The ESEE Izula is a tough little fixed-blade knife designed for pocket or neck carry. The skeletonised handle can be left naked for minimum bulk, but is much more comfortable to hold with the addition of a 550 paracord wrap. The addition of a wrap also gives plenty of scope for personalisation.

A quick look on Google Images, Youtube or the ESEE forum will provide loads of ideas about wrap patterns and methods, but I was unable to find a knot which terminated any of these wraps to my satisfaction – they all seemed either insecure,  too bulky or too messy.

ESEE suggest ‘tying the loose ends’ at the end of the wrap. Pictures on their website show a simple overhand knot – simple, but not very neat, and of dubious security.

I initially used a Mathew Walker knot, which is very neat and symmetrical, but a bit fiddly to tie and tighten. It also leaves a bulky lump on the end of the pommel, which is not ideal when pushing on the pommel with your palm (which occurs when using the blade tip as a drill, for example).

In an effort to come up with something neater and less bulky, I tried tying prototype knots around a pencil using two different colours of cord. This made it much easier to figure out how the two opposing wrapped cords could lock up against each other.

I posted details of this knot on both the ESEE and IGKT forums. To date, no one has been able to identify it as a previously recorded knot.