AUS-8A steel. The Xancudo is full tang, flat ground S35VN, a premium stainless steel that is one of the most well-rounded knife steels in the industry right now.
The jimping on this blade is rounded off and slightly raised, but provides some benefit in controlling the knife. The sharpening choil is tiny and could make sharpening the full edge of the knife tricky depending on what sharpening system you use.
The Xancudo comes in two versions, one with a large hole suitable for a carabiner clip and one with no hole, not even for a lanyard. I chose the version with no hole as I don’t use lanyards on most of my knives, but if you do, opt for the version with the hole in the handle.
The factory sheath is similar to the one for the Izula, molded polymer that will accommodate a neck chain or belt clip. It does its job adequately offering secure and silent retention, but I will eventually upgrade it to an Armatus Carry Architect Sheath.
One additional factor to be aware of is that the Xancudo does NOT have a sharpened spine suitable for use with a ferro rod. While it’s a competent bushcraft knife overall, this is one omission worth noting.
Final Thoughts
I was excited when I first heard about the ESEE Xancudo and I purchased one soon after it was released. With a street price of $115, it’s not the most affordable option for a compact fixed blade, but the value of ESEE’s legendary, no-questions-asked lifetime warranty combined with that S35VN steel made it too good a deal for me to resist. Give it a try and I suspect you’ll reach a similar conclusion.
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