- Joined
- Sep 17, 2009
- Messages
- 1,102
I recently received two new SOG fixed blades, the Tech Bowie (Black TiNi) and Recon Bowie. The following is my initial review and unboxing thoughts about the two blades. I will post a much more thorough review with proper pictures once I get a chance to use the blades some more. Overall, I really like the two blades although there are a few sheath issues that need to be resolved. Here goes...
The overall fit and finish of the blades is very good. The TiNi coating is even, the handles are tight with no wobble on the pommel spanner, the primary grind on both blades is superb, and the edge grind is even and sharp from heel to tip.
The handles on both blades are identical in size but the blades are very different. The Recon Bowie is .4 inches longer and .2 oz heavier. The biggest difference however is in the overall balance. The Tech Bowie is balanced neutral under the first finger indentation on the grip and as a result the Tech Bowie feels very lively in the hand. I get the overall impression that the Tech Bowie is designed as a slasher when used as a fighting knife and it would also excel as a general use blade. The Recon Bowie, however, is very blade heavy and balances neutral almost all the way under the choil. As a result the Recon Bowie feels designed as a piercing/stabbing blade with a secondary chopping function.
This is even more apparent when you look at the primary grind of both blades. The Tech Bowie has a very obvious hollow grind on both the upper and lower grind whereas the Recon Bowie has a very subtle hollow grind that is almost a flat grind both on the top and the bottom. In addition, the tip on the Recon Bowie is very stout as the full thickness of the blade is carried almost all the way forward to the tip whereas the Recon Bowie begins a very aggressive taper almost half way along the length of the blade. While this gives the Tech Bowie that needle sharp tip that it is famous for, it also is much more fragile compared to the Recon Bowie. The Recon Bowie's tip is very strong and I would have no qualms using it to stab through hard materials (including body armor).
I will include much more detailed pictures of the primary grind later so you can see how different these two knives are and how it affects their primary use. OK, now on to the negatives...
First, both blades came very dirty in box. I know it seems strange, but for the cost they really should come pristine in box. Its a shame really, because it leaves a bad first impression. The good thing is that once I cleaned off both blades and gave them a light coat of oil they were gorgeous and the beauty of the TiNi finish was readily apparent. Lastly, the leather sheath on the Recon Bowie was of poor quality. The upper two stitches on both sides were already frayed and pulled out of the leather and the paint on the snap was scratched. You can easily see the stitching issue in the following image:
I will try to contact SOG customer service and see if i can exchange my sheath for a good one. On the bright side, the Kydex sheath for the Tech Bowie is great.
Thanks for reading! Full review to follow.
The overall fit and finish of the blades is very good. The TiNi coating is even, the handles are tight with no wobble on the pommel spanner, the primary grind on both blades is superb, and the edge grind is even and sharp from heel to tip.
The handles on both blades are identical in size but the blades are very different. The Recon Bowie is .4 inches longer and .2 oz heavier. The biggest difference however is in the overall balance. The Tech Bowie is balanced neutral under the first finger indentation on the grip and as a result the Tech Bowie feels very lively in the hand. I get the overall impression that the Tech Bowie is designed as a slasher when used as a fighting knife and it would also excel as a general use blade. The Recon Bowie, however, is very blade heavy and balances neutral almost all the way under the choil. As a result the Recon Bowie feels designed as a piercing/stabbing blade with a secondary chopping function.
This is even more apparent when you look at the primary grind of both blades. The Tech Bowie has a very obvious hollow grind on both the upper and lower grind whereas the Recon Bowie has a very subtle hollow grind that is almost a flat grind both on the top and the bottom. In addition, the tip on the Recon Bowie is very stout as the full thickness of the blade is carried almost all the way forward to the tip whereas the Recon Bowie begins a very aggressive taper almost half way along the length of the blade. While this gives the Tech Bowie that needle sharp tip that it is famous for, it also is much more fragile compared to the Recon Bowie. The Recon Bowie's tip is very strong and I would have no qualms using it to stab through hard materials (including body armor).
I will include much more detailed pictures of the primary grind later so you can see how different these two knives are and how it affects their primary use. OK, now on to the negatives...
First, both blades came very dirty in box. I know it seems strange, but for the cost they really should come pristine in box. Its a shame really, because it leaves a bad first impression. The good thing is that once I cleaned off both blades and gave them a light coat of oil they were gorgeous and the beauty of the TiNi finish was readily apparent. Lastly, the leather sheath on the Recon Bowie was of poor quality. The upper two stitches on both sides were already frayed and pulled out of the leather and the paint on the snap was scratched. You can easily see the stitching issue in the following image:
I will try to contact SOG customer service and see if i can exchange my sheath for a good one. On the bright side, the Kydex sheath for the Tech Bowie is great.
Thanks for reading! Full review to follow.
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