SOG overall quality

I love my older stainless Seki-made SOG Trident Bowie. The knife feels great in the palm, and seems to be the right size for many tasks. Great edge holding ability and a superb fighter design...the newer ones are made from a thinner stock but still offer a decent knife for the price point. The older Tigersharks without the serrated edges were some neat pieces as well.
 
I went to bed hours ago, but couldn't sleep.

So, I got up to read about - among other things - guns (on another forum), knives and tomahawks.

For several reasons that I won't list here (that's probably a matter for another thread another day), I'm just beginning to think about acquiring another fixed blade longer than the SPE by an inch or two.

I read Stubai's post above, and that got me thinking about SOG fixed blades. I pulled out my SPE. I went to the SOG site and started looking at their Bowies (there are several), and the Trident.

For some reason, the Tech Bowie Black TiNi catches my attention. Could be of use to me. Not sure yet.

But while exploring their site, I realized that - besides their Kydex sheaths which I just can't quite warm up to - my biggest issue with SOG right now is their web site.

It's cool and all. Pretty descriptive, easy to navigate, nice photos, cool mouse overs, etc, etc.

But it has a feeling of flash - and I'm not just talking about the scripts. It says, "we focus a lot - maybe even too much on glitz and marketing, with slick descriptions and images intended to sell you a knife".

Now, of course, that's what every company does, mine included (although you won't find much glitz and flash on the one I'm associated with, which has little or nothing to do with blades).

And, I'll admit I'm being subjective here, and certainly not all will agree. There's a lot to be said for innovative web design. I'm as intrigued by a radical super bowl commercial as much as the next person.

And, I'm NOT making any judgments about their knives' quality, let alone based on their web site. And, I've had good luck with my two SOGs even though admittedly, they haven't been used nearly as much or as hard as some of you on this forum have used yours.

But there's something irrational nagging me about the SOG web site. It feels more like a TV commercial for an average person rather than a site for knowledgeable knife owners.

Then, five minutes later, I go back to their site and find it aesthetic, professional and informative. It confounds my questions about their quality.

So, I've come to Blade Forum in part to learn more about SOG quality, whether SOGs really are the best tools for my kit, and whether, if I'm going to add another fixed blade, it should be a SOG or something else.

Several days ago, I'd have said SOG hands down, no questions asked. But after reading stuff about the SOG Fusion Tactical tomahawk (which is the other part of why I came here), and problems with it's quality, I've decided against a Fusion. (I've got several others in mind, but at the top of my list currently is a Hays.)

And that's led to some questions about SOG products in general.

So, all that by way of saying, I'm reading with interest and considering all opinions ... but after sleep.

Nem
 
I say they are decent for the price, but it's not going to knock your socks off. My sog wasn't all that sharp NIB, and I can see that I grind wasn't straight either. But it does what it's suppose to and it fine with me.
 
No, they are not all made in the US.
From what I've read during the past few months here at BF, the older model fixed blades made in AUS6, and SK-5 steels are made in Seki, Japan. The newer range of fixed blades in AUS8 steel and TINI coating are made in Taiwan. Folders in US, and Seki Japan but possibly Taiwan aswell? The Fushion stuff seems to be made in Taiwan too. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
I bought two SOG Recon Bowies, one for looking at and one for using.

The girlfriend was looking at my knife and sword collection and said something that made me think. She said "what do you use the rest of these for?" Now, my girlfriend is not the normal woman, nagging and not wanting me to have my toys. Quite the opposite. She's the woman that researches for 6 months and then buys me a Springfield Armory v16 longslide .45 Super with titanium competition everything and a Wilson mag. She's a rare and beautiful girl. Also, she asked me that while she was holding my KaBar. She looked at the K, then looked at the rest of the collection and said "what do you use the rest of these for? You should find a couple of blades you like that will hang with the way you use them and sell the rest. Then, you can get the Mossberg 590 you've been wanting and I can shoot it." At that point, I remembered why I fell in love with her. hahaha

Anyways, After I thought about it for a few days. i decided she was right and started researching. The most important thing I need in a knife is for it to hold up to my punishment. I torture knives to death. I use them for everything from camping in very extreme conditions to cutting everything including chunks of metal. The knife has to be crazy strong and stay together while still retaining a good edge that can be brought back when i get done. For the price range and features I wanted, I narrowed it down to the SOG Recon Bowie. Great blade, stacked leather washer handle, perfect weight and balance. Once you hold one in your hand, if you look for a balance right below the guard, you won't put that knife down. Needless to say, I needed one immediately. Now, even though I'm not going to get back into the collecting, at least not right away, I still wanted to have one that stayed in perfect condition just in case.

Things I noticed right off the bat:
1) The knife comes in a box seperate from the sheath. I like that because some knives will actually pick up a tiny bit of corrosion on the blade from the leather if it's left in a warehouse for a while in the sheath. It also came with a small pamphlet (didn't need that. I already purchased) and a couple of littile pouches of moisture killer. The knife was wrapped up in bubble wrap with another pouch of moisture killer. Great packaging job.
2) The blade was wrapped in what looked like a inhibitor paper and also in a cardboard sleave. I took the cardboard off and the inhibitor paper and the blade had a good coat of oil on it. That means they care for the customer's high carbon steal blade before it gets to them. Good stuff. The blade is made in Seki Japan.
3) Once whiped off, the blade had a great edge on it. It passed the hair shaving test.
4) All metal, blade and brass, was completely free of any sort of scratch. It all had a great shine on it. The blade had a good even blue. The leather handle was perfect. Good color, no scuffs. The whole knife had a terrific fit and finish.
5) Sheath was doable. Nothing fancy (which I like) but certainly nothing special. That's ok though.

Things I've notice since I've been using it:
1) This knife is AWESOME!
2) Holds an edge very well. I've put the blade through the paces pretty good already and it has held up nicely. I still haven't needed to sharpen it yet. no more oil as of yet. I'm trying to get the blade to oxodize faster by starving it the oil. Hasn't worked yet. I want the bluish purple tint to it.
3) Handle is holding up so far. So far it has been in water, creek water, food, sticky stuff, saltwater, dirt, mud, jelly... I use it for everything and it gets all over the knife. Everytime I get done, I clean it off and it goes right back in the sheath. No problems whatsoever.
4) The sheath is starting to break in a little bit. That was my biggest concern from the start, was that the sheath was too tight and thus making it not practical. It looked good and well made, but that first time I put the blade in it, I could tell it was going to be a pain in the ass for a little while. I took the leather lanard strip they give you with the knife and wrapped it around the belt loop right under where my belt sits to keep it tight with no movement when i draw the knife. I do this with all of my sheaths so it's nothing new to have to do it. After a week of using the knife and drawing it several times a day, I can see that the sheath is starting to break in and hopefully it won't be a problem at all. Hopefully it will get to that perfect point where it will hold the knife still without the snap done but will still draw easily.

All in all. I'm still very happy with my purchase. I had never had a SOG knife before this one, but i have been through tons of other duty knives in the same price range and this one seems to be nicer and tougher than the rest. I use the hell out of these things and this one stood up with some stank and said "bring that shit." I love it. I can tell that I'll be sticking with this one for a long time. Thanks SOG. I'm happy, so that means that none of you have to worry about getting stabbed in the neck by me. hahaha
 
I own a SOG Desert Dagger, and it is a very high quality knife.
 
I just bought the Tomcat 3.0 yesterday, and I already owned a Flash II. The Flash II is average, but the Tomcat 3.0 outclassed knives I own by Benchmade and Spyderco both that were more expensive.
 
I own a Pentagon Elite II folder, Magna-dot, Seal Pup, Seal 2000, and Tsunami (discont'd). Of the lot, I like the Tsunami the best. They make some interesting folders, but nothing that has me that interested. IMO their fixed-blade knives are quite good. I don't care much for their Kydex sheaths, though, kinda feel cheap to me. The leather sheath for my Tsunami is very nice, however.
Their Japanese-made stuff ( fixed blades) are really nice. Can't say much about their Taiwan-made stuff, as I own nothing by SOG made there at this time. I also think some of their newest stuff is produced in China.
I think the PE II folder is fine, but I never carry it. I find it a bit uncomfortable to carry/use.
Jim
 
All I've got is a Sculptura. It's been a good little knife, I've used it a lot harder than it was meant for it's size, and it's done well. I would like to have a Vision, and will probably get one in the future.
 
I have bunches of Sog knives. Fit and finish is great on all of them. Sog is definetely top notch in my book.
 
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