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I thought the US army was supposed to buy made in USA military gear
The SOG seal in aus 8 is most likely made in taiwan ...
The SOG seal in aus 8 is most likely made in taiwan ...
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Sog - se37 seal team elite
- Thread starter DanielRob2015
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I have had and still have a lot of SOGs, mostly fixed blades of the older design and some Seki. The stuff that SOG is putting out now I would not buy. It is mall ninja fodder. They still do have some quality knives in their line that show a linage connected to the older models. Their classic stuff is of very good quality IMO.
IMO they do have some good folders. They are the ones made of VG-10 in Seki and older no-longer produced Seki folders. The SAT folders take a lot of heat here and for good reason. They are expensive and all have of blade play to some degree. Much better options are available from other companies for less money. Here are some folders that look like they were designed by a grown up.
In my experiences SOG does a very good job with their AUS8. A better steel would make the knife cost more and it is already more expensive than it should be. That brings me to the OPs knife. I have two. One is very well used. Like I said it is likely more expensive than it needs to be but for that reason you can find them fairly cheap on the secondary market. I use this knife as a do it all utility knife. Yard work, home maintenance, prying, ice pick, to lengthen my reach, just about anything and everything. IT can do food prep but it is quite thick for that. I've opened cans with it just for fun. After a reprofiling it cuts wood decently out in the yard. I actually think it is a bit big for a military blade, I'd rather have something like the Pup. The Grip feels good, even better with gloves. I am a sheath snob and I find the Nylon Sheath acceptable and the kydex sheath very good to great with a little modding to tighten it up and get a better belt attachment. I've got a ton of knives, many costing more, some quite a bit more. But I use this knife a lot still. I also trust it enough to keep another one in one of my go bags.
Lastly, on the marketing thing, it always amazes me how upset some people get about how something is marketed. Take the specifications of the item and reviews from trusted sources to influence your purchase not a bunch of marketing mumbo jumbo.
IMO they do have some good folders. They are the ones made of VG-10 in Seki and older no-longer produced Seki folders. The SAT folders take a lot of heat here and for good reason. They are expensive and all have of blade play to some degree. Much better options are available from other companies for less money. Here are some folders that look like they were designed by a grown up.
In my experiences SOG does a very good job with their AUS8. A better steel would make the knife cost more and it is already more expensive than it should be. That brings me to the OPs knife. I have two. One is very well used. Like I said it is likely more expensive than it needs to be but for that reason you can find them fairly cheap on the secondary market. I use this knife as a do it all utility knife. Yard work, home maintenance, prying, ice pick, to lengthen my reach, just about anything and everything. IT can do food prep but it is quite thick for that. I've opened cans with it just for fun. After a reprofiling it cuts wood decently out in the yard. I actually think it is a bit big for a military blade, I'd rather have something like the Pup. The Grip feels good, even better with gloves. I am a sheath snob and I find the Nylon Sheath acceptable and the kydex sheath very good to great with a little modding to tighten it up and get a better belt attachment. I've got a ton of knives, many costing more, some quite a bit more. But I use this knife a lot still. I also trust it enough to keep another one in one of my go bags.
Lastly, on the marketing thing, it always amazes me how upset some people get about how something is marketed. Take the specifications of the item and reviews from trusted sources to influence your purchase not a bunch of marketing mumbo jumbo.
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Nope. Not even close. Imagine the increased budget to get everything the US military uses made in the USA.
And yes, most SOGs are made in Taiwan, those would be the AUS8 ones. VG-10 SOGs are made in Seki. The Chinese steel ones are made in China. The SAT folders have AUS8 steel (foreign origin) but are assembled in the USA. All but the most recent released models of their multi-tools are made in the USA. You can tell from the knife steel (420 is USA).
On one hand SOG's current marketing is pretty ridiculous. Well it probably gets young people excited and feeling very macho. Fine.
On the other hand many of these knives are not issued but widely carried privately. A military use knife doesn't need to be the best of the best as defined by knife fanatics, and with the exception of those who are personally interested in knives, low price, ease of maintenance and availability are more significant factors. SOGs have in fact ended up in battle as have Cold Steel, Kabars, Ontarios, and many other brands.
Ken, the knife that SEAL is wearing in the last photo is a Cold Steel SRK. But, in keeping with your point and the thread's theme, here are pictures of a couple wearing SOGs.
-Steve
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I find the original Tomcat very nice. But different strokes and all that
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Do you know if those gentlemen are NSW? The uniform says its during my time and that place looks kinda familiar we had special types all over and from just about every country but no special sailors.Ken, the knife that SEAL is wearing in the last photo is a Cold Steel SRK. But, in keeping with your point and the thread's theme, here are pictures of a couple wearing SOGs.
-Steve
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The gentleman on the left is James Suh I believe, who was a member of Team 10 with Marcus Luttrell.
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The gentleman on the left is James Suh I believe, who was a member of Team 10 with Marcus Luttrell.
I just got what you were saying...yes I'm an idiot.
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Interesting short read of a very cool knife
http://www.sogknives.com/blog/usaf-veterans-13-year-old-sog-seal-knife-2000.html
http://www.sogknives.com/blog/usaf-veterans-13-year-old-sog-seal-knife-2000.html
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I find the original Tomcat very nice. But different strokes and all that
they aren't all bad, but they are few and far between... and those cut out and layered for no reason handles drive me nuts.
i also don't get why people care so much what seals or rangers or green berets are issued... it's not like they have any more knowledge than anyone else about knives other than how to abuse them. most people on here have so much more experience and knowledge about knives than 95% of anyone in the military. Then you get into what they are issued... usually more concerned with price point than "the best" knife available. On that not though, i have seen hundreds of seal pup knives carried by SOF guys and only ever saw one seal knife 2000 overseas and it stayed on the guys shelf. way too big to be useful for most missions.
It just sells more. It kinda promises you'll be like them, since you hace "the knife they have"
Lots of folks would buy a "Navy SEAL knife" or a "Green Beret knife" just to feel closer to adventures, when in fact they'd be better off saving on knives and spending more on actually going out and doing stuff.
According to my experience, for the use a knife in the army sees it doesnt matter which one it is, and the people that really dig knives NEVER stick to the issue one they get.
Also multitools are the number 1 bladed object everyone carries.
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I disagree. The sheath is a SOG sheath. And although we can't see the knife all that well it looks like something from the Seki made Government line which was sold with that type of sheath.
We must remember that the Pup has been made in far greater numbers and is widely available. The Seal 2000 ended production a while ago. The Pup has been produced in Seki and Taiwan. IT is still being made today. I can drive to the local Walmart and buy one right now. Not so much for the Seal 2000.
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We must remember that the Pup has been made in far greater numbers and is widely available. The Seal 2000 ended production a while ago. The Pup has been produced in Seki and Taiwan. IT is still being made today. I can drive to the local Walmart and buy one right now. Not so much for the Seal 2000.[/QUOTE]
i agree with that, but part of that production and popularity may of a product of the pup being a decent price range and a decent size to carry that made it a better choice for an overall EDC for most guys. the pup is big enough to get most knife jobs done, small enough not to get in the way, tough enough for 90% of chores and cheap enough that if you lose/break it, you aren't too put out. that can't be said for the seal knife 2000... it's a formidable piece of steel in hand that's for sure, but it kind of never hit the mark for most people.
i agree with that, but part of that production and popularity may of a product of the pup being a decent price range and a decent size to carry that made it a better choice for an overall EDC for most guys. the pup is big enough to get most knife jobs done, small enough not to get in the way, tough enough for 90% of chores and cheap enough that if you lose/break it, you aren't too put out. that can't be said for the seal knife 2000... it's a formidable piece of steel in hand that's for sure, but it kind of never hit the mark for most people.
So you're thinking it's one of these?
You appear to be right. I didn't realize that SOG made any sheaths with the snap-over retaining strap. I thought it depicted this
with the retaining strap reversed. But then what would the retaining strap be holding on the back side of an SRK? I also mistook what looks like the SOG label for dirt.
My mistake. I'll correct myself in the Cold Steel thread, as well. I should have known better than to think that Ken would misidentify a Seki blade!
-Steve
For broad issue gear, US military issue has to be made domestically. The M9 bayonet, the service pistol, the infantry rifle. Small lots of specialty gear for small units does not have to be.
The idea is that the means to produce and replace common gear has to be inside our borders so the military can be built up or resupplied, even if the US is effectively blockaded. The SOG knife isn't going to affect a war of that size.
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Yes. One of those. I've had one and the sheath is exactly that. And yes, Ken knows his stuff!
Agree 100%. The pup is just the right size. The Seal 2000 and the Seal team are too large when you've got all that other stuff. The Pup just makes more sense.
Thank you for the kind words Steve and Cray.
That particular photo was tough because it doesn't show the knife all that well. But I do have a Seki made SOG Govt which has that sheath
and appears to have a pommel, a trait shared in that SOG family line including daggers.
Seki knives have ended up in combat scenarios over the years. The earliest may have been the Recon7 in the late 1960s.
This model of course was he first of those made for MACV-CISCO and the inspiration for SOG's Recon Bowie.
That particular photo was tough because it doesn't show the knife all that well. But I do have a Seki made SOG Govt which has that sheath
and appears to have a pommel, a trait shared in that SOG family line including daggers.
Seki knives have ended up in combat scenarios over the years. The earliest may have been the Recon7 in the late 1960s.
This model of course was he first of those made for MACV-CISCO and the inspiration for SOG's Recon Bowie.
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KenHash, the most interesting thing about the photo you posted is that the Sergeant Major has a CIB Third award, very, very few of those ever awarded. John
I have one of the seki city seal pups with the full flap nylon sheath. The blade is stabby, the handle is grippy, and the sheath is secure. Blade length is OK. In those regards it's a good soldier knife.
Kinda fails on utility though. The large finger choil + the serrated edge combo makes push cutting with any force difficult. A straight spine on the blade would also be more useful IMHO.
Anyways. Enjoy your new knife OP. :thumbup: May it serve you well for many years to come.