Cold Steel VS SOG

I've had both. I just sold two of my Cold Steels and got three Spydercos which I love. I sold the CS knives because of blade play and the fact that they were too heavy to my EDC uses. I did keep my Cold Steel Oyabun Carbon V fixed blade because it's just an awesome outdoor/camping knife and it's a USA made Cold Steel which don't exist anymore. I own a SOG Twitch XL which is an awesome knife. Zero blade play, a super deep carry pocket clip and very acute tip, which I prefer. I did have a VG1 3" tanto Voyager that I loved, but it got stolen a few months ago. They are both great companies I think and they both have their place. I think SOG makes really cool looking tactical blades that perform well and Cold Steel makes very tough blades that they make specifically so that they don't break under their "demo" conditions. I will say that my SOG is a better cutter though and my new Spyderco blades are even better cutters than it, but that's why there are so many companies. Everyone wants something different. I originally thought that I wanted the world's toughest knife so I bought the Cold Steels and they were very tough. After that I realized that I just needed a razor sharp edge, an acute point and a good grip for my EDC purposes. I will totally buy another CS and SOG at some point I'm sure.
 
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Over the summer my buddy picked up a SOG Creed. The blade was sharp, but the hande felt very cheap. The worst part about it was the sheath. It doesnt even retain the knife when snapped shut!!! This has been a problem since this model was introduced. Think they would change it?:confused:
The leather sheath felt almost as cheap as the leather sheath that came with my BRKT Aurora...almost. Horrible value for the money, thats for sure. I dont have any CS products to compare it to but I can say that SOG has seemed to drop quality in some models.
 
OrdnanceBubbaUSMC said:
Not in my experience, Kershaw can give you better edge retention but not necessarily ergonomics, durability, decent pocket clip, decent lock mechanism, loc-tite, etc. Since the 90's they have always seemed to be more about cool features and fashion than being a solid tool.

I would take a $38 Voyager over a Blur, Leek, JYD, Needs Work etc. that had a new magic steel which never needed sharpened.
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Kershaw does finally have some decent blade steels, but when I got my Chive a decade ago, I had so sharpen it daily. Their 420HC was terrible. Maybe they learned how to heat treat it better, but it was bad back then.
 
Out of the two I would say Cold Steel especially on the folders. The fixed blades are kinda even except the SOG sheath always sucks. Cold Steel in my experience comes with a much better sheath.
 
Wow, way to raise a dead thread. The only SOG folders worth buying are the vg10 Japanese made ones. I have a Pentagon Elite 1 and it's great, no blade play. My cs recon is nice too. I prefer Spyderco and benchmade though.
 
Overall I'd vote Cold Steel. SOG just never appealed to me and the few I've handled didn't improve my opinion any. Cold Steel on the other hand, while making some ridiculous products and using cheese marketing, managed to hook me with their durability and strength from the low cost to the high end. Hell, my GI Tanto has taken a serious beating and never showed a single sign of quitting on me. Just my $0.02.
 
I like SOG maybe I,m just Lucky but the Flash ll I have has no blade play and open extreamly fast, and Just bought a Vulcan from a guy on this forum and I liked it so much ordered the mini Vulcan to go with it,
the Vulcan is a big folder razor sharp and locks up tight as any mass produced folder I own, never owned anything by Cold Steel but from all the praise they,re getting here maybe I should try something from them.
 
I've never owned an SOG so my opinion can't be called informed, but I do have 11 Cold Steel knives and they are very nice. With respect to Spyderco, (my other favourite brand) CS knives just feel more solid in my hands.
 
I don't have any experience with SOG products, but I've got at least three dozen Cold Steel products, and they've always been a joy to use.
 
P2P said:
SOG worries more about marketing their product that the actual product itself. WARNING: This post is an opinion, not fact.
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Your disclaimer doesn't discount the irony of your assertion, LOL. I haven't seen any SOG DVD's of hacking into meat, rope, bamboo mats, etc. etc. ;)
 
My SOG spec elite 1 is flawless, displacing my also very good Endura as EDC. Their arc lock knives are spectacular, imo.
 
I haven't owned any SOG products either, but from what I've used and heard about them, I'm not very impressed. Cold Steel I have a few and like them all. I'd go CS over Sog every day of the week.
 
I just wish Cold Steel could come out some models that are 3.25" or 3.5" blade, not just 3" , 4" 5". I feel the same way sometimes about Delica/Endura. I use the Endura now, but sometimes it's a bit too cumbersome where as the Delica is a touch too small. But the concept is more pronounced with, say, Voyagers.
 
The SOG spirit is good. Not expensive but not indestructible; makes a good survival option. Cold Steel spears are good too but I think the spirit mounts better than the hollow CS handles. I like my CS knives over SOG. Get specific gear input and try to avoid a lot of the "branding" I see on here.
 
diamdave said:
I just wish Cold Steel could come out some models that are 3.25" or 3.5" blade, not just 3" , 4" 5". I feel the same way sometimes about Delica/Endura. I use the Endura now, but sometimes it's a bit too cumbersome where as the Delica is a touch too small. But the concept is more pronounced with, say, Voyagers.
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The Code 4, medium Espada and the Mackinac Hunter have 3.5" blades. Own 'em all, love' em all.
 
I bought quite a few SOG knives when I first joined the forum. I liked them a lot and felt they were an okay value. The only one I was ever dissatisfied with was the Flash ? which I bought at Lowes; several actually. They had blade play and I used them for work knives. All the others have been very good both fixed and folder. SOG does a good job on fixed blades.

Never really bought Cold Steel stuff. I have one of their swords. I have always wanted one of the big fixed blades for giggles (Trail something in the name). A friend has one and it always impressed me. Big blade.

The complaints arise with poor QA/QC on the SOG folders. Have the Vulcan, Mini-Vulcan, Twitch, Twitch II, Twitch XL, Blink, Access Card 2.0, and I believe the SOG Air which I like. I like all of these knives by the way.

The other issue comes with "value". Some feel that they can get better value for the dollar with other brands. I really like the Seal Pup Elite (plain edge) for a general purpose fixed blade. The Tiger Sharks are cool. Have a couple one serrated and one unserrated. I like the Revolver Hunter also. The NW Ranger is a nice medium sized fixed blade these days.

Some feel the sheaths are "cheap". I tend to agree with some of them.
 
SOG and Coldsteel use many of the same manufacturers, steels, etc. They both make high dollar, mid range and cheap knives.

Personally, I like Coldsteels cheap offerings better than the SOG. I believe they hold up better and are better designs.

However, I like SOGs mid-line (e.g. the older Gentleman, Sidwinder, Tomcats) better than Cold Steel's middle priced product. I think SOG has a better design flair and their manufacturing is a little better on the middle of the pack knives.

I would not buy either company's high dollar product...not worth it.
 
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