Randall’s Adventure Training® / ESEE® Knives is owned by TransEquatorial Solutions, Inc® - an Alabama-based company. The company is equally owned by Jeff Randall and Mike Perrin. TransEquatorial Solutions, Inc.® was established to provide global training, equipment, and logistical solutions in remote environments.
Randall's Adventure Training® has been operating since 1997, educating military, law enforcement, and civilians in jungle survival arts. During our survival courses, we recognized the need for a better knife for our jungle survival school. Machete knives were too thin and flexible, while hunting knives were too small and ineffective at cutting. Our solution came with designing the RTAK – a large sheathed knife that combined a machete's cutting efficiency with a hunting knife's durability. We commissioned Newt Livesay of Wicked Knife Co. to construct the initial models. To our surprise, the RTAK became very popular, and soon we had more orders than Newt could fulfill.
In 2002, Randall's Adventure & Training (RAT) licensed the production of the RTAK to Ontario Knife Co for five years. During this period, Randall's Adventure & Training designed other knives also manufactured by Ontario, acquiring national stock numbers (NSN) for two designs.
When our contract with Ontario ended in April 2007, we decided to produce a higher quality line of knives beyond Ontario's mass production capabilities. The new ESEE® Line (formerly RAT Cutlery) is considered "mid-tech" in terms of quality and manufacturing processes. This means you will notice improvements in sheath, assembly, finish, and detail in ESEE® knives. Most importantly, ESEE® can quickly respond to new designs and improvements in existing lines. All our designs meet field knife requirements for strength, comfort, and cutting efficiency.
Unlike many manufacturers, ESEE® does not launch a new knife just because it looks good on paper – we personally test every prototype in the field before moving to production. After final design adjustments and launching production, we further test the design during hikes in the USA and jungle survival courses in the Peruvian Amazon. Additionally, we have users worldwide testing our knives and providing feedback. When you purchase an ESEE knife, you know you are getting a design created by real users.
Since entering the knife industry, our philosophy has always focused on customer service and providing products that meet customer expectations. Whether buying one knife or managing procurement for a major distributor, we want EVERY customer to be satisfied – from ordering to using our knives. If you have any issues, we would like to hear about them. We also appreciate any positive feedback you may have. Feel free to contact us with any questions – positive or negative.
For over 18 years, Randall’s Adventure Training® / ESEE® Knives have provided essential gear and training for survival in the remotest parts of the world, whether it's combating drug traffickers in Colombia, building medical posts in Africa, or simply surviving in the wilderness.
“We train law enforcement, Search and Rescue (SAR) personnel, NGO staff, agents, and hunters and fishermen on skills such as land navigation, wilderness survival, improvised medical techniques in the wild, human tracking, and other life-saving skills," says Jeff Randall, President of TransEquatorial Solutions, Inc (the parent company of Randall’s Adventure Training and ESEE Knives).
Having spent the last two decades conducting training in the jungles of South America and the wilderness of North America, the company has become one of the most respected names in the survival training and knife-making industry.
Company Vice-President, Mike Perrin, describes the growth and changes since the company started. “Our training has become more diverse and targeted, and our offerings of knives and gear have significantly expanded since our start in 1997. But despite our development and growth, our company remains true to its original mission: to provide trainees with a comprehensive center for skills and tools needed to save lives, maintain reasonable prices, and back it all with the industry’s best warranty and customer service.”
Randall’s Adventure Training has been in the survival training business long before survival shows became popular. As Jeff explains, “Real survival can be extremely tough both mentally and physically, and rarely looks like the entertainment value shown in survival shows on TV. We pare down our training and tools to what works in real situations based on years of experience. When a survivor better understands the environment they're entering and things go wrong, it greatly increases their chances of returning home to their family.”
Jeff adds: “We simply saw an unmet need for real-life gear and training. There are thousands of good pieces of equipment, but many of their makers lack the practical training to support their design. ESEE changes how knife and gear users think about what they buy or trust their lives with. Although the company has grown, Mike and I still focus on practical aspects of our courses, gear, customer service, and quality, and we always will.”
