New SOG’s

D

dl351

Gold Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
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717
Hello everyone. I check this forum now and then and it’s been fairly slow for a while. I actually picked up two of SOG’s newer knives recently.

For a bit of my background, I’ve been off and on these forums for maybe 15 years. My first “good quality” fixed blade was a Seki SOG Pentagon. I also have an original Seal 2000 and a Seki Tech 2. SOG was the first quality knife company that I ever got really interested in. That was in the late 90’s. As many here, I’ve seen SOG go through some ups and downs, and a lot of cheap designs. I have several arc lock Seki folders and a Trident folder (not the new Trident AT XR) that I honestly feel was a waste of money when I bought it on clearance at Walmart for $25. The lock and blade play on that are horrible.

Moving forward to today, I just picked up a Pillar and a Pentagon XR. The one statement that sums these knives up is that this looks like the start of a new better era for SOG. The Pillar to me seems like a top quality full exposed tang Seal Pup, but made out of a primo steel. The Pentagon XR, though made in Taiwan, has the same solid feel and lockup as any one of my arc lock folders. I’d venture to say the blade is even more solid because it rides on ball bearings that result in less blade play than nylon washers. Now I did get these both on sale for roughly 25-30% off, but I think they’re well worth it, so far. Oh, the Pentagon XR even has the liners recessed in the G10 handle scales. It’s a nice touch!

I’d like to post some pics, but I’ll need to figure out how to post. It’s been a while since I last did!

In short, I think SOG is headed in a much better direction than they have been for the last several years.
 
the old days were something...
moving on!
agree that pillar is spot on!
uh huh, also kinda find the kiku xr exciting
however both are not on my priority list though. so they'll have to wait :-)
 
The Pentagon XR is really tempting me right now, I only wish it was an uncoated blade.

Use Imgur to post pics, it's free. Check out the tech support forum for instructions.
 
I agree, there are some definite improvements going on, hopefully that stays the course and they return to making all round good knives, not just a few among some average knives.
I would really like them to fix the Bowie 2.0.
The handle really needs the finger scalloping sorting out - a bit bigger and matching the crossguard, not dropping about .5" behind the guard. And no plastic snaps on the sheath, dang it!
Love their SEAL Team and Pup, Pillar sounds brilliant.
 
I have a Terminus XR in D2 and it's pretty clearly just a much better knife than the SOGs I had previously owned. They seem to be the first company that has iterated on the Axis lock that I feel have genuinely improved it, at least as far as Axis lock flippers go. Glad to hear you're enjoying their newer offerings.
 
To add to my collection of new SOG’s, I just got a Seal XR for Christmas! It’s a tank, opens smooth, and has solid lockup! While the handle is pretty much Zytel with steel liners, there is little to no flex, and the the ergonomics are good. I much prefer the comfort of this handle over flat G10 slabs that some companies use. Even the Pentagon XR has contouring machines into the G10. Here’s a pic of both.
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That's a very nice pairing, love the look of the SEAL XR. What is the feel of the handle like, esp concerning the surround jimping?
 
Wurger, the Seal XR handle is pretty comfortable. The jimping is not as aggressive as it looks. Here is a picture to show that the jimping is rounded a fair amount.
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dl351 said:
Hello everyone. I check this forum now and then and it’s been fairly slow for a while. I actually picked up two of SOG’s newer knives recently.
<snip>
In short, I think SOG is headed in a much better direction than they have been for the last several years.
Click to expand...

As a SOG fan of the Seki days (1986-2007) I couldn't agree more. At the same time that the older fans were disappointed when the production moved from Seki, the leadership of the company fell into the hands of the new owners resulting in products that just didn't have the "wow" of the old days. Now finally I am seeing some interesting models coming out of SOG again.
But- The Pillar should have been introduced at least 5-6 years ago. It is indeed a "modernized" seal pup.
And I find that handle on the XR very attractive, a folder version of the Seal Pup Elite handle.
Unfortunately while SOG has been out of my view, I have gotten older. And my tastes have moved away from the
"Tactical" tone of SOG products.
 
I'd been meaning to get a Seal XR to try out for awhile now and y'all motivated me to do it after I got stimulated. I've gotta say, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the quality is very much there. I never thought I would say this, but the feel and build quality pretty easily exceed any Benchmade that I've owned, and that's genuinely not a shot at Benchmade, rather it's a compliment to SOG.

I plan to pick up more in their line relatively soon, because if the Seal XR and Terminus XR are indicative of their quality, then I see them becoming a much more genuine competitor to Spyderco, ZT and Benchmade than I ever thought they would be.

The Axis lock and most of the various versions that other companies have come up with usually have a bit of rattle and a tiny bit of blade play, to the point that I thought it was simply an intrinsic downside to the design. SOG doesn't seem to have that issue at all, and the XR lock seems to use slightly stiffer Omega springs, as it lacks the slightly mushy, for lack of a better word, feel that I often get when actuating an Axis lock
 
Insipid Moniker said:
The Axis lock and most of the various versions that other companies have come up with usually have a bit of rattle and a tiny bit of blade play, to the point that I thought it was simply an intrinsic downside to the design. SOG doesn't seem to have that issue at all, and the XR lock seems to use slightly stiffer Omega springs, as it lacks the slightly mushy, for lack of a better word, feel that I often get when actuating an Axis lock
Click to expand...

Did you ever have any of the Seki made Arc Lock knives? I had the Spec Op II, Tomcat 3.0, Vulcan Tanto, Vulcan mini and Visionary. Every one of them was as smooth if not more so than my Axis Lock Benchmades. Unfortunately SOG has ended all G.Sakai/Seki production for cost reasons. But it's good to see SOG putting effort into the new products with the XR Lock.
 
these newer sog models have impressed me. ive gone from frowning on the brand to being a fan of some of the newer models. ive added a pentagon otf and pentagon xr and these are good quality knives. nothing like I got used to with sog with poor designs and poor builds for awhile now. the company has turned back to a better direction imho.

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I purchased my last SOG blade about 20 years, or so; ago. It was a Tomcat [2.0] version. The knives after that, didn't interest me in the slightest. SOG seemed to have lost their way, until about two years ago, when they introduced the SOG SEAL XR folder. It seemed that, they finally got-serious about making; serious warblades again, instead of 'soy toys'. After checking-out the reviews, and stats I had to have one, to add-one to the collection. I prefer big-folders, and the XR will mesh-nicely with my 4 MAX, and Adamas.
 
Zephyr One/Zero said:
I purchased my last SOG blade about 20 years, or so; ago. It was a Tomcat [2.0] version. The knives after that, didn't interest me in the slightest. SOG seemed to have lost their way, until about two years ago, when they introduced the SOG SEAL XR folder. It seemed that, they finally got-serious about making; serious warblades again, instead of 'soy toys'. After checking-out the reviews, and stats I had to have one, to add-one to the collection. I prefer big-folders, and the XR will mesh-nicely with my 4 MAX, and Adamas.
Click to expand...
its a good knife. thick big and bulky in a good way and tough.....

20210623_100729_compress5.jpg

here's mine next to a Buck 110 for size comparison.
 
What is the world is a soy toy...?? lol
That knife definitely draws my attention. The XR Lock, Steel type, the Seal Pup styled handle and the ability to open with either thumb or flipper, a feature that goes back to the Arc Lock Vulcan series. Without doubt SOG has finally woken up and putting forth some very attractive products.
If my Adamas didn't already cover that size category I'd be tempted.
 
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