Any info/reviews on the SOG field pup? swamp rat howling rat?

manix J

manix J

Joined
Dec 11, 2005
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I have recently bought a Becker CU7 with a leatherman core in the sheath pouch for my bug out/emergeny bag. I also carry my Manix as a EDC. I was wondering if a small fixed blade would be a good idea for the bag. For the low cost soloution I was looking a the field pup. I have no info on this other than handling it in the store and it felt good although the lack of a guard is a concern. The high end was the Swamp rat howling rat. which i haven't handled but is recommened by so many that would order it on rep. any advice/ opinions. Thanks J
 
You wouldn't be disappointed with a Howling Rat. I have one in my EDC bag and it has held up to everything I've thrown at it. The grip is super comfortable too.

Try the Swamprat.com Rat Talk forum for more info on the HR. I can't comment on the SOG having no experience with one.
 
i have the HR. IF there is such a thing as an indestuctible knife.....this would be it. a guy on the net hammered it sideways into a tree about halfway and hung from it. he weighs @ 200lbs. it did not break!

be aware that it is sharp, but not scary sharp. the grind is thicker than some other knives. this is so the edge doesnt chip out like others.

it is sharp, but not like say a spyderco folder is sharp. if you dont need a heavy duty knife, you may want soemthing thinner sharper (and weaker).

also, nobody....NOBODY.......has a warranty like swamp rat! :thumbup:
 
bill_G said:
i have the HR. IF there is such a thing as an indestuctible knife.....this would be it. a guy on the net hammered it sideways into a tree about halfway and hung from it. he weighs @ 200lbs. it did not break!

be aware that it is sharp, but not scary sharp. the grind is thicker than some other knives. this is so the edge doesnt chip out like others.

it is sharp, but not like say a spyderco folder is sharp. if you dont need a heavy duty knife, you may want soemthing thinner sharper (and weaker).

also, nobody....NOBODY.......has a warranty like swamp rat! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

If you order the howling rat, you can request that they reprofile the edge to your specifications before it ships (free). You can also send the knife in at any time for no charge other than shipping charge.
 
I got a Howling Rat after reading all the claims about toughness. Right out the box, I began abusing it (hard stabs into trees, lumber, whacks at cans, whacking nails into wood with the blade's spine). It was great. Sharpened/ stropped it afterwards with no problems. The handle was very ergonomic (felt like it was made for me) and can take abuse. Cliff Stamp set the handle on fire and noticed little, if any, damage to the supposed 'rubber' (really Respirene C) handles. More reviews (I don't think I've ever read anything bad about the blade) can be seen on the Swamp Rat Forum.

The Field pup was ok, IMHO. Not shabby or cheap, it just seemed more like a sharp club to me and not as ergonomic.

Hope this helps.
 
Don't underestimate field pup :)
It is not so tough (no surprise when you compare stainless steel and carbon steel) as swamp rat, but it's also way cheaper.

I have a field pup and it is good knife, but you should specify what you intend to do with it. It is not a chopper (and blade is only 10cm (4") long, so it wouldn't be easy to do :)) or prybar (if you look at images, it is quite thin, 3mm blade thickness is only at the top of blade - it is because of high grind), but it is quite good for cutting purpose, because of thin blade. AUS8 is nothing special, but for the price and use it is enough.
Balance point is roughly where your index finger will sit (with hammer or saber grip).
Handle is (for me) very comfy, lack of guard is not a problem because of the shape of handle, you don't have to worry that your hand will slip on edge. It is very secure to hold even with wet or oiled hands (texturized surface).
The main problem of this knife is it's sheath which is quite rubbish. Too big, very simple (the belt hole is not buttoned so you must take down your belt to get the sheath at it) and the leather inside the sheath has no finish and you will often find a dirt (from leather) on blade. Sheath has no locks but it is tight enough to hold knife upside down.

My opinion: for it's price (I got mine here for about 56$, but for instance NGK ( http://newgraham.com/sog.htm ) will offer it for 38$) it is VERY good knife.

P.S: and avoid SOG Field Knife ( http://www.sogknives.com/x42fk.htm ) - it's little bit bigger (13cm blade I think) and has better steel BUT it is balanced like a chopper (which it isn't), it's also heavier AND it has same rubbish style sheath; btw it's also discontinued :)
 
If you are considering the Pup, you might want to also consider the SOG Seal Revolver which has the advantage of a built in saw blade….price is about the same.
 
huugh said:
Don't underestimate field pup :)
It is not so tough (no surprise when you compare stainless steel and carbon steel) as swamp rat, but it's also way cheaper.

I have a field pup and it is good knife, but you should specify what you intend to do with it. It is not a chopper (and blade is only 10cm (4") long, so it wouldn't be easy to do :)) or prybar (if you look at images, it is quite thin, 3mm blade thickness is only at the top of blade - it is because of high grind), but it is quite good for cutting purpose, because of thin blade. AUS8 is nothing special, but for the price and use it is enough.
Balance point is roughly where your index finger will sit (with hammer or saber grip).
Handle is (for me) very comfy, lack of guard is not a problem because of the shape of handle, you don't have to worry that your hand will slip on edge. It is very secure to hold even with wet or oiled hands (texturized surface).
The main problem of this knife is it's sheath which is quite rubbish. Too big, very simple (the belt hole is not buttoned so you must take down your belt to get the sheath at it) and the leather inside the sheath has no finish and you will often find a dirt (from leather) on blade. Sheath has no locks but it is tight enough to hold knife upside down.

My opinion: for it's price (I got mine here for about 56$, but for instance NGK ( http://newgraham.com/sog.htm ) will offer it for 38$) it is VERY good knife.

P.S: and avoid SOG Field Knife ( http://www.sogknives.com/x42fk.htm ) - it's little bit bigger (13cm blade I think) and has better steel BUT it is balanced like a chopper (which it isn't), it's also heavier AND it has same rubbish style sheath; btw it's also discontinued :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info huugh. I have a Becker CU7 for my emergency bag and am very confident of it but was wondering if I should add a smaller fixed blade for the finer/smaller tasks. I also was thinking if I needed to use my kit in an urban emergency enviroment the becker would be too visable on a belt and would have to stay in my backpack. I also carry a manix as a edc. do you think the manix would cover the need for a smaller knife or is the smaller fixed blade a good idea. I figured a smaller fixed blade would fit and conceal better by pulling a shirt over it. I was looking at the field pup $44 locally, swamp rat howling rat $88 and the cold steel master hunter $50. PLMN J
 
well, just my personal preference would be fixed blade, especially if you want to use it in emergency environment where the knife can get (very) dirty
I doubt there will be time for cleaning knife in emergency situation...

for small cutting tasks probably for short time and in urban I would also prefer stainless steel blade - you won't have to worry if the knife gets wet

So, what would I do -
1) try which knife fits best in your hand (probably most important)
2) look at the sheats of the prefered knives if you could find the most suitable one for you
3) if you won't find any from "2)" get the custom sheath

p.s. http://swampratknifeworks.com/knives.html#ratchet -imo this could replace Becker in your bag as it will be more useful and less sheeple scarying
 
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