SOG Knives

T

TheTeddy

Joined
Jun 19, 2011
Messages
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Reading around the forums a bit, I've seen talk of SOG. What's the general opinion of their knives? They seem a little pricey for me, but that's only because I'm on the lower end of the income spectrum right now. Any particular knives of interest that they offer? The trade-off between price and performance has always been an issue with me, so are their any particular knives they offer that are worth taking a second look at?
 
I like my SOG's, but you can get more bang for your buck with Spyderco and Kershaw. My favorite SOG is the Sec Elite II.
 
this is my opinion. I have never owned one of their knives, but having read reviews and looked at specs, I am turned off. they seem to have pretty frequent and serious blade play from the factory, bad designs on several of their models, and lower end materiel for higher end prices. some of their folders accomplish something amazing, like weighing 1.5 ounces, but overall I get amazing customer service, low prices, good build quality and decent materials from kershaw at a lower price, a very, very functional and high quality folder from spyderco at about an equal price, and a very nice knife from benchmade for about the same price or a bit higher. therefore, I never think about them when considering purchasing a knife.
 
It's like Windows vs. Apple..Some people love SOG, others hate them. I only have the Twitch 2, so don't have much to offer in the way of an overall opinion. It's an okay knife, but I like others (kershaw, spyderco) better.

My .02 cents..
 
You won't hear great things about Sogs folders here. Some of the criticism is justified but IMO a lot of it is not. They ripped of some Spiderco designs a while back (among others) so a lot of Spidy fans seems to rally against them for it.

My personal opinion of their knives is generally positive, the company however....not so much.
 
I have the SOG Mini Vulcan Tanto and quite enjoy it, although I'm not sure I would recommend it (or the brand) to everyone. I was immediately smitten with the modified tanto edge, the little bit of belly they added to it just makes it look great. The Arc-Lock is quite a competent Axis-Lock ripoff, I have absolutely no blade play on mine. It was far too expensive for the materials used (the blade is a VG-10 San Mai, laminated in 420J steel which makes it very easy to scratch/pit), I could have gotten a Mini-Nitrous Stryker with G10/Titanium/D2 for the same price. It's the same story with the rest of SOG's lineup, you have cool aesthetics but not exactly the substance to back them up. Their high end folder's use VG-10 which you can get on a sub-$50 Spyderco knife, yet cost at least twice that price.
 
I think you have to sort of devide SOGs into two categorys....fixed and folders.

The fixed blades seem very well thought of and have a pretty loyal following. I have minimal experience with the fixed blades, but from what I've read and been told they are decent for the money
I assume the fixed blades are what the OP was referring to when he said they were pricey.

The low to mid-range folders are more a mixed bag and generate a pretty wide range of reaction...from love them to hate them.
I have quite a few and find them decent for the money. The folders are usually discounted pretty heavily and occassionally you can find real bargains, particularly on Amazon.
There are some pricey items in the folders, but those seem to get generally good reviews.
The most expensive one I have is a Tomcat 3, and I like it. I'd say it compares favorably with other knives at the price it sells for.
 
OP - Start with the basics please. What type of knife are you interested in, fixed or folder? What will you use it for? What is your price range? Start there and we can better help you out. SOG has a pretty loyal following on this forum but people generally love or hate the company. I have several fixed blades (Tech Bowie, Recon Bowie, Creed, Super Bowie, etc) and I really love them. I've been happy with the higher-end folders like the Tomcat and Stingray but their lower-end sub-$100 folders tend to receive more criticism. The SOG Flash is generally well received though. Also, most people who have been into SOG for some time were disappointed when SOG moved some of its overseas manufacturing from Seki, Japan to Taiwan, but like Spyderco knives now made in Taiwan I have been very happy with the workmanship of the SOG fixed blades I have from there.
 
I'm happy with the 3 or so SOG folders I have. The Flash 1 and 2 are decent folders, but have a cheapy feel to them. I do like the Twitch II, which is a nice little assisted opener EDC blade. But SOG folders generally do not get the love that Spyderco etc. get, but they don't deserve the love either. While acceptable knives for the masses, they just don't have the design or quality build of the big boys like Spydie and Benchmade. I still like the knives and carry them regularly, though.

flash-a.jpg

SOG Flash I.
 
I think SOG makes a pretty good product overall. I have a number of their blades. Those that damn them... most just read what other people say about them and never tried one out. I have read of problems with their warranty, but I personally have not had any bad experiences.

Fixed: I especially like the plain edge Seal Pup Elite for general woods use. The Field Pup is a very good knife at a cheap price. They sharpen up nice and hold an edge. I like the old Tech I and Tech II Bowies. I thought they were carbon steel, but I am thinking they are probably one of the 440 stainless steels after some research. The research is tough. The Tiger Shark is a big knife (have two), but I generally don't care for the partially serrated blade. The old plain edge carbon steel version is pretty cool. The NW Ranger is good with the plain edge. The partially serrated version was my first SOG. It is the knife that taught me that I really don't like the partially serrated blades. The big Tiger Shark confirmed that feeling.

Folders: I have a few. I really like the Mini-Vulcan. It is a very fast knife and the arc lock works great. It is made with VG10 steel. The Vulcan is a bit large as folders go for me, but if you like the size, I recommend it. Got one. The Twitch series are very good. Have the II and XL. Not a fan of the Flash series and have owned several. These are the only ones that have had blade play. The Blink makes a very nice small pocket knife as does the Access Card 2.0. The Access Card stays on my desk for opening mail and other desk tasks. I like it, but it seems not to be one of their popular blades. It is a tad expensive for such a small knife, but is made with VG10 steel. (Hence the price.) I have not purchased any of their newer lines and I was offended when they copied the Spyderco hole. I would NEVER buy one of those immitations.
 
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SOG's are great knives. definetly worth the money, I have a flash 2 and love it. You should get one of the American or Japanese made ones there even better.
 
SOG produces great knives, just stay away from the Fusion line. They have a very weak soldered on tang.
 
I've had a few of their folders pass through my hands and, at least based on that small sample size, thought that they were relatively overpriced and poorly made compared to others that are out there are similar price points. Can't say anything about their fixed blades since I've never owned one, but they seem to have a better reputation than the folders.
 
The deal with SOG knives is that you have to decide if the price and value are right for you. For new buyers, I would avoid the Fusion line. There are so many pretty well made knives available now that it is hard to simply recommend SOG without qualifying the recommendation. The same goes for Cold Steel. Believe it or not, the SOG Access Card 2.0 with the sheepsfoot blade is one of my favorites for daily use. I do think it's a bit expensive. SOGs in general are not made for hard core knife nuts. About 5 years ago, I was wanting a larger fixed blade for outdoor use and chose the NW Ranger. I decided that I prefer a smaller fixed blade for "using" so it sits in a box un-used. The Spyderco Moran comes to mind. Everytime I pick up my carbon steel Tiger Shark, I have to say it puts a smile on my face. Many knives have been purchased since 2005 when I joined Bladeforums and my leanings now are going toward well made traditional knives (Queen, GEC, etc.) and custom fixed blades which is why I have not purchased the new non-serrated SOG NW Ranger. But heck, I just bought a knife I would have never considered two years ago... a Frost Cutlery Sunfish folder (China made) for $13 and I suspect it is going to be a good user. Have not really cut anything with it yet. But I wanted to give them another chance and see what 6 years difference has made when I bought a couple for kids christmas presents. $13 won't kill me one way or the other and I'll learn some things.

I carry the Mini-Vulcan in my field bag just about every day and it gets used. Folks remark at how quickly the blade can be deployed when it is not an assisted opener. I also carry a Spydie Endura with a fully serrated edge in my bag. I like a well made knife and I feel the Mini-Vulcan is a well made knife for its price.
 
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